The fourth week of the 2022 NFL season kicked off Thursday evening with an impressive Cincinnati Bengals win that was obscured by a traumatic injury suffered by Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa who suffered concussions and was temporarily admitted to a hospital.
Sunday’s schedule of games came to an end with an upset for the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes using some trickery and razzle-dazzle, to give Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers their second consecutive loss.
The action on Sunday got underway at a brisk pace (9:30 a.m. ET) when the Minnesota Vikings took on the New Orleans Saints in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The game was decided in the final second, as Wil Lutz’s 61-yard field-goal attempt bounced off the crossbar and the upright but was unable to make it.
Then, later in the day Cooper Rush led the Dallas Cowboys to victory against The Washington Commanders, the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars battled through the rain, and a match with two league’s best teams – The Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills was decided by an important field goal that won the game. Pittsburgh Steelers rookie QB Kenny Pickett made his debut in the third quarter and ran for his first two touchdowns of his career, however, Zach Wilson (who made his debut for the season) as well as his team the New York Jets took home the victory thanks to an injury-time touchdown.
The Tennessee Titans scored an AFC South road victory over their rivals, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Seattle Seahawks had an offensive surge, scoring 48 points over their opponents, the Detroit Lions, who tried to fight back, but came just short at the end.
The Las Vegas Raiders finally got into the winning column in the afternoon and defeated the late afternoon against the Denver Broncos to give coach Josh McDaniels his first victory in the black and silver. They improved their record to 3-1. Green Bay Packers moved to 3-1 after a last-second overtime win over a tough New England Patriots team playing with a third-string quarterback.
The NFL Nation reporters react with the top takeaways as well as lingering questions that arose from the matchups this week and look forward to what’s to come next. Let’s get started.
Chiefs
What you need to know about: The Chiefs can excel offensively even without the wide receiver Tyreek Hill. They’re just in an area of their strength that is different. It’s not necessarily the wide receivers, but rather their runners and tight end are now. Five touchdowns they scored came from tight end or backs and included three touchdown passes from the quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has nine touchdown passes this season, either too tight ends or backs, and four more than any other quarterback.
Do you have any reason to be concerned about the defense’s performance in Week 4? There isn’t. The Chiefs played a complementary game with just two games that were longer than twenty yards. They forced the Bucs to take long slow drives in order to earn their points. The Chiefs had the most dramatic defense play with L’Jarius’s sack and stripping of Tom Brady in the second quarter. This play gave Mahomes and their offensive line a good location in order to get the touchdown which gave them a lead of 28-10. — Adam Teicher
Buccaneers
What you need to be aware of: The Bucs’ struggle to score points was amplified by an NFL team with one of its most powerful offenses, as well as the defense’s failure to stop the offense. They began with a deficit of 21-3 in the second half, and then 38-17 by the third. Turnovers didn’t help. They also fumbled. Chiefs recorded 14 points on two fumbles during the first half — one by rookie Rashaad White during the opening kickoff and the other on the quarterback’s shoulder Tom Brady. They found their groove with two touchdowns by the receiver Mike Evans, who returned from a one-game suspension. But it wasn’t enough.
Does a 2-2 record an unlucky sign for Bucs? No. Let’s look at things in a different light. The Bucs are 2-2 during the opening 4 games in the season, against teams who finished 46-22 in the previous season. It’s the seventh time Brady is in the 2-2 zone (2003 2005, 2006 2012, 2014 2017, and 2018,) and four of the seasons (2003 2014, 2003, and 2018,) culminating in an appearance in the Super Bowl. It was expected to be the most difficult section of the schedule for the Bucs but it’s actually not that hard. The remaining opponents are groups of 18-24 and they face the division opponents Carolina (1-3) as well as Atlanta (2-2) at least twice. — Jenna Laine
Packers
What you need to be aware of: Don’t give Aaron Rodgers more than one shot to prevail in overtime. Even as ugly as the final drive of regulation and the first drive in overtime was, Rodgers was not going to be able to win during the second drive in overtime. And he entrusted his receivers wide to accomplish it. Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb took catches for first downs. And the rookie Romeo Doubs added a couple of catchers that were big enough to allow Mason Crosby to make his 31-yard field goal in the game’s final. This saved Rodgers as well as the Packers the humiliation of being defeated by the third-string rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe. No matter how tough it appeared it was, the Packers now have a real chance of turning 3-1 into 6-1 before heading toward Buffalo on Sunday, Week 8,, given that they’ll face their own Giants, Jets, and Commanders in the next game.
Is Rodgers in fact the Packer’s best football player? Rashan Gary is trying to argue the opposite. Two sacks in Sunday’s game against the Patriots He has five in the first four games. Gary was one of the few Packers players to score one loss in all one of their first four matches of the year following Cullen Jenkins in 2010. Prior to that, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila did it in 2001 when he recorded nine sacks over his first 4 games. Gary’s second sack Sunday was a strip sack, in which Gary took the football back, and later, he made it possible for Jarran Reed to sack, forcing Zappe to make a move in the pocket. — Rob Demovsky
Patriots
What you need to be aware of Valiant effort. The Patriots did not deserve to be playing Aaron Rodgers and the Packers because they were playing with their third-string quarterback following two games in a tough road environment, but they showed great courage and determination. There are no moral triumphs in the NFL however it’s difficult to criticize the Patriots for the way they took Green Bay into overtime before losing.
What happened to Bailey Zappe just playing himself in the top spot for backup QB? The fourth-round pick from Western Kentucky demonstrated that the situation wasn’t too hard for him, as he was brought in to replace veterans Brian Hoyer on the third offensive drive of the game after Hoyer was forced from the match with an injury to his head. Zappe was 10-of-15 with 99 yards, and a touchdown, showing his poise in a difficult spot. Zappe was intercepted three times and lost an errant fumble. Evidently, the Patriots were forced to reduce their offensive game with Zappe however, Zappe was composed and played well enough that he kept the game alive in the game. — Mike Reiss
Raiders
What do you know about HTML0? Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels can exhale. Finally. After losing 15 of his 20 games as head coach dating back to his disastrous time as a coach with the Denver Broncos in 2009 and in 2010. McDaniels won his first game in the playoffs with his team the Raiders at the end of Game 4. It was against the team who has fired over a decade ago. The irony, right? Sure, it’s a victory, but with a record of just 1-3, and with another crucial AFC West battle up next in Kansas City, at least McDaniels and the Raiders are able to relax and not be worried about getting their first W.
Are The Raiders have the remainder of AFC West right where they would like them to be? Could be. Yes, Las Vegas is 1-3 however, the Raiders have just beaten to beat the Broncos, Kansas City looks at risk (the Chiefs play the Buccaneers on Sunday evening) as do the Chargers, despite huge wins against woeful Houston they are the walking “M*A*S*H” unit. The Raiders are scheduled to travel back to Kansas City for a Monday night game and will then get an off until the schedule gets lighter dramatically. It’s been a long season but the Raiders finally seem to be gaining momentum. — Paul Gutierrez
Broncos
What you need to be aware of: The Broncos’ offense has broken through the barrier of 16 points, scoring 3 Russell Wilson touchdowns (two passing and one running). However, even with their return attempt on Sunday, they’ll not truly be back in the playoff race until they’re able to be successful with their AFC West away games. The Raider’s victory against the Broncos is the latest in a growing list of defeats to teams like the Raiders and Chiefs which have led to the Broncos becoming nothing more than a sliver of parsley on the division’s plate.
Okay, what’s the strategy for the run game following Javonte Williams’s injured? So much of the work that the already struggling Broncos offense is based on running the ball, particularly in the play-action pass sport that head coaches Nathaniel Hackett wants to be an integral part of a big-play pop. Williams was transported in the locker room via carts during the 3rd quarter, suffering from an injury to the right knee. Although Williams will undergo additional tests and the MRI in the coming days, he wasn’t able to place any weight on his leg after being carried to the sideline and was wearing an ice pack placed on his head while they took him towards the changing room. Melvin Gordon III has fumbled four times in the span of four games. The Broncos were able to lose two of them and one of them was a fumble that the Raiders returned at 68 yards and scored the score on Sunday’s well Mike Boone has been the Broncos team’s change-of-pace player but not as Williams Williams could be. — Jeff Legwold
Cardinals
What you need to know about: When the Cardinal’s offense can find its timing and rhythm they’re hard to beat. Kyler Murray can be as athletic of a player as there can be in the NFL. Zach Ertz can do nearly everything Arizona requires. Marquise Brown has the ideal combination of speed and great hands. However, the issue this season is that it takes a long time to allow the Cardinals to establish a rhythm and tempo and, even the times they find it, they’re inconsistent. It was another week that saw slow beginnings and a quick end. For the most part, for Arizona this time, the Panthers weren’t able to capitalize on the situation.
How long can the Cardinals endure their slow start? Obviously, it boils down to their opponents and they’re aware that they cannot make a habit of it. Teams such as the Eagles that will be visiting Arizona this week could not allow the Cardinals to return. However, teams like the Seahawks and Saints could struggle to keep them down. If this is indeed the model that this squad is, then the Cardinals -players, coaches, and their fans are going to be battling many gray hairs. — Josh Weinfuss
Panthers
What you need to know: The defense continues to be strong enough for winning, however, Baker Mayfield isn’t. It’s not all on him. But the majority of what transpired on Sunday was blamed on Mayfield. He was able to throw five passes through the air and pushed the NFL score to 11. He recorded two interceptions as well as one fumble that was lost, being the 10th occasion since joining the league in the year 2018 that he has recorded three or more turnovers in a single game. No quarterback has more. They know Mayfield isn’t great at defending pressure, yet they continue to deliver the ball at the highest Blitz rate of the league, which is around 35 percent. Mayfield isn’t reacting in the manner that great quarterbacks do, which is the reason the Panthers are just 1-3.
Do the Panthers think about bringing on Sam Darnold? Darnold (ankle) is scheduled to leave inactive reserve later this week and although there’s a reason why for his loss of the starting position to Mayfield during training camp, however, the Panthers should at a minimum think about getting Darnold fit for next week’s game against the 49ers If Mayfield is struggling early. It’s no longer an insignificant test for Mayfield. He started the day at 32nd place in NFL in QBR total (18.9) however, he failed to make any improvements in Week 4 by putting up the three turnovers he had. Darnold often in his last season displayed potential when he was well-rested Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is fit as is the defensive team, performing at a high level, and Darnold’s game management could give Carolina an opportunity. — David Newton
Eagles
What you need to be aware of: The Eagles can beat the opposition in ugly ways as well. The quarterback Jalen Hurts not performing at his top (16-for-25, 200 yards, 0 touchdown one INT) and the conditions were bad in Lincoln Financial Field, the ground and defense were dominant. The cornerback James Bradberry turned the tide when he nabbed Trevor Lawrence late in the third quarter when the Jaguars were in danger of losing six points. The defense produced five takeaways all in all and Philadelphia’s rushing attack produced more than 200 yards and scored four touchdowns against a Jacksonville defense that held teams to just 55 yards of rushing. The Eagles have shown they can beat shootouts and slop-fests as well over the course of four weeks.
Are the growing injuries going to hinder their progress? Cornerback Darius Slay (forearm) and the tackle Jordan Mailata (shoulder), guard Isaac Seumalo (ankle), and linebackers Patrick Johnson (head injury) and Kyron Johnson (head) all quit in the first half for the Eagles which were without cornerback Avonte Maddox (ankle) and running back Boston Scott (rib). Philadelphia is generally in well-being at this point, however, there are a variety of injuries to be monitored prior to next week’s game against the Cardinals. — Tim McManus
Jaguars
What you need to be aware of: The Jaguars are an improved team under coach Doug Pederson, but they’re not good enough to be able to overcome playing carelessly with the ball. They fumbled the ball five times in the game, despite having committed just one turnover in the three first games. Five turnovers resulted in 22, which was a record for Philadelphia. This isn’t possible, particularly when playing on the road against a good opponent.
What speed can Trevor Lawrence rebound? The current AFC Offensive Player of the Week played his worst performance this season, dropping four fumbles, and throwing an interception. Although growing pains are anticipated for the signal-caller who is 22 years old the Jags require him to perform like the elite talent who is consistently able to be able to meet their goals this season. — Tim McManus
Titans
What you need to be aware of: The Titans felt Derrick Henry was close to being back on track heading into week 4 against the Colts and it proved to be true. Henry scored 99 yards in the first quarter and recorded his most prolific touchdown in the opening quarter when he ran 19 yards in the second quarter during the contest. The score was just the 5th time over the past seven games Henry was able to rush for more than 100 yards in a game against the Colts. The Colts had given up a league-leading 2.6 yards per run before Henry ran them into the 114-yard haul on just 22 runs (5.2 an average).
What’s with the collapses in the second half? The Titans have been outscored 64-7 during the second quarter of the season, with 7-0 coming on Sunday. The momentum turned back in the Titans in the direction of Indianapolis on the final drive of the game, in which Denico Autry was hit with a sack that forced an attempt at a field goal of 51 yards which Chase McLaughlin missed. However, the reality is that Tennessee’s offense must come up with a plan to be successful during the second half. The Titans did not perform well in the first half in the third quarter and were forced to punt after just three plays. They scored on the next drive. Colts scored on the next drive and brought life to the fans on Lucas Oil Field. Even though they’re 2-2, the Titans need to begin making teams lose whenever the chance arises. — Turron Davenport
Colts
What should you be aware of: The Colts fell to 0-2-1 in the AFC South after their third division game in the span of four weeks. And it seems like they may be in for a difficult climb to claim their first division championship since 2014. The Colts have been beaten by the Jaguars as well as the Titans and also tied with the Texans. The Colts will play Jacksonville and Tennessee again over the course of three weeks. The Colts have a lack of consistency in either defense or offense was evident in this game, especially for an offense that made three costly mistakes.
Is Colt’s running game a mess? Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 NFL leading rusher was shut down again in an increasingly worrying pattern for Indianapolis. Taylor was able to score 42 yards and 20 runs (2.1 yards per effort) because he was constantly attacked in the backfield due to the presence of a weak offensive line. The Colt’s offensive game was built on their efficient running game, however when Taylor fails to make an impact the majority of the load will be upon the passing attack. — Stephen Holder
Falcons
What you need to be aware of: The Falcons were 7-2 in one-possession games this year. One-score games aren’t exactly the most enjoyable way to play in the NFL however when you have a team that is moving through the transition it’s not a bad thing. The Falcons have a chance to get .500 with a winning streak in these games through 2022. It’s still a young squad and has won against teams like the Seahawks and Browns in a similar fashion that combines balanced rushing and passing, with a ferocious defense when it counts -Perhaps Atlanta’s new team is still figuring out its way.
Is this the Atlanta Falcons’ run game in fact happening? Cordarrelle Patterson entered Sunday’s game due to an injury to her knee. After playing, the main concern was whether the run game was or without Patterson. Patterson’s backups performed well on Sunday. Newcomer Tyler Allgeier ran for 84 yards. A call-up to the practice squad Caleb Huntley ran for 56 and the converted cornerback Avery Williams had a 21-yard running. Each of them is a unique kind of rusher, and they teamed up to make up the Falcons their second 200-yard rushing game in just four games. — Michael Rothstein
Browns
What you need to be aware of: Blown coverages doomed the Browns in their week 2 loss at The New York Jets. An important error in the fourth quarter of the defense cost Cleveland once more on Sunday. With just three minutes left and the game tied, Atlanta Falcons are in their own nine. Olamide Zaccheaus raced in the center of the court to make 42 yards. A face-mask penalty for Denzel Ward placed Atlanta close to scoring the field goal that won the game.
Do Brown’s defense recover in on the front? With the Browns losing their entire defensive line with the exception of Myles Garrett Atlanta was able to run the ball without a problem during the final quarter. Garrett and the pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney should be back in the near future. However, at 2-2 and playing one of the toughest teams in the NFL Cleveland’s season is already in danger of ending. — Jake Trotter
Cowboys
What you need to be aware of: The Cowboys’ defense is legit. For the first time in the last three years, their team has not conceded 20 points in their first four games. The Cowboys have only allowed one touchdown in every game. The Cowboys sacked Carson Wentz twice, intercepted his pass twice, and then pounded his entire game. The defense was so good Dallas defense that when Washington initiated a drive on the Cowboys’ 30 during the 4th quarter it came to a halt thanks to the help of Trevon Diggs’ deflection of a pass into the end zone on a fourth-down play. With the absence of Dak Prescott over the past three weeks, the defense understood it was required to play the entire game. It succeeded … yet.
Why should we hurry Dak Prescott’s comeback? This has nothing to have to do with Cooper Rush becoming the first Cowboys quarterback to be able to win his first four games and everything to do with the science behind it. Prescott underwent surgery on his thumb in September. 12. He’s not made more than a few flips since having a stitch removed on September. 26 (yes there was a stitch.) Are there any chances that a couple of practice sessions will suffice to allow Prescott to be able to take on next week’s game against his team, the Los Angeles Rams? After winning three of these games and a 3-0 record, the Cowboys have earned themselves some time to wait for Prescott’s return. — Todd Archer
Commanders
What you need to know about: Washington isn’t just starting off with a poor record It’s a terrible team. This isn’t where the Commanders should be heading into Ron Rivera’s third season as coach. On Sunday, there were far numerous penalty calls (11 of 136 yards, one of which wiped out interceptions) and the team failed to score enough one-on-one matches. The corner William Jackson III committed three penalties. One of them washed out a pick. Two others tallied 65 yards. It’s early, and Washington is able to recover. However, the Commanders haven’t proved that they can be the same team which is a big issue. The problem is deep.
What’s happened to the passing game? After scoring 28 points in the first week -including quarterback Carson Wentz throwing out four touchdowns Washington’s offense, and the passing game, in particular, has been terrible. The average was 3.6 yards of passing per on Sunday. The Commanders are still a formidable team as a receiver, but Wentz and his security haven’t helped. Washington’s line has a lot of individual match-ups with the rusher; Wentz gets sped up frequently by the rush and it can lead to inaccurateness. It’s not a good combination. — John Keim
Bills
What you need to be aware of: The Bills ended their seven-game streak that stretches up to 2020 of losing one-score games with an upbeat second half on the road. After dropping by 17 to the Ravens in the second quarter, Ravens at the end of the quarter and the game’s player Josh Allen led Buffalo on an explosive scoring drive at the end of the first quarter and added three points on the final three of four occasions during the second half. The defense also played a major role and held the Ravens scoreless during the second period. The defense was led by Jordan Poyer’s two interceptions during the final quarter.
Do the Bills come up with a strategy to consistently run the ball? Coming into the game that night, the Bills were among the worst teams in the league in terms of run block wins (62.2%)) and had a difficult time getting the running game moving outside of Allen. This streak only lasted against the Ravens and the Ravens, because Allen scored a team-high of 70 rushing yards and it played a key role in the team’s initial offensive struggle. The Bills were at the halftime break with 34 rushing yards and finished with 555 yards that their running backs racked up on the field. — Alaina Getzenberg
Ravens
What you need to know about: For the second time this season, Baltimore lost at home after being ahead by at least 17 points. The Ravens were leading 20-3 during the second quarter, only to see Buffalo score 20 points in a row. Baltimore was the only team for the last eight decades to fall in multiple games in a home game when they were leading by more than 17 points. In Week 2 Tua Tagovailoa scored four touchdown passes to the Raven’s defense in the final quarter. The Ravens’ defense was unable to stop him. Lamar Jackson and the offense slowed down in the second quarter and didn’t get the ball into the final area in the red zone. The Ravens are 2-2, and they will be hosting the Bengals team that will get 10 days of rest.
Why why didn’t the Ravens kick the field goal? The Ravens went for the score on fourth down, which was at the Buffalo 2-yard line instead kick the field goal that was going to be their go-to. Jackson was under pressure and was intercepted in the end zone, which kept the game at 20 with just four minutes left. The Bills continued to march down the field to score the winning 21-yard field goal before the clock ran out. Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters had to be disengaged from screaming towards the coach John Harbaugh before the winning kick, before throwing his helmet to the sideline. This was a frustrating beginning for Baltimore. — Jamison Hensley
Chargers
What you need to be aware of: A week after a humiliating defeat to the Jaguars the Chargers changed course, but not in a convincing manner in their game against the Texans. In addition to the victory was the fact that the Bolts seemed to have escaped NRG Stadium without suffering any other serious injuries. On the offensive side, led by the rookie left tackle Jamaree Salyer making his first start in the NFL — offered solid protection against Justin Herbert as the franchise quarterback played through fractured cartilage in his ribs.
What Are they? Chargers? Nearly one-quarter into the season and with a number of significant injuries, including the loss of right tackle Rashawn Slater to the entire season, putting edges player Joey Bosa on injured reserve indefinitely, and being without wide receiver Keenan Allen due to an injury to his hamstring — it is not clear the possibility of a Super Bowl-caliber team on paper will ever make it to the field. — Lindsey Thiry
Texans
What you need to be aware of: The Texans trailed 27-7 at the half, but the quarterback Davis Mills ignited a comeback to bring Houston to within three with just 8 minutes remaining. Mills and the offense began slow, and he only threw for 76 yards and an interception. However, in the second quarter Mills, a second-year quarterback, had 2 touchdowns and 170 yards (and an additional interception). The most memorable play of his was when he threw a 58-yard strike to wide receiver Nico Collins in the early minutes of the final quarter. Mills completed the drive with an 18-yard slam toward Brandin Cooks. Mills has been on and off, but he continues to tease us with promise.
Defense is in a slump? After starting the initial two weeks by with their opponents held to just the equivalent of 16 points per contest The Texans have conceded 57 points in the last two games. They conceded 34 points as well as 420 yards in Sunday’s game when the quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns in 27-of-39 passes (69.2 percent). They did not really pressure Herbert and Herbert was only sacked once. When they arrived the Texans were a force in their pass defense as they were the second-highest allowed quarterback to complete his passes (55 percent) as well as fourth for sacks (10) However, they were unable to rescue them this time. — DJ Bien-Aime
Jets
What you need to be aware of: QB Zach Wilson overcome three-quarters of rust in his debut for the 2022 season and clinched the biggest comeback victory in his professional career. He displayed grit and determination which he didn’t often display in his rookie season. He was able to make big throw after big throw, bringing the Jets to the score with 81- and 65-yard touchdown drives that erased 10 points of deficit. He was able to fold after two interceptions however, he was able to make plays with a flimsy offensive line, and showed great accuracy when throwing downfield. This is the way the Jets had in mind when they chose first overall in 2021. His knee surgery wasn’t a factor, the player actually displayed incredible mobility. A brilliant day. — Rich Cimini
Do you imagine that the Jets overcome all their injuries to their offensive line? It will be an unimaginable feat should they be able to. The rookie tackle Max Mitchell (knee) was the latest to be injured after he was escorted off in the second half. The Jets are down to their fifth and sixth-string players. Mekhi Becton Duane Brown and George Fant are already placed on injured reserve The Jets have to rely on their sixth and fifth-string tackles. This line is so badly messed up in the game that RG Alijah Vera Tucker started the game as a left tackle, an unexpected move. Brown is scheduled to be taken off IR this week, however, Brown may require an additional week or two to prepare. This is a terrible scenario and one that’s likely to hinder Wilson’s progress. — Rich Cimini
Steelers
What should you know: What is HTML0? Kenny Pickett era has begun — or is it ended? The new QB from Pitt was brought off the bench and provided an instant spark to the Steelers in the third quarter. his two touchdown runs and re-energized an ineffective offense. He only threw three interceptions -but they were all interceptions with the last one being the Jets winning TD. There was some great play from Pickett however, he had a lot in rough spots. He clearly ignited the team and the fans however, the turnovers were huge. — Rich Cimini
Pickett and Mitch Trubisky? Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has the decision to make that will set the tone for the remainder of the season. A key aspect to take into consideration the next four games will be tough for the Steelers to take on against the Bills, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Eagles. With a record of 3-3 at the moment, the Steelers aren’t able to afford more loss. Tomlin must consider Trubisky’s past experience and future opponents against Pickett’s potential advantages. — Rich Cimini
Giants
What should you be aware of: The Giants are 3-1. Who could have imagined this? They were not particularly remarkable in their game against opponents like the Bears on Sunday. They still have a lot of questions to be answered. With the exception of Saquon Barkley, the running back (146 yards of rushing), and the espionage to make use of the quarterback Daniel Jones’ legs, the Giants aren’t very offensive. Wide receivers accounted for 3 receptions, and they gained 25 yards. Kenny Golladay was caught less before going off late due to a knee injury. The biggest test for the Giants will be in the coming two weeks. They’ll play Green Bay on the road in London in Week 5, and will then play host to Baltimore.
Who will play the quarterback position next week when they play in London in the match against Packers Packers? Jones hurt his left ankle in a sack in the third quarter but was eventually able to return to the game after the backup Tyrod Taylor was assessed for concussions following an incident in the fourth quarter. Jones was clearly injured and didn’t attempt to throw a pass during the rest of the game. After injuring his ankle, he attempted to run sprints along the sidelines however, the medical team decided that the player should be taken off the game. In both cases, Jones and Taylor might be out for the next week. Davis Webb, the No. three quarterbacks is on the practice squad but did not play on this past Sunday. It’s an interesting situation to keep an eye on this week. — Jordan Raanan
Bears
What you need to know: Michael Badgley was added to the Bears roster less than 24 hours before he could be expected to score the entire Chicago score on Sunday. He went 4-4 for field goals in lieu of goalie Cairo Santos, who was exiled due to personal reasons. The kick-off game was the most consistent part of the Bear’s defeat during a game in which the offense was unable to score touchdowns, and missed three chances when it got to the red zone. Justin Fields’ connection with receiver Darnell Mooney (four receptions and a total of 94 yards) was the most effective it’s ever looked and there were times when the quarterback who is in his second year appeared more comfortable with the ball. However, Fields nevertheless sacked five times and completed only eleven of his 20 throws. The 11 passes were the most he’s completed in one game all season.
What do the Bears have the defense in their 2nd half to be more effective earlier? Jones (two rushing touchdowns) along with Barkley (146 yards rushing) destroyed Chicago in the second half. The Bears continued their poor performance against the running game on the field in Green Bay two weeks ago by conceding 262 rushing yards to the Giants. Chicago played too often on play-action but came up with how to adapt during the half. The Bears are yet to concede any touchdowns during the second half of games. In addition, two of the three interceptions by safety Eddie Jackson were also made in the second half. Do they have the ability to be more aggressive starting from the beginning against Minnesota on Sunday? — Courtney Cronin
Seahawks
What you need to know about HTML0: Geno Smith is performing like a top-of-the-line quarterback in the starting lineup — and the Seahawks are in dire need of it considering how much their defense is performing. Both of these trends continued the other day. Smith was able to throw two touchdown passes and was able to run for another. Smith was at the top of the NFL in the percentage of completion by a significant margin, and he completed 23 of his attempts for 332 yards in what has been a routinely efficient performance. In the wake of Rashaad Penny’s running game taking off in a huge way and the Seahawks were able to impose 555 yards total offense — which was the fifth-highest total in the history of the franchise -and threw it at the Lions. However, instead of winning in an out-of-control manner, they required another lengthy Penny TD run as well as an onside kick recovered to finish the job due to an offensive line that is permitting too many large plays.
Are the Seahawks changing their defensive approach once again? They did it over the last two years in overcoming a brutal start on the other part of the field. They’ll need to repeat the feat should they hope to be successful this season. They’ll have to complete the task without the safety of Jamal Adams, who’s out because of a quad tendon strain. It’s imperative that they perform it quickly because Smith as well as any other NFL quarterback cannot be relied upon to shoulder this amount of responsibility each week. The game on Sunday was supposed to be a break for the Seahawk’s defense, as the Lions lacked three offensive players in Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark. However, it was their worst performance this season, with numerous missed tackles, blow-up coverages expensive penalties, and losses in one-on-one matches. — Brady Henderson
Lions
What you need to be aware of: Although the Lions have dropped to 1-3 after another loss by one score the running back Jamaal Williams has proven to be a solid option. In the absence of his backfield co-player D’Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder), Williams scored two rushing touchdowns in the second half (including the 51-yarder in the process of gaining the 108-yard mark on 19 plays. He set a record for the team and became one of the few Lions players to score six rushing touchdowns at the beginning of the season. He attributes his early success to his regular routine of taking proper care to take care of the body.
Do you think T.J. Hockenson continue to become more involved once the players come back? Through Week 3, Hockenson had just 82 receiving yards and scored a touchdown. When he played against Seattle with no Wide receivers DJ Chark (ankle) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle), Hockenson scored a season-high of eight receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns, as well as the 2-point conversion. With such a talented group on the offensive side the QB, Jared Goff has targeted other players more frequently, but he could consider making Hockenson more involved going forward by using creative play calls from the offensive director Ben Johnson. — Eric Woodyard
Vikings
What you need to be aware of: The Vikings are 3-1 despite the fact that their defense and offense changed in the new coaching regime of Kevin O’Connell, are very working on their improvement. This game played on Sunday in London was won by their special team – player Greg Joseph kicked five field goals, including the one that was deemed to be the game’s winner from 47 yards away, and the game was sealed after Saints goal-kicker Will Lutz hit the upright and crossbar from 61 yards. The offense, however, has not been cohesive and has been unable to snap the ball before the clock starts to run out. The defense has also been able to give up large chunks of yards in the wrong places at the right times.
Do you think QB Kirk Cousins going to be capable of gaining more confidence in this new offense? Cousins had a decent game on Sunday, finishing 26 of his 38 throws for 273 yards, and also made the most crucial pass of the game to allow for the field goal that won the game. However, he was unable to catch the receiver Justin Jefferson open twice in the end zone, and isn’t comfortable within the pocket of the new offense. — Kevin Seifert
Saints
What you need to be aware of: Even a quarterback change was not enough to save the Saints and their issues continued to follow them to London. The Saints were unable to make special team coverage and lost an attempt to punt. Quarterback Andy Dalton had a strip sack in the final minutes of the first quarter and gave the Vikings the advantage of a smaller field in a game that was close. The Saints have a few problems that have plagued them throughout the season and have kept their team from winning.
What should the Saints do as a quarterback in the future? Dalton certainly didn’t make an appearance to fix the Saints’ issues, especially when you consider that the outcome was similar to the last three games. Dalton did manage to get the offense moving enough to contemplate what the Saints might do when Jameis Winston heals from his back problem that he’s had to deal with for the last month. If Winston is in good enough shape to be able to participate next week should the Saints take on Winston in the event that he’s not at 100 percent or attempt to make progress with Dalton in the future? — Katherine Terrell
Bengals
What you need to know: Cincinnati’s biggest strength right now can be seen in its defense. The Bengals were defeated by Miami however they were helped by two interceptions by the safety Vonn Bell. Cincinnati allows the second-lowest number of touchdowns per game. The team that led Cincinnati through 2021’s postseason Bengals throughout the 2021 playoffs is good enough to repeat the feat in the current season.
What’s happening with Ja’Marr Chase, the receiver?
Chase was able to catch four times with 81 yards. However, teams are trying to defend Chase to ensure he doesn’t record big wins against them. Miami frequently moved a safety to Chase’s side which caused Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow to find other receivers. This is the reason Tee Higgins put on a dazzling performance, catching seven times for an impressive 124 yards and an interception. — Ben Baby
Dolphins
What you need to be aware of: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was admitted to the hospital following a terrifying hit that left him concussed. It was the second straight game that Tagovailoa’s head hit the ground hard and sparked an NFL Players Association-initiated investigation into whether proper protocols were followed — as well as an amendment to the protocols themselves. The Dolphin’s defense performed well overall but it was hard for any player to concentrate on the other issues when Tagovailoa was taken off the field in an ambulance. There’s no timeline for his expected return according to the Head of the team Mike McDaniel, which from the perspective of football, is an overhang on what could have been a thrilling beginning to the new season.
Does this squad remain cool even with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback?
We got to see both the good and bad of Bridgewater during his two-quarters of action on Thursday. Bridgewater smashed Tyreek Hill on a throw that covered 64.1 Air yards according to NFL Next Gen Stats, but he also made an interception that was backbreaking during what could be the Dolphins going for the go-ahead. He’s a veteran and has had to deal with situations like this before, and won’t be panicking when the lights go on. Miami has a simple schedule in the coming seven games. They’ll play just two teams that were playoff-bound from one year before. With a defense doing better than the numbers would suggest Bridgewater is likely to remain with the Dolphins in the race for the playoffs while they work on patience with Tagovailoa. — Marcel Louis-Jacques