NFL Week 4 Takeaways: Payments halt Dolphins with excellent outing, CMC for MVP?

Unstoppable. Unsolvable. Straight-up unbelievable. These phrases have all been used to explain the Miami Dolphins’ electrical offence by way of three weeks of play.

Now, maybe it’s time we apply these phrases to the Buffalo Payments, who stopped the league’s highest-scoring squad in its tracks, solved the Dolphins’ assault, and put collectively a reasonably unbelievable gameplan to stake their declare to the AFC throne to open October.

What began as a shootout — the sport’s first 5 drives all resulted in touchdowns, with the Payments setting the tone and the Dolphins shortly responding with rating of their very own — ended as a decisive 48-20 win favouring the house staff in Buffalo. The Payments handed the Dolphins their first lack of the 12 months and leapfrogged them for the highest spot within the AFC East within the course of.

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Payments quarterback Josh Allen was almost flawless on this one, connecting on all however 4 passes for 320 yards and 4 touchdowns by way of the air — an ideal 159.3 passer ranking — plus a dashing TD, too. Three of his TD passes had been caught by Stefon Diggs, who racked up 130 yards.

Whereas Allen was the star of this present, Buffalo’s defence put collectively a efficiency almost as excellent as that of their QB. The Payments saved Tyreek Hill in examine, limiting him to 58 yards and no scores, held Tua Tagovailoa to only a single TD cross, and recovered from a pair of early dashing scores from De’Von Achane to restrict the Dolphins to only six factors within the second half. 

With Miami’s loss, the league’s undefeated groups depend is down to only two: The Eagles edged the Washington Commanders (the staff that ended their season-opening win streak final 12 months) for his or her fourth straight win to open 2023, whereas the San Francisco 49ers dealt with the Arizona Cardinals 35-16 to protect their very own 4-0 begin.

Right here’s a group of different takeaways from Week 4’s eventful afternoon slate.

Falcons’ offence falls quick once more (and the NFC South has its early chief)

New nation, usual struggles. Sunday noticed the Atlanta Falcons, regardless of a wealth of weapons on offence, unable get a lot going throughout the pond in London in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After placing up 24 and 25 factors in back-to-back victories in opposition to the Carolina Panthers and Inexperienced Bay Packers, respectively, to open up the season 2-0, Atlanta has put up a mere 13 factors mixed in a pair of losses in opposition to Detroit (Week 3) and Jacksonville.

Sunday’s 23-7 loss at Wembley Stadium wasn’t all dangerous for the visiting Falcons — a minimum of, not fairly as sorry because the rating would point out: Rookie working again Bijan Robinson bounced again with a stable 105 yards in 14 carries, Drake London (fittingly) scored a TD, and Atlanta had extra first downs (17) and higher third-down effectivity (6/12) than the profitable facet. However quarterback Desmond Ridder gave up two game-changing interceptions, one among which was returned 61 yards for a defensive landing.

The Falcons’ loss additionally opened the door vast open for one of many New Orleans Saints or Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take an early division lead as these two division rivals went head-to-head. All three of the Falcons, Saints, and Buccaneers had been sitting at 2-1 heading into Sunday’s matchups, and Baker Mayfield’s Bucs took care of enterprise on the street with a dominant 26-9 win to take the early division lead.

Nacua makes historical past, performs OT hero in opposition to surging Colts

Los Angeles Rams vast receiver Puka Nacua has been a revelation by way of the primary month of the NFL season. Via the primary three weeks, the fifth-round rookie went from being a stand-in for Cooper Kupp because the No. 1 receiver to a standout prime possibility in his personal proper. And on Sunday, he had his greatest recreation but.

Along with his first catch of the day in opposition to the Colts, Nacua made historical past. His unimaginable, bobbling one-handed seize within the first quarter was the 31^st catch of his younger profession, giving him the report for many catches by an NFL rookie in his first 4 video games.

And along with his remaining catch Sunday, he bought himself his first profession NFL landing with about as clutch a play as you will get: a walk-off game-winner in extra time to steal again victory after the Colts’ 23-point comeback in Anthony Richardson’s first recreation again from a concussion.

Nacua now has 501 receiving yards on the season, which is probably the most ever amassed in a participant’s first 4 profession NFL video games.

It’s Donna Kelce’s world, we’re all simply residing in it

That is the insider data all of us want:

Are the Bengals damaged?

The Cincinnati Bengals saved their season final Monday evening with a win over the Los Angeles Rams that prevented them from the dreaded 0-3 season begin. Six days later in Tennessee, they appeared fully misplaced once more, dropping to the Tennessee Titans 27-3 to take their report to 1-3.

This was the second time the Bengals have managed simply three factors on offence this season (they misplaced 24-3 to the Browns in Week 1) and the third time Joe Burrow has been held with no landing cross this 12 months. Making issues worse on Sunday was the lack of receiver Tee Higgins, who is predicted to overlook a while after struggling a fractured rib within the loss.

Based mostly on Ja’Marr Chase’s feedback post-game, we could possibly be in for fairly an fascinating week in Cincinnati…

Bears break down, Broncos surge in second half for first win below Payton

Coming into Sunday, the NFL had 4 winless golf equipment and as destiny would have it every 0-3 staff confronted a fellow winless squad.

The Minnesota Vikings earned their first win of the season with a 21-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers that featured a pair of touchdowns from Justin Jefferson, however issues bought downright chaotic within the NFL’s different 0-3 battle. Denver’s league-worst defence appeared the half within the first half Bears QB Justin Fields was firing on all cylinders to the tune of an ideal 16/16 completion fee to start out the sport and three straight landing passes within the first half.

And the second half began. Save for a Bears landing cross from Fields to start out the second and lengthen Chicago’s result in 28-7, the profitable facet fell aside. The Broncos defence, in the meantime, appeared like a distinct unit — and definitely not the identical one which gave up a whopping 70 factors to the Dolphins final week. Denver held Chicago scoreless the remainder of the sport whereas scoring three unanswered TDs of their very own, adopted by a late game-winning area aim to say the 31-28 victory.

You may credit score the clear play from Russell Wilson (three TD passes, no INTs), a four-sack day for Denver’s entrance line, a breakout recreation from working again Jaleel McLaughlin (72 dashing yards plus three catches and a TD), or the Bears’ complete (however not completely surprising) defensive breakdown… or, you can also make the logical alternative and chalk it as much as Sean Payton’s sleeves:

Yup, positively the sleeves.

Stroud’s INT-free streak continues

We’ve seen some spectacular rookie performances by way of the primary month of the NFL season, however few as clutch as No. 2 general decide C.J. Stroud, who in 4 quick weeks has answered loads of questions on whether or not he generally is a No. 1 QB.

Whereas Stroud’s completion numbers weren’t standout-level Sunday in opposition to Pittsburgh (he went 16 for 30 on the day), he did rack up a formidable 306 yards and two landing passes and saved his interception-free steak alive in a lopsided 30-6 assertion win over the Steelers.

He has now thrown 151 passes with out an interception, which marks the longest pick-free stretch to start out an NFL profession.

Throwback Mack shreds Raiders’ O-line with historic sack complete

Bear in mind how dominant linebacker Khalil Mack was throughout his early profession with the Raiders? He might flat-out wreck a recreation, registering double-digit sacks in three straight seasons earlier than touchdown in Chicago by way of a blockbuster commerce.

Raiders followers had been reminded of Mack’s highly effective assault Sunday in L.A. because the Chargers defender (now in his second season with the Bolts) placed on a present that was classic Mack at his greatest, sacking Raiders backup Aidan O’Connell a whopping six instances. The 32-year-old entered Week 4 with no sack and now finds himself close to the highest of the leaderboard for the season following the 24-17 win.

CMC for MVP?

Let’s be clear: Nobody needs to listen to about your fantasy staff. That’s very true you probably have Christian McCaffrey, who racked up a whopping 48.7 fantasy factors on Sunday alone, in your staff. Congratulations, you’ve gained your league. We get it.

However severely, let’s discuss CMC. The star working again scored a career-high 4 touchdowns in Sunday’s 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals (three dashing, one receiving) and he made some franchise historical past within the course of. McCaffrey has now scored a minimum of one landing in 13 straight video games with the 49ers (together with playoffs), which sees him cross the report set by legendary San Francisco receiver Jerry Rice.

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Cowboys bounce again, hand Belichick his worst profession loss

Throw chilly water on these scorching Cowboys takes — Dallas goes to be simply high-quality. One week after struggling a surprising upset in opposition to Arizona, the Cowboys bounced again in an enormous approach with a dominant outing in opposition to the New England Patriots, 38-3. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott went 28 for 34 on the day for 261 yards and a landing cross nevertheless it was the defence that did probably the most injury on this one. Mac Jones was intercepted twice earlier than being changed by backup Bailey Zappe, with Large D’s huge defence working one again for the pick-six and likewise cashing in on a fumble for the rating.

With the win, the Cowboys handed Patriots head coach Invoice Belichick the worst lack of his profession.

To not point out, Dallas’ return to type comes simply in time for his or her greatest bout of the season to date: A major time date with the undefeated 49ers subsequent Sunday evening.

Extra from Sportsnet

NFL Week 4 Roundup: Payments crush Dolphins, 49ers’ McCaffrey scores 4 TDs

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett leaves loss in opposition to Texans after injuring knee

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