After several tumultuous weeks for pundits of the NFL, the teams on the field have finally adhered to their weekly assumptions of which teams would win. The real surprise this week was there really wasn’t one.
The heavily favored Baltimore Ravens kicked off the week Sept. 27 by beating the Cleveland Browns. In all fairness to the Browns, they kept the game closer than some thought they would.
Thursday’s results proved to be the norm to which most other teams would follow on Sunday.
The Atlanta Falcons were able to remain undefeated this season after beating the Carolina Panthers. The game became tight in the fourth quarter, but the favored Falcons were able to seal the victory in a game that was closer than expected.
The New England Patriots were able to rally late against the Buffalo Bills Sept. 30. The Patriots went off for 31 points in the fourth quarter to prevent the upset in Buffalo.
The one surprise you could cite, depending on who you ask, was in Detroit. The Lions were the favored team, despite the fact that the Minnesota Vikings had won more games than the Lions so far this season. The Lions were embarrassed with their lack of special teams
play and lost to the Vikings 20-13.
The San Diego Chargers were able to handle the Kansas City Chiefs quite easily. The Chargers beat the Chiefs by a sizable 17 point margin.
Over in St. Louis, the Rams were able to beat the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks had just come off winning a controversial game against Green Bay, but were unable to stop throwing the ball to the Rams on Sunday. The Rams capitalized on the Seahawks’ mistakes and won, though it was a close game.
San Francisco re-established its claim as the best team in the NFL on Sunday by crushing the New York Jets. The 49ers were able to shutout the Jets in a 34-0 win.
The Houston Texans were able to keep on rolling Sunday as they beat the Tennessee Titans by double digits, cementing their claim as the best team in the AFC.
After a couple of rocky games the last two week in Denver, the Broncos were able to turn around their losing ways. The Broncos convincingly won against the Oakland Raiders, who looked shaky at best.
The Arizona Cardinals were able to keep their winning streak alive with a win against the Miami Dolphins, while the Bengals gave the Jacksonville Jaguars another loss for the season.
In New Orleans, the Saints continued to struggle. After flirting with a win, the Saints made some mistakes and lost the game to the Packers.
Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins, was able to pull the team out of their losing ways of the last two weeks, by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exciting fashion. The Redskins drove down the field late in the game and got a field goal to seal the win.
In Philadelphia, the Eagles benefitted from a late field goal as well. However, the Eagles’ chance at a field goal came from a missed field goal by the New York Giants, which gave the Eagles their third win.
On Monday night, the Chicago Bears were able to pressure Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys, all game. Romo threw five interceptions Monday, which helped the Bears easily get the victory.
Unlike previous weeks, week four of the NFL season was remarkable for being unremarkable.
