Steelers and Eagles pay for stumbling blocks

The number of undefeated teams in the NFL has fallen to three.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills each lost their respective games on Sunday, leaving the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks as the only undefeated teams (Seattle plays the Detroit Lions on Monday night).

Elsewhere, several teams that were considered contenders – such as the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles – suffered terrible defeats. Across the NFL, teams have struggled to find consistency entering the 2024 season, so there’s a lot to figure out. One of the biggest surprises, however, was the emerging Washington Commanders.

Here are the winners and losers from Sunday of week four.

WINNER

The Ravens silence history and finish a game strong

The Baltimore Ravens have developed a reputation for building big leads but then blowing them late in the game. Against the Bills, a team that was undefeated on Sunday and played balanced football, the Ravens put Buffalo under categorical pressure 35:10.

Baltimore didn’t try to outsmart anyone, instead sticking to what it does best: running the ball. Derrick Henry accounted for 199 yards on the ground and Baltimore rolled up 271 rushing yards against the Bills. The Ravens executed in the red zone, converting all four trips into touchdowns. They were physical and delivered punishing hits on defense. When the Ravens play like this, they are capable of great things. The problem is that sometimes they get in their own way.

Commanders could build something special

Washington may have found a star in Jayden Daniels, whose 82.1% completion rate is the highest in NFL history by any player through the first four games of a season. The offensive line may be the unit in the entire NFL that has shown the most year-over-year improvement; The Commanders (3-1) didn’t give up a single sack in a 42-14 win against the Arizona Cardinals.

Daniels gets plenty of time to throw, but his mobility gives him headaches when defending. Still, to the credit of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, he came up with an offense that’s perfect for Daniels and one in which he can quickly distribute the ball to playmakers, even if Washington’s receiving corps is far from the best. The defense certainly has room for improvement despite pressuring Kyler Murray throughout the game as coach Dan Quinn continues to put his stamp on this team.

The Vikings confirm their status as contenders

If anyone still doubted Minnesota’s status as a contender, the Vikings going to Lambeau Field and scoring the first 28 points of the game against the Green Bay Packers would have put those concerns to rest. Perhaps most impressive, however, was how Minnesota responded, securing the 31-29 victory after allowing its NFC North rival to score 22 unanswered points.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ unit forced Green Bay into two turnovers against the Packers after two turnovers that lasted just two plays each. That gave Sam Darnold and the offense a chance to make it a two-possession game, which they did with a 33-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter. Admittedly, this wasn’t the cleanest game for Minnesota; It committed three turnovers and failed to score on two of its five trips inside the red zone. Nevertheless, the Vikings showed once again that few teams play better football than them.

The Falcons are fortunate to be able to compete in the NFC South

The classification may not be decided until the end of the season. But the Atlanta Falcons earned a huge 26-24 victory on a game-winning 58-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo, handing the New Orleans Saints two straight losses.

Despite their speed and athleticism at the skill positions, Atlanta still hasn’t put together a crisp offensive game. Quarterback Kirk Cousins remained deliberate and laborious in his processing after the snap. Atlanta defeated New Orleans despite a 366-315 margin, recorded fewer first downs (25-14), lost time of possession (35:42-24:18) and was inefficient on third down. In fact, the offense didn’t score a single touchdown as the Falcons’ defense and special teams scored two points. Atlanta (2-2) still secured a huge win over New Orleans (2-2) and is one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1).

LOSER

Breece Hall, the sloppy Jets are among the mercurial in the league

It’s hard to say what kind of team the New York Jets are. With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, they show offensive brilliance. But then there are times when they lack urgency and competence, make mental mistakes and let lazy people snowball.

Conditions were rainy and cool in the 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos, so offensive football was always going to be a challenge. However, this was unacceptable. Late in the first quarter, New York received the gift of a defensive pass interference that brought the ball to the Broncos’ 1-yard line. Breece Hall hit his linemen (twice), the third down play was thrown out of bounds and the fourth down play was derailed due to a false start, leaving New York to settle for three. The Jets (2-2) committed 13 penalties on Sunday. Rodgers was caught multiple times staring at his teammates in apparent disbelief at these pre-snap violations. A false start occurred for Hall, who gained just 4 yards on 10 carries and failed to hit a blitzing player on fourth down at the last minute.

Slow starts are catching up with the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers offense was already one of the more run-happy units in the NFL, but Sunday’s eventual 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts seemed like a chance to make progress, particularly in the rushing game.

Indianapolis came into the game second to last in rushing defense, averaging 179 rushing yards allowed per game. Still, running back Najee Harris (13 carries for 19 yards) continues to be ineffective, especially early in games. Pittsburgh needs more from him. The Steelers have scored just 29 first-half points in their four games. They were able to achieve victories thanks to their defense. However, the Colts neutralized Pittsburgh’s pass rush and controlled the game. Sunday showed that, barring Justin Fields’ heroics, the Steelers’ offense is incapable of overcoming days of defense.

This Jaguars construction may have already reached its peak

After the 24:20 defeat against the Houston Texans, Jacksonville is one of only two winless teams in the NFL; the other is the Tennessee Titans, who play on Monday. Going back to last season, the Jaguars have actually lost nine of their last ten games, with the only win coming in Week 17 last season against a Carolina Panthers team that won two games in 2023.

Trevor Lawrence has moments where he plays well, but he often seems too narrow and seems afraid to make mistakes. His accuracy on short to moderate distances has decreased. Under coach Doug Pederson, the team’s situational leadership has often caused confusion. The decision to throw the ball twice late in the game when the first priority should be to make sure the clock is running should be questioned. The offense also had four plays inside the Houston 5-yard line and was turned away on downs. It feels like a team is on its way to a significant change.

Philadelphia desperately needs its receivers back

The Eagles appear to be a team unable to make up for the loss of star receivers DeVonta Smith (concussion) and AJ Brown (hamstring injury). In a 33-16 loss to the Buccaneers, Philadelphia’s ground game offense was used – even though Tampa Bay scored the game’s first 24 points – but Jalen Hurts and the Philly passing team lacked impact without Smith and Brown.

Hurts threw for 158 yards. The Eagles’ leading receiver on Sunday was Parris Campbell, who caught four passes … for 17 yards. Hurts averaged 3.2 yards per pass attempt, second worst than the Broncos (2.4), who played in a rainy slopfest.

Now when it comes to the team’s defense, which was dismantled by Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, that’s a whole different story.

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