The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Week 4 brings shake-ups and surprises

The Broncos defence got them through to Super Bowl 50, but Manning also kept possession well. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Roar Guru
30th September, 2014
0

This first month of the NFL has provided more drama, both on and off the field, than we’ve seen in quite some time.

Maybe we should start with the teams that aren’t delivering too many surprises.

Denver and Seattle are both 2-1, modest marks for the Super Bowl participants.

Russell Wilson and Peyton Manning look to be coming out of the gate firing, and when the two teams met in that overtime thriller in Week 3, it really felt as if we were watching what that February night should have been.

The Lions are sitting pretty at 3-1 and atop of the NFC North, after beating the Jets in New York on Sunday. Matt Stafford connected with his receivers all day to throw for 293 yards and two touchdowns.

Speaking of the Jets, they’ve put together a lousy 1-3 record, currently sitting bottom of the AFC East. Their third consecutive loss forced Rex Ryan to re-affirm Geno Smith as the starter. Keep your phone turned on, Vick.

The Giants are perhaps the more surprising story with two wins and two losses. Eli Manning is looking as inconsistent as ever, despite putting up five touchdowns to embarrass the Redskins on their home turf.

Those Redskins? They’re not faring too well either. They’re bottom of the NFC East, while Kirk Cousins’ hopes of being Washington’s saviour are failing as quickly as the Redskins down the NFC Conference standings.

Advertisement

The Falcons are 2-2, losing to the Vikings and ‘Teddy Touchdown’ in Minnesota on Sunday. The rookie Bridgewater looked impressive in his first start, putting up 317 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Sticking with the NFC South, the Saints are a disappointing 1-3 after getting blown out by Dallas. We know Drew Brees can throw it, we know Jimmy Graham can catch it – now it’s up to Sean Payton to put some wins together.

Meanwhile… how ’bout them Cowboys! They’re tied first in the NFC East and DeMarco Murray has trucked them to their third straight win, with a little help from Dez Bryant. Can Jimmy Johnson come back and coach anyway?

Johnny Football’s team – or should that be Brian Hoyer’s team? – is bottom of the AFC North with a 1-2 record. Maybe it’s time to take a page from the Vikings book and name your rookie quarterback as the starter. But after seeing the disastrous results in Oakland, maybe Hoyer’s the safe bet after all. The Raiders are 0-4 with rookie Derek Carr as the starter, and are looking like the worst team in the NFL.

While talk of Philip Rivers for MVP is ridiculous, there’s no doubt both Rivers and his team are playing great. 3-1 and atop of the AFC West, I can see the Chargers winning the division if the Broncos stumble.

The Dolphins and the Bills are dealing with their own quarterback controversies. We have Ryan Tannehill saying one thing, while Joe Philbin says another – whatever is the case, Miami still got the win in London on Sunday over the Raiders.

The Bills have benched E.J. Manuel for the next game in favour of Kyle Orton, and have a chance to take the division if they utilise their running backs and defence – the AFC East hardly looks challenging right now.

Advertisement

San Francisco, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and New England are all facing struggles, with two wins and two losses on the season. Most of the worry in New England is directed to Tom Brady, while 49ers fans don’t know where to point the finger.

The Eagles and the Texans are surprise appearances at the top of their division, both 3-1 on the season. Nick Foles and Ryan Fitzpatrick aren’t guaranteeing the wins so much as Chip Kelly and Bill O’Brien are.

The biggest surprises come in the form of the Bengals and the Cardinals. You read that correctly, the Bengals and the Cardinals.

Cincinnati and Arizona are without a loss so far, and forcing us to re-evaluate both Andy Dalton and Carson Palmer.

close