Are Vikings best-coached team in NFL? What we learned in Sunday’s Week 4 slate
FOX Sports’ NFL experts provide the biggest takeaways from every Sunday game in Week 4 and what they mean for each team going forward.
Eagles: There was never a doubt that the Eagles offense was going to struggle without A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but there’s really no excuse for what their defense is doing right now. They gave up 445 yards and let the Bucs score touchdowns on three of their first four drives. They can’t get any pressure on the quarterback, their coverage is generally terrible (Baker Mayfield threw for 347 yards). They brought in Vic Fangio to fix what was a defensive mess last season, but once again, the Eagles have one of the worst defenses in the league. If they can’t start pressuring the quarterback, their scheme is unsustainable. They have six sacks this season in four games, after the two they had on Sunday. With a front that includes Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat and Jalen Carter, that seems almost impossible.
Bucs: Tom Brady was back at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Sunday — this time as a FOX analyst — to see his old team. What he saw was that he clearly left the Bucs in good hands. Baker Mayfield may have been picked up off the scrap heap last year, but he sure looks like he wasn’t just a one-year revival. He’s been terrific this season and was again on Sunday, carving up the Eagles’ shaky secondary for 347 yards. He’s got two terrific receivers (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin), a good line, a strong rushing attack, a dangerous defense. All the ingredients are there for him to turn the Bucs into a real contender. Mayfield still has a lot to prove, but he really does look like the old Mayfield — the one who had enough talent to once be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. — Ralph Vacchiano
[Related: Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game for Week 4: Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield]
Vikings: Is there a better playcalling duo than head coach Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores? I struggle to name one. Time after time, quarterback Sam Darnold has delivered, making excellent decisions and getting the ball into the hands of Minnesota’s myriad playmakers. Surrounded by this much talent and this head coach, Darnold never needed to be a world-beater, and yet he’s thrown for multiple scores in every game this season. It’s time we start taking Darnold seriously — especially when he has this defense on the other side of the ball. Flores’ scheme is like a floating amoeba: It has no shape, no tendencies, it continuously changes throughout games. It looks unsolvable, just ask any of the (really good) quarterbacks who have gone against it this season. The Vikings had five takeaways against their division rivals in Green Bay on Sunday and are showing no signs of slowing down.
Packers: Just when it seemed Matt LaFleur had started to figure out the aforementioned defense at the end of the third quarter on Sunday against the Vikings, the Packers continued to shoot themselves in the foot. The good news is that hasn’t been a pattern and looks to be more like an anomaly. LaFleur switched his entire offensive scheme with Malik Willis at the helm in quarterback Jordan Love’s absence. Getting Love back this week, LaFleur switched it back, and it was up and down in a performance marred by penalties and drops. But it was also against the best defense the Packers have seen this year. Playing from behind also got the Packers out of their offensive rhythm, which should have included running back Josh Jacobs a lot more. I’m positive this isn’t a sign of things to come, but rather an offense getting used to having its star back. — Carmen Vitali
Rams: Injuries were bound to bite the Rams eventually. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is one of the best when it comes to getting the ball out quickly and recognizing pressure. But the Bears defense made him pay for holding the ball at all, and the cracks on offense have started to show for Los Angeles. The good news is that should get better for the Rams when they get their top two receivers back, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. In even better news, the Rams’ defensive front looks phenomenal. Collegiate teammates Jared Verse and Braden Fiske are a heck of a tandem and are wreaking havoc. Once Sean McVay’s unit gets healthy, they should prove to be a much better team. Until then, it’s not going to be easy going.
Bears: Can everybody relax in Chicago now? It wasn’t perfect, but it was quarterback Caleb Williams‘ best outing and the best example of complementary football the Bears have shown this season. The defense again came up clutch with an interception of Matthew Stafford in the end zone as well as another to seal the game in the fourth quarter. Leaning on the defensive effort, Williams & Co. finally sustained offensive drives, and it seems that offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has figured out his personnel. D’Andre Swift had his coming-out party while Waldron used Roschon Johnson as his changeup back. The Bears are still getting used to one another and they need to clean up the pre-snap penalties, but the vision is becoming clearer in Chicago. The improvement is there week to week. This is exactly what should have been expected of this team, and it’s right on schedule. — Carmen Vitali
Steelers:Justin Fields finally flashed an ability to carry Pittsburgh’s offense. Although it came in a loss, the Steelers needed to show the rest of the NFL the development of a big-boy offense to be considered a serious playoff contender in the AFC. The Colts jumped out to a 17-0 lead, forcing Fields and Pittsburgh’s offense to open it up. Fields obliged, throwing for 312 yards and a touchdown, along with totaling 51 yards and two scores on the ground. Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith leaned into Fields’ unique skill set, allowing him to make plays outside the pocket with his arm and his feet, with good results for the Steelers.
Colts: Is there a quarterback controversy in Indianapolis? Anthony Richardson suffered a hip injury after a big hit by Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the first half, forcing the second-year QB to leave the game. Richardson did not return, giving way to last year’s NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Joe Flacco. The 39-year-old played well, finishing 16 of 26 for 168 yards and two touchdown passes. Richardson missed most of his rookie season with a shoulder injury and has struggled with inconsistent play when healthy. With the Colts at 2-2, Flacco could be the best option for Indianapolis moving forward, allowing Richardson some time to recover and learn from watching an experienced veteran. — Eric D. Williams
Saints: Where has the Saints’ promising big-play offense gone under new coordinator Klint Kubiak? New Orleans had a 59-yard touchdown in the opening quarter of the season and three plays of 30-plus yards in an impressive win at Dallas. And in the two weeks since, they haven’t had a single play of 30-plus yards. Quarterback Derek Carr’s four-game trend on touchdown passes is 3, 2, 1, zero. The last two lackluster showings have resulted in close, late-game losses to the Eagles and Falcons. Carr was able to execute a touchdown drive to take the lead with a minute left Sunday, but Atlanta answered with a 58-yard field goal to beat the Saints. We knew New Orleans wasn’t going to sustain 45 points a game as it did in the first two weeks, but sitting at 2-2 now, the offense has had two straight weeks of ordinary football.
Falcons:Kirk Cousins didn’t throw a touchdown, but did just enough in the final minute to set up a monster kick from Younghoe Koo for a crucial last-minute win over the Saints. Cousins has just four touchdowns in four games. One TD a game is what the Falcons were getting from middling quarterbacks last season without spending $180 million. If Atlanta is going to be more than a .500 team, the Falcons need much more of the old Cousins, rather than someone who can set their team up for three field goals in the second half to win a squeaker. But for now, it’s good enough to have them 2-2 and tied with the Saints going into a huge home game against the Bucs on Thursday night. — Greg Auman
Jaguars: Just a soul-crushing defeat for the Jaguars. They played their best game of the season Sunday — the kind of performance that could’ve turned their dreadful 2024 around — but couldn’t find a way to finish on either side of the ball down the stretch, blowing a third-quarter lead. Now we wait to see how Jacksonville responds moving forward. Does it cling to the good — a season-high 20 points, its first takeaway of the season (on special teams), strong performances from Brian Thomas Jr. and Christian Kirk, breakout showings from 2023 draft picks Tank Bigsby and Ventrell Miller — or does an 0-4 hole eliminate any hope that was left for the season? Next week’s date with the division-rival Colts should give us clarity one way or the other.
Texans:Nico Collins is a top-five receiver in the NFL right now, period. With 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville, he’s on pace for 2,078 receiving yards for the season. He’s a mismatch nightmare downfield with his blend of size, speed and play strength. His scramble-drill connection with C.J. Stroud is starting to look like some of those great quarterback-wide receiver tandems we’ve seen in recent history. Even though we’ve yet to see Houston’s receiver trio at full strength — second-year pro Tank Dell, who’s had a slow start to the season, missed Sunday’s game due to injury — Collins looks like the undisputed WR1. That should make the Texans’ talented offense all the more difficult as the season wears on. — Ben Arthur
Broncos: The Broncos have won two in a row because it turns out they have a really good defense. And that’s important because the defense is going to have to carry them this season as they try to win despite rookie quarterback Bo Nix. At some point he’ll probably be very good, but that point is not today. Granted, the conditions were poor and the Jets defense is good, but Nix was particularly awful — just 12 of 25 for 60 yards. He didn’t throw an interception and he did throw his first career touchdown pass, so that’s good. But he’ll need to be a lot better to help out a defense that’s doing all it can. Denver had five sacks and forced a turnover against the Jets on Sunday. The Broncos have 16 sacks and have forced five turnovers this season. They can win with that, if Nix can even get to a point where he can at least “manage” a game with any consistency.
Jets: Was it really just one week ago that Aaron Rodgers looked like his old self and the Jets looked ready to become a Super Bowl contender? Because what they did on Sunday was the exact opposite. Their offense looked completely out of sync against a bad team. Rodgers threw for just 225 yards. Breece Hall had a hard-to-fathom four yards on 10 carries. And the Jets committed 13 penalties (six of which were declined). Sure, it was raining, but that can’t possibly be an excuse for an offense that looked like a remnant of their old, ugly, Zach Wilson days. Maybe Rodgers’ performance last week against the Patriots was the outlier. If so, these Jets will have a hard time even competing for a playoff berth. They’ve got a top defense, good young offensive talent, and probably the best quarterback they’ve had in decades. But performances like this turn it all into a waste. — Ralph Vacchiano
Bengals: The Bengals reminded the NFL that they’re an AFC contender. After losing each of their first three games by six points or fewer, they beat the Panthers on the road by double digits. Maybe you put an asterisk there because it’s the Panthers, but the way Cincinnati’s offense is starting to hum should make future opponents nervous. They’ve improved their point total each week. Joe Burrow at this point seems to have put the wrist injury from last season behind him. Both JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins had more than 60 receiving yards for the first time this season. Odds are against Cincinnati making the playoffs with a 1-3 start, but its offensive firepower makes anything possible.
Panthers: With Andy Dalton under center, the Panthers may not be a good team, but they’re actually not as bad as we’ve been led to believe. They’ve put up 70 points in two games with the veteran compared to 13 in two with Bryce Young. The Panthers’ second-half rally Sunday came short, but they have a fight to them that they didn’t have with the former No. 1 overall pick. And we’re seeing more from their receivers with Dalton throwing passes. Having Diontae Johnson and first-round rookie Xavier Legette to depend on with Adam Thielen on injured reserve isn’t a room that’s devoid of talent. Both had touchdowns against Cincinnati. Running back Chuba Hubbard had a second consecutive 100-yard rushing game, too. Contention is more realistic for Carolina in future years, but it should at least be competitive in 2024. Their next two opponents are both .500 in the Bears and the divisional-rival Falcons, representing winnable games. — Ben Arthur
Commanders: The early favorite for NFL assistant coach of the year has to be Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who went back to Arizona (where he was fired as head coach) and put on an offensive clinic. He is a big reason why Jayden Daniels (26 of 30, 233 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) has looked like the best of the rookie quarterbacks and has unbelievably completed 82.1% of his passes this season. Yes, it’s because Daniels is good and is making great decisions. But a lot of it has to do with Kingsbury’s scheme and calls. He’s not overdoing it with his rookie. He’s calling lots of short passes and screens and high-percentage throws, and using a lot of run-pass option (RPO) plays to keep the defense off balance. He is putting Daniels in great positions to have success, and the 23-year-old is taking advantage of it. Oh, and hey, they’ve got the Commanders (3-1) in first place in the NFC East. Who saw that coming?
Cardinals: Why have the Cardinals turned Kyler Murray into a game manager? Do they think that’s working for him or them? He’s closing in on two years removed from his ACL injury, so it can’t be that he’s still hurt. But he’s not much of a weapon anymore. He ran once for three yards in this game and has run only 16 times this season. And even though Arizona added a weapon in rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Murray is not doing much through the air either. On Sunday, he finished 16 of 22 for just 142 yards against what was statistically the second-worst passing defense in the NFL. Twice in four games he’s been under 200 yards, and he’s topped 210 only once. It really looks like Jonathan Gannon and his offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing, are trying to protect him, like he’s a rookie, or hurt. They’re clearly not even trying to use him like he should be used. — Ralph Vacchiano
Patriots: Bill Belichick would be appalled. This Patriots defense is a mess without him. During training camp, the refrain from New England was that the defense was going to keep the Patriots in games, specifically leaning on a strong secondary featuring safeties Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers and cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones. Gonzalez has actually been outstanding. But the defensive unit, as a whole, has been crap. Geno Smith, Aaron Rodgers and Brock Purdy have all dissected this unit with startling ease. To make matters worse, Dugger left the game and did not return. It’s a bad situation that only seems to get worse. It begs the question: Will the Patriots win another game?
49ers: Kyle Shanahan might also be appalled. The 49ers weren’t even really trying. They were not especially crisp. They weren’t executing in sixth gear. And so the score stayed closer than it should have. The score legitimately could have been 40-0. San Francisco left a few turnovers on the field. It didn’t maintain the overall dominance that it displayed in the opening 10 minutes. And the 49ers coaches can put up some film on Monday to show the players where they made mistakes — and not have their players laugh them off the podium. But that just goes to show how complete the 49ers are this year — from quarterback to tackle to receiver to cornerback to defensive end. It’s ridiculous that they can coast to victory playing less than a quarter of good football. — Henry McKenna
Chiefs:Travis Kelce awoke from an early-season slumber, totaling seven catches for 89 yards on nine targets. Rookie Xavier Worthy added 73 receiving yards, including a 54-yard reception for a TD. That’s a good thing because the Chiefs need the production from Kelce and Worthy with the team’s top target in Rashee Rice suffering a knee injury that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid later described as “not good.” With Rice unavailable, Kelce must reemerge as Patrick Mahomes‘ security blanket and Worthy also needs to take on a larger role. Along with that, Mahomes still has not played to his usual MVP-level through the first quarter of the season, with six touchdown passes and five interceptions in four games. But Kansas City is 4-0, which should be scary for the rest of the NFL.
Chargers: While head coach Jim Harbaugh did not get the win against his AFC West rival, the Bolts showed they can battle toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champs. Quarterback Justin Herbert was questionable heading into this weekend’s contest after aggravating a high-ankle sprain last week against the Steelers. But Herbert showed good mobility in playing through the pain, completing 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. Herbert was sacked twice and hit another 10 times. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman did a solid job of emphasizing the running game and getting the ball out of Herbert’s hands quickly to avoid any unnecessary hits. — Eric D. Williams
Browns: Kevin Stefanski was NFL Coach of the Year last year! That makes it all the more amazing that Cleveland is 1-3 and their only win is against the 0-4 Jaguars. The fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Raiders is a damning collection of self-implosion — an 82-yard touchdown negated by a holding penalty, a fourth-down sack after getting nine yards away from a game-winning touchdown. You can point to Deshaun Watson being ordinary, but this was the best defense in football last year, and they’ve lost to Gardner Minshew and Daniel Jones. Now they’re at red-hot Washington, and it’s hard to spot the next win on Cleveland’s schedule. It feels like benching Watson is inevitable, but also not changing the final outcome much either.
Raiders: The best part of Las Vegas pulling out a close win over Cleveland? The Raiders found some semblance of a running game in the post-Josh Jacobs world. Las Vegas came in averaging a league-low 52 yards per game, but went off for 152 on 29 carries Sunday. Alexander Mattison rushed for 60, Zamir White came through for 50, and when you rush for 152, it’s OK if your quarterback throws for just 130 yards, as Gardner Minshew did. For a game in which the Raiders didn’t have their best two players in Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams, an ugly win is still a great win. It doesn’t erase losing to the Panthers, and they’ll have their hands full with two much better defenses in Denver and Pittsburgh up next, but if the Raiders can establish even a mediocre run game, it makes low-scoring wins possible in those games. — Greg Auman
Bills: John Harbaugh outcoached Sean McDermott. On a play-to-play basis, it was so clear. It felt like the Ravens were playing with 12 men — with an extra body in every situation. Buffalo badly needs its starters back in the lineup. I’ve been praising coach McDermott for plugging and playing the backups on the depth chart. And they starred. But for the first time this season, we began to see why they’re backups. Linebacker Dorian Williams, cornerback Cam Lewis and safety Cole Bishop were not good enough against Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. While McDermott outcoached his opponents in the opening three weeks, his team looked unprepared and unready for the Ravens’ physicality.
Ravens: So this was what Baltimore general manager Eric Decosta had in mind when he signed Derrick Henry? When the season kicked off, the Ravens’ offensive line was performing at such a poor level that Henry had no room to run. On the opening play of the team’s win over the Bills, Henry went untouched for 87 yards. He was on pace to rush for over 1,000 yards — in the game. He ended up with 209 yards from scrimmage. That took the load off Lamar Jackson, who only had six carries. So while Josh Allen tried to do it all on the other side of the ball (and took way too many big hits), Jackson reaped the benefits of fantastic run support. This is the offense the Ravens wanted to run. The personnel is clicking. And they’re just as dangerous as we imagined they’d be when Henry joined the Ravens. — Henry McKenna
The following writers contributed to this story:Ben Arthur (@benyarthur); Greg Auman (@gregauman); Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis); Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano); Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV); Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams).
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