Week 4 Takeaways for the 2024 NFL Season
How do you win in the NFL? The first and most obvious key is to find a quarterback, but that’s not an instant recipe for success. If it were, the Bengals wouldn’t just be winning their first game, and the Rams wouldn’t be 1-3. You can win with a smothering defense, as Denver of all teams showed us this week. The more well-rounded a team is, the better its chances to have sustained success. Not every win has to be pretty; they all count the same in the standings. To see which ends of the spectrum house which teams, scroll down to read my week 4 takeaways for the 2024 NFL season!
TNF: Cowboys Beat Giants Again but Still Have Reasons to Worry
Getting back in the win column, as Dallas did with their 20-15 road victory over the rival Giants, is always lovely. However, it doesn’t mean that all your problems are solved. Given how the last two weeks went, fans just wanted to see SOME improvement, and that much they got. It just took playing the Giants to do so. This matchup featured a bad NY rushing offense against a putrid Cowboys run defense, and the latter won out, with the Giants earning just 26 yards on 24 carries (1.1 YPC). Your defense looks better when the opponent is one-dimensional and only scores FGs (K Greg Joseph made 5 of them).
The New York offense wasn’t terrible between the 20s. They had some very long, grinding drives but scored nothing but field goals. FGs do not beat TDs. QB Daniel Jones (29/40, 281 yards, INT) had a mediocre day, throwing plenty of underthrown passes, but rookie WR Malik Nabers (12/115) was great again until he left late with a concussion. He’s the real deal for whoever plays QB next year. The two teams combined for just 4 incompletions in the first half, but penalty flags flew everywhere. Twelve were accepted in the first half (15) overall, and plenty more offset or were declined.
The Cowboys had a pair of nice first-half drives. QB Dak Prescott (22/27, 221 yards, 2 TDs) was excellent overall, and WR CeeDee Lamb (7/98/1) was involved again. Dallas committed 11 of the 15 abovementioned penalties. A 20-15 win over a poor team isn’t incredibly encouraging though. Among Dallas’ issues moving forward, rookie LT Tyler Guyton had a tough time with DE Kayvon Thibodeaux on both speed and power rushes, committing several penalties and allowing pressure on most snaps. Star K Brandon Aubrey missed his first kick from 50+ yards, though he did convert a 60-yard FG attempt during the game.
Worst of all were the defensive injuries that Dallas suffered. OLB Micah Parsons left on a cart with a high ankle sprain, and DE DeMarcus Lawrence exited with a foot injury that may cost him several weeks. Even CB Trevon Diggs briefly went into the locker room, but he later returned. Despite all of that, a win against a divisional foe can be what a team needs to get back on track. This was Dallas’ 14th win against their Giants in their last 15 contests (7th straight), and 2-1 looks much better than 1-2 in the standings. Time remains to fix this team, but can they? They just might not be as talented in 2024 as they were last year.
Jaguars and Saints Blow Very Late Leads
Two teams are currently on downward trends, but we could be writing very different narratives had they not collapsed down the stretch in week 4. First, we had Jacksonville, now the league’s only remaining winless team. I promised I’d come for them after they got blown out by Buffalo the prior week. The team looked a lot better this time around, but it still just wasn’t enough. Behind a better game from QB Trevor Lawrence (18/33, 169 yards, 2 TDs), at least by recent standards, and a strong defensive effort, Jacksonville held a 20-17 fourth-quarter lead in Houston. You just can’t give CJ Stroud (27/40, 345 yards, 2 TDs) 3 minutes.
Finally receiving adequate protection from his offensive line, Stroud picked apart the suddenly feeble Jags. He relied a lot on WR Nico Collins (12/151/1), who looks like the WR1 even with Stefon Diggs (5/69; 1/6/1 rushing) in town. Employing a perfect mix of clock preservation and burning, Stroud tossed a pass to RB Dare Ogunbowale in the flat for a go-ahead TD with just 18 seconds left. Jacksonville thus fell once again. They have to be the most disappointing team to this point. Lawrence, owner of a contract with $200M guaranteed, has been rather poor. You have to wonder if Doug Pederson is coaching for his job.
Over in the NFC, New Orleans, previously a 2-0 juggernaut-style outfit, dropped to 2-2 after leading with just 1 minute remaining in the game. It was a fluky affair altogether, as New Orleans ceded a TD on a muffed punt that Rashid Shaheed (8/83) should never have fielded at his own 3 and another on a pick 6 that came off a batted ball. Credit Falcons LB Troy Andersen (17 tackles) for the hustle and a great game overall. Perhaps even weirder, the Saints were playing without LB Demario Davis, who had never missed a game before in his 13-year career. Despite all of that, the Saints stayed in the game.
Utilityman Taysom Hill (6/24/2) returned and scored 2 TDs but left again with a rib injury, and the offense sputtered from there. Hill’s blocking was missed given that they were already playing without C Erik McCoy, the team’s best lineman. Amazingly, New Orleans still took a 24-23 lead on an Alvin Kamara (119 scrimmage yards) TD with exactly 1 minute remaining. The defense couldn’t hold it. S Paulson Adebo (12 tackles, 3 PBUs) committed PI to put the Falcons in field goal range. K Younghoe Koo made a 58-yard game-winning FG, his 4th of the game on a day where the Falcons didn’t score an offensive TD. Not sustainable!
Vikings, Colts and Bengals Hang On
Letting a big lead turn into a squeaker isn’t great, but at least it’s still a win. Three teams nearly squandered massive advantages, but unlike Jacksonville and New Orleans (whose leads weren’t as big), they didn’t cough them up entirely. Minnesota could’ve had a historic collapse. Everything came up Vikings for the first 29 minutes of football. WR Jordan Addison (3/72/1; 1/7/1 rushing) returned from injury to make his season debut, and he scored twice. WR Justin Jefferson (6/85/1) was typically fantastic, and RB Aaron Jones (139 scrimmage yards made a strong return to Lambeau Field.
QB Sam Darnold (20/28, 275 yards, 3 TDs, INT) led an attack that took a 28-0 lead. Jordan Love was back as Green Bay’s signal caller, but he didn’t trust his injured knee early. He kept throwing off his back foot, leading to plenty of misfires. K Brayden Narveson also went 0/2 on FGs, so I guess the Packers haven’t solved their kicking problem. So why is this game in the “hang on” group? Vikings WR Jalen Nailor muffed a punt, and it went all the way back to Minnesota’s 3, where GB recovered and promptly scored. That slight bit of momentum before halftime gave the Packers hope, and they seized it.
Enjoying a combination of luck and resurgence, Love caught fire and brought Green Bay all the way back to a 31-29 deficit. A failed onside kick stood between them and a possible win, but the Vikings nearly imploded. They scored just 3 second-half points and let Love throw for 389 yards and 4 TDs. However, his 3 INTs were real killers and led to the big hole they were in to begin with. Minnesota is 4-0, so nobody can complain too much, but a better team would’ve stolen this victory. Kevin O’Connell has some teachable moments here. GB should be alright as well given that Love seemed to knock off his rust after halftime.
Indianapolis really wasn’t expected to be leading at all against the 3-0 Steelers. The Colts took it to Pittsburgh early though, scoring TDs on their first two drives. However, QB Anthony Richardson (3/4, 71 yards; 3/24 rushing) hurt himself and left the game. He returned shortly thereafter but oddly ran a zone read and reinjured himself that very play. Supposedly he is dealing with a hip pointer, but the Colts might have the league’s best backup. Joe Flacco (16/26, 168 yards, 2 TDs), Cleveland’s hero in 2023, finished off the second drive with a TD pass and helped the Colts take a 17-0 halftime lead.
Pittsburgh only got on the board before halftime with a Chris Boswell field goal. QB Justin Fields made it interesting though. In his most complete game as a Steeler, he threw for 312 yards and a TD on 22/34 passing and ran for 55 yards and 2 more scores. However, a fumble on a play where he ran 20 yards backwards before coughing up the football really hurt, and he could only close the scoring gap to 27-24. Indianapolis held on, handing the Steelers their first loss. Odd as it is to say, like last year’s Browns, the Colts might be better with Flacco. At the very least, WR Michael Pittman Jr (6/113) and Josh Downs (8/82/1) are happy.
The Bengals probably circled their game against Carolina as an easy win and then erased that circle once HC Dave Canales switched to Andy Dalton at QB. To their credit, they made a change: coach Zac Taylor deferred on the coin toss instead of taking the ball, which is a no-brainer to me. However, still missing most of their DTs, the Cincinnati defense refused to make this easy. RB Chuba Hubbard (18/104/1) gashed the unit repeatedly, while Dalton tossed 2 TDs and threw for 220 yards (with 1 INT). Cincy’s offense just did better, scoring 3 TDs on their first 4 drives.
QB Joe Burrow (22/31, 232 yards, 2 TDs, INT), WRs Ja’Marr Chase (3/85 and one pinball-style TD) and Tee Higgins (6/60), and RB Chase Brown (15/80/2) helped the Bengals put up 31 points through 3 quarters. Up 31-14, Cincy finally looked to be in control. That is, they were until Burrow through a terrible INT and Carolina rattled off 14 unanswered points. It took one final FG to put the game out of reach at 34-24, and the Bengals did indeed claim their first win. Carolina still looks better with Dalton than with Bryce Young. As for CIN, this offense will need to win a ton of shootouts. Their defense is a major liability that could sink them.
AFC West Teams Gut Out Ugly Wins
Aside from the Chargers (who were playing the Chiefs), every team in the AFC West claimed victory in week 4, and none of their games were great watches for their fans. Denver in particular played a sloppy game at the New York Jets. The field suffered a torrential downpour, stifling both offenses. Curiously, it was the Aaron Rodgers-led Jets who struggled most with the conditions. Rodgers (24/42, 225 yards) threw some nice passes and committed no turnovers, but he had no rushing attack to aid him, and the offense simply wasn’t sharp. Three Greg Zuerlein FGs constituted all of New York’s scoring.
I’m not saying that Denver had an easy time either. In the first half, they scored 0 points, and QB rookie Bo Nix was 7/15…for -7 yards! He led an 11-play drive in the third quarter that ended with his first career pass to WR Courtland Sutton (3/60/1), taking a 7-6 lead at the time. Nix was 12/25 for 60 yards (all Sutton’s) and that TD. Somehow, a 10-9 Denver advantage held when Zuerlein shanked a 50-yard FG attempt at the end of the game. Both teams are now 2-2, but Denver is probably elated after the way their season started. The Jets need to find an ounce of consistency before we can take them too seriously.
Uncharacteristically, Kansas City found themselves in a slugfest against the LA Chargers. It was their own fault, as they were horribly sloppy in the first quarter. RB Carson Steele (2/6) fumbled on the very first series and only received one carry the rest of the way. The turnover ruined a promising drive, and LA scored off the takeaway. On the very next drive, QB Patrick Mahomes (19/29, 245 yards, TD, INT) threw an INT on an overthrow. It was the first play of the drive, and that’s not the worst of it. Trying to make a tackle, WR Rashee Rice hurt his knee and left on a cart. We don’t know the severity yet, but a torn ACL is feared.
That led to 3 more Charger points, but DC Steve Spagnuolo produced another gem. His unit did not allow a single point the rest of the game (though the Chargers should have kicked an FG on 4th down in the red zone in the 4th quarter). Facing a hobbled Justin Herbert (16/27, 179 yards, TD), who really needs the bye next week, and a nonexistent running game, the Chiefs scored 17 unanswered points to win the game, but it wasn’t easy. The questions about this team’s weapons is back. Hollywood Brown and Rice are both out, and despite Xavier Worthy catching a 54-yard TD bomb, this offense can only take so many hits.
The Raiders arguably had the least ugly win of the three teams discussed in this section. They probably had the least expected of them as a 1-2 team playing without star WR Davante Adams and DE Maxx Crosby. Falling into a quick 10-0 hole against the Browns seemed only natural. Las Vegas played a lot harder than last week though, and they refused to fall. A long list of little-known defensive contributors kept the Browns from scoring in the second in third quarters, while the offense notched 10 points in each of those frames. The running game (29/152/2 as a team) was a major catalyst after no-showing a week ago.
Leading 20-10 at the start of the 4th quarter, the Raiders nearly blew it. RB Zamir White lost a fumble, whish S Rodney McLeod returned 25 yards for a TD. Critically, K Dustin Hopkins missed the PAT, keeping this a 4-point game. That proved critical, as the Browns made it to the LV 9 with 41 seconds left but couldn’t kick an FG. QB Deshaun Watson (24/32, 176 yards, TD, INT) took a sack on 4th down, and the Browns lost. Don’t pin this all on Hopkins; he kicked a 56-yard FG yard earlier. Cleveland just can’t get out of their own way, and Las Vegas capitalized despite being down some critical players.
MNF Double-Header: Dolphins Hit Rock Bottom; Lions’ O Explodes
These two Monday night games couldn’t have been much different. The first matchup to kick off, Tennessee at Miami, was plain ugly. Titans QB Will Levis (3/4, 25 yards) immediately threw his boneheaded INT of the week on the very first drive. Fortunately for him, it didn’t cost his team points. Tyler Huntley (14/22, 96 yards; 8/40/1 rushing), the apparent QB of the week in Miami, tossed a backwards pass to WR Tyreek Hill (42 scrimmage yards), who came out of the backfield. The pass bounced off the receiver’s hands for a fumble. This was Tennessee’s first “forced” turnover of the season. Can you tell why they were 0-3?
On the next drive, Levis injured his shoulder diving for a first down (he didn’t get it), giving way to Mason Rudolph (9/17, 85 yards). Levis seemed ready to come back into the game, but he never did. Though Rudolph didn’t do a whole lot, he crucially protected the ball and let his defense swarm an overmatched Dolphin team. Tennessee snuffed out the Miami running game and made Huntley throw. It was simply that kind of night for Miami, who had 0 TDs since Tua Tagovailoa was injured. They finally nabbed one on a Huntley run in garbage time, but the game was already a blowout at that point.
K Nick Folk was probably the Titans’ best player, and his 5 FGs (3 from 50+) exceeded Miami’s 12 total points. RB Tony Pollard (22/88/1; 2/20 receiving) also did well, but this was more of a Miami meltdown. The Dolphins couldn’t stop the run and ceded 31 points to a winless team starting its backup (albeit superior) QB. Their night fittingly ended with Huntley committing intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety, followed by an illegal onside kick that gave the Titans first and goal at the 10. Tennessee is still not good, but they’re no longer winless. Miami might not win a single game until Tagovailoa returns…unless they beat NE?
The other game between Seattle and Detroit was far superior in terms of entertainment value. Seattle was missing several defensive starters, while Detroit was without Pro Bowl C Frank Ragnow, so we didn’t know what we’d get. We should’ve known that we get shootouts when these teams face each other. In this case though, the Lions simply had too much firepower. It started with QB Jared Goff, who was a perfect 18/18 for 292 yards and a TD. He set the record for most completions in a game without an incompletion. Goff even caught a receiving TD on a flawless pass from WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (6/45/1)!
Detroit’s two-headed backfield consisting of Jahmyr Gibbs (14/78/2 and David Montgomery (12/40/1; one superb 40-yard catch and run) also helped keep Seattle at arm’s length. Whenever the Seahawks got back into the game, Detroit struck back. One such example was when Seattle scored to cut their deficit to 28-20. The very next play from scrimmage, Goff hit WR Jameson Williams for a 70-yard TD. Defensively, the secondary still needs a lot of work. Rookie first-round CB Terrion Arnold was flagged 3 times in coverage, bringing him up to 8 on the season. That must be cleaned up immediately, or he’s not playable.
Goff’s counterpart, Geno Smith (38/56, 395 yards, TD, INT) took full advantage of the defensive struggles. WR DK Metcalf (7/104) had the biggest receiving day, but he also lost a key early fumble. RB Kenneth Walker (12/80/3; 4/36 receiving), newly back from injury, injected life into the rushing attack. . Seattle’s 29 points would’ve beaten many teams, but not Detroit, who scored 42. The Seahawks thus suffered their first loss. Playing bad teams only gets you so far, but Seattle is at least decent. Detroit now looks like the offensive juggernaut we expected, but they have to cover some pass catchers to reach their full potential.