NFL Week 4 Overreactions and Underreactions

NFL Week 4 didn't necessarily have the thrilling finishes of Week 3, but it still had some major storylines. Thursday Night Football led off with another last-second field goal to help the Seahawks defeat the Cardinals, and Sunday featured early morning football with the Steelers also winning by a field goal. Only two teams remain undefeated, the Bills and the Eagles. There are some winless teams left, too, including the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, and Tennessee Titans.

"Patrick Mahomes" by Tennessee Titans is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

NFL Week 4 Overreactions

Overreaction 1: Baltimore Ravens 1-3 Start

The Baltimore Ravens have three early-season losses, but they aren't losing to bad teams. The Buffalo Bills are AFC Super Bowl favorites, the Detroit Lions won 15 games last season, and the Kansas City Chiefs are, well, the Chiefs. The Ravens have the Texans, Dolphins, Bears, Browns, and Jets in their next seven games. They also have the Vikings and Rams. Those are winnable games, too. No one should panic about a rough start from one of the league's most dangerous teams.

Overreaction 2: The Chargers Loss

The Chargers were upset by the Giants this weekend, and Off the Field and Screen considered it an automatic win for the Jim Harbaugh-led team. They missed out on a chance to take a sizeable division lead early in the season. With the Broncos defeating the Bengals and the Chiefs beating the Ravens, it's still any team's division. But that loss doesn't mean too much. There are a lot of games left, and Harbaugh will get his team straightened out before they play the Commanders next week.

Overreaction 3: The NFC North

The NFC North was the NFL's best a year ago. When one of their team wins, it's made into a big deal. When a team loses, it's made into a big deal. The expectations from Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, and Detroit are massive. Each team expects to make the playoffs. The Lions are 3-1, the Packers are 2-1-1, and the Vikings and Bears are both 2-2. Each team has been competitive this year in general. So, who is at the top and who is at the bottom? The Lions have had a dominant win, but the Packers beat them in Week 1. The Bears blew a lead against the Vikings, but the Lions blew out the Bears. The Bears have won two weeks in a row now, blowing out the Cowboys, who the Packers tied. So, what's anyone to make of this mess? Only time will tell.

NFL Week 3 Underreactions

Underreaction 1: The Dallas Cowboys Start

No reaction is big enough to show off how bad the Dallas Cowboys are. They are the most overhyped team in professional sports, and yet, everyone will make a big deal out of them and swear they are just about to make a run. Dak Prescott had a good game, so he'll be back in the best quarterback conversation again. They aren't doing anything anytime soon. They play the Jets and Panthers in their next two games. They'll probably win and return to their status as media darlings, but they shouldn't.

Underreaction 2: Aidan Hutchinson

Aidan Hutchinson looked off in Week 1. Then, he looked a little better in Week 2, getting his first sack. Then, in Week 3, he played well against the Ravens, causing a lot of problems. Finally, in Week 4, he broke out with two sacks and a strip that was recovered. He also had a strip sack that was overturned.

Underreaction 3: Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford remains underrated. He has the Rams one blocked field goal away from being undefeated (see the Eagles game). He threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns against the Colts, including a game-winning 88-yard touchdown pass late in the 4th quarter. He continues to impress. He is fourth all-time in 4th-quarter comebacks and fifth all-time in game-winning drives. Those ahead of him? Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Ben Roethlisberger.

Best Games

Seahawks 23-20 victory over the Cardinals

The Seahawks continue to win under second-year coach Mike Macdonald. Sam Darnold changed locations, but he also continues to win.

Steelers 24-21 win over the Vikings

Carson Wentz wasn't able to help the Vikings pull off the victory in Dublin. Aaron Rodgers didn't have a stellar game, but the Steelers improved to 3-1.

Giants 21-18 upset against the Chargers

After benching Russell Wilson for Jaxson Dart, the Giants defense gets it done, upsetting the Chargers.

Rams 27-20 win against the Colts

Matthew Stafford does it again. The Colts perfect start came to an end in a close loss. Daniel Jones came back down to Earth with two picks.

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