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Patrick Mahomes shines as Trevon Diggs continues his dominance

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The NFL Player of the Week award for the top Week 4 performance was tightly contested on the offensive side of the ball. However, the quarterback performance and defensive performance of the week were much easier to select. We won’t often see two players from the same team win awards, but this week, that nearly happened … twice.

*Our Week 4 NFL Players of the Week do not include the Monday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders. We will update if necessary.

NFL Player of the Week | Week 4

We appear blessed with the quality of football we’ve received so far in 2021. Fans are back in the stands, offenses are firing on all cylinders, and somehow the Chiefs are 2-2 despite Patrick Mahomes playing at an extraordinary level every week.

Quarterback of the Week | Patrick Mahomes

Granted, there is a very coarse grain of salt to take with passer rating. However, Mahomes has posted a 131+ passer rating in three of his four weeks. That’s absurd pure passing production. This week — unlike in Baltimore — they won.

This week was also his second performance posting with a QBR over 90. We’ve seen Mahomes make mistakes like the ones he made in the Chargers game. But he’s such a playmaker that — in the few instances where he throws a pass that makes no sense — it needs to be chalked up as an occupational hazard. He does so much to elevate the team around him that the few errors he makes can be dismissed.

And they should be — because nobody has ever played at the level of Mahomes. He’s unique, and I’m not sure we fully appreciate his ability within the structure of Kansas City’s offense.

Mahomes against the Eagles

He was surgical. We already know that Mahomes is a magician. Despite only possessing “average” athletic traits and speed for a quarterback, his understanding of space and time makes up for any athletic shortcomings. If he takes off to run on third down, you better believe he’s going to pick it up, as he did against the Eagles this week.

No team is more creative in the red zone than Andy Reid’s Chiefs. Additionally, nobody is better fit to execute in the red zone than Mahomes. The still photos of Mahomes delivering his 5 touchdown passes display arm angles that don’t even exist in Madden.

Mahomes completed 80% of his passes on the day, which was nearly 17% higher than his expected completion percentage. He was also responsible for .65 EPA/play, an absurd total over a 38-play sample.

NFL Offensive Player of the Week | Ezekiel Elliott

This was a tough decision between Ezekiel Elliott and Tyreek Hill. However, Hill won the award in Week 1, and Elliott’s resurgence deserves special recognition. After all, he was the second-leading rusher in NFL for Week 4 and averaged more than 7 yards a pop.

Elliott has been a punching bag for Cowboys fans ever since he signed his $90 million extension. Ultimately, a lot of the criticism was warranted — from 2018-2020, Elliott didn’t appear to be the same player we saw come out of Ohio State in 2016.

That changed this offseason. I don’t know if it was seeing one of his best friends, Dak Prescott, go down with a horrific ankle injury. Maybe the continued pandemic kept him away from McKinney Avenue. Or perhaps he simply matured to the point where being the best version of himself on the field outweighed having a good time off of it.

Whatever the case may be, this Zeke is different. We could tell in training camp when he appeared slimmed down and fit. Now, he’s running behind a relatively intact offensive line. They’re facilitating some of the most dominant football of Elliott’s career so far in 2021.

Elliott’s performance against the Panthers

His stat line was gorgeous — 20 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown. His 47-yard scamper was his longest run since his rookie season. He’s still running with power, but there is far more grace in the soles of his feet than we’ve seen the past few seasons. This is the Ezekiel Elliott the Cowboys extended.

His vision as a runner never wavered, but now, the spring in his legs can keep up with that vision, and the burst he once displayed is back.

I certainly didn’t expect this from Elliott — not in Year 6 with over 1,700 touches to his name. Running backs don’t age well, and it looked like he was no different. He’s proven me and many others wrong.

NFL Defensive Player of the Week | Trevon Diggs

When Aiden Diggs stole the show on Hard Knocks, some believed his father would do the same in Year 2 with the Cowboys. I was not one of them.

I wasn’t ready for the 6’2″, 210-pound cornerback to so effortlessly handle some of the best receivers in the game over a four-week stretch. That alone would have gotten a chuckle from me.

But if you would have tried to tell me Diggs would have 5 interceptions through four games and totaled -24.8 EPA when targeted, I would have politely asked you what drugs you’d ingested in the past 24 hours. He’s exceeded the expectations of everyone, including his most dedicated supporters.

I do, however, assume Aiden knew his father was going to become the best defensive player in football over the league’s first four games.

I thought Diggs would be a Marcus Peters-style player — someone who makes big plays but takes massive risks and gets beat handily at times. But it appears Diggs has the best of both worlds because he is so good at being situationally aggressive. It’s what netted him the NFL Defensive Player of the Week here and for the month of September.

It’ll take teams willing to take shots on double moves on crucial downs to catch Diggs slipping. Even then, he might just flip his hips and carry. It helps that the Cowboys finally found some competent safety play, too.

Diggs’ résumé thus far

Diggs has now faced and flourished shadowing Mike Evans, Keenan Allen, DeVonta Smith, and DJ Moore (who had a great game but did most of his work against zone coverage).

He won Defensive Player of the Month for September and followed that with a better statistical performance in Week 4 of the NFL season to start October. When will teams stop looking in Diggs’ direction completely?



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Taylor Swift Is Shown Chugging a Beer on the Jumbotron at Super Bowl 58

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Global superstar Taylor Swift made it to the big game to support her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce. In the second quarter, it was evident that she was having a good time at the Super Bowl after taking a 12-hour flight from Tokyo the night prior.

Taylor Swift Seen Chugging Beer at Super Bowl

Swift’s attendance has been highly anticipated, as many fans questioned whether she would be able to make it to the big game since she had been in Japan until Saturday for her Eras Tour.

Sure enough, she made it to the Super Bowl and was seen making a grand entrance alongside Blake Lively and Ice Spice.

Swift made it back to the States with plenty of time to make it to Allegiant Stadium to support Kelce. After a leg of her Eras Tour, where she performed several nights in Japan, the singer appeared to let loose.

In a box full of friends, Swift was shown chugging a beer with Ashley Avignone. She was shown on the jumbotron and slammed her cup down after she finished her beer.

There was a mix of cheers and boos as Swift was shown on the big screen, and a long pass to Mecole Hardman was the only highlight of the first half for Swift and her friends. The 49ers led the Chiefs, 10-0, late in the second quarter.

On social media, Swift garnered plenty of support from NFL fans.

If you’re hating on her you can kick rocks man she’s the best,” one user posted on X

“The one thing I learned this season is that she is actually fun,” another said. 

“Booing Taylor Swift chugging a beer is so soft. She’s just one of us now and I respect it ,” another posted. 

At the time of the beer chugging, Kelce, Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, has had one catch for a single yard. It came on the first possession, which ended up being a three-and-out. The Kansas City Chiefs hadn’t done much otherwise.

They did have a deep pass play to Hardman, which put them in the red zone, but Isiah Pacheco fumbled on the very next play — one that Kelce was surprisingly on the sideline for.

Swift and Kelce have garnered much media attention as their romance has taken off throughout this NFL season.

Swift was able to support her boyfriend at many of his games throughout the final stretch of the season, as her Eras Tour was on a break. But starting on Feb. 7, she went back on the road.

MORE: NFL World Reacts to Unbelievable Super Bowl Trick Play

Despite performing in Tokyo the night before the Super Bowl, she was able to make it in time to support her boyfriend due to the time difference and is having a good time doing so.

As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!

Listen to the PFN Fantasy Podcast

Listen to the PFN Fantasy Podcast! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find the PFN Fantasy Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.  Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Check out the PFN Fantasy Podcast on our Fantasy YouTube channel.





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What Happened to the 49ers Linebacker?

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The San Francisco 49ers sustained a massive blow during the second quarter of Super Bowl 58, as linebacker Dre Greenlaw left the game on a medical cart.

CBS Sports confirmed that the veteran Greenlaw suffered an Achilles tear, ruling him out for the rest of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

What Happened to Dre Greenlaw?

The outside linebacker, who had already been battling past injuries to his hamstrings and calves, left with what appeared to be a leg injury.

And somehow, his left leg looked like it buckled as he tried to trot onto the field with the Niners’ defense.

Greenlaw clutched his left leg in agony before being helped off the field.

CBS Sports sideline reporter Evan Washburn reported that the outside linebacker left with what was ruled as a lower leg injury. He was later determined to sustain an Achilles injury.

Greenlaw was declared out for the rest of the game.

Greenlaw Carted Off in Passenger Seat

Even more noticeable was where Greenlaw sat on the cart.

He ended up leaving not in the back of the medical vehicle but ended up riding shotgun with his leg injury.

One would think that with an injury like an Achilles ailment, medical officials would try to make the player as comfortable as possible before they leave. It wasn’t the case here.

MORE: San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart

Regardless, Greenlaw was replaced by Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles for the rest of the first half. Greenlaw became the most significant injury of the game.

As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!

Listen to the PFN Fantasy Podcast

Listen to the PFN Fantasy Podcast! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find the PFN Fantasy Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.  Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Check out the PFN Fantasy Podcast on our Fantasy YouTube channel.





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NFL World Reacts to Epic Super Bowl Intro From CBS

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Super Bowl 58 is here and it’s going to be exciting. The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs are facing off in the final game of 2023.

CBS is broadcasting the game and the opening was nothing short of amazing. How is the NFL world reacting to the electric Super Bowl-opening video?

Epic CBS Super Bowl Intro Garners Reaction From NFL World

The video, which spanned four minutes and 19 seconds, featured players from both teams talking about the big game and what it means to them. It also featured their families talking about their journeys to this point.

“Amazing intro! Reminds me of my dad! Bravo on the intro!,” one NFL fan said on X (formerly known as Twitter)

Additionally, Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” played in the background, giving it a near-movie feel. “This was incredible.,” another person said on X. “And so, the @49ers and @Chiefs face that final curtain,” CBS Sports said.

The 49ers finished the regular season as the top seed in the NFC with a 12-5 record. After their first-round bye, they defeated both the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions to earn their trip to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. Both of their victories came in comeback fashion, including an NFC Championship-record 17-point comeback.

The Chiefs, on the other hand, had a more uphill battle. Entering the playoffs as the AFC’s third seed, they finished the regular season with an 11-6 record. In the playoffs, they defeated the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens to punch their ticket.

Super Bowl 58 is a re-match of Super Bowl 54 when the Chiefs defeated the 49ers 31-24. The win was the first in Patrick Mahomes career, as he also won Super Bowl MVP. Four years later, the Chiefs have made three more and won another. For the 49ers, this is their first trip back to the big game since.

The game kicked off at 6:30 p.m. ET with the 49ers receiving the opening kick. In addition to being broadcast on CBS, the game is also being streamed on Paramount+.

As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!

Listen to the PFN Fantasy Podcast

Listen to the PFN Fantasy Podcast! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find the PFN Fantasy Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.  Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Check out the PFN Fantasy Podcast on our Fantasy YouTube channel.





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