The Browns have the Cowboys soul-searching. Rams-Giants ends with brawl. Here's our Week 4 breakdown
The Philadelphia Eagles got their first win of the season Sunday night, and that represented the only victory for an NFC East team in the last two weeks.
Here's the NFC East's week-by-week record so far this season:
Week 1: 1-3
Week 2: 1-3
Week 3: 0-3-1
Week 4: 1-3
That's not ideal. The only bright spot the past two weeks? The first-place Eagles, who defeated the 49ers on Sunday night and tied the Bengals in Week 3.
The most humbling of the NFC East setbacks Sunday was the Dallas Cowboys' defeat at home against the Cleveland Browns.
(Speaking of the Browns: Are they good now?)
For nearly three quarters, the Cowboys were getting absolutely dump trucked by the Browns, who almost dropped a 50-burger in Jerry World. A fourth-quarter surge put the game within reach for the Cowboys, who then promptly gave up a ridiculous 50-yard touchdown run on an end around by Odell Beckham Jr (followed by a blocked extra point attempt that turned into a two-point conversion!).
Quick hits: Catch up on Sunday's best
- The feud between Jalen Ramsey and Golden Tate boiled over on Sunday, with the two clashing at the end of the Rams' win.
- Odell Beckham Jr.'s amazing end-around touchdown run saved the Browns from a potential embarrassing collapse against the Cowboys.
- Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper were clearly not on the same page on the interception that sealed the Browns' win over the Cowboys.
- Colts QB Philip Rivers engaged in some playful teasing with Bears LB Roquan Smith during Indianapolis' win Sunday.
- 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk showed off his freakish athleticism by hurdling the Eagles' Marcus Epps.
- Cam Newton had an upbeat Instagram post, in which he will take time off to "self-reflect" while on the COVID-19/reserve list.
- Raiders coach Jon Gruden still didn't wear his facemask correctly after the NFL's warning about losing draft picks.
- Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera got an unexpected show of support when he arrived at FedExField.
- Vikings safety Harrison Smith was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Texans.
Key Week 4 story lines
- 32 things we learned in Week 4: Defense appears on the verge of extinction as NFL games are averaging more than 50 points.
- Week 4 winners and losers: While the same issues from the Jason Garrett era are plaguing Mike McCarthy's Cowboys, Odell Beckham Jr. easily had his best game as a member of the Browns.
- Cowboys star labels defense 'soft' after loss: DeMarcus Lawrence didn't mince words after Dallas gave up 49 points to Cleveland.
- 'No other stats matter': Dak Prescott has more passing yards through the first four games of the season than any player in NFL history, but his Cowboys are just 1-3.
- This isn't time for unnecessary risks by the NFL: After weeks of precaution and diligence, one game is not worth setting the rest of the NFL season on fire, Nancy Armour writes.
- Bills stay perfect with some much-needed help: The Bills' defense stepped up in a big way to show that Buffalo doesn't have to rely on Josh Allen alone to deliver a victory, Jarrett Bell writes.
- Believe in the Browns? New coach Kevin Stefanski deserves a lot of credit for Cleveland's impressive start, Marla Ridenour writes.
Week 4 rundown
- Eagles 25, 49ers 20: Are securing their first win of the season, the Eagles seized first place in the weak NFC East.
- Colts 19, Bears 11: There was no Nick Foles magic this week for the Bears.
- Bills 30, Raiders 23: Behind Josh Allen and a hard-nosed defense, the Bills dealt the Raiders their first loss in their shiny new stadium.
- Rams 17, Giants 9: The Rams had to grind out this win, which was then marred by a postgame brawl.
- Bengals 33, Jaguars 25: Top pick Joe Burrow got his first NFL win and became the first rookie in league history to throw for 300 or more yards in three consecutive games.
- Browns 49, Cowboys 38: Are the Browns for real? For much of Sunday's game, Odell Beckham Jr. and crew made Dallas' D look downright awful.
- Saints 35, Lions 29: Lions coach Matt Patricia is on the hot seat with his team entering its bye week.
- Panthers 31, Cardinals 21: Teddy Bridgewater outdueled Kyler Murray as Carolina won its second straight.
- Vikings 31, Texans 23: Minnesota got some optimism by prevailing in this showdown of teams seeking their first win.
- Seahawks 31, Dolphins 23: The Seahawks are 4-0 for the first time since their Super Bowl-winning season of 2013.
- Buccaneers 38, Chargers 31: It was a vintage performance for Tom Brady, who rebounded from a pick six to lead a comeback win with five touchdown passes.
- Ravens 31, Football Team 17: Baltimore rebounded from its humbling loss on Monday night to Kansas City as Lamar Jackson displayed his MVP-caliber play.
- Broncos 37, Jets 28 (Thurs.): A fourth quarter implosion by the Jets allowed the injury-ravaged Broncos to pull out the win.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
Another first-round fantasy running back has been sidelined by injury. Austin Ekeler of the Chargers was carted off with a hamstring injury and although rookie Joshua Kelley didn’t do much (9 yards rushing, 26 receiving), he’s in line for a significant workload increase for at least the next couple weeks. The Chargers offense has been productive enough that backup Justin Jackson could also have some short-term fantasy value.
The Browns also lost starting RB Nick Chubb to a knee injury, and his status for Week 5 is unknown. Although No. 2 back Kareem Hunt should be rostered in all leagues, D’Ernest Johnson ran for 95 yards on 13 carries and is worth adding.
Stepping in for the injured Courtland Sutton, Broncos WR Tim Patrick caught six passes for 113 yards and a touchdown on Thursday. Don’t overlook him. Patrick has played more snaps than any other Broncos receiver this season.
With Chris Godwin out and Mike Evans hobbling, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers might have to turn to Scotty Miller more often. The second-year wide receiver caught five passes for 83 yards and a TD against the Chargers.
The Colts might have found a keeper at tight end in Mo Alie-Cox. The 6-foot-5 giant scored for a second consecutive week and might not last much longer on the waiver wire.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 4 wraps up with a Monday night doubleheader of sorts due to the postponement of the New England Patriots-Kansas City Chiefs game (7:05 p.m., CBS). The Green Bay Packers also host the Atlanta Falcons (8:50 p.m., ESPN).
Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 4.
Thursday: Week 5 kicks off with the Chicago Bears hosting Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (getting used to that yet?) at Soldier Field (8:20 p.m. ET, FOX and NFL Network). Before the game, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 5 game.
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