London Calling and Adams’ future – 5 NFL storylines

Michael McQuaid of Pro Football Ireland looks at some of the key storylines ahead of the fifth week of the 2024 NFL season, which gets underway tonight (1.15am Irish time) with the visit of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Atlanta Falcons.

London calling

This weekend, the NFL London games kick off with a big showdown at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Expect to see every team represented at airports across the island as NFL fans flock over the Irish Sea to see the New York Jets take on the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings have had a superb start to the season – they are the only remaining team in the NFC that has an unbeaten record at 4-0.

Who would have thought when they lost rookie QB JJ McCarthy to injury that they would be in such a positive position heading for North London?

Enter Sam Darnold. Through the first four weeks, Darnold has completed 73 out of 106 passes for 932 yards, with a QB rating of 118.9. That’s impressive. What is even more profound is Darnold’s lift of this offence. The Vikings are an exciting team to watch – and for fans flocking to Tottenham this weekend, that is an added bonus.

Watch where the ball hits Jefferson.

Darnold DIME.

📺: #MINvsGB on CBS/Paramount+
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— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024

For Aaron Rodgers, it is a second – and potentially final – game in London. After a very disappointing outing at home to the Denver Broncos last week, the pressure is on the Jets to come out all guns blazing on Sunday. Rodgers’ longest completion in week four was for 25 yards, and the consistency on the offence needs to improve.

One issue for the Jets will be the sheer firepower that the Vikings possess on the offence. The last time that Justin Jefferson played in London, he made considerable big plays and scored a crucial touchdown on the day.

London has one of the games of the week in the league. We should embrace it.

Can the Commanders keep rolling?

Let’s just say this: if Jayden Daniels can keep these performance levels up for the Washington Commanders, the sky’s the limit.

Last weekend, Daniels led his team to a 42-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Daniels achieved the highest completion percentage (82.1%) through the first four games of a season in NFL history, surpassing Tom Brady’s record (79.2%). That’s right, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

Up next for the Commanders is a home matchup against the Cleveland Browns. It’s been a struggle for the Browns in the first few weeks to say the least. Their quarterback Deshaun Watson’s performance has come under significant scrutiny.

His play has been inconsistent across the first few weeks – and with a monster $230m contract on the line in Cleveland, questions are rightly being asked.

In a week where the Budget has dominated the headlines in Ireland, it’s clear which quarterback is better value for a team’s cabinet.

The AFC North kick-off

A great game is in prospect this Sunday as the Ravens travel to Paul Brown Stadium to take on the Bengals. After a statement performance and victory in Sunday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills last weekend, Lamar Jackson will be looking to set a marker for an ever competitive AFC North.

Last week, the Ravens heavily relied on the run game, focusing on Derrick Henry who ended the game with almost 200 combined yards and a touchdown.

Those are elite numbers. On Sunday, the Ravens will go up against a Bengals team who is in the bottom five in the league against designed runs and efficiency. Warm up Derrick Henry, folks.

The key element for the Bengals will be a continued focus on consistency. Joe Burrow had a pretty clean game against the Panthers last week, but he will hope to improve going into this one.

Through the first four weeks of the season, Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase is third in the league in touchdowns and inside the top ten for yards gained. If Burrow and the Bengals offense can clean up and ensure there are no picks, this should be a close and well-fought game.

Up and Adams

There is never a dull moment in this league. Just ask Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, who requested a trade earlier this week.

Through the first four weeks of the season, the star receiver has had over two hundred receiving yards and a touchdown. The Raiders have struggled in the opening games this season and it seems like the relationship with the Las Vegas-based outfit and Adams is coming to an end.

When asked for more information, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce remained tight-lipped.

“The next obstacle in front of me is the Denver Broncos,” he said. “That’s what I presented to my team.”

With the NFL trade deadline around one month away, it will be interesting to see where Adams will end up – and for what compensation.

Sources around the league are indicating that it could take a second-round pick, among other elements, for the Raiders to send their star man elsewhere.

One natural fit has to be a reunion with Aaron Rodgers at the New York Jets. Adams played with Rodgers at the Green Bay Packers. The combination of Adams and Rodgers at times was unstoppable in the league, with the 2019 season a standout example.

During that year, Adams had 18 receiving touchdowns. The connection that existed between both players was evident; the Packers thrived in high pressure situations. Could we see a return of the duo? Jets fans will certainly welcome this with open arms.

There are so many other potential landing spots – a reunion with former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr could also be on the cards in New Orleans. For teams in ‘win now’ mode like the Detroit Lions or San Francisco 49ers, a potential short-term deal for Adams could be a win-win for both sides.

It will be fascinating to see what happens.

The AFC South never ceases to entertain

If any team needs a win right now, it’s the Jacksonville Jaguars. We are one week out from a double-header for the Jaguars in London and the team sit 0-4.

Last weekend, their head coach Doug Pederson did not hold back after the teams loss to the Houston Texans. “As coaches, we can’t go out there and make the plays, right?” he said.

“It’s a two-way street.”

Oof.

The Colts head to Duval County confident after a huge win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in week four. Their back-up quarterback Joe Flacco turned back the years against his old AFC North rival.

If the Jaguars did go to 0-5, keep a close eye on owner Shad Khan before two weeks in London.

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