WEEK FOUR
Covid-19 pushed two games off their course for NFL Week 4. It is a clear reminder that teams need to continue to protect themselves and assure that they keep safe to avoid another outbreak (or the season can be in jeopardy). The rest of the NFL Week 4 games continued and can give us a more understandable picture of the NFL teams. The season is developing to give us some shocks and some expected outcomes. With a quarter of the season under its belt, we can see how the league is shaping up. Let’s look at what Week 4 taught us.
Jaguars vs. Bengals
This game was a clear reminder that we didn’t underestimate the Jacksonville Jaguars at the start of the season. Many thought they were foolish to think the Jaguars would be terrible after their Week One upset of the Indianapolis Colts. Being outplayed by a lowly Cincinnati Bengals team reminds us the Jaguars are indeed terrible. The Bengals saw help from their most reliable offensive weapon this season in Joe Mixon, who scored three touchdowns on the day, but in the end, this was a game to determine which team is worse. The Jaguars have many flaws in most, if not all positions.
Browns vs. Cowboys
The takeaway from this game will be the Browns’ incredible performance on the offensive side of the ball, especially as the team had to play most of the game without their top running back (and one of the best in the NFL) in Nick Chubb. Odell Beckham might have had his best performance as a Brown as he contributed 131 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a pivotal fourth-quarter end-around score that sealed the victory. While the defense allowed 38 points and 481 passing yards, Myles Garrett continued to remind us why he is a serious contender for the Defensive Player of the Year award with two sacks and a forced fumble on the day.
Everyone who saw the Browns score 49 points and climb to 3-1 on the season has to be wondering about two quandaries. Are the Browns for real? Is it time to hop on the bandwagon? The first question is one that is subject to analytic interpretation; after losing to a Super Bowl favorite (also currently 3-1) in the Baltimore Ravens Week One, the Browns went on to win the next three games, yet these victories came against teams with a combined 3-8-1 record. The second question is for personal and historic interpretation; I will be the last person to hop on the Browns bandwagon, this is a franchise known for disappointing and until they prove otherwise, it is incredibly difficult to believe in the hype. We must still wait to determine if the Browns are a true contender this season, albeit, this victory is a great argument for optimism.
Vikings vs. Texans
To say that this was a must-win game would be far understating the importance of a victory for both teams. Both teams entered the game 0-3 and needed to salvage their seasons with a lot on the line. As the game came down to the wire, you could sense one painful element of this game. The Vikings players are still playing for their head coach, the Texans players are not. The Viking barely escaped with the victory as they #LetDalvinCook. It was clear that head coach Mike Zimmer still had the locker room.
Bill O’Brien on the other had likely coached his last game. This is a team that likely lost their respect for him not only after trading away one of the best receivers in the game in De’Andre Hopkins. Also, after the debacle of last season’s Divisional Playoff game against the Chiefs (which no explanation is needed for). Texans ownership needs to acknowledge they are wasting the prime years of one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Quarterback DeShaun Watson deserves better and the Texans as an organization deserve better.
Saints vs. Lions
This game went as expected. The Saints were poised for a bounceback in Week 4. The Lions were expected to regress to their mediocre mean after upsetting the Cardinals last week. There were two surprises from the game.
The first was the Saints’ ability to find an offense without the top receiver Michael Thomas. With Drew Brees displaying the ability to spread out the passing game leaving many stars with a great statistical day. The performance reminded us not to doubt Drew Brees. He is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The rebound allowed us to consider the Saints as the top team in the NFC South. A strong doubt after losing the last two games.
The second surprise is more of a reminder that many of us likely knew prior to this game. Frankly, Matt Patricia is not a defensive-minded coach. Week after week, we see Matthew Stafford lead the offense to many successful days, while the Lions defense gives up 30 or 40 points. The last time the Lions defense allowed fewer than 20 points in a game was week 12 of last season (19 points in a loss to the Washington Football Team). The Lions have also only won ten games in Patricia’s tenure. For measurement, only the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants have fewer wins in the same span of time (9 wins each).
Washington vs. Ravens
This game was the perfect storm for a blowout. The Ravens were coming off a rare loss, the Football Team was playing without their star rookie edge-rusher Chase Young, and Washington’s offense had yet to find any rhythm through the first three games. The outcome may have been closer than expected (31-17). But, it was a reminder of everything we believed prior to entering the game. The Ravens are still a Super Bowl contender, the Football team is still far from competing. The only addition we were reminded of was the Jackson-Andrews connection. Mark Andrews is one of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL. In Week 4, we saw Andrews catch two touchdowns with only three receptions.
Cardinals vs. Panthers
There are many angles we can take from the Panthers beating the Cardinals 31-21 in Week 4. We can say that this was a trap game for the Arizona Cardinals as they were flying to the East Coast to play an unpredictable Panthers team. We can argue that we are starting to see the Panthers emerge as one of the better teams in the league, with head coach Matt Rhule inserting his identity into the team and establishing himself as a crisis manager. It is also possible that we were overestimating the Arizona Cardinals and starting to buy into the hype a little too early.
All three angles are possible. The big element that many should notice from the Week 4 game is the belief that running backs should not be paid. More accurately, those great running backs have little contribution to a team’s success. The Carolina Panthers have won their last two games and have done so without their star running back Christian McCaffrey. The Panthers appear to have a well-balanced attack and don’t seem to urge to have the star running back return. The analytics have proven in recent years that it is not worth it to pay one running back. Instead, you can rotate three for cheap. The Panthers are proving this theory first hand.
Seahawks vs. Dolphins
We all know of the Russell Wilson MVP campaign and the movement to #LetRussCook. While Wilson continues to wow us, this game proved to the common fan that the defense is built to win a Super Bowl. Despite missing All-Pro safety Jamal Adams, the defense had three interceptions, a forced fumble, and only allowed a touchdown in the final two minutes of the game. The Seahawks’ high-flying offense is going to win them multiple games. But, a good defense can win them a Super Bowl. This game may be seen as a given win for Seattle. But anytime a team flies across the coast and controls the game from start to finish has to be commended.
Chargers vs. Buccaneers
This season is likely to be a lost cause for the Chargers. With that in mind, it’s worth Anthony Lynn and the rest of the coaching staff to allow rookie quarterback Justin Herbert to show off his arm and sling the ball across the field. Aside from the interception, Justin Herbert couldn’t have played a more ideal game statistically, completing 20 of his 25 passes with three touchdowns. Unfortunately, the stats ignore the fact that the Chargers as a team had a 24-7 lead in the second quarter and couldn’t muster much offense after building the cushion. This reminds us how far the Chargers are from competing while also giving the fans of the team (if they exist) hope that Justin Herbert can indeed be the next great quarterback.
The Buccaneers are now 3-1. It should be clear that this team does not look ready to win the Super Bowl. The best thing about the football season is it allows time for a team to find an identity and mature. The Bucs still have some voids that need to be addressed. This game against an abysmal Chargers team reminds us that Tampa Bay needs to reinforce its help in the secondary. One must also be concerned with some of the missed throws Brady had. At the same time, we are only a quarter into the season, a lot is still up in the air.
Giants vs. Rams
It’s hard to say that the Giants had a bad game. As heavy underdogs, the Giants only lost by 8 points and held an explosive Rams offense to only 17 points. Daniel Jones didn’t have a terrible day. One can’t blame him for the lack of production considering he was sacked five times. Yet, once again, Daniel Jones proved why he isn’t going to be the answer for the Giants. Jones threw for only 190 passing yards, no touchdowns, and an interception.
The Rams did not play well and this was the time for the Giants to steal a victory. Once again they managed to lose and possibly to their worst opponent yet in the season. The Jets and Giants are both 0-4, making an interesting tank for the possibility of landing the generational talent in Trevor Lawrence. The poor start can also create an ugly end to the season as both teams fire most if not all of their coaching staff, and likely search for new general managers.
Bills vs. Raiders
This game looked to be where the red-hot Buffalo Bills would hit a wall and lose their first game of the season. The Raiders like to run the ball and can be a difficult team to beat when they have their offense clicking. The Bills controlled the game from the kickoff, forcing the casual fan to consider this team not only the best in the AFC but a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Josh Allen scared many when he left the game in the second quarter with an injury. He came back without missing a beat. The Bills once again displayed the complete roster that has little to no flaws while making their future opponents wonder how to game plan against them.
The Raiders are starting to regress to what we expected them to be. The Raiders are good but by no measurement are ready to compete with the top teams in the AFC. They will beat up on the weaker teams that their schedule provides, unfortunately, that might not be enough to place them in the playoffs.
Colts vs. Bears
The Bears have finally dropped a game after weeks of confusing the experts. For weeks, the public was convinced the Bears were not a good team rather only getting lucky and finding themselves 3-0. Week 4 proved that the Bears aren’t a good team and particularly, have issues at quarterback. Nick Foles had a terrible game and now it is only a matter of time before the Bears enter the revolving door between Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles (expect the end of this season to be ugly).
The Colts have to puzzle anyone as they currently look like a good team, playing great football in all facets of the game. The Colts started out last season on fire but slowed the minute Jacoby Brissett was exposed. Philip Rivers currently looks serviceable, I don’t see the Colts as a top team but with a balanced attack, they can easily become a playoff team. The Defense has also matured into one that can be feared across the league, Darius Leonard is one of the best linebackers in the NFL and Xavier Rhodes is returning to the lockdown corner he was back in his prime in Minnesota. The Colts might have seen an easy schedule as of late but there is plenty to be excited about in Indianapolis.
Eagles vs. 49ers
The injuries finally got to San Francisco and they pressed their luck too far with Sunday night’s game. The 49ers beat the Jets and Giants without Jimmy Garoppolo but the Eagles were able to stop Nick Mullens (not like that was a daunting task). Resting Jimmy Garoppolo is seen as a precautionary move but one they thought they could afford to make with the Eagles entering the game with a 0-2-1 record. The only true highlight of the game for San Francisco was the return of George Kittle, the tight end caught 15 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown, reminding everyone that he is the best tight end in the game.
The bizarre season has allowed the Philadelphia Eagles to catapult to first place in the NFC East with a win in week 4. The Eagles still look like a mess, granted, less of a mess than the rest of the division but still not a good team. Beating an injury-laden 49ers team should not convince anyone that this team looks good. On the contrary, this victory only reminded us how poorly the offensive line has played throughout the year, how the receiving corp looks like an auditioning set for Carson Wentz pass-catchers, and so much more.
