Packers and Cowboys play out epic tie in Dallas

A long and exciting fourth Sunday of the NFL season opened with a historic first game in Dublin and closed with an epic clash in Dallas.

Micah Parsons’ return to Dallas was overshadowed by the on-field mayhem as the Green Bay Packers and Cowboys went toe to toe in what ended as a rare tied scoreline.

The Kansas City Chiefs looked back to their best as they put the Baltimore Ravens in severe trouble so early in the campaign, while the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills remained the final two unbeaten sides.

Parsons made a quick return to Dallas after his blockbuster trade to Green Bay in a game that not only lived up to the pre-match hype but far exceeded it.

The Packers and Cowboys played out the second-highest scoring tied game in NFL history and the first ever to end 40-40.

Jordan Love and Dak Prescott threw three touchdown passes each and traded blows in an exhilarating second half, with six touchdowns on six straight possessions seeing the lead continuously change hands.

Brandon McManus kicked a Green Bay field goal as time expired to force overtime, and did the same again with the last play of the extra period to end a breathless game with honours even.

Ties are relatively rare in the NFL – it is the first Green Bay have had since 2018, while Dallas haven’t had a tied game since 1969.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ dominant 37-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens could be significant for both sides in very different ways.

The return of receiver Xavier Worthy helped Patrick Mahomes spring into life with four touchdown passes for the first time since October 2023 – 36 games ago.

And the Chiefs defence dominated a Baltimore attack that entered the game as top scorers this season.

Lamar Jackson was sacked three times, threw an interception and lost a fumble before leaving the game with a worrying hamstring injury.

So while the Chiefs look back on track at 2-2 after losing their opening two games, the Ravens drop to 1-3, have severe injury problems on defence and an injured two-time Most Valuable Player quarterback.

Only two sides remains unbeaten in the NFL this season with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills both 4-0 – and favoured to meet in the Super Bowl in February.

The Eagles continue to find weird and wonderful ways of winning games – this time returning a blocked punt and using a fake tush push to unleash Saquon Barkley as they handed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers their first loss of the season.

Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes in the first half but didn’t complete a single throw in a bizarre second half, where the Super Bowl champions ended up with minues one yard of offence.

A Baker Mayfield interception and a Bucs fumble helped the Super Bowl champions lean on the defence in the second half – showing again why they’re so hard to beat.

Only Washington have beaten them in the last 21 games stretching back exactly a year.

The Buffalo Bills are a slightly more conventional unbeaten side but they had to work hard against the winless New Orleans Saints to pull away to a 31-19 victory.

Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart impressed in pre-season and shone again in his New York Giants debut as he helped them defeat the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers when replacing Russell Wilson.

The Giants are the first 0-3 team to beat a 3-0 side in 17 years, while Dart is the first rookie quarterback to beat a 3-0 side or better on his debut for over two decades.

Dart threw for a touchdown and scored another himself, but celebrations in the Big Apple were muted as superstar receiver Malik Nabers was carted off with what looked to be a serious injury.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ defence is a menace this season, as they notched up another four turnovers in an impressive 26-21 win at the San Francisco 49ers.

The Jags also scored a touchdown on a punt return to more than make up for Trevor Lawrence and the offence still not firing – but it’s the dangerous and opportunistic defence that NFL offences will have to start planning for.

With at least three turnovers in every game so far, Jacksonville already have more than they mustered the whole of last season as they move to 3-1.

The blunder of the night came from Indianapolis Colts receiver Adonai Mitchell, who was racing into the end zone for a 76-yard touchdown but fumbled the ball right on the line.

Stretching his arm out with the ball in celebration, it popped loose just at the wrong time and cost the Colts seven points – and ultimately their first defeat of the season as the Los Angeles Rams scored two late touchdowns in a 27-20 victory.

Another statement win came from the Detroit Lions, who dismantled Cleveland’s stingy defence late on to run away with a 34-10 success and third win in a row.