Week 4 gave former Hawkeyes plenty of moments to celebrate across the NFL, with touchdowns, interceptions and tackle totals piling up all over the league. George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson both played starring roles for unbeaten teams, Sam LaPorta found the end zone again, and Xavier Nwankpa came through with the kind of play every undrafted rookie dreams about.
Kittle headlined the weekend in San Francisco’s 24-14 win over Denver. In a back-and-forth game, he delivered the knockout blow with the back-breaking touchdown, racing nearly 20 mph on the long scoring play.
It was touchdown No. 4 for Kittle this season, and it came just 10 months after he tore his Achilles. He also owns the 49er record for receptions, yards and touchdowns by a tight end.
Denver’s Riley Moss was part of the injury fallout on the other side. He managed 2 tackles before leaving with a rib injury and did not return.
LaPorta also got into the end zone, even though Detroit came up short in a loss. The Lions’ defense simply could not get stops, but LaPorta still finished with 8 receptions for 84 yards and a late 8-yard touchdown.
It was his second trip to the end zone this season. Jack Campbell kept busy on that same side of the ball, piling up 14 tackles in another big-volume game.
Hockenson helped keep Minnesota unbeaten. The Vikings joined Kansas City and San Francisco as the league’s three remaining undefeated teams after a 15-10 win over Miami that featured five field goals.
Hockenson was a major part of the offense, catching 13 passes for 119 yards. He could have added more - and a touchdown - but slid down inside the 2 to let the Vikings run out the clock after Miami couldn’t stop it.
The Eagles-Rams game brought another Hawkeye note. Philadelphia led by 10 but couldn’t finish the job, eventually falling 24-20. Epenesa added a tackle, while DeJean recorded 5 tackles and picked off his first pass of the year.
Then there was Nwankpa, who kept his breakout story rolling. The undrafted defensive back made the Chiefs roster out of camp, and in Kansas City’s 30-27 win over Las Vegas he logged 3 tackles and his first career interception, the play that sealed the victory and pushed the Chiefs to 4-0.
A few more Hawkeyes showed up in the box score, too. Dane Belton had 14 tackles in a 23-12 loss to the Bears.
Tory Taylor didn’t punt at all in that game. Chicago finished with more first downs, 34, than the Jets had plays from scrimmage, 32.
Kaleb Johnson continued to get work in Green Bay, finishing with 8 carries for 42 yards in a 17-14 win over Tampa Bay, while Anthony Nelson had 1 tackle and Lukas Van Ness had 4. Tyler Goodson also posted 3 carries for 12 yards for Dallas.
It was such a strong weekend for former Hawkeyes that the Iowa football Twitter account even jumped into the conversation.
In Other News...
Iowa Faces A Bigger Test Than Washington After Ohio State Loss
Iowa heads west this week for a road game against Washington, and the matchup brings a little history with it, too. It will be the Hawkeyes first visit to Husky Stadium since 1963, a long gap that adds some novelty to a game Iowa needs after a loss to Ohio State. The timing is useful, too, with Iowa trying to reset quickly while also sorting through injury concerns, including quarterback Hank Browns mild sprain.
Washington has had trouble finding consistency on the ground and on third down, which gives Iowa a clear set of areas to attack if it wants to steady itself away from home. The Hawkeyes also have reason for optimism in a different kind of spotlight, since they have been strong in recent Friday night games, but this trip still feels like a bigger test than the last one. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Defense Has A Chance To Make A Statement Vs Washington
Iowas defense is walking into a matchup that ought to fit its personality. Phil Parkers group has been stingy against the run and reliable on third down, the kind of two-way pressure that can shrink an opponents margin for error. With Cam Buffington and Jayden Montgomery helping set the tone, the Hawkeyes have a chance to turn Washingtons struggles on the ground into a familiar Iowa script.
The challenge for the Huskies is keeping Demond Williams Jr. out of obvious passing downs, because that is where Iowa can really squeeze the game. Washington has had trouble rushing the ball and protecting the quarterback, and those issues can snowball fast when a defense is already comfortable forcing long-yardage situations. If Iowa does its job early, this could become less about matching explosive plays and more about whether Washington can survive long enough to find any rhythm at all. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Fans Finally Know When The Biggest 2026-27 Games Will Hit
Iowa mens basketball fans now have a full picture of the 2026-27 slate, with the program releasing game dates, tip times, locations and television assignments for the entire regular season. The schedule includes 32 games, and 30 of them are set to air across a wide mix of national outlets, giving Hawkeye followers plenty of opportunities to plan ahead before the season even tips off.
The release also maps out the neutral-site matchups and the home-game start times, turning what was once just a list of opponents into a much clearer road map for the winter. With broadcasts spread across BTN, FS1, Peacock/NBCSN, FOX, CBS and TNT, the Hawkeyes biggest nights should be easy to find, even if the full shape of the season will still be determined on the floor. [Read more 🡒]