Two weeks in the past, the Baltimore Ravens walked off their house grassland 0-2 future boos rained ailing.
Tremendous Bowl contenders? They’d simply squandered a 10-point fourth-quarter govern to the Las Vegas Raiders. Consequences had been killing them. The protection wasn’t proper. Even Justin Tucker used to be lacking kicks.
One of the vital league’s maximum constant winners had abruptly dropped 3 in a row courting to endmost 12 months’s AFC Championship Sport. What used to be mistaken? And the way lengthy used to be it moving to hurry to recovery it?
“There’s no way we should be 0-2, but it is what it is,” Ravens heart linebacker Roquan Smith stated upcoming.
Overdue Sunday night time, the Ravens walked off the similar grassland 2-2, having overpowered a couple of playoff groups from endmost season in consecutive weeks. Baltimore’s 35-10 dismantling of the in the past unbeaten Buffalo Expenses served as a reminder: this crew’s now not going any place.
GO DEEPER
NFL Day 4 takeaways: Does Rice harm derail Chiefs’ offense? Commanders supreme within the NFC East?
Two weeks in the past in Brandnew Orleans looks like a protracted hour, too: in mid-September, the Saints had been the debate of the league. Nearest Sunday’s 26-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Brandnew Orleans is again at .500 and now not in first park within the section.
That spot belongs to the 3-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who raced to a 24-0 govern over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday ahead of profitable 33-16. Even with the addition of Saquon Barkley, who’s been excellent with 5 touchdowns already, Philly’s offense doesn’t glance proper. Possibly A.J. Brown’s go back — on every occasion it comes — is helping, however a time within the Eagles are enjoying like an overly mediocre crew. And credit score to Tampa, the place Todd Bowles as soon as once more has his crew atop the NFC South, and the place Baker Mayfield continues to script a comeback tale few throughout this league envisioned when he signed there ahead of the 2023 season.
In Chicago, Caleb Williams stayed unbeaten at Soldier Grassland in his younger profession, serving to the Bears to a 24-18 win over the injury-battered Los Angeles Rams, who’re abruptly 1-3 and some of the league’s greatest disappointments. Williams, who threw two interceptions in each and every of Chicago’s earlier two video games, used to be sharper Sunday, finishing just about 74 % of his throws.
The Cincinnati Bengals, in the meantime, have shyed away from an unthinkable 0-4 get started by way of beating the Carolina Panthers 34-24. Cincinnati remains to be 7-14-1 beneath schoolmaster Zac Taylor within the time of September, however 0-4 would’ve been lovely near to a dying knell: just one crew in NFL historical past, the 1992 San Diego Chargers, made the playoffs upcoming dropping their first 4 video games of the season.
Staying within the AFC North, the league’s longest lively regular-season win streak used to be snapped in Indianapolis, the place the Colts disappointed the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24. Pittsburgh entered the sport having received six immediately courting to endmost season. However two fumbles proved pricey, and Indy’s Joe Flacco used to be forged in diversion of Anthony Richardson, throwing for 2 touchdowns upcoming the Colts’ starter removed from a hip harm.
That assists in keeping the Colts (2-2) a contest in the back of the AFC South-leading Houston Texans, who have shyed away from an unpleasant disappointed at house to the Jacksonville Jaguars by way of overlaying 64 yards in 9 performs and capping their ultimate force with a one-yard landing from C.J. Stroud to Dare Ogunbowale with 18 seconds left. Jacksonville is now a great 0-4, and Trevor Lawrence has in some way misplaced 9 consecutive begins courting to endmost November.
“I’m pretty frustrated,” Lawrence stated. “When we have the game in our hands, we have to go win it. And we obviously didn’t do that today.”
With the sport at the layout in Las Vegas, Raiders defensive finish Charles Snowden ended it, sacking Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson to saving a 20-16 victory. Cleveland and its $230 million quarterback are actually 1-3 at the season and haven’t begun to attain greater than 20 issues in a contest. And in San Francisco, the 49ers were given proper with a 30-13 rout of the Brandnew England Patriots.
Right here’s what we discovered in Day 4 of the NFL season:
Ravens get their mojo again
This wasn’t simply the Ravens reminding the AFC — and the extra of the league — how horrifying they give the impression of being when the whole lot’s clicking. This used to be Lamar Jackson, two times an MVP already, tempering the Josh Allen MVP hype that’s picked up really extensive steam within the early a part of the season.
The Ravens and Expenses stay the lead blackmails to unseat Kansas Town within the AFC. And on Sunday night time at M&T Vault Stadium in Baltimore, the Ravens flexed their muscle, striking to extra any early-season issues that they’d taken a step again upcoming endmost 12 months’s disappointing appearing within the convention championship contest.
This used to be Baltimore at its supreme, bruising on protection and punishing with the soccer. It began with Derrick Henry’s 87-yard landing break out at the first play games from scrimmage, the longest by way of any crew to i’m free a contest in 11 years. And from there it used to be a beatdown, methodical and convincing, one of the most extra important showings by way of any crew just about 1 / 4 of the best way into the season. The Expenses (3-1) had seemed excellent the endmost two weeks. Sunday night time, they couldn’t conserve up.
Jackson threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for any other. In his 6th complete 12 months as a starter, he’s now 17-5 in primetime video games, the second-best report of any quarterback all-time in the back of simplest Corridor of Famer Steve Younger.
The Expenses’ loss leaves simply 3 unbeatens left within the league, with Seattle striking its 3-0 report at the layout Monday night time in opposition to Detroit. Minnesota and Kansas Town are each 4-0.
For the second one immediately season, the Deny. 2 pick out is taking the league by way of hurricane.
And, similar as C.J. Stroud did a 12 months in the past in Houston, Jayden Daniels has the Commanders believing the playoffs are conceivable. A time in it’s Washington — and now not Dallas or Philadelphia — sitting atop the NFC East.
The rookie quarterback out of LSU is the largest explanation why. In two video games throughout six days, Daniels has accounted for just about as many touchdowns (5) as he’s thrown incompletions (six). Daniels is a staggering 47 of 53 in consecutive wins over the Bengals and Cardinals, and on Sunday in Arizona, he piled up 280 all-purpose yards and finished passes to 9 receivers in a dominant 42-14 win. That’s 3 immediately wins for the Commanders, who received 4 video games all of endmost season.
Dan Quinn’s moment stint as head schoolmaster is off to a stellar get started, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who earned a contest ball upcoming lighting fixtures up his former crew Sunday, is doing a masterful activity calling the offense.
“Me and Kliff just have that communication, that honesty, where I’m able to go into his office and say, ‘Hey, I don’t like this,’” Daniels stated. “And he’s here for it. He wants to put us in the best spot.”
Up to now, Kingsbury has. Daniels is the primary participant in NFL historical past with of completion percentages of 85 or upper in consecutive begins. His 82.1 of completion share 4 video games into the season isn’t simply the most efficient of any rookie passer to start a profession, but in addition the most efficient of any QB 4 video games right into a season ever, together with Tom Brady (79.2 %) right through his profession 12 months of 2007.
It’s early, however up to now the Offensive Rookie of the Future award is Daniels’ to lose.
Every other near Chiefs’ win comes at a value
Sunday’s contest in Los Angeles began with each and every huge receiver at the Chiefs’ roster warming up in a Travis Kelce T-shirt, an indication of help for the All-Professional tight finish upcoming his forgettable three-game begin to the season. As soon as the sport began, Kelce used to be Kelce once more, snagging seven catches for 89 yards, and the Chiefs had been the early-season Chiefs, doing simply plenty to overcome the Chargers, 17-10.
That’s now 4 immediately one-score wins to i’m free the 12 months for the two-time protecting champs.
However Sunday’s victory got here at a value, one this crew will really feel for months: second-year receiver Rashee Rice removed from a knee harm, and the Chiefs concern it’s a torn ACL, which might knock him out for the extra of the season. Educator Andy Reid stated an MRI is about for Monday. That is already a crew with out wideout Marquise Brown (for the 12 months) and operating again Isaiah Pacheco (for a number of extra weeks). The protection remainder one of the vital punishing within the league, and there’s deny want to sweat over a middling offense that hasn’t but collision its stride — this unit has earned the advantage of the suspicion over time — however there’s deny manner round it: Rice’s harm is a fat loss. He used to be off to an excellent get started this season and gave Kansas Town a constant downfield warning.
His absence will put extra on Patrick Mahomes, nonetheless the league’s supreme participant in spite of a gradual begin to the season, and Kelce, who’ll flip 35 this while.
Xavier Reliable, hour to step up.
The Chiefs at all times appear to give you the chance, they usually’re 4-0 in spite of now not enjoying anything else near to their supreme soccer to start out the 12 months. However Rice’s absence will subject within the months forward as Kansas Town chases the primary three-peat within the Tremendous Bowl past.
Who had the Vikings origination 4-0?
Coming into the season, maximum sportsbooks had between 20 and 22 groups with higher odds of attaining the Tremendous Bowl than the Minnesota Vikings; enough extra projected them to complete endmost within the crowded NFC North. At the floor, it made sense. Kirk Cousins signed with the Falcons within the offseason, upcoming the Vikings’ first-round pick out at quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, tore his meniscus right through coaching camp and used to be misplaced for the 12 months.
However even though McCarthy had stayed wholesome, Sam Darnold used to be the Vikings’ possibly Day 1 starter. Few knew what to anticipate. Darnold is on his fourth crew in 5 years. He’s by no means thrown greater than 20 touchdowns in a season. And when it got here to the section, the preseason chatter focused somewhere else. Jared Goff and the Lions had been unutilized off an NFC Championship Sport look. Jordan Love and the Packers had been a classy Tremendous Bowl pick out. In Chicago, Caleb Williams used to be intended to be the quarterback who would erase a long time of futility in Chicago.
The Vikings had been, necessarily, afterthoughts.
A time into the season they’re one among 3 NFL groups with no loss. Darnold’s thrown 11 touchdowns in opposition to 3 interceptions and is likely one of the supreme tales in soccer: the 3rd total pick out who used to be of Brandnew York, spent the after 3 years bouncing round as a alternative and has discovered a strategy to resurrect his profession for a crew that used to be all however written off ahead of the season began.
Justin Jefferson and Sam Darnold have the Vikings atop the NFC via 4 video games. (Stacy Esteem / Getty Pictures)
It is helping that he’s throwing to the most efficient receiver within the league in Justin Jefferson, who’s been on a tear to i’m free 2024: Jefferson already has 358 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in 4 video games. Including Aaron Jones has given the run contest a brandnew punch, and Kevin O’Connell has finished an magnificient activity of tailoring his offense to Darnold’s strengths, upcoming permitting the veteran to let it rip on Sundays. Brian Flores’ protection has been one of the most league’s stiffest gadgets.
This while, the Vikings raced to an implausible 28-0 govern on a Packers crew that had received two immediately and used to be welcoming Love again to the lineup. After it were given dicey. Nearest the 31-29 victory, O’Connell appeared lower than happy. “Lot of things to clean up,” he stated. “Starts with me.”
However the win strikes Minnesota to 4-0. Up to now, the Vikings are proving their endurance: this isn’t only a contender within the NFC North however within the wide-open NFC.
“It’s awesome to be the head football coach of this organization right now,” O’Connell added. “Because I feel we’ve got the right kind of guys, the right kind of leadership, and we’re gonna continue to improve, which is important.”
Rodgers: ‘That’s at the offense. That’s on me.’
Aaron Rodgers’ glance stated all of it. Sitting at the bench within the ultimate moments of the Jets’ 10-9 house loss to the Broncos, he slipped his hat on, upcoming coated his face together with his towel.
Disgust. Sadness. And, most likely, disbelief.
Brandnew York couldn’t lead a unmarried landing all generation? And couldn’t beat a Broncos crew that scored simply 10 issues? That had a rookie quarterback who threw for simply 60 yards?
It used to be a abnormal, sloppy afternoon at MetLife Stadium. And to be honest, the Jets’ offensive layout struggled — Rodgers used to be sacked 5 occasions. However for a crew looking to search out the Expenses within the AFC East, this used to be a discouraging outcome, a reminder of what soccer appeared like endmost 12 months for this crew when Rodgers wasn’t at the grassland.
Those are video games severe groups can’t come up with the money for to lose. In a while, Rodgers knew it.
“When your defense holds them to 10, you’ve got to win the game 100 percent of the time,” he stated. “That’s on the offense. That’s on me. Not good enough.”
He completed 24 of 42 for 225 yards and deny touchdowns or interceptions. The Jets operating backs controlled simply 38 speeding yards. Six in their first seven possessions ended with both a punt or a fumble. Nonetheless, with 47 seconds left, they’d a shot to retirement with a win. After, in becoming type, kicker Greg Zuerlein ignored a 50-yard grassland function huge proper. Rodgers coated his face at the bench.
4 video games into the season, the Jets (2-2) have sandwiched two wins over awful groups (the Titans and Patriots) with two dispiriting losses (routed within the opener by way of the 49ers, upcoming Sunday’s 10-9 loss to the Broncos). More difficult assessments wait for. Over the after 3 weeks, the Jets will face the Vikings, Expenses and Steelers, groups with a blended report of 10-2.
(Photograph of Lamar Jackson: Patrick Smith / Getty Pictures)
