The first week of the NFL season is a roller coaster. After the second round, there is still too little data to know which teams are contenders and which are not. By the third, a trend begins to form.
But what about week 4?
That’s enough time to pull away in the standings and reveal the surprise players who might survive and the preseason favorites who might be in trouble.
Week 4 of 2024 arrives this weekend with five undefeated teams remaining: Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City in the AFC, and Minnesota and Seattle in the NFC. Meanwhile, Tennessee, Jacksonville and Cincinnati are still looking for their first wins.
Here are the highlights from each game over the weekend.
Vikings (3-0) vs. Packers (2-1)
No one would have picked preseason reserves Sam Darnold and Malik Willis to go 5-0 combined at this point, but this is an adjustment to playing in a new offense. proves its power.
But this week will be the biggest challenge yet for each of them. Willis will need to outwit a Vikings defense that has tormented opponents enough to rank among the best in the league as measured by advanced statistics.
Meanwhile, Darnold will face a Green Bay defense that scored a league-high nine points.
Jaguars (0-3) vs. Texans (2-1)
Only New England and Miami are averaging less than anemic Jacksonville’s 13.3 points per game. Houston has a chance to end this game early as long as the offensive line keeps CJ Stroud up (11 sacks) and the run game finally finds its footing.
Rams (1-2) vs. Bears (1-2)
Chicago spent the offseason focusing on quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick. But about a month into the season, the question is whether that can protect him.
Williams has been sacked 13 times, the third-most in the NFL. But this could be the break the Bears need. Only Tampa Bay and Atlanta have recorded fewer sacks than the Rams (four), who have struggled to find pass rushers following the retirement of future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald.
Bengals (0-3) vs. Panthers (1-2)
All we know for sure is that after the dire circumstances in which each season began, at least one team will walk away happy. Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton will be looking to get revenge on his former team.
Eagles (2-1) vs. Bucks (2-1)
This is a litmus test game. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who already had an offseason filled with questions about his coaching, is facing criticism again after his fourth-down decision.
Meanwhile, Tampa started 2-0, but lost at home to Denver by 19 points, with manager Todd Bowles describing it as a “complete collapse of the team.” Look at how Tampa tries to contain Jalen Hurts. The Bucs are the only defense yet to allow a passing touchdown.
Chiefs (3-0) vs. Chargers (2-1)
These two teams each have uncertainty surrounding their offensive pillars. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said he is working hard to play but has been limited in practice after re-aggravating his ankle injury with a high ankle sprain last week.
The Chiefs’ offense remains dangerous thanks to coach Andy Reid’s ability to add new talent around quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but tight end Travis Kelce, Mahomes’ top collaborator, is not used often. Not done. It’s not just Kelce’s eight catches that are surprising, but the fact that he was targeted just 12 times.
Saints (2-1) vs. Falcons (1-2)
Which Saints offense will show up? The one that has scored 40 or more points in consecutive weeks since the start of the season, or the one that only had 12 players called up for the game against the Philadelphia Eagles?
On the other hand, the Falcons’ 1-2 record doesn’t tell the whole story. Their come-from-behind victory over the Eagles was impressive, and they persevered despite a narrow loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. This is an important early matchup in the NFC South.
Broncos (1-2) vs. Jets (2-1)
This is Nathaniel Hackett’s revenge game!
Sean Payton wasn’t kind to the former Broncos coach after he took over the job. Hackett is currently Aaron Rodgers’ chosen offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, and Rodgers will surely remember what Payton said about his coach.
Steelers (3-0) vs. Colts (1-2)
This is another chance for Justin Fields to solidify his position as the Steelers’ starting quarterback. Fields is 3-0, replacing Russell Wilson, and has played consistent, solid, error-free football. If Fields wins again, could Pittsburgh really give the job back to Wilson?
Commanders (2-1) vs. Cardinals (1-2)
All eyes will and should be on rookie quarterback Jaden Daniels, who led the Commanders to a surprising upset over the Bengals on Monday Night Football last week.
Daniels entered this season with less hype and interest than other first-round quarterbacks, but he was the best of them all. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are 1-2 and desperate for a win with the Packers and 49ers on the schedule.
Patriots (1-2) vs. 49ers (1-2)
The 49ers have lost their second straight game and remain without star running back Christian McCaffrey. This will be another test for Brock Purdy to see if he can lead San Francisco’s offense to success without his best player.
Browns (1-2) vs. Raiders (1-2)
Deshaun Watson has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league this season (30th in ESPN’s QBR rankings), but the Raiders have already indicated they will change the position. If you want to see two struggling offenses, this is the game for you.
Bills (3-0) vs. Ravens (1-2)
Again, this is only Week 4, but Sunday’s primetime matchup feels like one that could be repeated in the playoffs. Thanks to quarterback Josh Allen’s remarkable progress in avoiding turnovers (zero interceptions), the Bills (3-0) outscored their opponents by 64 points, the highest point differential in the league. Despite the blowout loss to Las Vegas, Baltimore and Lamar Jackson still rank as the second-best offense in the league behind Buffalo in the latest stats.