Bengals Mock Jerry Jeudy in Postgame Antics
The Cincinnati Bengals used some fairly tame comments from Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to fuel them in Sunday’s victory.
The Bengals narrowly beat the Browns 17-16 at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio. on Sunday to get off to a 1-0 start to the season. The team’s defensive backs chanted “good luck who” in their locker room after the win, apparently in response to some comments Jeudy made during the week.
Jeudy had praised the Browns’ wide receiver group during the week, pointing out that the team had other weapons around him and wishing other teams “good luck” in covering them all. Even though Jeudy was not even specifically talking about the Bengals, they took it as a challenge, and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt even said the comments had given Cincinnati’s defensive backs their swagger again.
Jeudy still caught five passes for 66 yards against the Bengals, though they did keep him out of the end zone. However, the Browns actually outgained Cincinnati 327-141, and lost largely because kicker Andre Szmyt missed a field goal and an extra point.
Taylor-Britt, in particular, is known for being a big talker, and it has backfired on him in the past. He got away with it on Sunday, but the Bengals still have a lot of work to do based on how the game played out.
Jalen Hurts, Eagles Denied NFL History by Unfortunate Setback
The NFL season began with a divisional clash between the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday, Sept. 4.
Philadelphia won 24–20 in a game that featured seven consecutive scoring drives to open the first half, an efficient performance from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and a pre-snap ejection of Philly's All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
The matchup also featured a ratings surge that was on pace to set a new benchmark for NFL Kickoff broadcasts, until a 65-minute weather delay disrupted momentum and ultimately denied NBC Sports a place in ratings history.
The Eagles led 24-20 with 4:44 remaining in the third when the game was halted due to severe thunderstorms in the area.
With 4:44 left in the third quarter, lightning in the area triggered a mandatory suspension of play. Both teams retreated to their locker rooms, with the delay lasting 65 minutes and players returning to the field at 11:15 p.m. ET and play resuming at 11:30 p.m.
Safe to say the lengthy delay disrupted the rhythm of both offenses. After combining for 41 points in the first half, the teams managed just three points in the second half (a 58-yard field goal by Jake Elliott) and zero points scored post-delay.
The final eight drives of the game included five punts and a red-zone fumble by Dallas running back Miles Sanders.
According to NBC Sports, the Eagles-Cowboys broadcast averaged 31.9 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and digital platforms before the weather delay. The audience peaked at 34.3 million viewers during the second quarter, marking the highest peak viewership ever for an NFL Kickoff Game.
The game was well on pace to surpass the previous record of 29.2 million viewers set by the 2024 Baltimore Ravens-Kansas City Chiefs opener. However, the delay caused a sharp drop in viewership.
When play resumed, the audience fell to 20.2 million viewers, and the final average settled at 28.3 million, still the second-highest Kickoff Game viewership in league history.
The broadcast also marked the second-most simulstreamed NBC NFL game ever, with a digital Average Minute Audience of 4.9 million viewers across Peacock, NBC Sports Digital and NFL platforms.
