NFL Takeaways: Week 4
Photo from USA Today
Before we get to the takeaways, can we stop with the double headers on Monday Night Football?
They’re not fun. Nobody likes them.
Now that I’ve fixed Monday Night Football, let’s dive in.
Cowboys defeat Giants 20-16
We start the weekend with a game where nobody ends up happy.
Giants fans end up with a loss, and the Cowboys won, but still didn’t look very good.
Just bad vibes all around.
Colts defeat Steelers 27-24
Anthony Richardson is still young and could use some more games.
But after his injury, Joe Flacco came in and executed the Colts offense perfectly. It looked so easy.
It never looks easy with Richardson.
Something to keep an eye on.
Broncos defeat Jets 10-9
Last week, I said I may have been too hard on Sean Payton and Bo Nix.
I was wrong again.
Bo Nix was awful, and Sean Payton made some abysmal coaching decisions.
But hey. They won.
Because the Jets exist.
Vikings defeat Packers 31-29
Halfway through this game, the Vikings looked like a Super Bowl contender.
Then the Sam Darnold and Vikings of old reappeared, and it almost ended in spectacular, devastating fashion.
But the Vikings held on, and are now one of two undefeated teams in the NFL.
Falcons defeat Saints 26-24
The Saints took the lead with a minute left, the Falcons gained 5 yards of their own accord, and still got into field goal range to win the game.
Spot foul pass interference penalties are super lame.
Buccaneers defeat Eagles 33-16
Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts do not get along, do not see eye to eye, and it is actively hurting this team.
Something has to give.
Bengals defeat Panthers 34-24
The Bengals got their first win, so you can’t complain with that.
But the defense still looks like a big problem, and they face a red hot Ravens offense next week.
It’s a must win for Cincy.
Texans defeat Jaguars 24-20
The Jaguars had this game in total control. They could just never pull away.
The result? CJ Stroud leading a game winning drive to move their division rivals to 0-4.
A year of missed opportunities in Jacksonville.
Bears defeat Rams 24-18
The Rams offense, with all of their injuries, just can’t seem to get it going.
I have no idea how they looked so good against the Niners to get that win.
Commanders defeat Cardinals 42-14
There are, and will be, questions about Jayden Daniels durability being the size that he is.
There are no questions about his talent.
He is insane, and is having the best start a rookie quarterback has ever had.
If he stays healthy, watch out. He’s going to be a superstar.
49ers defeat Patriots 30-13
Rookies in this league are getting better and better, and the Patriots continue to sit Drake Maye.
I know it’s because the offensive line isn’t great, but what’s the harm in seeing what it looks like?
Raiders defeat Browns 20-16
The Browns stink to high heaven.
Sold their soul for Deshaun Watson, and don’t even have anything to show for it.
Bummer!
Chiefs defeat Chargers 17-10
Another close game, another Chiefs win.
Call them lucky if you want, but there’s a reason they always come out on top.
Ravens defeat Bills 35-10
Ravens fans wanted to see a dominant performance.
How was that one?
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry ran wild against the Bills, and the defense, who always figures it out, sure figured it out Sunday night.
Titans defeat Dolphins 31-12
Say what you want about Tua, but the Dolphins offense without him is absolutely abysmal.
The Chiefs with Andy Reid still look good with Alex Smith or Chad Henne instead of Patrick Mahomes.
The Dolphins are horrendous without Tua.
Flat out unwatchable.
Lions defeat Seahawks 42-29
And we end with a game where both teams fans, if they’re rational, should be pretty happy.
The Seahawks were missing 5 of their starting front 7, and lost a starting safety halfway through the game.
The Lions wanted to see a dominant performance from their run game and offensive line, and they got it and then some.
Jared Goff was, literally, perfect. Not one incomplete pass.
And Seahawks fans, who (again, if they’re rational), knew missing that many pieces was going to be a tall order to get stops.
The key was seeing if the offense could do enough to keep them in the game.
They did, with the Seahawks having a chance to tie the game in the 4th quarter.
All in all, I think the vibes for both teams are good.
