Are the Commanders Super Bowl contenders with star rookie QB? Will injuries catch up with the Chiefs? NFL Week 4 takeaways
By Ben Morse, CNN
(CNN) — Week 4 was the final slate of NFL matches when all teams were in action until Week 15, and the full schedule led to thrills, spills and everything in between across the 16 games.
Between pivotal victories, decisive defeats and nail-biting finishes, Week 4 had everything to offer fans.
Here are the main takeaways from the past week in the National Football League:
Are the Commanders Super Bowl contenders with their star rookie QB?
Life in the NFL couldn’t have started much better for Jayden Daniels.
The No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft has taken to professional football like a duck to water through four weeks, breaking records and leading the Washington Commanders to the top of the NFC East with a 3-1 record.
Daniels’ accuracy in Washington’s impressive Sunday road win against the Arizona Cardinals continued his historic start to the season, with his pass attempt completion percentage setting the record for best of any player through a four-week span since 1950.
The combination of Daniels’ skillset – his quick release and running ability – and new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, a previously maligned figure after being fired as head coach of the Cardinals, seems to be working wonders for the Commanders.
They have scored the third-most points so far this season, just six behind the league-leading New Orleans Saints. Daniels’ first-quarter interception in Arizona – his first of the season – ended a streak of 16 consecutive scoring drives excluding kneel-downs at the end of halves.
For a franchise which has had very little to celebrate in terms of success on the field or general positivity, the arrival of Daniels has been a godsend and a signal of better times ahead.
Not since the rookie campaign of Robert Griffin III in 2012 has there been such a sense of excitement surrounding Washington. But after the team’s third win in a row on Sunday, Daniels wasn’t getting ahead of himself.
“I think that’s for people to determine,” the 23-year-old said when asked if the Commanders have made an early-season statement by sitting atop the NFC East.
“For us, it is: ‘How can we get better each and every game?’ It’s early in the season, so we’ll have to finish the year. I can’t put anything on it, but I know teams look at us and say, ‘Hey, those guys play hard.’”
Daniels’ rookie campaign will likely see more ups and downs so a Super Bowl challenge might be a tall ask, but with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants all showing signs of weakness, a run to the playoffs is very much on the cards.
Will injuries begin to catch up with the Chiefs?
Just looking at the results, it’s been a near perfect start for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The reigning Super Bowl champions are undefeated through four games, beating four playoff hopefuls along the way in the form of the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers.
However, Kansas City’s journey to what would be a historic three-peat of Vince Lombardi Trophies has been made a whole lot tougher with the cacophony of injuries to the team’s offense.
Before Week 1 kicked off, wide receiver Marquise Brown was ruled out for the regular season after suffering a shoulder injury in the preseason. Brown had been signed in the offseason in the hopes that his speed could add an extra element to the Chiefs’ offense.
Then in Week 2, running back Isiah Pacheco suffered a fractured fibula in the clash with the Bengals. He was placed on injured reserve and was projected to miss around eight weeks.
And most recently, the team’s No. 1 receiver Rashee Rice was carted off the field in Kansas City’s Week 4 game against the Chargers after colliding with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, Rice is feared to have torn his ACL and will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Although Mahomes and Co. were able to grind out a win on Sunday, the Chiefs’ offense is now missing its top running back and two top receivers to injuries. And in a season where tight end Travis Kelce is not as productive as usual, more weight is now resting on Mahomes’ shoulders to produce magic.
And while he is able to do so at the moment, the question remains: will these increasing injuries hinder any Super Bowl push the Chiefs hope to mount?
Despite the ailments, Mahomes said after Sunday’s victory that they still possess the talent to continue winning.
“I think more than anything it’s just trying to get everybody kind of settled back down, including myself,” he told reporters. “I thought guys stepped up and filled as good as they can, the role that (Rice) has in our offense, which is a big one.
“All we can do now is kind of go back to the basics and try to get guys in opportunities to succeed. I thought Travis (Kelce) did a great job of stepping up and making plays like he always does, but at the end of the day, we got the win and that’s what’s important.”
The Chiefs face tough tests in their next two games as they host the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 before traveling to take on the team they beat in last year’s Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers, in Week 7 after their bye week.
Is it time to panic in Philly?
It has not been an easy four weeks for the Philadelphia Eagles and head coach Nick Sirianni.
The Eagles sit 2-2 after the first month of the season, but it hasn’t been pretty on the field.
They narrowly beat the Packers in Brazil; they were stunned at home by a last-minute game-winning drive from the Falcons; they just about beat the Saints in a slog; and then lost convincingly to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
While there have been positives, like running back Saquon Barkley, and mitigating factors – the team has been without star receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith for weeks now – there are things to worry about in the City of Brotherly Love.
The defense under coordinator Vic Fangio has struggled to slow opponents, despite featuring a star-studded group of players, and the performances of quarterback Jalen Hurts haven’t been consistent so far.
In fact, the only thing consistent about Hurts’ play has been his turnovers as he now has seven giveaways through four games.
“I think, overall, I just have to play better, have to play better. Had a ton of opportunities to lead the offense and really play complementary ball and it starts with me on that side of the ball,” Hurts said after the defeat against the Bucs.
The Eagles head into a bye week in Week 5, but after an underwhelming end to last season and the negativity it brought to the franchise, there could be mounting pressure on Sirianni’s job should the losing continue after the break.
“Everything will be on the table. All that matters is that these guys continue to get better and that we as coaches get better, and that’s all that matters,” Sirianni said. “We’re sitting at 2-2 going into our bye week and all we can do is improve and that’s all we’re going to try to do this upcoming week.”
Full Week 4 scores
Away @ home (winners in bold)
Thursday
Dallas Cowboys 20-15 New York Giants
Sunday
New Orleans Saints 24-26 Atlanta Falcons
Cincinnati Bengals 34-24 Carolina Panthers
Los Angeles Rams 18-24 Chicago Bears
Minnesota Vikings 31-29 Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars 20-24 Houston Texans
Pittsburgh Steelers 24-27 Indianapolis Colts
Denver Broncos 10-9 New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles 16-33 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Commanders 42-14 Arizona Cardinals
New England Patriots 13-30 San Francisco 49ers
Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 Los Angeles Chargers
Cleveland Browns 16-20 Las Vegas Raiders
Buffalo Bills 10-35 Baltimore Ravens
Monday
Tennessee Titans 31-12 Miami Dolphins
Seattle Seahawks 29-42 Detroit Lions
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