NFL RECAP: WEEK FOUR
Football is an amazing sport. Any given day, any team can win…and that was apparent this week. We had upsets, close calls, and a couple results that had teams shaking their heads. This is also the last week before teams start having bye weeks. So let’s jump into the games from last week.
COWBOYS 20 – GIANTS 15
This was a lot closer than I was thinking, but the Cowboys hung on for a much-needed win. Another loss would have made it three in a row for the Cowboys: which would nearly seal their doom with a tough schedule coming up. So this win meant a lot to the Cowboys. Quarterback Dak Prescott completed 22 of 27 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. As for the Giants, another loss for who I ranked as the worst team in the league. You can make the argument that this was a moral victory for the Giants…but moral victories don’t count toward the win column. They may have had a chance if Malik Nabers hadn’t been knocked out of the game with a concussion. I don’t have much faith in the Giant’s chances of excelling this season, especially since they were facing a Cowboys team that still has quite a few kinks to hammer out.
RAMS 18 – BEARS 24
Home is where the heart is, and so the Bears managed a win against the Rams to remain perfect this season at home. Number one pick Caleb Williams gave an okay performance, completing 17 of 23 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. However, he was 8 of 9 for 75 yards and a touchdown against the blitz, which is very encouraging. I truly believe he is an amazing quarterback, but he needs to not rely on the “big play” so much. He has his team and his defense, and when they actually give him the support, he needs…watch out NFL. As for the Rams, things look bleak without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. It’s definitely disheartening for their fans after last week’s upset comeback victory over the 49ers. They didn’t move the ball consistently and they struggled on third down. Overall, the Rams need help…and trading Matthew Stafford is NOT the answer (because who would start?)!
EAGLES 16 – BUCCANEERS 33
Boy did the Eagles get blown away in this game. They had no answer for the offensive machine that the Buccaneers rolled out. It’s a complete 180 after last week’s abysmal game against the Broncos, so what changed? For one thing, Quarterback Baker Mayfield had a monster game completing 30 of 47 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. As for the Eagles, it’s a good thing they have a bye next week: because this team is not looking good at all. They need a reset after another pitiful performance by their defense. It’s also concerning how many mistakes and turnovers this Eagles team commits. If this talented roster can’t put anything together and ends up crashing and burning again like last season, it’ll be the coaching staff themselves who will be on the hot seat.
SAINTS 24 – FALCONS 26
This was probably the best game of Sunday as the Saints, and the Falcons put on a show. Falcons Kicker Younghoe Koo nailed a 58-yard field goal in the final seconds to win this close divisional showdown. It was an impressive showdown between the two quarterbacks, Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr. Cousins completed 21 of 35 passes for 238 yards and one interception, and Carr completed 28 of 36 passes for 239 yards and one interception. It would help the Falcons going forward if they could get a little more consistent on offense, as they failed to score a touchdown on offense for the first time in 20 years! Same can be said of the Saints as they are trying to find that high powered offensive drive they had at the beginning of the season. But it’s not going to be pretty if utility player Taysom Hill has to miss any more time.
BENGALS 34 – PANTHERS 24
The Bengals managed to breathe a sigh of relief in their victory over the Panthers, avoiding a disastrous 0-4 start to the season. Quarterback Joe Burrow finished his day completing 22 of 31 passes for 232 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. This doesn’t mean the Bengals are out of the woods, it just means that they got a little reprieve from a terrible start to this season. As for the Panthers, Andy Dalton has been a saving grace. He finished 25 for 40 for 220 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. If it wasn’t for a couple of dropped passes, we would be having a MUCH different conversation. The running game has also been opening up, and it’s expected to get a boost soon as reports say rookie Jonathon Brooks is in the final stages of his recovery from a right ACL tear.
JAGUARS 20 – TEXANS 24
It wasn’t pretty, but reigning Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud led the Texans to a close call victory over the Jaguars. Stroud himself had a good day, completing 27 of his 40 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, penalties continue to mire the Texans’ offense, which should be capable of averaging much more than just 18 points per game. As for the Jaguars, the season might be over. An 0-4 start is nearly impossible to overcome (I mentioned in a previous recap that the last time anyone did it was the 1992 San Diego Chargers). The expectations for this year was that the Jaguars would fix the problems that caused them to flame out in the final stretch of last season. So far…it has not. The offense has been banged up, poor play calling is affecting stars Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr., and now they are 0-4. On a bright spot, rookie Brian Thomas Jr. has been brilliant, adding another six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown that led the team. The Jaguars might want to consider feeding him more targets.
STEELERS 24 – COLTS 27
The Colts sure did get a scare as Anthony Richardson went down early in the game with a hip injury. Fortunately, veteran Joe Flacco was able to conjure enough magic to power the Colts past the Steelers. Fortunately for Flacco, Michael Pittman Jr. had his best game of the year hauling in six catches for 113 yards. Also, Jonathan Taylor put up another 88 yards rushing and a touchdown, and he’s starting to look like his old self back when he was the top running back in the league. As for the Steelers, their defense took a punch to the mouth early. When Richardson was still in the game, he launched a big pass to Pittman that started a three-minute scoring drive that put the Steelers on their heels early. They’ll have to do better in guarding top wide receivers, or else this won’t be just a fluke…
VIKINGS 31 – PACKERS 29
Despite what the score said, most of this game wasn’t close. Nevertheless, the Vikings had to hold off a late surge by the Packers to stay perfect this season. This wasn’t how many people thought the Vikings would start this season as Sam Darnold continues his career renaissance, completing 20 of 28 passes for 275 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. On the opposite side, Jordan Love’s return was spoiled even though he threw 32 for 54 for 389 yards and four touchdowns (but he also threw three interceptions). The Vikings will need to tighten up their defense to prevent this fourth quarter scare from happening again. As for the Packers, what happened? Love didn’t look too accurate in his return. The other reason, two words: Justin Jefferson. There is no stopping this monster who hauled in six more catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. If there was ever any doubt that Jefferson is the best receiver in the league…this should wipe it out now.
BRONCOS 10 – JETS 9
The amount of passing in the NFL may or may not be in decline, depending on who you ask, but the entertainment has not diminished. In a true battle of defenses, the Broncos held on against the Jets despite Aaron Rodgers clearly outdueling Bo Nix at quarterback. While Rodgers completed 24 of 42 passes for 225 yards, Nix only completed 12 of 25 passes for 60 yards but he did get his first touchdown pass. Now, there is cause for concern for the Broncos about their offense. Despite being tied with the Chargers and Raiders, the Broncos don’t look like a team that can go toe-to-toe with the defending champion Chiefs. But that’s not all on Nix…his team needs to pick him up. As for the Jets, yes it was raining…but that’s hardly an excuse for a lackluster performance that failed to score a touchdown. Rodgers was limping late, but said he was fine…but time will tell if he’s telling the truth.
COMMANDERS 42 – CARDINALS 14
I don’t think anyone saw the Commanders having the season they’re currently having. I count myself as one of them, so I can say HOLY MOLE HOLES! The Commanders handed the Cardinals a pretty humiliating defeat on their home turf. Jayden Daniels looks like the front runner for Rookie of the Year, and the Commanders might be contenders for the NFC East. Daniels completed 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but he also rushed it 8 times for 47 yards and a touchdown. As for the Cardinals, it’s time for some soul searching. Some would say back to the drawing board…but I argue they should blow the board up. Nothing they threw at the Commanders did any good, and they’re squandering a chance to gain the upper hand in their division as the 49ers and Rams battle injuries. They followed an opening drive touchdown by allowing the Commanders to score 27 unanswered points. These inconsistencies on both sides of the ball must stop or there is no salvaging this season for the Cardinals.
PATRIOTS 13 – 49ERS 30
This was a much needed win for the 49ers after last week’s upset loss to the Rams. Despite Purdy’s pristine performance (completing 15 of 27 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown), this win comes at a price. The injuries continue to mount and hamper the 49ers’ efforts. It’s lucky for them that they didn’t play a decent opponent this week, because life is about to get more difficult for the 49ers going forward. As for the Patriots, the offense is sputtering to a roaring stop. For those that think a change at quarterback will help…it won’t. Not only do I have no faith in Drake Maye, but also look at the abysmal offense he would inherit. The Patriots may be beyond hope this season as they continue to wander the post-Bill Belichick wasteland.
CHIEFS 17 – CHARGERS 10
A win is a win, right? So, the Chiefs can hold their heads up high with their 4-0 record. But should they really be happy squeaking out a come from behind win against a banged up and offense-deficient Chargers? I’ll make this easy for you: no. Yes, this is the best game we’ve seen out of Travis Kelce this year, who grabbed 7 catches for 89 yards. However, now they’ve lost another offensive weapon, Wide Receiver Rashee Rice, for the year. Isiah Pacheco is on the IR and Hollywood Brown is not expected to play this year. It’s time for Patrick Mahomes to feed Kelce more, as well as speedy rookie Xavier Worthy, who is one of my picks for Rookie of the Year. As for the Chargers, we unfortunately saw this conclusion coming: their offense stinks. The wide receivers are not doing very well and are not on the same page as Justin Herbert. I specifically warned the Chargers about blowing a first-round pick on a tackle, who is now on the injured list, and I was right! Now other rookie wide receivers are excelling, and the Chargers are stuck with Ladd McConkey; a respectable player, but not a star like Rome Odunze or Xavier Worthy. Still, the defense should be proud of holding the Chiefs to 17 points without Derwin James Jr. and Joey Bosa. So…maybe all hope isn’t lost if the defense can save the Chargers’ season (though I argue it’s time for the Chargers to give rookie Brenden Rice, son of the legendary Jerry Rice, some time on the field).
BROWNS 16 – RAIDERS 20
This was a much needed win after last week for DA RAIDERS! The Raiders are facing an injury crisis (like so many other teams that are too numerous to mention). With all the injuries, it was nice to see the “next man up” mentality finally taking shape. Still, improvements can be made and will most likely happen when their players get healthy. There is also the news that the Raiders are open to a trade for Davante Adams. As for the Browns…I got nothing. Both the offense and defense have been disappointing, and that’s a surprise considering the Browns had an elite defense in 2023. It’s baffling since the core of that elite defense returned for this season, and yet they looked terrible against an offense that had no Davante Adams. The question going forward will be how the Browns finally turn things around?
BILLS 10 – RAVENS 35
Not long ago, people were wondering whether the Ravens should hit the panic button after a disappointing loss to the Chiefs (by a blade of grass), and a fourth quarter collapse against DA RAIDERS! Flashing forward to Sunday’s primetime game, the Ravens now look like the Super Bowl contenders we thought they’d be with a dominating win against the Bills. Quarterback Lamar Jackson, the reigning MVP, threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns and, also, rushed it himself for 54 yards and a touchdown. Derrick Henry had a monster game, rushing for a eye popping 199 yards and a touchdown. As for the Bills, they better hope this was just a minor bump in the road…because they looked terrible. Nothing seemed to go right, and even Josh Allen had a rough game throwing for just 180 yards and no touchdowns. The Bills can’t afford to suffer a loss like this again…or this might be the end of the Bills’ Super Bowl hopes.
TITANS 31 – DOLPHINS 12
Surely things can’t get worse for the Dolphins with Tua Tagovailoa still out, right? Well…turns out we were wrong. The Dolphins fell to the lowly Titans on Monday night to go 1-3. Turns out, the Titans losing Will Levis in the first half was a blessing in disguise. Backup Mason Rudolph led the Titans to a season high 31 points and their first win. He only threw for 85 yards, but his precision and leadership was just what the doctor ordered. Question is…will the Titans commit to keeping Levis as quarterback after he added another turnover to make his total go up to nine! As for the Dolphins…just wow. They have one week to figure things out before their bye, and it honestly couldn’t come soon enough. Because change is coming to the Dolphins…and that includes questions about Tua’s future with all his concussions.
SEAHAWKS 29 – LIONS 42
It’s about time: the Lions played a COMPLETE game for four quarters and came up with a big win over the Seahawks. No turnovers for Jared Goff this time as he completed all 18 of his passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Let’s see if the Lions can continue this, and if they can continue to rely on both of their running backs, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. As for the Seahawks, we knew their lucky magic streak would end sooner or later. It wasn’t Geno Smith’s fault; he completed 38 of 56 passes for 395 yards, a touchdown, and an interception (except for the interception, those are good numbers). The injuries on defense really dragged the Seahawks down (like it has for a lot of teams). The hope is that they can get healthy before their matchup next week against the Giants.
