NFL 2017-18 Week 4 Review

Four weeks into the new season, and we have had a couple of strange weekends already, where games did not go the way most people planned. Who knew that the Patriots would lose again, and dip down to 2-2, with two home losses? Who knew that the Bills would stand alone atop the AFC East with an impressive 3-1 record, or that the Jets would be tied with the Pats for second place in the AFC East at 2-2? Who saw the Giants starting off 0-4? Or how about those Lions, who look like a serious contender, finally, in the NFC? Or what about the Rams, who are soaring at 3-1, after stunning the Cowboys in Dallas? And the Texans, a team not known for their offense, have been flying high lately, having scored the better part of 60 points yesterday in humiliating the Titans!

Also, there is only one remaining unbeaten team in the NFL. Kansas City is 3-0, and they will be hosting Washington later today. Should they win, they will stand at 3-0. But if they lose, then no teams will have survived the first weekend on October without suffering a loss. 

Strange season thus far! Let's take a look at week 4:


New Orleans 20, Miami 0 (played at Wembley Stadium, United Kingdom) -  A big win for the Saints, and this is their second win in a row now. And another loss for the Dolphins, as that team appears to be unraveling at the moment. At what point do you think, "Uh-oh!" if you are a Dolphins fan? They very nearly got shut out, 20-0, by the Jets last weekend, but this time, they did get shut out 20-0, and by a team not known to be especially great on defense. Miami has scored a total of 25 points on offense in their three games, and they have produced a mere six points in the last two weeks combined. Now, they have to travel overseas and have a short week to get ready for a Titans team that will be hungry to put this week's embarrassment behind them. For New Orleans, this was a great win, and they have to be feeling pretty good about themselves, especially after the Falcons dropped their first game of the season. My pic: Accurate

Buffalo 23, Atlanta 17 - The Bills are 3-1, and lead the AFC East, after surprising the Falcons in Atlanta, and handing the defending NFC champions their first loss this season. Charles Clay rushed for over 100 yards, and the Bills ball control offense dictated the tempo of play, slowing the high-flying Falcons enough to earn a surprise road victory against a very highly rated opponent. Time for people to start taking Buffalo seriously, no? As for the Falcons, they still look good, but this loss has to concern them, as another physical, ball control team had their way and got the results that they wanted against them, much like New England in last year's Super Bowl.  My pick: Inaccurate

Carolina 33, New England 30 - Hard to figure the Panthers out so far. They seem to be the kind of team that plays up or down to the level of their opponents, based on the first four weeks this season. Admittedly, I did not see them pulling off this road win up at Foxboro. Then again, something seems wrong with the Patriots, as they do not resemble the team that we have grown used to them being in recent seasons. They look more vulnerable than usual, especially at home, for whatever the reason. The Panthers took a big lead, only to see New England rally and tie it. Yet, the Panthers held it together, and managed to kick a late field goal to secure the improbable win, and to get back into a first place tie with Atlanta in the process. Huge win for the Panthers, and frankly, a huge loss for the Patriots, who now find themselves in the unfamiliar position of being tied for second place in the AFC East with the Jets, of all people!  My pick: Inacccurate

Cincinnati 31 Cleveland 7- If there is one team in the NFL that is completely unraveling already during this young season, it is, predictably, Cleveland. While the city's basketball and baseball teams have become consistent winners in recent years, the Browns remain mired in mediocrity. They had a winless showdown in Cleveland against their division rival, and interstate rivals, the Bengals, and they blown out. Cincy just slammed Cleveland, dominating from beginning to end, and now, the Browns instability during this past week strongly resemble panic. They are 0-4, yet unlike the other 0-4 teams, this team can be said to be getting blown out on a weekly basis now. They are in trouble. As for the Bengals, a solid first win, and they can breathe a bit easier now, having finally earned their first win of the season.   My pick: Accurate

Detroit 14, Minnesota 7 - What a huge win for the Lions! They go on the road up to Minnesota, which is never an easy place for road teams to play, and they earn a huge divisional game victory. Their only loss was a tough but close game to the Falcons, and they bounce back with an enormous win against the Vikings that places them in a first place tie with the Packers. The Vikings have to have had their confidence shaken with this loss, but Detroit showed how tough they can be on defense, winning a low-scoring, defensive struggle like this. We knew they could win the shoot-outs, and that they could score points. But winning a tough, physical game like this shows that they can win in another style. You have to like what you see coming from Detroit so far this season. What a victory for them, and they surely will gain more confidence from it!  My pick: Inaccurate   

Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets 23, Jacksonville 20 (F/OT)- This was one of the games that I was happy to have picked wrong. It took an overtime session, but the Jets managed to get past Jacksonville, and have now won two games in a row. That means that all the talk that the Jets might have a historically bad season, that this might be the worst team in Jets history, is already behind them. I remember the 1996 Jets, who won a single game at mid-season, and finished 1-15. These Jets have won two games in a row now, and are actually tied with the Patriots for second place in the AFC East! Be honest, did you really expect to see that? I certainly did not. Yes, it's early, but already, Gang Green has shown some serious heart and grit, and they earned a solid win against the rising Jaguars. Very solid victory here for New York.  My pick: Inaccurate

L.A. Rams 35, Dallas 30- The Cowboys are starting to look more vulnerable than I expected them to be, as well. Yes, the Rams seem to be better than they have been in recent years, but a road victory in Big D? That was more than I expected from them, frankly. Yet, they did it, and right now, they stand alone atop the NFC West with an impressive 3-1 record. Next weekend will be a big divisional showdown, as the Seattle Seahawks come to town. Should be interesting to see how they respond to that one, but their confidence has to be absolutely soaring at this point!  My pick: Inaccurate

Pittsburgh 26, Baltimore 9 - The big showdown went in a boring, predictable way. The Ravens do not look all that special after all right now, even though they themselves believed that their defense might be historically good. The Steelers dictated the tempo pretty much from the start, and even though the defense did not have a total collapse, like they did last weekend in London, they nonetheless also did not shut Pittsburgh down. Plus, their offense is looking like a liability, as they have scored a total of 16 points in their two consecutive losses. Sure, it's easy to look good when your first two opponents are the two Ohio teams, but since then, Baltimore looks decidedly pedestrian. And Pittsburgh looks like it will be, once again, the team to beat in the AFC North. Yawn. My pick: Inaccurate

Houston 57, Tennessee 14 - Wow! Did I ever get this one wrong! Not only did the Titans not win, but Houston walloped them in almost historical fashion, very nearly scoring 60 points on them! There was a scare with Mariota's ankle in this one, although by then, the Titans were getting beaten down pretty seriously already. This one was all Houston, and the Texans ran with the momentum and never looked back. If the offense can play this well all season long, the Texans would have to be seen as a serious threat to each, and possibly to win, the Super Bowl! As for Tennessee, this was just one game. Sure, it was disappointing, but they have plenty of reasons to remain hopeful going into next weekend, and they should be able to snap out of this. Plus, they will get to host the Texans later this season, so they will have an opportunity to get some revenge later. But boy, did they ever get hammered here in this one!  My pick: Wildly Inaccurate!

Tampa Bay 25, N.Y. Giants 23 - Another loss by the Giants, although they once again came from behind towards the end, and just missed pulling this one out. I suspect that the Giants are better than their record indicates, although that is not saying much, since they are 0-4. Who would have thought that they would already be so far behind everyone already, this early? Last year, they finished with an 11-5 mark. They already have four losses, and have played only four games! Only two teams in NFL history have overcome similar kinds of bad starts to qualify for the postseason. The 1992 San Diego Chargers started the season 0-4, but finished 11-5 and won the AFC West, eventually winning a Wildcard game before losing to Miami in the divisional round. And more recently, the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs started the season 1-5, but then reeled off ten straight wins to finish 11-5. They then shut the Texans out in Houston, 30-0, in the AFC Wildcard, and played the Pats tough before losing up at Foxboro in the divisional round. The G-Men can recover, but it will take some doing. Frankly, it would take a small miracle at this point. As for Tampa Bay, this was a solid win, and a strong recovery from the disappointing loss to Minnesota last weekend.   My pick: Unfortunately Accurate

Philadelphia 26, L.A. Chargers 24 - The Chargers have made an art form out of losing close games in strange ways. Here they are again, winless at 0-4, after losing a home game to Philadelphia that apparently felt at times like more of a home game for the Eagles. Once again, the Chargers could not rely on home field advantage in Los Angeles, and it really feels like the move has not been working out for them thus far. The Eagles eked this victory out, but it was a big one, with Dallas losing, and Washington having a tough game against the NFL's last remaining unbeaten team in Kansas City tonight. Philly continues to roll. As for the Chargers, how many close losses can keep eluding them. This was very similar to the way last season went, and the Chargers obviously do not want to repeat the results of last season, as they were quite dismal. Looks like it will be a long season for the Bolts.  My pick: Accurate

Arizona 18, San Francisco 15 (F/OT) - The 49ers seem to be tougher than what most people expected of them entering this season, and certainly tougher than their 0-4 record might suggest them to be. They have not yet won a game, although they have played quite well in most games. They came close to beating the Rams, and lost a pair of divisional games by a field goal. Arizona needed this game, and they got it, although they still look a bit suspect right now. Still, they keep pace with the Seahawks, as both teams try to keep nipping at the heel of the so far high-flying Rams in the NFC West. There was only one touchdown scored in this particular contest, and it was the Cardinals who scored it, in overtime, to clinch the victory! Once again, it was Larry Fitzgerald who burned them, which he has done against this San Francisco franchise numerous times now. Another tough loss for San Fran, another close but much needed win for the Cards. My pick: Accurate

Denver 16, Oakland 10 - Denver took advantage of it's considerable home field advantage, and wore the usually high-flying Raiders down to earn this victory. This one was a tough, physical game, which is right up Denver's alley. The Broncos defense kept Oakland in check, and Carr once again had to leave the game and go to the locker room after a scare, this time with his back. The Raiders have now dropped two games in a row, and desperately need a win. They will return home next weekend for a game against the Ravens, so they should have a chance. As for Denver, they got the job done, once again. It was not flashy or super exciting for anyone but Broncos fans, but it was a solid win with a strong defense, and it keeps them nipping at KC's heel.  My pick: Accurate

Seattle 46, Indianapolis 18 - The Colts kept this one close for a surprisingly long time. But when the Seahawks got rolling towards the end of the third and into the fourth quarter, they really got rolling! The Colts had no answers, as Seattle's defense scored twice and had a huge night! Seattle's offense was rolling, too. This game was reminiscent of the Seahawks the way they looked just a few years ago, when they were perennial Super Bowl contenders, and had a wicked defense and a potentially explosive offense! They looked good, and beat down the Colts, no problem. Big showdown in Los Angeles next weekend for them, now! As for Indy, this season is not going well. They are in the cellar for the AFC South, and keep falling farther and farther behind!   My pick: Accurate