The Detroit Lions made a statement in their 47-9 blowout over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, and Tom Brady is definitely sold on the idea that Jared Goff & Co. are once again Super Bowl contenders — if not favorites — this season.

When asked by FOX NFL Sunday studio analyst Howie Long after the game if the Lions are the best among the eight teams he has seen in person this season, Brady did not hesitate.

“Absolutely,” Brady said. “I just think their ability to play on offense — there’s so many styles to play. They’ve got this two-headed monster [David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs] at [running] back, creative play-calling. Everybody’s involved. They got [wide receiver Kalif] Raymond involved. 

“Gibbs played, he played pretty well today, but at the same time, it wasn’t this electric performance that we’ve seen from him. They got [Amon-Ra] St Brown, [Sam] LaPorta. They just have weapons, and obviously it all starts with that offensive line. The way they dominate the line of scrimmage, you can get any pass rush, Goff is back there surveying the field. They just seem like they got everything rolling. And on defense, they’re up there challenging people. They’re playing man coverage, challenging every single play. And it’s frustrating when you’re a quarterback and there’s no easy throws out there.

“They’re going to be tough to stop. I think they’ve got a lot of humility in that locker room. They got a lot of guys that are playing for one another. … Man, the Lions are a tough team to beat.”

Brady also holds a special affinity for Goff. The two have much in common beyond just their shared history at quarterback, as they both grew up in Northern California and spent impactful parts of their careers in Michigan — Brady in college with the Wolverines and Goff currently with the Lions after an up-and-down stint with the Los Angeles Rams to start his career.

Tom Brady says Lions are the best team he’s seen this year after dominant win vs. Cowboys

“I went through a very similar experience — I was a California kid, I went to the Midwest, to Michigan,” Brady told Kevin Burkhardt during the game broadcast. “And that fan base, in Michigan, they love football. And they’re supporting Goff in the same way that I felt supported when I was at Michigan. It toughened me up, made me a better player. And when I see Goff out there, I love the chip on his shoulder. I hope he never loses that because that resilience, determination, is so critical to long-term success.”

Things are very different for football fans in Dallas, however. Brady has been on the call for all three of the Cowboys’ home games, and in each one, Dallas has fallen behind by more than 20 points and ultimately failed to come away with the victory. Two of those losses, including on Sunday, have come in blowout fashion.

“I think that the number one issue is their ability to run the football,” Brady said. “And I said early in the [broadcast] that maybe the best way to do it is throw the ball early and then open the run game up, because you’ve done a good job spreading the field, and now they’ve got to play pass defense. 

“And I think they’ve tried to start these games trying to be balanced, but the problem is, when they’re not producing in the run game, a quarter-and-a-half into the game, they’re down 14. They’re down 17. Now they are one-dimensional, and the other team has made them one-dimensional. I would like to see them start the game a little more pass-happy, a little more pass-oriented, try to get a lead. They actually had a decent drive here to start the game, settled for a field goal, then they turn the ball over on their next red-area possession. But that was more of the right idea.”

The Cowboys go into their Week 7 bye at 3-3 with a lot to clean up. The Lions, meanwhile, head into a massive showdown with the undefeated division rival Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. ET next Sunday on FOX and the FOX Sports App.)

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Ford star Matthew Payne and Triple Eight veteran Jamie Whincup led the times in the opening day’s practice sessions for Sunday’s Bathurst 1000.

But the talking point of the day was that Whincup’s teammate, points leader Will Brown, is looking at a tough weekend after co-driver Scott Pye smashed their Chevrolet Camaro at The Cutting late in the afternoon session.

“Young bloke, cold tyres…” said Pye, after causing the session to be red-flagged.

“I just lost the rear and it was game over. I feel bad for the crew, they will have a long night. It went in pretty hard but at the end of the day, it was my mistake. They have to work hard now to fix my screw-up.”

Payne looked very strong in the morning session with the best lap of the day, a 2m07.29s, leading a Ford 1-2 ahead of Tickford Racing’s Cameron Waters. Brown led the Chevrolets in third place ahead of Cameron Hill’s Matt Stone Racing entry.

Matt Payne, Penrite Racing Ford Mustang

Photo by: Supercars

Triple Eight Chevrolets topped the afternoon session, exclusively for co-drivers, which was delayed and then cut short firstly by an oil clean-up from a previous support event and then for the safe removal from the track of what appeared to be a brown snake at Forrest’s Elbow…

Whincup led a bloc of five Chevrolets, but not in the way many may have expected. Whincup, a four-time Bathurst winner, edged out rising star Cooper Murray, who is sharing T8’s wildcard entry with veteran Craig Lowndes. Jordan Ojeda was third fastest ahead of Erebus Motorsport teammate Todd Hazelwood and PremiAir Racing’s David Russell.

It was a big day with an early start in the Ford camp, six of the Mustangs getting new engines fitted with revised, GT3-based crankshafts; both Dick Johnson Racing and Grove Racing cars and one each of the Tickford and Walkinshaw Andretti entries.

The changes were necessary after a rash of unexpected recent crank failures that led to a world-wide search to secure the new Mexican-made units and a hurried 1000km testing program.

The WAU team had a setback on the track as well, with Lee Holdsworth missing most of the final session when the Ford he is sharing with Chaz Mostert was parked with an engine problem.

The Supercars will return to the Mount Panorama track on Friday for two one-hour practice sessions, the first at 10:05am Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time, and then at 1:05pm. The all-important 40-minute qualifying session, which will set the grid for the 11th to 26th fastest cars, is due to start at 4:15pm.

WHATEVER the future for Lee Carsley as England manager – and he is unlikely to last long – there have been some genuine positives.

And here in Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium those positives were highlighted as Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice earned England a much-needed Nations League victory. 

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All three of those scorers have benefited from Carsley’s management and after the mayhem of Thursday’s 2-1 defeat by Greece, they restored a sense of order to the national team.

Grealish, who became a father for the first time last week, netted the early opener – his second goal of Carsley’s interim reign.

Then Alexander-Arnold curled home a delicious free-kick before Rice netted his second goal of this brief “Carsball” era to ensure victory before a late consolation.

Carsley seems increasingly unlikely to get – or even actually want – this job on a permanent basis.

But after his tactical brainstorm against the Greeks, here was a return to calm good sense and a routine win against limited opposition.

It was England’s first journey to Helsinki’s historic Olympic Stadium since 2000 – and that journey also came on the back of a Wembley shambles.

On that occasion, Kevin Keegan had quit in the toilets of the old national stadium and Howard Wilkinson took charge of a goalless draw here in the Finnish capital.

After Thursday’s fiasco against the Greeks, Carsley stayed true to his promise and selected a more conventional team with Harry Kane fit enough to start up front after an ankle injury.

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The interim manager’s decision to drop Jordan Pickford – something Gareth Southgate barely ever did – made sense too after an extremely jittery display against Greece.

Dean Henderson was handed his first England start, and his first appearance in four years, with his team-mates kitted out in a Euro 96 shade of grey.

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Carsley’s team began as if hungover from Thursday, Angel Gomes gifting possession deep in his own half and John Stones having to block a Benjamin Kallman shot.

Despite that early slip, Gomes soon stepped up. The little Lille man is a neat and tidy midfield anchor who makes a team tick.

After Bellingham had a shot deflected wide, Gomes provided a gorgeous assist for Grealish as part of an excellent team move which was by far and away England’s best work of a drab first half.

First Grealish located Alexander-Arnold, who had drifted in from his makeshift left-back role into central midfield.

The Liverpool man picked out Gomes, who turned two players and provided a sublime outside-of-the-boot pass for Grealish to slot home.

It was only the Manchester City man’s fourth goal from 39 caps, but his second in three appearances under Carsley.

After bossing possession with relatively little threat, England got sloppy towards the end of the first half and an Alexander-Arnold slip let in Fredrik Jensen, who ought to have punished the visitors but shot over from close range.

Palmer, who had been very quiet on the right wing, cut inside and tested Finland keeper Lukas Hradecky early in the second half.

But the Finns were still a threat and Jensen squandered another fine chance, with England caught out of shape by a counter-attack, the centre forward spooned one from close range after a centre from Topi Keskinen

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Bellingham and Declan Rice both forced saves from Hradecky but England were hardly tearing up and midway through the second half, Carsley freshened it up by sending on Ollie Watkins for Kane and Noni Madueke for Palmer.

Watkins was soon teeing up Madueke, who got his dancing feet to work and caused panic in the Finnish defence with a low centre which Hradecky pushed away.

After England won a free-kick on the left, 22 yards out, Alexander-Arnold sized it up and curled his effort deftly into the postage stamp, Hradecky doing well even to get a hand to the ball but incapable of keeping it out.

Gomes and Bellingham were withdrawn in favour of Rico Lewis and Phil Foden and the third goal soon arrived.

Watkins darted down the left and centred low to the near post where Rice tapped in.

With the job done, the Arsenal man was substituted immediately.

Arttu Hoskinen then headed home a consolation from a corner.

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In his on-field interview immediately after the match, Williams said: “It felt great. Obviously we’ve got to keep getting better and I can’t turn the ball over like that with a wide open touchdown to DJ Moore.

“There were a few things going on throughout the game that I’ve got to be better at, but the progress we’ve had is going to keep growing.

“We have great leaders and great personalities in this team.

“A bunch of guys contributed throughout the whole game, and then the offensive line to be able to do what they do, I’ll always have love for the big guys and how they protect us. We wouldn’t have this type of game without them.”

The Bears lost two of their first three games this season but now find themselves 4-2 in a competitive NFC North. The Bears are on a bye week next week.

“I think his [Williams’] confidence week to week is growing,” said Kmet, 25, on the pitch after the game.

“He’s a special talent and a special person and I’m excited to see where this goes.”

On Sky Sports’ coverage, former NFL cornerback Jason Bell said it had been “an honour” to watch Williams in action, adding: “He’s making things look really easy and simple and that’s because of his command of this offence.”