By Brandon Simmons
MVPuka?
It might be time to start the Puka Nucua for MVP propaganda. The Los Angeles Rams wide receiver has been on fire as usual. Recently, he became the first player to record 50 or more catches in the first 5 give games of a season; in 2022 former Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp had 49 within that same amount of games. Speaking of Cupp, 2022 was also the year that he went for the triple crown of leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Nucua is already on top in receptions and receiving yards but has a long list ahead of him on the touchdowns. Still, his value has been proven early on in the season.
Puka Nucua has been balling out in the short time that this year has happened and it’s not going to stop. He’s lined up at wide receiver alongside Davante Adams, who the Rams picked up this n offseason, so defenses have a “pick your poison” situation happening when facing this team. The only thing getting in his way of this, is him being a non-QB. MVP voters love QB’s, so much so that eyes get raised when another skill position enters the race. Logistically, it males sense why that would be the case but at some point, things have to change, which is not a conversation that will die off either. That convo should be brought to life by considering Puka dor MVP early on.
What Message Did the Patriots Give with their Win?
The New England Patriots are a young, on -the – rise, football team who just scored a big win. The Patriots beat the Bills 23-20 on a late field goal, on Sunday Night Football in Buffalo, to hand them their first loss of the year. Patriots QB Drake Maye threw for 273 yards but no touchdowns. Patriots wide receiver – who played for Buffalo until 2024 – had 10 catches for 146 yards against his former team. Ironically, the two touchdowns came from running back Rhomandre Stevenson, who only had 14 yards rushing in this game.
Not that big of a deal that Buffalo got their first loss, but New England handing them that loss is a big deal. This is a young Patriots team finding their way with a young franchise QB and new head coach. This is a significant win showing this team is headed in the right direction with what they have now. That doesn’t mean there are some kinks to work out. At one point, the Pats held a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter but blew that and ended up tied with the Bills. Still, they were able to overcome that and is a very good team that has been clicking on all cylinders so far, so for New England to go in their stadium on a national stage amd take that win, speaks to the excitement of things to come from this young group.
Colts and Jaguars Surging from the South
The Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars have been 2 of the league’s biggest surprises this season. The Colts have stormed to a 4-1 record highlighted by the resurgence of QB Daniel Jones, who they signed in the offseason to light a fire under QB Anthony Richardson and well, they caught fire in a different way. The Jaguars have also jumped to a 4-1 start, thanks to head coach Liam Coen transforming the offense by improving the run game.
While both teams have the same record, they have acquired their success in different paths. The Colts have dominated most of their opponents, including a 40-6 win over the Las Vegas Raiders this past Sunday. The Jaguars have been fighting much tougher battles with 3 of their 4 victories being decided by one score, including their 31-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
There’s no clear decision on who has the upper hand here. Both teams’ opponents have largely been on the down trodden side. However, each squad has faced an opponent over the .500 mark and won one of these games. Indy beat the Denver Broncos on a controversial call and the Jaguars beat an injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers team on the road. Indy shouldn’t be penalized for beating up on weaker teams but it breeds a sense of doubt when you lose to a team with a winning record. However, that doubt doesn’t leave the Jaguars in their close game victories, in which they have lost the lead in at different times.
Shoutouts/Shutouts
Shout out to Trevor Lawrence for getting knocked down then getting back to it. Monday, down 24-28 to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Jacksonville Jaguars QB was leading a drive downfield with 30 seconds left and got to the Chiefs’ 1 yard line. Lawrence snaps the ball, falls down, but then gets back up to run in for the game winning score. It was kind of a metaphor of how Jags stumbled at times in this game, trailing multiple times – including starting with a 14-0 deficit in the first half – then got back up to win this game. Jacksonville held on to win 31-28.
Shut out to the Arizona Cardinals for blowing a huge 4th quarter lead and losing to the Tennessee Titans. Sunday, the Cardinals held a 21-6 lead in the 4th quarter. Things seemed to take a turn when Cardinals running back Emari Demarcado rushed to the end zone on 3rd and 1 but fumbled the ball before crossing the goal line. That eventually led to a Titans score. Another fumble that nobody really talked about is an interception by Cardinals safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, who caught it in the red zone but fumbled the ball away, untouched, and it was recovered by Titans wide receiver Tyler Lockett for a touhchdown. Tennessee used all of that momentum to get a 22-21 win, their first victory of the year.
Shout out to Lions running back David Montgomery and his sister, Kiki, for having a memorable day in Cincinatti. Sunday, the Detroit Lions visited Cincinatti, Montgomery’s hometown, to play the Bengals. It was a special moment because it was the first time Kiki got to see Montgomery play in person for the first time since a car accident left her paralyzed in 2024. She got to witness her brother show out with a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown in Detroit’s win. After the game, Montgomery thanked the Bengals for even helping his sister to be able to get on the field.
Shut out to whatever Mark Sanchez was on. Saturday, the former NFL QB, and current NFL on Fox analyst, was involved in an altercation in Indianapolis that left him with multiple stab wounds and a few misdemeanors. Reports say that Sanchez, who was intoxicated, approached a 69-year-old truck driver at a hotel, who was there to pick up used cooking oil. Eventually, they got into a scrum where the driver stabbed Sanchez multiple times. Sanchez was taken to a hospital but was also charged with 3 misdemeanors. He was in town to work the Indianapolis Colts vs. Las Vegas Raiders telecast, but was replaced by Brady Quinn in the wake of the incident. Hopefully he recovers physically and thankfully it didn’t turn out worse for either party.
Week 6 is already here and giving us some solid games this weekend. The Seattle Seahawks will be visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars, where the home team is coming off a thrilling victory over the Chiefs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the San Francisco 49ers in a battle of two 4-1 teams. Niners have had plenty of injuries but remained competitive behind QB Mac Jones, who’s stepped in for the injured QB Brock Purdy. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield has led this team to a few late game victories and this game should be no different. But until then…I’ll holla.
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