NFL week 4 what we learned: From Jayden Daniels, Derrick Henry’s brilliance to Jets and Bills embarrassing losses
NFL Week 4 turned out to deliver entertaining games as football fans went through their emotions watching their favorite teams battle.
Jayden Daniels and Derrick Henry headed the NFL Week 4 highlights (Image via NFL on CBS/X)
Heading into NFL week 4 of this 2024 season, all the teams had one agenda: win a football game. As usual, only half were able to do that as this week turned out to be one filled with excitement as well as disappointments.
On one hand, a new star appeared on the horizon in Jayden Daniels. On the other hand, some such as Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes had some head-scratching moments.
The weekend started with the Dallas Cowboys winning against the New York Giants on the road. But then the New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Philadelphia Eagles could not walk away with one. It goes to show that road games are no doubt tricky if they either face a tough opponent or their own team is not fundamentally sound.
The sound ones, such as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings, came away with wins. While some teams embarrassed themselves at home. All in all, this NFL Week 4 was full of surprises to many football fans, as some of the end results left some ecstatic while most were scratching their heads.
The Superhits
Of all the battles this weekend, two players and their teams stood out. On one hand was rookie Jayden Daniels and his record-setting rookie season. But it was not just his own performances, as the Washington Commanders embarrassed the Arizona Cardinals at their home. Another team performance that increased the confidence of fans in them was the Baltimore Ravens.
Their dominating win against the high-flying Buffalo Bills was a testament to their roster, and especially Derrick Henry. King Henry returned to his thunderous 200+ yards days as he sent out a message that he was anything but washed. But they weren’t the only ones to have a brilliant NFL week 4 outing.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are quietly notching up impressive wins. Their total team performance ended up embarrassing the star-studded Philadelphia Eagles. So much so, that other than the freak loss at home last weekend, the Buccaneers are now looked at as legitimate playoff threats. Unimaginable for the once much maligned Baker Mayfield.
Return of the form for the favorites
The only team loss the Detroit Lions have had this season was against the bunch from Tampa Bay. What could be seen as a wake-up call showed its good side as QB Jared Goff notched up a perfect passing game to lead his team to a dominant win over the fellow playoff-contending Seattle Seahawks. Their efforts to lift the Curse of Bobby Layne seem to be well underway.
The Houston Texans returned to their winning ways as sophomore CJ Stroud found his offensive rhythm. So did the Cincinnati Bengals as they scored on 60% of their drives. Not impressive even by their standards, but at least it gets the team going. After starting the season 0-3, they need all the confidence-building plays to drive them to their ultimate goal.
Rookie No.1 overall pick Caleb Williams did not throw an interception against the Rams in their home win. Then Sam Darnold continued to show his ‘franchise quarterback’ mode again this weekend. Lastly, the Kansas City Chiefs won their fourth consecutive game, this time with Travis Kelce leading the way.
Tainted wins
That Chiefs fourth win, though, did not come without a troublesome incident. That of WR Rashee Rice’s possibly season-ending injury after QB Patrick Mahomes ploughed his almost 230lb body into Rice’s knee. That adds to the woes they have this season as he joins fellow WR Marquise Brown on the injured list. For a team that boasted an elite receiving core before the start of training camp, suddenly looks barren.
Like the Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills had their incredible winning start to this season hitting a brick wall. That wall was the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense.
It brought up the question if the Bills were as good as advertised. They didn’t face an elite defense in those first three wins. Now they will face a few more of them down the line. How they cope will show if they are actually Super Bowl contenders.
And the same old story of missed chances
After these four weeks, two teams have more question marks than the others with regards to their Super Bowl goals. Prime among them, are the New York Jets. In what should have been a routine win against a hapless Denver Broncos, they ended up embarrassing themselves in front of their home crowd.
Aaron Rodgers showing again his mobility issues, and an undisciplined team effort led to this loss. It hit them hard enough that the QB and head coach ended up in a blame game. If the Jets continue playing this way, they can kiss their Super Bowl hopes goodbye.
In a week that sprung a lot of surprises, many received a much-needed confidence boost. On the other hand, many teams received a reality check. With the bye weeks starting, teams will have to figure out how to correct their course in their upcoming games.
Joseph Varghese
(1617 Articles Published)