After a scintillating game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints last week, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium plays host to NFL action again as the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers lock horns.
The Giants travelled across the pond for Sunday's London game beset by injuries at wide receiver in their stuttering offense.
No receiver had 20 or more yards in their 20-12 victory over the Chicago Bears last week.
It was the second time in six games that has happened for New York, the team having had just one such instance over their previous 231 outings, but they still improved to a surprise 3-1 record.
Victory against the Bears came with just 71 passing yards, with the Giants yet to have over 200 passing yards in a game so far this season.
Their gross passing yards total this term stands at 642, the second-lowest tally across the NFL behind only the struggling Bears (471).
Rushing has been the name of the game for the Giants offensively.
They boast the NFL's most net rushing yards (770), the fourth-most average carries per game (33.5) and the second-highest average gain per carry (5.75).
While the Packers are heavy favourites to slow New York’s fast start to the season, the odds of them halting running back Saquon Barkley's renaissance look slim.
No player in the NFL is averaging more yards per game than Barkley's 115.8, while a Packers defense that has traditionally struggled against the run is surrendering 4.97 yards per rush, the 11th-most in the league.
Packers linebacker Rashan Gary will be part of a defense hoping to prevent the Giants' charge after recording two sacks in the 27-24 overtime win against the New England Patriots.
He has at least one sack in all four of Green Bay's contests this season and no Packers player has ever registered a sack in each of the opening five games of a campaign.
In total, the Packers, who also hold a 3-1 record, have 11 sacks this season, five of which have come from Gary himself.
Only six teams have more than Green Bay's sack total and just three NFL players have more than Gary so far in 2022.
Offensively, Aaron Rodgers has already racked up some big gains with the Packers recording 17 passes of 20 or more yards this season, only behind the Detroit Lions (18) and Denver Broncos (21).
The veteran QB had two passing TDs in each of his last three contests, all of which have been victories for Green Bay as they bounced back well from a disappointing opening loss to the Vikings.
Alcaraz's pursuit for third straight Madrid Open crown continues
Carlos Alcaraz boosted his hopes of a third straight Madrid Open title as he comfortably beat Thiago Seyboth Wild to reach the fourth round on Sunday.
Back in his home country of Spain, Alcaraz eased to a 6-3 6-3 triumph to set up a fourth-round clash with Jan-Lennard Struff, whom he beat in last year's final.
The first six games of the opening set went to serve, but Alcaraz found a crucial break in the seventh and ninth games of the set to put him in pole position for victory, a lead he would not relinquish as he overcame being broken in the seventh game of the second set to seal his safe progression.
Holger Rune was a surprise casualty as the world number 12 was defeated 6-4 4-6 6-3 by Tallon Griekspoor, though world number eight Andrey Rublev eased through with a straight-sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Data Debrief
With his triumph over Seyboth Wild at the Madrid Open, Alcaraz has now won 93.3 per cent of his games at the tournament. That is the highest win percentage of any player with at least 10 games played in a single ATP-1000 event since the format was introduced in 1990.
Against Seyboth Wild, Alcaraz won 27 of his 31 first-serve points, also recording 19 winners to his opponent's 10 as he dominated the contest on his way to victory.
Texans wide receiver Dell shot, suffers minor wound
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was shot as an innocent bystander and sustained a minor wound outside a nightclub in Samford, Florida on Saturday night.
The team said Dell has already been released from the hospital and is “in good spirits.”
A total of 10 people were wounded in the shooting, but all the injuries are non-life threatening.
Houston selected Dell in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Daytona Beach, Florida native had 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games last season.
Dell did not play after Week 13 due to a fractured fibula.
Napoli 2-2 Roma: Late Abraham header denies wasteful hosts
A wasteful Napoli were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Roma in Serie A, with a late Tammy Abraham header securing a point for the visitors.
The visitors took the lead from the penalty spot a minute before the hour mark, with Paulo Dybala converting after Juan Jesus fouled Sardar Amzoun.
However, Napoli equalised six minutes later through Matias Olivera's deflected shot, and completed the turnaround with their own penalty six minutes from time as Victor Osimhen tucked away after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was felled by Renato Sanches.
The hosts could not hold on, though, and were pegged back with two minutes to go. Substitute Abraham's header from a corner was eventually awarded following a VAR review after he had initially been ruled offside.
Data debrief
Napoli remain eighth in the Serie A table on 50 points, the exact amount they had registered after their opening 19 games of last season.
Though his penalty was not enough to earn Roma victory, Dybala continued his impressive start to 2024, during which he has been involved in the joint-most goals in Serie A with 12 (nine goals, three assists).
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
