Week 4 promised plenty of drama in several big matchups and it didn’t fail to deliver. The Cardinals won the battle of the unbeaten teams in L.A., whilst Tom Brady and the Bucs secured a narrow win over the Patriots in New England. There were also two dramatic overtime wins courtesy of the New York teams, and a surprisingly entertaining matchup between Washington and Atlanta. Here are the biggest takeaways from Week 4.
The Cardinals may be the best team in football
Coming into this weekend I had my doubts about this Cardinals team and whether or not they could hold their own against the very best the NFL has to offer. Their performance at SoFi Stadium this weekend put an abrupt end to any such doubts. Tests don’t come any tougher than the unbeaten Rams, but Kyler Murray and the Cardinals made the whole thing look easy. They took the lead early in the second quarter and never gave it back. The game was virtually over before the fourth quarter even began.
Arizona’s offense continues to roll and scored 37 points on a talented Rams defense. Coming into this game the Rams defense ranked fourth in defensive DVOA and hadn’t given up 35+ points in a game since Week 12 of 2019. The Cardinals had their way on the ground, but perhaps the most impressive part of the game was Kyler Murray’s play from the pocket. When kept clean he was 21 of 26 for 246 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cardinals also had their defense to thank in this one. They did an excellent job of limiting the explosive plays that Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford have dialled up over the first three weeks. They became the first team this season to hold the Rams to 20 or fewer points. With this win there is no question that Arizona are amongst the best teams in football right now. The question on everyone’s lips is how far they can go this season.
Brady and Belichick deliver the drama
Brady’s return to New England was always going to be a huge story. He and Bill Belichick spent 20 years together and built the most decorated franchise in the game’s history. They know each other’s tendencies and it was always going to be interesting to see how they matched up on the field. Whilst the game itself may not have been the greatest display of offensive football, it certainly delivered on the drama.
We saw seven lead changes as the Bucs ran out eventual 19-17 winners. Brady wasn’t at his best in this one and finished the game 22 of 43 for 269 yards. It was also just the second time in his Bucs career that he didn’t have a single touchdown pass. Nevertheless, he still managed to get the win and in the process he overtook Drew Brees as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards.
Many are likely to try and replicate the Patriots’ defensive game plan as a means of slowing Brady down. New England are the first team to hold the Bucs to less than 20 points since November 2020. That won’t be much of a consolation to Belichick though, and the Patriots find themselves at 1-3, two wins behind division leaders Buffalo. You have to think he will regret the decision to attempt the 56-yard field goal in the dying seconds, instead of going for it on a 4th and 3.
How ’bout them Cowboys?
I know that it is only Week 4 and this is the prime time for overreactions. That said, I think the Cowboys might be back. They have been consistently impressive so far this season and made light work of a highly regarded Panthers team this weekend. After a close loss to the Bucs in the season opener, Dallas have won three straight games and look like the obvious division favourite in the NFC East.
Ahead of this game all of the talk was about the Panthers defense. They had given up just 30 points in three games and hadn’t allowed any of their opponents to score 15+ points. They led the NFL in EPA allowed per play and their run defense was setting a historic pace, giving up just 45 rushing yards per game. The Cowboys made things look easy. They amassed 245 rushing yards at an average of 7.2 yards per carry. Ezekiel Elliot accounted for 143 of those yards, the most he has logged in a single game in almost three years.
Their defense also looked solid too. Whilst they may not be elite, they are good enough to win with, ranking 10th in EPA allowed per play. This performance has put the rest of the NFC on notice and Dallas appear to be hitting their stride. They have some eminently winnable games coming up and if they continue to play like this they will be a legitimate force to be reckoned with this year.
Giants secure dramatic Superdome comeback
From one NFC East team to another. Expectations were never high for the Giants entering this season, but their 0-3 start had led to some serious questions being asked. Whether it was concerns about Saquon Barkley’s form or doubts about Daniel Jones’ ability to be a franchise quarterback, nothing seemed to be going right. A win could not therefore have come at a better time and fans will be be relieved by their win over the Saints this weekend.
The Giants were outmatched for most of the game and trailed by 11 points with just seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Daniel Jones proceeded to dig deep and led the offense to 17 unanswered points, including an overtime winner. Jones finished the game 28 of 40 for a career-high 402 yards and two touchdowns.
He wasn’t the only one to impress. Saquon Barkley looks to be back to his best and racked up 126 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. Their new additions in Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney also seemed to to be clicking. Was this all a one-off or a sign of things to come? We will have to wait and see, but it will certainly be a welcome change for Giants fans everywhere.
Week 3 MVP
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs – Hill had been quiet over the last two games but exploded against the Eagles this weekend. He finished with 11 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
Rookie of the week
Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs – Hill wasn’t the only Chief to impress this weekend. Smith excelled against a talented Eagles defensive line and didn’t allow a single pressure all game. He also made his presence felt in the ground game, earning a 79.5 PFF run blocking grade.
Stat of the week
43 games – The Ravens tied the NFL record with their 43rd consecutive game with 100+ rushing yards. They chose to run the ball on the game’s final play instead of kneeling, in order to keep their record alive.
