The Las Vegas Raiders rode a massive game from running back Josh Jacobs to a 32-23 home win against the Denver Broncos, marking their first win of the season.
Desperate for a result after an 0-3 start, the Raiders largely played a risk-averse style as they trusted Jacobs to carry the ball 28 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Derek Carr posted 188 yards and no touchdowns.
The Raiders led 19-16 at halftime after Russell Wilson completed first-half touchdown passes to both Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, but when starting running back Javonte Williams was forced to leave the game with an injury, the offense began to stall.
A pair of field goals gave the Raiders a 25-16 lead, which was trimmed to 25-23 when Wilson was able to scamper in for a three-yard rushing touchdown.
But the Raiders would not be denied, marching down the field one more time and punctuating it with Jacobs' second touchdown
The Broncos were yet to concede 100 rushing yards to any player in a single game this season, which was broken by Jacobs, and also had not faced a 100-yard receiver, which was broken by Davante Adams as he collected nine catches for 101 yards.
K.J. Hamler led the Broncos in receiving yards, and all 55 of his yards came on one catch as Wilson completed 17 of 25 passes for 237 yards and two scores.
Dynamic duo deliver for the Packers in overtime
Arguably the best running back duo in the league, Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon were both strong in the Green Bay Packers' 27-24 overtime win against the New England Patriots.
After backup Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer suffered an injury in the first quarter, it was up to rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe to lead New England the rest of the way, and he was more than respectable. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, leading two touchdown drives in the second half to force overtime.
Rookie Packers receiver Romeo Doubs was the man to tie the game at 24-24 with his 13-yard touchdown catch, giving him touchdowns in back-to-back games as he tries to establish himself as Rodgers' top target.
In overtime, the Packers mounted a 13-play, 77-yard game-winning drive that featured seven runs, with Jones reaching 110 yards on 16 carries while Dillon had 73 yards on 17 carries.
Rodgers finished with a solid line of 21 completions from 35 attempts with 251 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Edge rusher Hendrickson reportedly requests trade from Bengals
A day before the NFL draft, one of the league's best edge rushers has requested a trade.
Three-time Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson has asked to be traded from the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Hendrickson, who is set to make $14.8million this season and $15.8million in 2025, is reportedly seeking a long-term deal - something that hasn't been worked out with the Bengals.
His request to be traded comes at an intriguing time with the draft set for Thursday, as another team could be looking to make a deal with Cincinnati for the established pass rusher.
The 29-year-old is coming off a career year, registering a personal-high 17 1/2 sacks to tie with Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen for the second most in the league.
Hendrickson's 16 tackles for loss were tied for 10th in 2023, and his 53 sacks since the start of the 2020 season rank third behind T.J. Watt (62) and Myles Garrett (58).
A third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2017, Hendrickson signed with the Bengals in 2021, and has been named a Pro Bowler in each of his three seasons in Cincinnati.
Hendrickson's request for a trade comes a little more than a month after wide receiver Tee Higgins asked to be traded.
Higgins, who had the franchise tag placed on him by the Bengals on February 26, did say earlier this month, however, that he intends to play for Cincinnati in 2024.
Fellow Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase had the fifth-year option on his rookie contract picked up on Wednesday.
Chase, the 2021 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, has 268 receptions for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first three seasons - the team leader in each category since 2021.
Detroit Lions WR St. Brown gets $120M extension
The Detroit Lions have locked up one of their most important players for the foreseeable future by agreeing to a reported four-year, $120 million extension with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
St. Brown, who was entering the final season of his rookie contract, confirmed the news Wednesday with a video message on his Instagram account.
"I can't wait. I'm here, four more years!," St. Brown announced.
One of the NFL's most productive receivers since entering the league as a fourth-round draft pick of the Lions in 2021, St. Brown will now be among the highest-paid players at his position. NFL.com reports the contract, which runs through 2028, includes $77 million in guaranteed money for the largest sum ever for a wide receiver.
The deal's $30 million average annual value is tied for the highest among wide receivers, matching the four-year, $120 million extension Tyreek Hill received from the Miami Dolphins in 2022.
St. Brown earned first team All-Pro honours with a brilliant 2023 campaign in which he finished in the NFL's top three in receptions (119) and receiving yards (1,515) and recorded a career-high 10 touchdown catches in 16 games.
The 24-year-old added 22 catches for 274 yards and a touchdown in three post-season games to help the NFC North champion Lions advance to the conference title game for the first time since 1991.
St. Brown's 315 career receptions are the third-most by any player in NFL history through his first three seasons, eclipsed only by Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson's 324 from 2020-22 and Michael Thomas' 321 with the New Orleans Saints from 2016-18.
The two-time Pro Bowler is also one of just three receivers in league history with 90 or more catches through his first three seasons, joining Thomas and Odell Beckham Jr. (2014-16).
Broncos reportedly trade for Jets QB Wilson
Zach Wilson has a chance to restart his career in a new setting after the Denver Broncos reportedly traded for the former starting quarterback from the New York Jets on Monday, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The Broncos are also acquiring a seventh-round pick in this year's NFL draft, and the Jets will receive a sixth-rounder.
New York will also pay part of Wilson's $5.5million salary next season.
Wilson arrives in Denver after never living up to expectations with the Jets after the franchise selected him second overall in the 2021 draft.
He went 3-10 as a rookie in 2021, and things didn't improve in 2022, leading to his benching.
The Jets had seen enough and decided to move on from Wilson, trading for Aaron Rodgers prior to the 2023 season. Wilson, though, got another chance to start after Rodgers tore his Achilles on his first drive with New York in the season opener.
He was unable to take advantage of that opportunity, however, throwing for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games in 2023. His 77.2 passer rating ranked 30th out of 32 qualifying QBs last season.
In 34 career games, he has completed 57.0 per cent of his passes for 6,293 yards with 23 TDs and 25 picks.
Among the 30 quarterbacks with a minimum of 700 pass attempts since 2021, Wilson ranks last in completion percentage and QB rating (73.2), and 29th in both touchdown passes and yards per attempt (6.34).
In Denver, he'll likely get a chance to compete for the starting QB job after the Broncos released Russell Wilson in early March.
The only other quarterbacks on Denver's roster are Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci, but the team could also decide to select one in Thursday's draft.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
