IRELAND’S CHARLIE SMYTH impressed on his return as the starting kicker for the New Orleans Saints, grabbing the match-winning point in overtime against the Cleveland Browns.
Tyler Shough’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson gave Smyth the opportunity to secure the win as he converted his kick for the extra point to seal a 23-22 result. The Down native finished the game with three field goals and two extra points as the Saints move to 3-5.
Smyth earned a recall to the starting roster earlier this week following the release of Daniel Carlson. He was previously cut from the active 53-man squad two weeks before the start of the NFL season, but was later added to the team’s practice squad.
With the Browns missing their two-point attempt, Charlie Smyth’s extra point proved to be the match winner for the @Saints! 👏🇮🇪 https://t.co/CcTI5Tmebc
Smyth began with a 30-yard field goal to give the Saints a 3-0 lead in the first quarter against the Browns. He missed his second kick from 52 yards, but recovered with another field goal to make it 6-6 in the third quarter.
His third successful field goal attempt was from 48 yards, giving the Saints a 9-6 lead in the fourth quarter.
Smyth then added the extra point from Audric Estime’s touchdown as the game went to overtime at 16-16, and kicked another extra point after Juwan Johnson’s touchdown.
That proved to be the winner as Cleveland’s Shedeur Sanders tossed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin with one minute remaining in the extra period. But their two-point conversion pass failed as New Orleans held on for victory.
48 YARDS CHARLIE SMYTH 💪🇮🇪
A third field goal for the Irishman gives the @Saints the lead! https://t.co/dkp2TXVvl8
Elsewhere, three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes overcame an injury scare to lift Kansas City over the New York Jets while Joe Burrow sparked Cincinnati to victory over Atlanta in Madrid.
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Two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Mahomes completed 23-of-31 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 35-12 triumph over the Jets.
Burrow completed 24-of-29 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in Cincinnati’s 34-17 victory, the Bengals’ fourth triumph in a row.
At Kansas City, Mahomes suffered a right elbow injury and lost a fumble in the second quarter after being sacked by Jets rookie defender David Bailey, but his 120 passing yards and two touchdown throws gave the Chiefs a 14-12 halftime lead.
Mahomes directed touchdown drives of 60 and 82 yards in the third quarter and 57 yards in the fourth and said the elbow was not a factor “once I got it warmed up a little bit.”
“It’s doing good,” Mahomes said of his right elbow. “It’s part of playing football. You get hit, you’ve got to bounce back and we were able to get it loosened back up and we went back out there and played.
“A couple of errant throws early in the second half. My guys rallied behind me. They ran the ball well in the second half. My offensive line did a great job protecting me and then I threw when I needed to.”
Mahomes pictured after the game. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Kenneth Walker ran 18 times for 102 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns for the Chiefs (6-2).
The Bengals improved to 6-2, level with idle Pittsburgh atop the AFC North division ahead of their showdown next week.
“The sky is the limit when we play like this. This is how we need to attack every game going forward,” said wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who made 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown.
“Intense impact,” Burrow said of Chase. “He was unbelievable.”
Burrow leads the NFL with 23 touchdowns.
“He does a good job getting out of the pocket and making scramble plays, keeping the play alive,” Chase said. “That’s why he’s one of the best.”
The Denver Broncos improved to 7-2 with their fifth consecutive win as Bo Nix threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-21 triumph at Carolina.
- Niners reach 7-1 -
San Francisco improved to an NFL-best 7-1 with a 38-17 home victory over the Las Vegas Raiders as Brock Purdy threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.
The host Chicago Bears reached 7-2 with their fourth consecutive victory, edging Tampa Bay 27-24 on a 38-yard Cairo Santos field goal on the final play.
Caleb Williams threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns but also a career-high four interceptions. The Buccaneers scored off a fumble recovery to level the game with 2:51 remaining but Santos salvaged victory for Chicago.
Green Bay’s Jordan Love threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score to spark the Packers (6-3) to victory 45-27 at New England.
Dak Prescott threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns while Javonte Williams ran for 101 yards and the deciding touchdown with 68 seconds remaining as Dallas won 27-23 at Indianapolis.
Matthew Stafford threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Puka Nacua for the winning points in the Los Angeles Rams’ 20-13 victory at Washington. Nacua caught 14 passes for 150 yards.
Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 74 yards and the only touchdown in Detroit’s 19-9 victory at Miami, the Lions improving to 6-2.
Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals to lift the New York Giants over host Philadelphia 19-11, the seventh straight Eagles defeat.
Houston’s CJ Stroud threw for 384 yards and five touchdowns as the Texans routed the winless Los Angeles Chargers 44-22.
AJ Barner caught a touchdown pass and ran for another touchdown in Seattle’s 17-3 home triumph over Arizona.
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Charlie Smyth kicks match-winning point in impressive return for New Orleans Saints
LAST UPDATE | 14 hrs ago
IRELAND’S CHARLIE SMYTH impressed on his return as the starting kicker for the New Orleans Saints, grabbing the match-winning point in overtime against the Cleveland Browns.
Tyler Shough’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson gave Smyth the opportunity to secure the win as he converted his kick for the extra point to seal a 23-22 result. The Down native finished the game with three field goals and two extra points as the Saints move to 3-5.
Smyth earned a recall to the starting roster earlier this week following the release of Daniel Carlson. He was previously cut from the active 53-man squad two weeks before the start of the NFL season, but was later added to the team’s practice squad.
Smyth began with a 30-yard field goal to give the Saints a 3-0 lead in the first quarter against the Browns. He missed his second kick from 52 yards, but recovered with another field goal to make it 6-6 in the third quarter.
His third successful field goal attempt was from 48 yards, giving the Saints a 9-6 lead in the fourth quarter.
Smyth then added the extra point from Audric Estime’s touchdown as the game went to overtime at 16-16, and kicked another extra point after Juwan Johnson’s touchdown.
That proved to be the winner as Cleveland’s Shedeur Sanders tossed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin with one minute remaining in the extra period. But their two-point conversion pass failed as New Orleans held on for victory.
Elsewhere, three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes overcame an injury scare to lift Kansas City over the New York Jets while Joe Burrow sparked Cincinnati to victory over Atlanta in Madrid.
Two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Mahomes completed 23-of-31 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 35-12 triumph over the Jets.
Burrow completed 24-of-29 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in Cincinnati’s 34-17 victory, the Bengals’ fourth triumph in a row.
At Kansas City, Mahomes suffered a right elbow injury and lost a fumble in the second quarter after being sacked by Jets rookie defender David Bailey, but his 120 passing yards and two touchdown throws gave the Chiefs a 14-12 halftime lead.
Mahomes directed touchdown drives of 60 and 82 yards in the third quarter and 57 yards in the fourth and said the elbow was not a factor “once I got it warmed up a little bit.”
“It’s doing good,” Mahomes said of his right elbow. “It’s part of playing football. You get hit, you’ve got to bounce back and we were able to get it loosened back up and we went back out there and played.
“A couple of errant throws early in the second half. My guys rallied behind me. They ran the ball well in the second half. My offensive line did a great job protecting me and then I threw when I needed to.”
Kenneth Walker ran 18 times for 102 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns for the Chiefs (6-2).
The Bengals improved to 6-2, level with idle Pittsburgh atop the AFC North division ahead of their showdown next week.
“The sky is the limit when we play like this. This is how we need to attack every game going forward,” said wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who made 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown.
“Intense impact,” Burrow said of Chase. “He was unbelievable.”
Burrow leads the NFL with 23 touchdowns.
“He does a good job getting out of the pocket and making scramble plays, keeping the play alive,” Chase said. “That’s why he’s one of the best.”
The Denver Broncos improved to 7-2 with their fifth consecutive win as Bo Nix threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-21 triumph at Carolina.
- Niners reach 7-1 -
San Francisco improved to an NFL-best 7-1 with a 38-17 home victory over the Las Vegas Raiders as Brock Purdy threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.
The host Chicago Bears reached 7-2 with their fourth consecutive victory, edging Tampa Bay 27-24 on a 38-yard Cairo Santos field goal on the final play.
Caleb Williams threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns but also a career-high four interceptions. The Buccaneers scored off a fumble recovery to level the game with 2:51 remaining but Santos salvaged victory for Chicago.
Green Bay’s Jordan Love threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score to spark the Packers (6-3) to victory 45-27 at New England.
Dak Prescott threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns while Javonte Williams ran for 101 yards and the deciding touchdown with 68 seconds remaining as Dallas won 27-23 at Indianapolis.
Matthew Stafford threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Puka Nacua for the winning points in the Los Angeles Rams’ 20-13 victory at Washington. Nacua caught 14 passes for 150 yards.
Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 74 yards and the only touchdown in Detroit’s 19-9 victory at Miami, the Lions improving to 6-2.
Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals to lift the New York Giants over host Philadelphia 19-11, the seventh straight Eagles defeat.
Houston’s CJ Stroud threw for 384 yards and five touchdowns as the Texans routed the winless Los Angeles Chargers 44-22.
AJ Barner caught a touchdown pass and ran for another touchdown in Seattle’s 17-3 home triumph over Arizona.
– © AFP 2026 with reporting by Sinéad Farrell, updated Monday 8.05am with overnight games
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