Sunday Takeaways: Week 4

By: Josh Frey-Sam

In most cases, I would say a tie is one of the worst outcomes imaginable.

I didn’t feel that Sunday night, though. All I could do was laugh as I walked away from my TV chuckling after a wild 70-minute contest.

My Green Bay Packers settled on a 40-40 draw with the Dallas Cowboys in primetime, and while there was certainly a feeling of dissatisfaction — owing to some rather questionable clock management from my guys — it was also one of those games where neither quarterback deserved to lose.

Jordan Love and Dak Prescott had matching 31-completion performances while combining for 656 passing yards and seven total touchdowns — and no interceptions.

It was fun from start to finish, and anything but unexpected in a game between these two clubs in Jerry’s World.

If you’re a Packers fan, you probably left that game a bit more disappointed than a Cowboys fan.

There was an expectation that Green Bay would have a solid offensive performance. All of the questions were with the home team.

Dallas’ offence — highlighted by George Pickens — really showed some fight while Dak performed at an MVP level.

That was a great cap to a long day of ball that began at 8:30 a.m. CT.

The best part? We get to do it all over again next Sunday.

Before we jump too far ahead, let’s look at my takeaways from Week 4.

Minnesota 21, Pittsburgh 24

It took a few weeks, but the Steelers’ defence is finally playing good ball. This is what we expect out of this veteran unit, and now it is up to seven turnovers and 11 sacks in the last two outings. They’re getting healthier, too.

Los Angeles Chargers 18, New York Giants 21

I was telling those close to me all week that the Giants at +6.5 was a sneaky play in Jaxson Dart’s debut. This is why. He gave Jesse Minter’s defence a completely different look. The kid was fun to watch, but the game ball goes to the defence, which grinded to hold the Chargers to their lowest point total of the season.

Tennessee 0, Houston 26

Cam Ward said it best in his post-game presser — the Titans are playing like ass right now. It’s tough to really assess Cam’s play on a team like this. Meanwhile, no one should be convinced by the Texans. One big bright spot — Woody Marks, baby.

Washington 27, Atlanta 34

A much-needed get-right game for the Falcons’ offence. Bijan Robinson is so special, and this offence needs to continue treating Drake London like an alpha. Side note: I’m really not sold on Raheem Morris as a head coach.

New Orleans 19, Buffalo 31

I’m really curious, on a scale of 1-10, how sweaty you survivor players were during this one. Credit to the Saints — and Spencer Rattler in particular — this group has really punched above its weight and shown some fight. At the end of the day, they’re just not good enough.

Philadelphia 31, Tampa Bay 25

Find a Philly fan and ask them how relieved they are after that one. The Bucs have had their number in recent years, and they almost pulled it out again. Baker Mayfield is playing some super gritty football this season, and it’s been a treat to watch.

Cleveland 10, Detroit 34

I’ve marked Sunday, Oct. 19 (Week 7) as the date for Dillon Gabriel’s first start. I know Browns fans want Joe Flacco out of there, but the reality is they have a trip to the UK this week and then another road divisional game against the Steelers in Week 6 — neither is a favourable spot to start a rookie in. Having said that, Flacco’s leash in-game has got to be short.

Carolina 13, New England 42

There is still a lot to iron out for the Pats, but this is a team everyone should be excited to watch as this season continues. Drake Maye is playing good, efficient ball, and the defence is healthy now. This could turn into a formidable squad. Meanwhile, Bryce Young has passed for less than 155 yards and has one or fewer touchdown passes in three out of four games this season.

Jacksonville 26, San Francisco 21

Brock Purdy looked like a guy who was not completely healthy. This Jags team is the fakest 3-1 team in the league.

Indianapolis 20, Los Angeles 27

Matthew Stafford is still elite in so many facets of the game. His connection with Puka Nacua is unbelievable. A slight step back by the Colts, but I don’t get the sense that this team was a flash in the pan.

Baltimore 20, Kansas City 37

It was a tough spot for Baltimore this week, and it continued to get worse as the game progressed. I’m not worried at all, but this team needs to get healthy before we start thinking about January. Also, don’t be shocked if we see defensive play-calling duties revoked from Zach Orr in the next few weeks.

Chicago 25, Las Vegas 24

Not much to note here other than the Raiders finally appeared to unleash Ashton Jeanty. His usage will only increase as the games get more important.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh