The Patriots and Chiefs remain the class of the league ... but the league is catching up.
We came into Week 4, basically the quarter turn of the NFL season, thinking we had three things figured and dead-set solid: The Patriots were great, the Chiefs were great and the Dolphins were awful.
And, welp, only that final thought remains unquestionably true. The Chiefs needed a dramatic late drive to beat the Lions and the Patriots ended up slogging through a tough win in Buffalo. Those teams remain the most impressive so far, but they’re perhaps not as far ahead of the pack as we had envisioned.
Also: What Matt Patricia and Sean McDermott have done so far is truly special and deserves more attention — especially after faring so well against Andy Reid and Belichick, respectively. Their growth serves as a lesson for the Dolphins, too: let that young coach take a year or two to figure things out.
Here are some other things we learned this week.
What we learned: The Patriots offense looked vulnerable for the first time this year. And perhaps its production in the first few games was inflated due to weak opponents. With receiver Julian Edelman still dealing with a chest injury, which seemed to limit his impact on the game, quarterback Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels tried to rely heavily upon Phillip Dorsett and Josh Gordon – but quickly found they could not. The two receivers had five receptions on 16 targets for 56 yards. The Bills, meanwhile, showed they can hang with one of the best teams in the NFL. Buffalo is legit, and if quarterback Josh Allen can develop into a better game-manager, he might sit back and let the defense win him games. — Henry McKenna
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What we learned: The Atlanta Falcons were able to blame a poor 2018 season on injuries that decimated the offensive line and defense. This year, though, Dan Quinn’s Falcons just look bad. The Titans controlled the entire game as Marcus Mariota picked apart the Falcons defense. Atlanta was plagued with the same costly penalties and untimely mistakes that we had already seen throughout the first three weeks. — Andrew Joseph
What we learned: This is the Browns team we thought we’d see after their offseason makeover. Baker Mayfield looked more comfortable in the pocket, trusting his protection going through his reads, and Nick Chubb gashed what is supposed to be a formidable defense. It’s still September, but that was a must-win for Cleveland. It’s also a win that could end up deciding the AFC North — a division the Browns have to be considered the favorites to win now. As for the Ravens, the offense will have better days, but the defensive issues have to be addressed if this team is going to make a run to the playoffs. Communication has been a problem throughout the season, and we saw the Browns take advantage of more than a few coverage busts on Sunday. — Steven Ruiz
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What we learned: The Chiefs aren’t going to have it as easy as we thought — and the Lions are far more legit than we expected. Detroit exposed Kansas City’s troubles holding onto the ball as well as its porous defense, but ultimately Patrick Mahomes was good when it mattered. He’d barely faced any push back this year so Sunday’s game-winning drive was important.
The Lions are clear playoff contender, especially if they can clean up their own fumbling issues, and it certainly appears that Patricia could become the Belichick disciple who successfully replicates his game-planning brilliance: Mahomes had thrown for 10 TDs in his first three games but had none against the Lions and looked bewildered for much of the day by what he saw when he looked downfield.
What we learned: The Texans continue to be one of the NFL’s most frustrating teams. They have the talent to be one of the better teams in the AFC, but every couple of weeks we see a performance like this. The Texans offense never got on track and Deshaun Watson did not see the field well. A struggling offensive line did not help, as the Panthers brought the Texans QB down six times and racked up nine quarterback hits.
That Carolina defense is starting to look like it’s good enough to carry a Cam Newton-less offense. Kyle Allen took a step back after a stellar start in Arizona. Outside of an improvised third-down conversion late in the game, the backup quarterback didn’t create much offense and coughed up the ball three times. He’ll need to be better if the Panthers are going to compete in a competitive NFC South. — Steven Ruiz
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What we learned: Derek Carr remains maddeningly inconsistent but Raiders coach John Gruden appears to have a better grasp of how to coach around it. The Colts, meanwhile, need to find some sure-handed receivers. Jacoby Brissett threw a bad interception late but his receiving corps — which was missing T.Y. Hilton due to injury — let him down way too many times.
Oh, and Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict should be kicked out of the league.
What we learned: The Chargers probably weren’t as dominant as they expected to be, but Melvin Gordon’s return should help an anemic run game (the top two backs ran 28 times for 80 yards). Josh Rosen was good for the Dolphins, completing 17-of-24 passes despite being under constant duress (he was sacked four times.)
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What we learned: Daniel Jones truly is ready to be an NFL starter. Dwayne Haskins has some adjustments to make. Both rookies have plenty of growing to do but Jones looked far more comfortable, completing 23-of-31 passes for 225 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He showed impressive athleticism escaping collapsing pockets but still needs to adjust to NFL defensive baiting him into throwing toward what appear to be, but are not, open windows.
Haskins, meanwhile, replaced an ineffective Case Keenum and struggled, throwing three interceptions on 17 attempts. But the Redskins offense is a complete mess and Jay Gruden’s seat is scalding hot at this point. Washington is not a well-coached team and Haskins, who came into the league with some fixable mechanical and footwork issues, looked like a player who hasn’t gotten what he needed from the staff around him.
What we learned: The bold, clutch version of Carson Wentz that was in the MVP race a few years ago might be back. He only threw for 160 yards but made important throws and left tacklers befuddled with his improvisation. The Packers defense, meanwhile, struggled to contain the inside run and will need to improve there.
