Taylor Swift at ‘Sunday Night Football’ game at Metlife

The QB faceoff that could have been

Mahomes and Rodgers have a word before Sunday’s game.

From late last week: Colin Kaepernick writes letter offering to join Jets after Aaron Rodgers injury

Seven years after he last took an NFL snap, Colin Kaepernick believes he can still help a team in need of a quarterback — even if it means playing on the practice squad.

The former San Francisco 49ers signal-caller, who left the league in controversial fashion, wrote a letter to the Jets last week requesting a chance to play quarterback for them, but with a twist.

Rather than lobby for the Jets’ starting quarterback job as the team struggles in the wake of the season-ending injury to star Aaron Rodgers, Kaepernick asked for an opportunity to be the team’s practice squad quarterback.

Click here to read the full story.

It could be a long, cold autumn in New England

The once proud New England Patriots fell to 1-3 following a Texas-size 38-3 beatdown by the host Cowboys.

Dak Prescott threw for 261 yards and a touchdown with no picks as Dallas improved to 3-1.

Pats QB Mac Jones threw two interceptions for the Patriots, now in their fourth Tom Brady-less season.

An injured Aaron Rodgers is on the sidelines

And then there were two …. 4-0 teams in the NFL

The Niners, powered by Christian McCaffrey’s four touchdowns, improved to 4-0 with their 35-16 victory over the Cardinals.

Philadelphia, an OT winner over Washington earlier in the day, and San Francisco are football’s only 4-0 teams.

Swift and Kelce inspire viral prank on TikTok 

Did Taylor Swift put Travis Kelce on the map?

That’s the basis of the latest TikTok prank, in which people troll their football-loving partners by posting videos suggesting the pop star has made the Kansas City Chiefs tight end famous. (He’s won two Super Bowls. And hosted NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”) 

The prank, which began after Swift was spotted at Sunday’s Chiefs game, entails people secretly recording themselves telling their partners that Swift put Kelce on the map and that nobody knew who he was before the association with Swift. The reactions, mostly from boyfriends and husbands, have ranged from shock to outrage.

“What? You’re kidding right?” one partner asked in response. 

“Baby, that’s not what happened,” said another partner. 

“Oh, my God, don’t,” another partner said. “Just don’t say that!”

Read the full story here

Chargers 24, Raiders 17

In the first final of the late window, the host Chargers struggled to beat the Raiders, who were without their starting QB.

The game in Santa Clara might be settled, but …

Brock Purdy pushed into the end zone from 1 yard out as his 49ers extended their lead, 35 to 16.

The outcome has been settled for a while now.

But for those wondering whether the Cardinals could keep the game within 16.5 points, this late score mattered.

Chargers lose big gamble but still hold lead

The Chargers were stopped on fourth-and-inches from their own 34-yard line, but Las Vegas could not cash in.

Asante Samuel Jr.’s pick saved the day, for now.

Going down to the wire in Inglewood

Josh Jacobs scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1 as the visiting Raiders cut the Chargers’ lead to 24-17 with 4 minutes left.

Brittany Mahomes spotted arriving for dinner with Taylor Swift. All about the singer’s friend group

Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, was among the celebrities at dinner with Swift at Emilio’s Ballato in New York on Saturday. The star-studded dinner occurred the night before the Chiefs — and Swift’s rumored beau, Kelce — play the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.

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Christian McCaffrey scores fourth TD for Niners

Christian McCaffrey pushed into the end zone from 2 yards out for his fourth touchdown of the day as the 49ers led the pesky Cardinals, 28-16, in early fourth-quarter action.

He has rushed for three scores and caught a TD pass as the 49ers seek to put away the Cards, who are 16.5-point underdogs.

Another busy day in the NFL, from London to Los Angeles

In case you slept in, you might have missed the Jags beating the Falcons, 23-7, at Wembley Stadium in London.

Then in the 1 p.m. ET window:

• Bills 48, Dolphins 20
• Broncos 31, Bears 28
• Ravens 28, Browns 3
• Texans 30, Steelers 6
• Vikings 21, Panthers 13
• Rams 29, Colts 23 (OT)
• Bucs 26, Saints 19
• Eagles 34, Commanders 31 (OT)
• Titans 27, Bengals 3

Games in the 4:05 p.m./4:25 p.m. ET window are all in the third quarter now, with the Cardinals at the Niners, the Raiders at the Chargers and the Patriots at the Cowboys.

The Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers, 34-20, on Thursday night, and the “Monday Night Football” game features the Seattle Seahawks visiting the New York Giants.

Reports of other celebs headed to the game with Swift

Boo birds already circling above MetLife for Zach Wilson

It’d behoove Jets quarterback Zach Wilson to get off to a fast start tonight as he enters MetLife Stadium as one of the least popular players with Gang Green fans — from firefighters to Broadway stars.

Notable Jets fan “Fireman Ed” Anzalone and QB icon “Broadway Joe” Namath used their considerable platforms last week put Wilson on blast and call for his ouster.

“Zach needs to be released or traded,” Fireman Ed told his 36,000 Instagram followers. “That’s just the way it is. Enough. Coach [Robert] Saleh, [Jets GM] Joe Douglas, enough. You did what you could. It’s not working out.” 

Namath, the franchise’s most famous player, said on “The Michael Kay Show” that “I’ve seen enough of Zach Wilson” and urged the team to trade him. “Send him to Kansas City to back up against somebody like [Patrick] Mahomes and maybe learn something. I wouldn’t keep him.” 

Could Taylor Swift win again at MetLife Stadium?

The pop sensation sent fans home happy from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, three times this year in a feat the Jets might not accomplish in 2023.