Biggest Winners and Losers in the NFL: Week 4

A couple of hall-of-fame quarterbacks have their team’s rolling, while a first-year head coach has gotten off to a hot start. On the other hand, one coach has already been fired and the other two are well on their way out the door very soon.

Winners

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

For the people that we’re unsure if Tom Brady still could play at a high level may have spoken to soon. Brady and the Bucs have salvaged a Week 1 loss and have won three in a row, their latest against the Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 38-31. Brady threw for 369 yards and 5 touchdowns, finishing with a rating of 117.0. The defense is also playing at a high level and the running game has been solid. Tampa Bay is legit and should be there at the end at one of the top spots in the NFC.

Green Bay Packers

It is safe to say Aaron Rodgers has silenced the critics. Not only that, but he is in the MVP conversation as well. With this success, the Packers are rolling right now. Green Bay is 4-0, coming off a convincing 30-16 win over the lifeless Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Rodgers threw for 327 yards and 4 touchdowns in the winning effort. Defensively, LB Z’Darius Smith had three sacks, tying him for first in the NFL with five (Myles Garrett). Green Bay is heading into their bye week feeling good, especially with WR Davante Adams set to return for their Week 6 matchup against the Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

Cleveland Browns

For the first time in a long time, the Cleveland Browns find themselves in a position of relevancy. Cleveland is 3-1 for the first time in almost twenty years and looks better and better every week. In Week 4, Cleveland made a statement, dominating the Dallas Cowboys in a 49-38 victory. The score looks closer than it felt, because the Browns had control of this game after going down 14-7 in the first quarter. Despite losing RB Nick Chubb, the Browns were able to run for over 300 yards in the victory while the QB Baker Mayfield threw for a couple of important first downs, plus two touchdowns. Odell Beckham Jr. is playing well, the defense is taking the ball away, and the Browns are just playing good football so far in 2020 and will look to continue this against the best defense in the league, the Indianapolis Colts.

Losers

Atlanta Falcons

It seems to be a weekly spot for them, but the Atlanta Falcons are 0-4 and look lifeless on both sides of the ball. After blowing two straight games, Atlanta could not get anything going against the undefeated Green Bay Packers in a 30-16 defeat. WR Julio Jones left the game with an injury and it is unknown when he is coming back. Add to that the defensive issues and the speculation over the status of head coach Dan Quinn, and you have yourself a mess. If the Falcons want to salvage their season, it needs to start in Week 5 against a rebuilding Carolina Panthers team that is missing star, RB Christian McCaffrey.

Houston Texans

As the Atlanta Falcons, the Houston Texans are winless and are having issues with their head coaching position. The only difference is that the Texans just fired their coach Bill O’Brien, who is also their general manager. After a very questionable offseason which included trading star WR DeAndre Hopkins for next to nothing, this has been a nightmare start for Houston. They are 0-4, have no coach or general manager, and are just not a talented football team outside of a few guys. I don’t see this situation getting better unless Deshaun Watson plays at a level nobody has ever seen before.

New York Jets

It is hard to consider a team like the New York Jets to be considered “losers” for a specific week, but that is what the Jets are this week. Possibly their best chance to get a win was this week against the Denver Broncos, who have been crushed with injuries and were starting their third-string quarterback. The Jets could not respond and gave up a whopping 37 points to a depleted offense and lost 37-28. Add to that Sam Darnold has been ruled out for Week 5, the coach has lost the locker room, and the Jets have little talent, and you have serious issues. It is hard to picture the Jets winning a game this season unless a team throws up a serious clunker against them.

Info from profootballreference.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas