Week 4 began on a Thursday night at Lambeau Field between two longtime divisional rivals. It ended on Monday night at MetLife Stadium in a clash between two clubs that reach the playoffs in 2022.
When the smoke cleared, only the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers remain undefeated, while the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears are each still looking for their first victory of the season. Once again, there was some movement with the NFL Power Rankings.
Matt Eberflus' club hosted the Broncos in a battle of winless clubs. The Bears appeared to be on the verge of its first victory since Week 7 of 2022. Thanks to four Justin Fields' touchdown passes, two to tight end Cole Kmet, Chicago owned a 28-7 lead in the third quarter. Eberflus' team racked up 471 total yards by afternoon's end.
Unfortunately for the Bears, Russell Wilson and company responded with 24 unanswered points to steal the game. The Bears' current losing streak has reached 14 games, and the franchise is off to its first 0-4 start since 2000.
The Panthers took on the visiting Vikings in a battle of 0-3 teams. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young was back at the controls for Carolina, but Frank Reich's offensive unit failed to score a touchdown. Safety Sam Franklin Jr. took a Kirk Cousins' interception 99 yards for a score and the team actually owned a 10-0 second-quarter lead.
Carolina was limited to a field goal the rest of the afternoon. Stroud threw for 204 yards but was sacked five times. One of those resulted in a fumble and it was returned 51 yards for a touchdown by Minnesota's D.J. Wonnum.
Off a 50-point thrashing at Miami, the winless Broncos were in the Windy City to take on the 0-3 Bears. Denver's porous defense had no answers for most of the afternoon when it came to Bears' quarterback Justin Fields. Sean Payton's club surrendered 471 total yards and dug itself a 28-7 third-quarter hole. Then things got interesting.
Quarterback Russell Wilson and his team played turnover-free football. He connected on 21-of-28 throws for 223 yards and three scores. Wil Lutz's 51-yard field goal with 1:46 to play was the difference in a much-needed win.
The reigning AFC North champions were in Nashville to take on the perplexing Titans. The Bengals were coming off a three-point Monday night win over the visiting Rams. Zac Taylor's team drove 72 yards on the game's first passion and took a 3-0 lead thanks to a 21-yard field goal from Evan McPherson. It was all downhill from there.
Cincinnati's offense managed only 139 yards the rest of the afternoon. Quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked three times and lost a fumble. The Bengals' defense surrendered 400 total yards, including 173 on the ground.
The Patriots were on the road for the second consecutive week and faced their second NFC East opponent of the season when they visited Dallas. The teams traded first-quarter field goals but the rest of the afternoon belonged to the Cowboys, who returned two of quarterback Mac Jones' three turnovers in the game for touchdowns.
New England was limited to 53 yards on the ground. Jones threw a pair of interceptions and would give way to backup Bailey Zappe. The Patriots finished with just 253 total yards, including only 53 yards on the ground.
The Steelers were on the road for the second straight Sunday and battled the Texans at Houston. Unfortunately for Mike Tomlin's squad, his team didn't put up much of a fight. Matt Canada's offense gained only 53 yards in the first half. Struggling quarterback Kenny Pickett went down late in the game after being sacked for the third time.
Pittsburgh's defense was also a no-show. Houston rolled up 451 yards, C.J. Stroud was not sacked and the Steelers had zero takeaways. In losses to the 49ers and Texans, Tomlin's club has been blasted by a combined 60-13 score.
The Silver and Black were at SoFi Stadium to take on the rival Chargers. Rookie Aiden O'Connell got the start for Jimmy Garoppolo (concussion) and he had his ups and downs. He was sacked a total of seven times. O'Connell threw for 238 yards and lost two fumbles. With a chance to tie the score, he threw a fourth-quarter interception.
Josh McDaniels' team has dropped three straight games after a Week 1 win at Denver. The Raiders have been held to fewer than 20 points in each of their first four contests. Las Vegas has forced one turnover in four contests.
Jonathan Gannon's team played its first divisional foe of 2023 as the Cardinals were in San Francisco. The Cards have played solid football despite their 1-3 record. Arizona's offense amassed 362 total yards. Down 21-3 in the second quarter, a pair of Josh Dobbs TD passes to rookie Michael Wilson narrowed the deficit to five points.
In the end, San Francisco's balanced attack was too much for Gannon's club. The defense gave up 395 total yards, 124 of that on the ground. Dobbs finished the afternoon with 265 passing yards and also ran for 48 yards.
The struggling Giants had a few extra days to prepare for their third consecutive NFC West foe as they hosted the Seahawks on Monday night. The woes continued for Brian Daboll's team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The team finished with 248 total yards on 74 plays (3.4 average) and had as many turnovers as points (3).
Quarterback Daniel Jones had all of those miscues and one of his two interceptions was returned 97 yards for a score by Seattle rookie Devon Witherspoon. The Giants gave up 11 sacks, 10 at the expense of their quarterback.
The perplexing Jaguars were in London at played host to the Falcons. Doug Pederson's team had dropped their previous two games but got back in the win column thanks to an opportunistic defense that harassed Atlanta's second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder into three turnovers, including a pair of first-half interceptions.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sacked only twice and Pederson's club did not give up the football. The Jaguars' signal-caller threw for 207 yards and one score. Every team in the AFC South currently owns a 2-2 record.
Kevin O'Connell's club was in Charlotte as both the Vikings and Panthers were looking for their first victory of 2023. Things didn't start out well for the Purple Gang as quarterback Kirk Cousins served up an early interception that was returned 99 yards for a touchdown. O'Connell's team was down 10-0 one play into the second quarter.
Cousins would throw a second interception in the first half and finished with just 139 yards passing. He also found Justin Jefferson twice for TDs. Defensive end D.J. Wonnum returned a Bryce Young fumble 51 yards for a score.
Mike Vrabel's team failed to score a touchdown in two of their first three games. They hosted the struggling Bengals and spotted the defending AFC North champions an early 3-0 lead on the game's first possession. That would be the end of the scoring for Cincinnati as the Tennessee defense allowed 211 total yards on the day.
Titans' running back Derrick Henry came up big. He totaled 22 carries for 122 yards, 29 of those on a second-quarter touchdown run. He also threw a two-yard scoring pass to tight end Josh Whyle later in the quarter.
The Jets had dropped two straight entering Sunday night's tilt with the reigning Super Bowl champions. Robert Saleh's club dug itself an early 17-0 hole but things would soon change. The Jets' defense picked off Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes twice in the second quarter and New York trailed only 20-12 at intermission.
Zach Wilson did lose a fumble but his second TD pass of the game (to Allen Lazard) and two-point conversion run tied the game in the third quarter. Mahomes and company managed a fourth-quarter field goal for the win.
It was a short week for the Rams, who clashed with the Colts at Indianapolis on Sunday. Kyren Williams ran for a pair of first-quarter touchdowns and kicker Matt Gay had an interesting game. He connected for three field goals (40, 54 and 51 yards) and missed two others (46 and 48 yards). The Rams owned a 23-0 third-quarter lead.
The Colts came all the way back and forced overtime. Quarterback Matthew Stafford finished the game with 319 yards and was picked off once. His lone touchdown pass of the game came in OT, a 22-yard strike to Puka Nucua.
What a turnaround. After falling to the Ravens and Colts, each loss by double digits, the Texans have rebounded to defeat the Jaguars (37-17) and Steelers (30-6) by a combined 67-23 score. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked 11 times the first two weeks but both Jacksonville and Pittsburgh failed to drop him the past two outings.
DeMeco Ryans' team owned a 16-0 halftime advantage and outgained their guests, 271-53, over that span. Pittsburgh's had no answers for Stroud or rookie Nico Collins, who caught seven passes for 168 yards and two TDs.
The Commanders were back in Philadelphia, where a year ago they handed the Eagles their first loss of 2022 (after an 8-0 start). Ron Rivera's team was humbled at home the previous week by the Bills. However, this would be a much different story as Washington owned a 17-7 second-quarter lead before the Eagles came all the way back.
Down 24-17 and 31-24, the Commanders responded with tying scores. They sent the game into overtime on the final play of regulation when Sam Howell found Jahan Dotson for a 10-yard TD. Rivera's team succumbed in OT.
The Colts followed up an opening-week loss to Jacksonville with wins over the Texans and Ravens. They played host to the Rams and rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson was back at the controls. However, Rams' running back Kyren Williams scored a pair of first-quarter TDs and Sean McVay's team built a 23-0 third-quarter lead.
Richardson and the Colts responded with three straight TDs, two through the air and the other a Richardson run. There were also a pair of two-point conversions. However, Shane Steichen's team never saw the ball in overtime.
Dennis Allen's club faced its second divisional game in three weeks as the Saints hosted the Buccaneers. Derek Carr, injured last week in the loss to the Packers, wound up getting the start after all but he and the offense weren't very effective. New Orleans gained only 197 total yards on 61 plays and settled for three field goals.
Carr completed 23-of-37 passes but for only 127 yards. Running back Alvin Kamara touched the ball 24 times and gained a mere 84 yards from scrimmage. The Saints were just 5-of-14 on third-down conversions for the game.
The Packers were at home for the second straight week and took on the Lions on a Thursday night. Green Bay opened the scoring with a first-quarter field goal, but trailed 27-3 at intermission. Joe Barry's defense gave up 284 total yards in the first half. Meanwhile, Matt LaFleur's club gained an embarrassing 23 yards on 22 offensive plays.
The Pack outscored their guests, 17-7, in the final two quarters but it was far too little and too late. Green Bay dropped its fourth consecutive game in this NFC North rivalry dating back to the clubs' second meeting in 2021.
The Browns were at home for the third time in four games as they took on their third divisional opponent of the season. Kevin Stefanski's club would be without quarterback Deshaun Watson, so enter rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The fifth-round pick from UCLA suffered through a forgettable afternoon against the Baltimore defense.
The former Bruin barely completed 50 percent of his passes (19-of-36) and for only 121 yards. He was sacked four times and was picked off by three different Ravens. Stefanski's offense gained only 166 yards on 65 plays.
The Falcons were coming off their first loss of the season. This week, the team traveled to London to take on the Jaguars. Rookie Bijan Robinson ran for 105 yards on just 14 carries. Desmond Ridder found Drake London for the team's lone touchdown. Ridder was also sacked four times and committed all three of the team's turnovers.
Atlanta's defense limited the defending AFC South champions to 300 total yards. The Falcons came up with only two sacks of Trevor Lawrence and zero takeaways. Atlanta has combined for just 13 points in the last two weeks.
Brandon Staley's club got its first victory of the year in Week 3 and looked to even its record when it hosted the Raiders. The Chargers took control of the game before halftime after the teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter. The Bolts ran for 155 yards and Justin Herbert had one TD pass and two more scores via the ground.
Staley's team didn't score in the second half. Los Angeles' defense came up big on the day. Khalil Mack finished the game with 10 tackles, six of the team's seven sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. The Bolts forced three turnovers.
Pete Carroll's club was at MetLife Stadium for a Monday night clash with the Giants. The Seahawks came into the game having scored 37 points in back-to-back wins over the Lions and Panthers. This time, it was Seattle's defense that dominated the game. It held the Giants to 248 total yards, amassed 11 sacks and forced three turnovers.
Rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon had quite the night. He totaled seven tackles, two sacks and returned a Daniel Jones interception 97 yards for a score. Four different players finished the game with a pair of QB traps.
The Buccaneers took on the Saints in the Big Easy. Todd Bowles' team spotted their hosts a 3-0 first-quarter lead before Baker Mayfield threw a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter to tight end Cade Otton (4 yards) and rookie wide receiver Trey Palmer (1 yard). Mayfield finished with 246 yards and three scores (1 interception).
Tampa Bay's defense stifled the Saints. Bowles' team limited New Orleans to 197 total yards and came away with three takeaways. Antoine Winfield finished with nine stops, one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Dan Campbell's team made its way to Lambeau Field for a prime-time clash with the Packers. The Lions made it look easy. After spotting Green Bay a field goal (after a Jared Goff interception), Detroit responded with 27 straight points and owned a 24-point lead at the half. The Lions outgained the Pack, 284-23, in the first two quarters.
Campbell's club finished with 401 total yards. Montgomery ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions rushed for 211 yards. Detroit's defense picked off Green Bay's Jordan Love twice and sacked him five times.
On Sunday, Mike McCarthy's team looked like the club that overwhelmed both the Giants and Jets the first two weeks. Dallas got an 11-yard fumble return for a score from linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. Defensive back Daron Bland returned a Mac Jones' interception 54 yards for a touchdown with less than a minute left in the first half.
Dallas rolled up 377 total yards and played turnover-free football. In three wins this season, the Cowboys have outscored the opposition a combined 108-13. However, McCarthy's club fell at Arizona in Week 3, 28-16.
The Ravens were surprised at home last week by the Colts in overtime. They were in Cleveland to take on the improved Browns and their fearsome defense. John Harbaugh's club gained 296 total yards, including 131 rushing. Lamar Jackson overcame one turnover and ran for two scores and threw a pair of TD passes to Mark Andrews.
Baltimore's defensive unit took full advantage of Browns' rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. It limited the Browns to 166 total yards, sacked the young signal-caller four times and stole three of his passes.
The Dolphins were looking to open 4-0 for the first time since 1995 when they squared off against the Bills at Orchard Park. Including last year's wild card setback, Miami had dropped seven straight games at Buffalo dating back to 2017. That streak of misfortune would continue as Mike McDaniel's club was overwhelmed on Sunday.
Less than three minutes into the second quarter, these teams were tied at 14-all. The Dolphins were outscored 34-6 the rest of the afternoon. Tua Tagovailoa was sacked four times and had one of the team's two turnovers.
The Eagles were looking to avoid a second consecutive home loss to the Commanders. Nick Sirianni's team trailed 17-7 in the second quarter but responded with 17 consecutive points and owned a 24-17 edge early in the fourth quarter. Washington tied the game moments later. The teams traded touchdowns in the final 1:43 of regulation.
The Commanders got the ball first in overtime but went three-and-out. Jalen Hurts wound up throwing for 319 yards on the day and both of his scores went to A.J. Brown. Jake Elliott's hit the game-winning 54-yard field goal.
Patrick Mahomes and company made their way to MetLife Stadium for a Sunday night tilt with the defensive-minded Jets. Andy Reid's team got off to a blistering start as Isaiah Pacheco (48-yard run) and tight end Noah Gray (34-yard reception) scored first-quarter touchdowns as the team opened up a 17-0 lead in the first quarter.
Mahomes also threw a pair of second-quarter interceptions and the momentum changed. The Jets would forge a 20-all tie in the third quarter. Harrison Butker's 26-yard field goal was the eventual difference in a narrow escape.
Sean McDermott's team hosted the unbeaten Dolphins on Sunday looking for their third consecutive victory. After totaling 38 and 37 points, respectively, in wins over the Raiders, the Bills topped those totals thanks to 414 total yards of offense and a big afternoon from the combination of quarterback Josh Allen and wideout Stefon Diggs.
Buffalo's strong-armed quarterback threw for 320 yards and four scores, three of those TD strikes to Diggs. Allen ran for an 11-yard touchdown. McDermott's club owned a 31-14 lead at halftime on the way to a 28-point win.
Kyle Shanahan's talented club clashed with its second divisional rival in three games as they hosted the improved Cardinals. It was another big showing for running back Christian McCaffrey, who ran for 104 yards and four touchdowns on just 20 carries. He also led the club with seven receptions, good for 71 yards and a fifth TD.
Brock Purdy missed on only one pass (20-of-21), throwing for 283 yards. The 49ers won their 14th straight regular-season games dating back to Week 8 of 2022, and have scored at least 30 points in seven consecutive contests.
