Dallas Cowboys Announce Historic Development Amid NFL Season
Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson has had a strong start to the new NFL season for the Dallas Cowboys. In his first five games of the campaign, the former Wisconsin Badgers star already has 41 receptions for 272 yards and three touchdowns. At this point, the 26-year-old is on pace to surpass his 761 receiving yards in 2023, when he was named as part of the Pro Bowl team.
Ferguson, who signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension in the offseason, played a pivotal role in the Cowboys’ 37-22 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. He caught seven passes in the game for 49 yards, scoring two touchdowns. In the process, Ferguson also made NFL history by logging his 40th reception in 2025.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) practices before a game.© Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
The Cowboys took to social media during the game to announce Ferguson’s incredible feat.
“Jake Ferguson is the fourth tight end in NFL history with 40 receptions in the first five games of a season, joining Antonio Gates (40 in 2007), Eric Johnson (41 in 2004) and Zach Ertz (41 in 2018),” Dallas Cowboys Public Relations posted on X.
Jake Ferguson is the fourth tight end in NFL history with 40 receptions in the first five games of a season, joining Antonio Gates (40 in 2007), Eric Johnson (41 in 2004) and Zach Ertz (41 in 2018).
Ferguson has also caught at least five passes in each of the first five games.…
— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) October 5, 2025
As the post indicates, Ferguson also made a bit of franchise history on Sunday. By recording at least five receptions in his first five appearances this season, Ferguson has joined Cowboys legend Jason Witten as the only other player to have reached this elite mark for Dallas.
Ferguson’s strong play against the Jets helped the Cowboys improve to 2-2-1 on the season. They will be back in action on Sunday in another road game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Ferguson and Co. will be looking to log back-to-back wins for the first time this season against a 2-3 Panthers side.
Lions Fans React to 'Not Pretty' Win Over Bengals
The Detroit Lions held off a late Cincinnati Bengals rally to win their fourth straight game.
Though the Bengals surged offensively in the fourth quarter, a 28-3 lead built midway through the third quarter proved to be an insurmountable margin. The Lions' run game fueled their attack, with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery playing starring roles in the win.
It was tight end Sam LaPorta who kick-started the action, as he opened the scoring with a 10-yard catch. He finished the play by going airborne into the end zone, giving the team an early 7-0 lead.
Detroit extended its lead to two scores when offensive coordinator John Morton dialed up some trickery in the red zone. Running back David Montgomery threw a touchdown, taking a direct snap and lofting the ball to tight end Brock Wright. This made it 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Cincinnati would get on the board with a field goal at the end of the first half, but quarterback Jake Browning struggled to get rolling and turned the ball over multiple times. Amik Robertson got the first interception of his Lions tenure, while Kerby Joseph added another pick to his tally in the second quarter.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone got in on the fun with an interception of his own to open the third quarter. That takeaway turned into another Lions score, as Jahmyr Gibbs took a screen pass 20-yards for a touchdown.
Detroit would add on later in the third, expanding their lead to 28-3 when Montgomer scored an 8-yard touchdown.
Cincinnati would cut into their deficit early in the fourth quarter, as Browning and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase connected for a pair of touchdowns to make it a two-score game. However, the Lions began to salt the game away, and Goff found rookie wideout Isaac TeSlaa for a 12-yard score to make it 35-17.
Browning would connect with Tee Higgins for a touchdown to get the lead back down to 11 points, then stopped the Lions and forced a punt. However, Derrick Barnes sacked Browning for a safety to give the Lions the deciding margin of 37-24.
With the win, the Lions are now 4-1 on the year heading into a primetime matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs next week at Arrowhead Stadium. The Bengals, meanwhile, continue their swoon following the injury to Joe Burrow early in the season.
Lions fans appear to be cautiously optimistic with the win, accounting for the fact that the Bengals are not the same without their All-Pro quarterback behind center.
One concerning element of Sunday's game was the performance of the offensive line in the absence of Taylor Decker. After not allowing a sack in three consecutive games, the Lions allowed four sacks against the Bengals.
Here is a sample of the online reaction to the Lions' Week 5 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Not pretty but I’ll take it!!!
— Travon (@whoistravon_) October 5, 2025
What is your biggest takeaway from Detroit Lions victory against Bengals?
— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) October 5, 2025
Hard to complain about double-digit win but if Manu is going to have to start a lot moving forward may be wise to find a tackle in the trade deadline
— Drew Ellis (@ellisdrew) October 5, 2025
