By Lydia Jane Allison

NEW YORK — Oct. 1, 2024 — One month into the 2024 season, the competition has never been tighter, as more games have been decided by eight points (39), seven points (38) and six points (32) at this point of the season than any other. One team in each conference – the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC and the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC – remain undefeated as the NFL resumes its international slate with one game in London in each of the next three weeks.

Here’s a look at a few interesting storylines entering Week 5:

• London Calling: Following the first-ever regular season NFL game in Brazil in Week 1, the NFL international schedule continues in London with one game in each of the next three weeks, beginning with the New York Jets (2-2) and Minnesota Vikings (4-0) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network).
  • Since 2019, the NFL has played eight games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, seven of which were decided by eight points or fewer.
  • The Vikings, with a 3-0 record in their first three London games, are one of four teams with multiple wins and no losses in regular-season international contests, along with Kansas City (3-0), the New York Giants (3-0) and Philadelphia (2-0).

• Vikings Quest: The Minnesota Vikings, the only remaining undefeated team in the NFC, are 4-0 for the first time since 2016 and can advance to 5-0 for the fifth time since 2000. The Vikings are the second team since 2007 to have multiple wins and zero losses heading into an international game, joining the 2017 Baltimore Ravens (2-0).
  • Quarterback Sam Darnold leads the NFL in touchdown passes (11) and passer rating (118.9), and became the sixth different quarterback to record at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 105-or-higher in each of his team’s first four games of a season, joining Tom Brady (2007 and 2015), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (2013), Aaron Rodgers (2011 and 2020), Matt Ryan (2016) and Russell Wilson (2020).
  • Wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the only player in the NFL with a touchdown reception in each of the first four weeks and became the fifth player since 2000 with at least 50 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in each of his team’s first four games of a season, joining Antonio Gates (2010) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (2007) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (2007) and Terrell Owens (2004).
• Comeback Chiefs: The Kansas City Chiefs, the last undefeated team in the AFC, can advance to 5-0 for the fifth time in franchise history (2003, 2013, 2017 and 2018) with a win over New Orleans (2-2) on Monday night (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
  • The Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit in Week 4 to win. Since 2018, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have recorded 18 wins, including the postseason, in which they overcame a deficit of 10-or-more points to win, the most in the NFL during that span. Mahomes’ 18 such wins are the most by a quarterback in his first eight seasons in NFL history, ahead of Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Kelly (15 comeback wins) and Dan Marino (15) as well as Ryan Tannehill (15).
  • Kansas City became the first team since 2000 (both the New York Jets and St. Louis Rams) to win each of their first four games despite not scoring first in each game.
  • Kansas City can become the first reigning Super Bowl champions to begin 5-0 since 2019 (New England) and 10th team in the Super Bowl era to win each of their first five games the season after winning the Super Bowl.
  • Mahomes has 69 career games with at least two touchdown passes and can become the fourth quarterback in NFL history with 70 such games in his first eight seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (74 games) and Dan Marino (72) as well as Russell Wilson (72).

• In Command: The Washington Commanders (3-1), with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, have won three consecutive games and are looking for their first four-game winning streak since the 2021 season against Cleveland (1-3) this Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX). Over the past two weeks, the Commanders became the third team in the past 35 seasons to score five-or-more offensive touchdowns (passing and rushing combined) in consecutive games with a rookie starting quarterback, joining the 2012 Seattle Seahawks (Weeks 14-16 with Russell Wilson) and 2017 Houston Texans (Weeks 4-5 with Deshaun Watson).
  • Daniels can become the third rookie quarterback since 1950 to start and win four of his team’s first five games of a season, joining Joe Ferguson (1973 with Buffalo) and Dak Prescott (2016 with Dallas).
  • Daniels leads the NFL with an 82.1 completion percentage (87 of 106) this season, surpassing Tom Brady (79.2 percent, 95 of 120, in 2007 with New England) for the highest completion percentage (minimum 75 attempts) by a player in his team’s first four games of a season in NFL history.
  • Daniels, with a single-game rookie-record 91.3 completion percentage in Week 3 and an 86.7 completion percentage in Week 4, became the first player in NFL history with a completion percentage of 85-or-higher in consecutive games (minimum 15 attempts in each game).
  • In addition to his proficiency through the air, Daniels has also established himself as a dynamic runner, becoming the second quarterback (Robert Griffin III) with at least 200 rushing yards in his first four career games and is one of four quarterbacks (Griffin III, Cam Newton and Anthony Richardson) with four rushing touchdowns in his first four career games.
• Rushing Ravens: The Baltimore Ravens (2-2) enter their Week 5 matchup at Cincinnati (1-3) (1 p.m. ET, CBS) with the top rushing offense (220.3 yards per game) and top rushing defense (57.8 yards per game allowed) in the NFL, becoming the first team to lead the league in rushing offense and rushing defense through Week 4 since the 1988 Chicago Bears.
  • With running back Derrick Henry (480 rushing yards, most in the NFL this season) and quarterback Lamar Jackson (308, ninth-most) each ranking in the top 10 in rushing yards this season, the Ravens have totaled 881 rushing yards, trailing only the 2006 Atlanta Falcons (937 rushing yards) for the most by a team in its first four games of a season since 1990.
  • Last week, Henry recorded his seventh career game with at least 195 rushing yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson and Adrian Peterson for the most such games in NFL history.
  • Henry is the only AFC player with a rushing touchdown in each of the first four weeks and with a rushing touchdown in Week 5, would become the first non-rookie and fourth player overall in NFL history to record a rushing touchdown in each of his first five games with a team, joining Alan Ameche (with the Baltimore Colts in 1955), Joe Cribbs (with Buffalo in 1980) and Robert Edwards (with New England in 1998).
  • Jackson has 5,566 career rushing yards and can surpass Cam Newton (5,628 rushing yards) for the second-most by a quarterback in NFL history. Only Michael Vick (6,109 rushing yards) has more.

• Cowboys-Steelers in Primetime: The only matchup to occur in three different Super Bowls, the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). The Steelers won the first two Super Bowl matchups (X and XIII) while the Cowboys earned a Super Bowl XXX victory over Pittsburgh.
  • Since 1970, Dallas (106 wins) and Pittsburgh (98) have the most wins in primetime games (start time after 7 p.m. ET) among all teams.
  • Entering Week 5, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who has a .703 winning percentage (26-11) in primetime, is one of four quarterbacks with a winning percentage of .700-or-higher in primetime starts since 1970 (minimum 25 starts), along with Pro Football Hall of Famers Steve Young (.767, 23-7), Joe Montana (.733, 22-8) and Peyton Manning (.723, 47-18). Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (.697, 23-10) can join this group with a win on Monday Night Football.

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