The Baltimore Ravens' defense was at its suffocating best as they sucked the life out of the New Orleans Saints in a 27-13 win on Monday.

New Orleans could only muster six points until their first touchdown came with four minutes remaining in the last quarter, with the game already put to bed.

The Ravens did it by shutting down Alvin Kamara and the Saints' rushing attack, limiting the star running back to nine carries for 30 yards and three catches for an additional 32 yards.

In doing so, they forced quarterback Andy Dalton to beat them from the pocket, and he could not deliver. He ultimately finished with a respectable stat-line, completing 19 of 29 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown, but that masked his struggles.

Dalton was sacked four times, with two-and-a-half of those being credited to edge-rusher Justin Houston, and threw a fourth-quarter interception – also to Houston, off a deflection – when his side was only down 14 and still had a chance.

The Ravens struggled similarly throwing the ball, with Lamar Jackson only tallying 133 passing yards from 12 completions, but their ground attack was unstoppable.

Jackson himself carried the ball 11 times for 83 yards, and with starting running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards both missing through injury, Kenyan Drake stepped up for 93 yards and two touchdowns from 24 carries. It led to over 37 minutes of ball-control for the Ravens, with the Saints having just 22 minutes.

The Ravens are now alone atop the AFC North with a 6-3 record, while the Saints drop to 3-6, but remain just one win behind the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5).

The New Orleans Saints have plenty of experience playing without Michael Thomas, and they’ll need to draw on that again with the wide receiver scheduled for toe surgery that is expected to wipe out another season. 

Thomas, who hasn’t played since September 25, was placed on injured reserve Thursday because his dislocated toe did not respond well to rehab, Saints coach Dennis Allen said. 

"I’m not going to get into any time frames right now. I don’t know," Allen said. "He’s going to go on IR. I don’t anticipate that he’ll be able to return this year."

After missing just one game in his first four NFL seasons, Thomas was limited to seven games in 2020 and did not play at all in 2021 due to an ankle injury and complications related to surgery in summer 2021. He will have missed most of the past three seasons since his five-year, $96million extension went into effect in 2020.  

"I think Mike worked his tail off and did everything he possibly could to try to rehab it," Allen said. "This is just something that happens from time to time. It didn’t respond the way we wanted it to, so we felt like surgery was the best option to go ahead and repair it and try to get him healthy." 

Thomas had at least 92 receptions in each of his first four seasons and was an All-Pro in 2019, when he set an NFL record with 149 catches and finished that season with 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. 

His 470 receptions from 2016 to 2019 led the league, with DeAndre Hopkins in second with 393. 

Running back Alvin Kamara strongly defended Thomas. 

"I just saw a couple comments in the media about him," he said. "Basically like, ‘You can't’ trust him, he’s not being honest about his injury, why is he waiting until now to be ruled out?'

"I’m like, man, nobody knows what we go through in here. The masses get to see Sunday. It’s a lot of s--- we’ve got to go through.

"A player like that, that’s fighting to get back, not only for his team, but for the fans and for his city… for people to be talking s---, it’s like, ah, it hurts my soul to see that." 

Nobody can say that Alvin Kamara doesn’t back up his words after his New Orleans Saints shutout the Las Vegas Raiders 24-0 on Sunday.

After saying his team intended to 'whoop' the Raiders, Kamara did his part as he scored his first three touchdowns of the season while the Saints' defense limited the Raiders to 183 total yards, rebounding from last week’s prime-time loss to the Arizona Cardinals. 

"I stick to what I said," Kamara said. "We was going to go out there and beat their [butt], and we did that."

Kamara unleashed in a fiery postgame speech after the loss to the Cardinals, preaching accountability and playing "Saints football". 

"I think [the swagger] is probably on its way back," Kamara said. "We had a nice performance right there, but swag ain’t s*** if it’s not consistent.

"You can do it one time, but you’ve got to be able to string it together. We’re looking for the same type of preparation this week. I know I am." 

Next up for Kamara and the Saints is a Monday night matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. 

"Just because we had a nice game this week doesn’t mean that there’s a fall-off or taper down," Kamara said. "We’ve got to do the same thing the next week, and the next week and the next week. Put it together. That’s really what swag is. Swag is consistency." 

Kamara believes the win was especially gratifying for head coach Dennis Allen, who was fired by the Raiders four games into the 2014 season. Kamara said Allen made no mention of what a win would mean to him until he addressed the team in the locker room after the game. 

"He didn’t really say anything about it," Kamara said. "But in the locker room, he was like, ‘yeah, I lied. This game meant a lot to me'."

Even at 3-5, New Orleans are just one game behind the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons.  

"The defence was challenged this week, in terms of stepping up and playing the way they’re capable of playing," Allen said. "I thought they came out and played with energy, passion. I thought they played with swagger, which was good to see."

Andy Dalton will retain the starting quarterback berth for the New Orleans Saints despite the return to practice of Jameis Winston, head coach Dennis Allen has confirmed.

Winston injured his back in the Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons and initially played through the pain barrier in the following two games.

He was eventually sidelined to allow him to recover, with Dalton, signed as a backup to Winston, starting under center after the Saints' attempts to bring in Deshaun Watson were unsuccessful.

Allen explained his reasoning for sticking with Dalton, telling reporters: "Andy's gonna get the start again this week [against the Las Vegas Raiders.

"I feel like he's played well. Offensively, I feel like we're in a little bit of a rhythm. We've been moving the ball effectively, we've scored points. And so we're gonna continue down that road with Andy as the quarterback."

This season, Dalton has completed on 63.4 per cent of his passes for 946 yards and seven touchdowns, while he has been sacked four times and been intercepted four times.

Last time out against the Arizona Cardinals, a game the Saints lost, Dalton threw for 361 yards and four touchdowns but also conceded three interceptions – two of which were returned for touchdowns.

However, Allen said he was looking for offensive continuity in the coming weeks.

"What I mean by that is in the last four weeks, we're one of the top offenses in terms of moving the ball, we're one of the top offenses in terms of scoring points," he added.  "And that's really the name of the game. So, we're gonna continue doing what we've been doing.

"We've gotta do a better job of protecting the football. And if we do that, I think we can be highly effective offensively."

Allen said Dalton will keep his position over a fully fit Winston as long as the team remain coherent with the ball in hand.

"Well, look, Jameis is back healthy right now. We're gonna go with Andy as we sit here right now. And if we continue to play well offensively and move the ball offensively, Andy will stay in there," Allen said.

"There's a lot of things that we're doing really well offensively. And I didn't feel like there was any need to upset the apple cart there. We'll keep going how we are. And if we continue to do that, then we'll stay the course."

The Saints (2-5) sit bottom of the NFC South and will look to ignite life into their season against the Raiders on Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and head coach Kliff Kingsbury have played down their heated exchange during a win over the New Orleans Saints.

The Cardinals snapped an eight-game home losing streak with a 42-34 victory on Thursday, as the visitors' stand-in QB Andy Dalton threw three interceptions.

For Arizona, Murray completed 20 of his 29 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions, but he also made headlines through his second-quarter row with Kingsbury.

Murray appeared to shout, "calm the f*** down" at his coach on two occasions, but insisted there was no ill feeling between the pair after the win.

"The clock was running down and we couldn't get off the play that we were trying to run," Murray said. "So, it was... I guess it's my fault. I'll take it.

"We're good. We're going to make it right. We ended up scoring so that was good. But, yes, that's all I was saying, just chill out.

"It doesn't faze me, and I don't think it fazes him. We're just trying to win. [It was an] in the moment type of thing. After that, we're good."

Kingsbury shared Murray's view of the incident, adding he liked to see such levels of competitiveness from his QB.

"I mean, it's good," Kingsbury said. "I think we are working through, as an offense, where we want to be and what we want to do. 

"When you have competitors that have a level of intensity like that, I think it will keep pushing us forward."

The Cardinals' win represented their first 40-plus-point game since January 1, 2017, breaking the longest streak in the NFL of 87 games, and took them to 3-0-4 for the season.

The Arizona Cardinals snapped their two-game losing skid by capitalizing on three Andy Dalton interceptions in a 42-34 win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday.

The Cardinals led 35-17 before the Saints scored two fourth-quarter TDs through Dalton passes, but the damage was done as Arizona improved to 3-4 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Arizona QB Kyler Murray, who was seen shouting at head coach Kliff Kingsbury in the second quarter, completed 20 of 29 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions, along with 30 rushing yards. DeAndre Hopkins sparked his side, returning from suspension for the first time this season for 103 yards from 10 catches.

Cardinals running backs Eno Benjamin, who had 12 carries for 92 yards, and rookie Keaontay Ingram both scored TDs.

The story of the game was Saints QB Dalton, starting for the fourth straight game in Jameis Winston's absence due to a back injury. 

Dalton had thrown only one interception in his previous three starts, but gave away three, including two pick-sixes to Marco Wilson and Isaiah Simmons. He had 30-of-47 passing for 361 yards with four touchdowns, connecting with Juwan Johnson for two of them, but the three interceptions hurt.

The Saints had gone ahead early when Dalton found Rashid Shaheed with a 53-yard TD pass, but the Cardinals worked their way back with 25 second-quarter points. Ingram powered his way in for a TD, before Wilson swooped on Marquez Callaway's tip ball, followed by Simmons' interception return from the 40-yard line.

The game marked the Cardinals' first 40-plus-point game since January 1 2017, breaking the longest streak in the NFL of 87 games.

Belief is a powerful emotion.

Athletes from a variety of sports over the years have spoken about the power of self-belief that allowed them to overcome the odds and prevail.

In the world of fantasy football, where the stakes are substantially lower, it is easy to lose faith after a few bad weeks given the season is so short.

Still, even as the losses mount, it's important to not get discouraged, trust in your line-up decisions and, most importantly, remember that it's just a bit of fun.

Not everything is going to go right for all your players in every game, but with Week 7 on the horizon, Stats Perform has gone through the numbers and identified four offensive players and a defense deserving of your faith for the upcoming slate of games.

Quarterback: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys @ Detroit Lions

Prescott is finally set to return to the lineup after Cooper Rush kept the Cowboys firmly in the mix during his absence with a fractured thumb.

There may some reticence to roll with Prescott in fantasy in his first game since the season opener. 

Against the Lions, there's little reason to have such concerns. Their defense is allowing 7.37 yards per pass play, the second most in the NFL, while only the Cleveland Browns have conceded more offensive touchdowns than Detroit's 18.

Game flow could work against Prescott putting up a huge fantasy performance if the Dallas defense allows the Cowboys to build a big lead, but there's no reason to expect him to struggle on his return.

Running Back: Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Chargers

Walker backed up his explosive performance against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 with a strong showing in Week 6 as the Seahawks knocked off the Arizona Cardinals.

He racked up 97 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries versus Arizona and now gets to face a Charger run defense that has displayed no improvement despite heavy offseason investment.

Only the New York Giants (5.61) are allowing more yards per rush than the Chargers (5.56). Walker already has seven rushes of 10 yards or more this season and, if you have this exciting rookie on your roster, you can afford to believe he will deliver in a substantial way in LA.

Wide Receiver: Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Samuel was kept relatively quiet as the 49er offense endured a difficult day in Atlanta last week, failing to score in the second half of their 28-14 loss to the Falcons.

Even so, he still managed seven catches for 79 yards and his fantasy managers who may be worried about a drop-off from the San Francisco attack should stay calm.

The 49er run game sputtered in Atlanta, gaining just 50 yards, but it looked at its best on the two carries Samuel received out of the backfield. 

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan last season turned to putting Samuel in the backfield to give his offense a spark and it produced stunning results. Don't be surprised to see him do the same here.

With the Chiefs level with the Lions with 18 offensive scores allowed, a varied role for Samuel on Sunday could spell a highly productive effort on an offense that may benefit from the return of All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams.

Tight End: Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers @ Washington Commanders

The Green Bay offense is in dreadful shape, with some questioning whether it is broken beyond repair following a dismal defeat to the New York Jets at Lambeau Field.

Aaron Rodgers has called for the Packers to simplify their attack in the wake of that loss. Any huge schematic changes seem unlikely but what is probable is that Rodgers will focus on the few targets he trusts.

One such target is Tonyan, who was last week targeted 12 times, catching 10 passes for 90 yards.

With Randall Cobb on the sideline through injury, Allen Lazard and Tonyan will likely be Rodgers' favoured weapons in the passing game. Whether he can engineer an upturn in Green Bay's fortunes is open for debate, but Tonyan's place in the pass-catching hierarchy for the Packers gives him plenty of fantasy value against a Commanders defense that has allowed 12 passing touchdowns, the second-most in the league.

Defense/Special Teams: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals

Is your faith in the New Orleans defense shaken by the Cincinnati Bengals' comeback against the Saints? Well here come the Cardinals to make everything all better.

The Cardinals managed nine points against a Seahawks team that has allowed 163 this season. Only the Lions have given up more.

On a per-play basis, the Steelers are the sole team to put up fewer yards (4.77) than the Cardinals (4.81).

The Saints' defense is not as fearsome as in days gone by, but it has the benefit of facing an utterly anaemic offense in Week 7 and is worthy of some belief as a result.

Andy Dalton is set to meet his former team the Cincinnati Bengals for a third successive season, and he could join a historic club.

Quarterback Dalton left the Bengals in 2020 after spending nine years with the team. He is Cincinnati's all-time passing touchdown leader (204).

The 34-year-old spent the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys before heading to Chicago and the Bears last year. He is now at the New Orleans Saints, and with Jameis Winston questionable due to back and ankle injuries, is expected to start in the Week 6 clash against his old team.

Having helped the Cowboys and the Bears to wins over the Bengals over the past two seasons, Dalton could become the fourth QB since 1950 to go 3-0 or better against the team he was drafted by.

Joe Burrow replaced Dalton in Cincinnati and was the key to their charge to the Super Bowl last season.

Burrow has completed at least 60 per cent of his passes in 22 successive regular-season games, which ties him level with Steve Young for the second-longest streak in NFL history behind Drew Brees, who went 31 straight between 2018 and 2020.

The Bengals are 4-2 all-time on the road against the Saints, their second-best road record against a single opponent, yet in Taysom Hill they face a player who made history last week. 

In New Orleans' 39-32 win over the Seattle Seahawks, Hill became the first player in the league to rush for 100+ yards on 10+ yards per carry, rush for three or more touchdowns and also throw a TD pass in the same game.

Victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could not have come in a more dramatic style for the Minnesota Vikings, who took the lead with 24 seconds remaining on Sunday and saw the New Orleans Saints endure a double doink with the last kick of the game.

The 28-25 result takes the Vikings to 3-1 for the season, with the last two wins coming by less than a single score, needing two fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Detroit Lions in Week 3.

In the opening weeks, Justin Jefferson's impact on the offense was limited. Two touchdowns and 184 receiving yards against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 did not go unnoticed, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions often putting an extra man on him to quell his impact.

Those two games combined for just 62 receiving yards and only 50 per cent completion when Jefferson was the targeted receiver. Against the Saints, and Marshon Lattimore, the pendulum swung in the opposing direction again.

Lattimore, one of the league's premier cornerbacks, is not a player who needs an additional defender alongside him, but he lost the matchup in London against Jefferson despite numerous opportunities to stand out – Kirk Cousins targeting his receiver on 13 occasions, more than any other game this season.

Ten of those were successful, with Jefferson notching up 147 receiving yards, including a stunning 41-yard reception that teased the sort of partnership he can have with his quarterback, and punching in a touchdown run for three yards.

That was not just a targeted opportunity, though, with head coach Kevin O'Connell detailing after the game how the plan was to always get Jefferson involved as much as possible after a frustrating few weeks.

"No matter what we had to do today, within reason, within our normal offense, we were going to get him going," O'Connell said.

"We knew he was going to be matched up against a premier player at his position in Marshon Lattimore. I have a ton of respect for him, how he plays and competes. But we wanted to give Justin some more one-on-one opps when we saw them. Obviously, it allowed him to help the other guys as well on some of those early downs."

One on one, Jefferson is a player who can win his battles with the best, as shown with his matchup against Lattimore, but he needs to be brought into the game more by Cousins. While the receptions and the yards were there against the Saints, it could, and should, have been a more comfortable match.

Cousins knows as much, saying after the game: "Twice I think Justin was open for touchdowns and we didn't connect. The plays are there to make, and we didn't connect. That's disappointing."

Jefferson, for his part, needs to demand the ball and the big plays more. Now in his third year with the Vikings offense, he has taken leadership responsibilities this season and it has shown, not letting the frustrations in the past two weeks knock him out of his stride and responding in style against the Saints.

A double doink with the last kick of the game saw the New Orleans Saints fall to a 28-25 defeat against the Minnesota Vikings in London.

The Saints defence kept Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins' impact on the game limited for the majority, before crucial plays in the fourth quarter saw the game turn on its head on numerous occasions.

Justin Jefferson punched the Vikings in front, but the extra point was missed, with the Saints then stopped by the Vikings defense, though Wil Lutz struck a field goal from 60 yards to tie the game.

The Vikings pulled ahead from the following drive with Joseph kicking a fifth field goal of the game, but there was still time for more drama, Lutz striking the left upright and the crossbar with a 61-yard attempt with the final kick of the game.

The contest was tied at the two-minute warning before half-time, Chris Olave's first career touchdown cancelling out Alexander Mattison's opener on the first drive, and the Vikings pushed ahead with three field goals, including two in the final 70 seconds of the half.

The Saints finally burst into action with a 78-yard drive down the field in the third quarter, the highlight being Andy Dalton's 33-yard throw to Marquez Callaway, and Latavius Murray punched in from a yard to bring the game to within a score.

That sparked new life into the Saints, despite another Vikings field goal, Taysom Hill putting the designated home side ahead before New Orleans moved three ahead with a successful two-point conversion, though Jefferson's three-yard reception put the Vikings ahead again.

A 60-yard field goal from Lutz tied the game at the start of the two-minute warning, but Joseph stepped up again to deliver with his kick.

The Saints then faced defeat in agonising fashion as the last-gasp effort from Lutz struck the upright and bounced off the crossbar to decide the game as the Saints fell to 1-3 for the season.

The New Orleans Saints have downgraded quarterback Jameis Winston from doubtful to out for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings in London. 

Winston did not practice all week due to back and ankle injuries, leaving veteran Andy Dalton as the Saints' starter when they kick off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

New Orleans are dealing with several key injuries on offense, also ruling out starting left guard Andrus Peat due to a concussion and wide receiver Michael Thomas due to a foot injury. 

Running back Alvin Kamara is listed as questionable with ailing ribs but is expected to play. 

Winston rallied New Orleans to a 27-26 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 but has thrown five interceptions to just two touchdowns in the Saints' two losses since. 

Tight end and gadget quarterback Taysom Hill could see a larger share in the Saints' offense with Winston sitting.

The Saints' opponents received good injury news on Friday when Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was cleared to play despite a shoulder injury. 

Sunday's contest will be the first of three NFL games in London this year. The New York Giants and Green Bay Packers play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 9, and the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars will play at Wembley on October 30.

The NFL returns to London on Sunday with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium playing host to the Minnesota Vikings' clash with the New Orleans Saints.

Back-to-back defeats against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers have left the Saints looking for a response in their trip across the pond, with those losses coming despite impressive defensive performances. The Saints have held their opponents to fewer than 250 net passing yards and no more than one TD pass in nine straight games.

This season, the Saints have allowed a total of 551 passing yards (183.7 per game), which stands as the fifth-best record in the NFL. On the ground though, the story is far different – allowing 418 yards total (139.3 per game), the seventh-most.

Offensively, no team has lost more fumbles (4) than the Saints this season or thrown more interceptions (5), resulting in a turnover differential of minus 6 – again more than anyone else.

On the opposing side, the Vikings have allowed a total of 413.3 total yards per game, sitting behind only the Ravens (458) for the highest total of yards allowed per game. However, the Ravens have only allowed 18.3 points per game this season – enough to slot them into the top 10 for the fewest conceded this term.

Kirk Cousins will fancy his chances against the Saints, as he boasts a career passer rating of 126.7 against New Orleans in the regular season; the highest of any quarterback against a single opponent in the Super Bowl era (minimum 125 attempts).

In his four career matches against the Saints, Cousins has thrown 12 TD passes and just one interception, though he has lost each of his last three matchups against New Orleans.

Week 4 of the NFL season promises plenty of excitement following a blistering start to the 2022 season.

The season has so far been defined by close finishes. Through three weeks, there have been 18 games decided by three points or fewer this season, the most such games through the first three weeks of a season in NFL history. 

A packed crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will hope to see another tight game as the NFL returns to London with the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings facing off.

The Washington Commanders travel to face the Dallas Cowboys in a fierce rivalry and the Philadelphia Eagles will look to extend their winning streak against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With plenty more on the agenda, Stats Perform has used its data to preview this week's games.

Minnesota Vikings (1-2) @ New Orleans Saints (1-2)

A high-scoring affair should be on the cards in London, as the Vikings and Saints have put up 700 points (53.8 per game) over their last 13 regular season matchups dating back to 1995 – more than any other game with at least a dozen meetings.

The Vikings are in very capable hands with Kirk Cousins, who has a career passer rating of 126.7 against the Saints in the regular season, the highest by any QB against a single opponent in the Super Bowl era (minimum 125 attempts).

However, they face a Saints defense that has held opponents to fewer than 250 passing yards and one touchdown pass for nine straight games, a franchise record, while the only team in the last 10 years to enjoy a longer streak was the New England Patriots in 2019.

Chris Olave boasts 268 receiving yards in his first three career games but is yet to score a touchdown, a record which stands as the most since Charlie Wade's 315 yards without a TD in his first three games for the Chicago Bears in 1974.

Washington Commanders (1-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

The Cowboys host the Commanders having won both matchups last season, including a 56-14 triumph in Week 14 that stands as the highest margin of victory for either team in the all-time series.

With six sacks in the Week 2 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals and five sacks last weekend against the New York Giants, the Cowboys have recorded five or more sacks in consecutive games for the first time since a four-game streak in November/December 2008.

That will be of particular concern to Carson Wentz, who was sacked a career-high nine times in the Commanders' home loss to the Eagles last week – the most of any QB for the franchise since John Beck was sacked 10 times by the Buffalo Bills in 2011.

Fourth-quarter offense has been a highlight for Washington, though, totalling 455 scrimmage yards (342 passing, 113 rushing) and standing third in the NFL for the most fourth-quarter yards in 2022 behind the Saints (541) and the Indianapolis Colts (456).

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) @ Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)

The only 3-0 side to play on Sunday, the Eagles have held the Jaguars to under 20 points in the last four matchups between the two sides stretching back to 2006, tied for the second-longest active such run for Philadelphia behind the six-game streak against the Jets.

In the past two weeks, the Eagles have kept their opponents to under 10 points (8 vs Washington, 7 vs Minnesota) and are the only NFL team this season to achieve the feat in consecutive games, while Philadelphia last went three in a row in that regard in 1980.

The Jaguars are 2-1 at the start of the season for the first time since 2018 and have scored 84 points, the third-most by the team in the opening three games of the season in franchise history (98 in 1997 and 89 in 2017).

Both teams rank in the top five in the NFL for total first downs this season, with the Eagles (73) third and the Jaguars (70) fifth.

Elsewhere…

The Los Angeles Chargers travel to face the Houston Texans having being held to just 26 yards on the ground against the Jaguars last week and have 177 rushing yards in the NFL this season, the fewest in three games in team history.

A total of 572 rushing yards this season places the Cleveland Browns as the NFL's best on the ground this season and they visit the Atlanta Falcons having amassed their highest total through their first three games of a campaign since 1963.

The Seattle Seahawks tackle the Lions boasting seven wins in the last eight matchups against Detroit dating back to 2003, the third-best record by an NFC team against a conference opponent over the past 20 seasons.

The Titans have won each of the last three games against the Colts, including a 34-31 win in overtime last season. A victory this weekend would make this Tennessee's outright longest winning streak against Indianapolis (also three straight wins between 1988 and 1992).

Two weeks down in the NFL and the action has been sensational so far.

Late comebacks were the name of the game last week and Week 3 promises to bring even more excitement.

Sunday sees the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins battle it out to remain undefeated, the Baltimore Ravens will aim to respond to a Week 2 defeat against the New England Patriots, while the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans fight to pick up a first win of the season.

There's plenty more on the agenda and Stats Perform has used Opta data to preview the action.

Buffalo Bills (2-0) @ Miami Dolphins (2-0)

The Bills travel to Florida having won their past seven games against the Dolphins, outscoring them by better than a two-to-one margin (258-123). That marks Buffalo's longest winning streak against Miami, beating a run of six consecutive victories from 1987 to 1989.

Buffalo have outscored their opponents 72-17 so far this season to stand 2-0, with the +55-point differential their second-best through the first two games of a season. In 1981, they won their opening two matches by a combined score of 66-3 (+63 points).

The Dolphins overcame a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit (35-14) in last week's 42-39 win at Baltimore, marking the sixth time since 1925 that an NFL team has won a game in regulation time after trailing by such a margin in the fourth quarter. The last such comeback win was in 2010, when the Eagles beat the Giants 38-31 in Week 16, having trailed 31-10.

Tua Tagovailoa threw six touchdown passes, including four in the fourth quarter, against the Ravens last week. Since 2001, the only other player to throw four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of an NFL game was Sage Rosenfels for the Texans against the Titans in Week 7 of the 2007 season, though Houston lost 38-36.

Baltimore Ravens (1-1) @ New England Patriots (1-1)

The Patriots have a 9-2 record against the Ravens in the regular season, the best record by any team against Baltimore in their history – though they have split four postseason matches.

Lamar Jackson became the first player in NFL history to have a 75+ yard passing touchdown and a 75+ rushing touchdown in the same game during last weekend's defeat to the Dolphins.

In week 2, the Patriots beat the Steelers 17-14. Since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000, the Patriots are 42-23 in games decided by three of fewer points, the best such record in the NFL.

Nelson Agholor recorded 110 receiving yards in Week 2, becoming the first Patriot with a 100-yard game since Jakobi Meyers in Week 15, 2020. That brought an end to a 20-game streak without a 100-yard receiver for the Patriots, which was the longest spell in the Belichick era.

Las Vegas Raiders (0-2) @ Tennessee Titans (0-2)

The Raiders have won their past three games on the road against the Titans. The last time the Raiders won four straight road games against a single opponent was a six-game streak against the Chiefs from 2007 to 2012.

An 29-23 overtime loss to the Cardinals in Week 2 came despite them holding a 23-7 lead in the fourth quarter, marking the biggest fourth-quarter blown lead for a loss in franchise history.

The Titans are 0-2 for the first time since 2012 and last started a season 0-3 in 2009. The 41-7 loss to the Bills last week was the largest defeat suffered by the Titans under Mike Vrabel.

Both the Raiders and Titans are 0-2 this season after making the playoffs a season ago. Neither franchise has ever started a season with two defeats and rallied to make the playoffs, while the last NFL teams to do so being the Texans and Seahawks in 2018.

Elsewhere…

Chicago host the Texans with just 432 offensive yards to their name so far this season, the worst in the NFL and the fewest yards the Bears have gained in the opening two weeks of a campaign since they had 335 net yards at the same stage in 2003.

Patrick Mahomes rallied the Chiefs offence to a 27-24 victory against the Chargers last week, overcoming a 17-7 second-half deficit, and are eyeing a third-straight win this season against the Colts. Since his first NFL season (2018), the Chiefs have more comeback victories after trailing in the second half (17) than any other NFL side.

The Saints travel to Carolina on the back of a 20-10 home defeat to the Buccaneers last week. Dating back to last season, New Orleans have scored 17 or fewer points in five of their past nine games (1-4). When they have scored 18 or more, they stand at 4-0.

The Cincinnati Bengals have plenty to do offensively against the Jets, with Joe Burrow having been sacked 13 times so far this season and thrown four interceptions. The last QB to be sacked that many times while throwing as many picks in the opening two weeks of a season was Danny White of the Cowboys in 1987.

Tom Brady has brushed off concerns about an injury to the ring finger of his throwing hand despite the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback appearing in discomfort at practice on Thursday.

The 45-year-old has had a slow start in the first two games of the season, throwing for fewer than 225 yards in back-to-back games for the first time since Week 14 and 15 of the 2019 season.

Brady has thrown two touchdown passes for 402 yards with a 59 per cent completion rate, but despite that the Bucs have a winning record at 2-0, largely due to their defense.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner revealed earlier this week he had injured his right ring finger in Sunday's 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Brady appeared in discomfort at practice on Thursday, too, but downplayed any issue ahead of Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

"Great. I feel great," Brady told reporters with a hint of sarcasm. "It's football season."

Brady was not named on the Buccaneers' injury report earlier this week.

He had told the 'Let's Go!' Podcast on Monday: "I banged it up pretty good, but it didn't affect me at all in the game. It's just going to be sore throughout the week. But it's one of those bumps and bruises that comes along with playing.

"Different things – you get hit and you get kicked and you get kneed – all these things that come up. It's demolition derby out there.

"It's who can recover fast enough in order to put yourself in position to practice, prepare and then go play the next week, so lots of bumps and bruises to take care of over the season."