TOP TWO TEAMS AFTER WEEK 4
Top teams, best performances, predictions and trends: The NFL after Week 4
A look back at the best and worst of Week 4 in the NFL, and what to expect this weekend. Also a look at the current front-runner for league MVP.
October 5, 2021 at 11:11PM
1. Cardinals (4-0)
Kyler Murray is the MVP front-runner. Period. It's borderline unfair when the fastest guy in the league also ranks first in completion percentage (.761) and second in yards per attempt (9.5).
2. Bills (3-1)
They've outscored three consecutive backup quarterbacks 118-21 with two shutouts. Can they keep it going at Kansas City?
BOTTOM TWO TEAMS
31. Dolphins (1-3)
A team that won 10 games a year ago has lost three in a row, misses QB Tua Tagovailoa (fractured ribs) and is a complete mess on both sides of the ball.
32. Lions (0-4)
It seems they're always, always, always who we thought they were.
WHERE ARE THE VIKINGS?
No. 21, down three spots from last week. To all you moral-victory lovers out there, we give you this: The Vikings are the best of the 10 1-3 teams in the NFL.
TRENDING UP
Cleveland, Baltimore, Buffalo, Green Bay and Dallas are 3-1 after starting 0-1.
TRENDING DOWN
Pittsburgh, Houston, Miami and Philadelphia are 1-3 after starting 1-0.
BEST DIVISION
AFC North. The Browns are 3-1 but currently out of the playoff picture as the AFC's eighth seed.
WORST DIVISION
AFC South. On Sunday, the last-place Jaguars (0-4) host the first-place Titans (2-2) with a chance to be one game out of first place. So, cheer up, Urban. The first four-game losing streak of your career isn't as bad as it looks.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs. With two more interceptions — leading to 10 points in the 36-28 victory over the Panthers — Diggs has five picks in four games, including at least one in each game. He's on pace for 21 picks. The NFL record of 14 was set by Hall of Famer Dick "Night Train" Lane of the Los Angeles Rams in 1952.
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE
Carolina, Denver, Las Vegas and the Rams fell from the undefeated. Meanwhile, the Giants, Jets and Colts won their first games. That leaves Arizona as the only team capable of reaching 17-0, and the Jaguars and Lions as the only ones chasing 0-17. Early prediction: Arizona beats the 49ers at home, the Jaguars upset the Titans at home and the Lions lose to the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
STAT OF THE WEEK
The Panthers gave up 30 points and 135 yards rushing while starting 3-0. They gave up 36 points and 245 yards rushing in Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
ODD STAT TO WATCH
The last time the Cardinals started 4-0 (2012), they proceeded to lose nine in a row, 11 of their last 12 and got Ken Whisenhunt fired.
WEEK 4 GAME OF THE WEEK
49ers (2-2) at Cardinals (4-0)
San Francisco has won three of the past four meetings. By the way, Arizona's "Air Raid" offense ran 40 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 37-20 victory over the Rams.
FORMER VIKING WATCH
Cordarrelle Patterson had three touchdown catches in his fourth game with the Falcons. Julio Jones played 10 years in Atlanta and never had three touchdown catches in a game.
WEEK 5 LOCK
Vikings (minus-7½) over Lions at home. Season Lock record: 2-1.
WEEK 5 EARLY UPSET SPECIAL
Bears (plus-5 ½) over Raiders in Las Vegas. Season Early Upset Special record: 3-1.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
