NFL Week 4 Takeaways

1. The Patriots defense is a major issue. Alex Smith had a career game against them, Deshaun Watson shredded them, and then this week Cam Newton torched them a week after he couldn’t do anything against a woeful Saints defense. The Patriots are fortunate that they have Tom Brady under center, but even his greatness is not enough to overcome such rancid defense. The Patriots better fix it, and better do so quickly.

2. Todd Gurley is back. After a miserable sophomore season, Gurley has exploded this year. On Sunday, in a huge road win over Dallas, the Rams star running back had 121 yards on the ground and an additional 94 yards and a score receiving. The Rams are contenders this year, thanks in large part to the improved play of Jared Goff, but Todd Gurley has reestablished himself as an upper echelon tailback in the NFL.

3. The Texans are the team to beat in the AFC South. They annihilated their division foe the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, dropping a whooping 57 points. Deshaun Watson looked spectacular as he tied an NFL rookie record for most touchdowns accounted for with five. The Jaguars, who looked so good against the Ravens last week, laid a dud against the Jets on Sunday. If you cannot handle the lowly Jets you cannot be taken seriously.

4. Alvin Kamara has emerged as the Saints featured running back. In a backfield that features Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson, Kamara, a rookie from Tennessee, has been the Saints best option. He is a threat out of the backfield in a way that neither Ingram nor Peterson are, and in an offense that is as pass-happy as the Saints is, that is a must. Kamara reminds me of a young Darren Sproles. He’s small, shifty, and can run between the tackles when necessary. If he can keep playing at this level, I expect the Saints to make a push towards playoff contention.

5. It’s time to play Mitchell Trubisky in Chicago. On Thursday, the Bears had their lunch handed to them by Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Mike Glennon is not giving Chicago any opportunity to win. If they are not going to win, they might as well allow their rookie to learn on the job. The Bears don’t play again until Monday night, so giving Trubisky the extra time to prepare as the starter makes sense. The time is now Chicago, you drafted him second overall. Let him play.

6. The Bills have the best resume in the NFL. They have beaten Denver and they have beaten Atlanta in Atlanta. They also happen to be in first place in the AFC East. Buffalo plays a brand of football that is sustainable, so long as they continue to run the ball effectively with Shady McCoy. In a season in which the Patriots look vulnerable, the Bills, led by first year head coach Sean McDermott, appear to be the real deal.

7. Devastation for the Vikings. It appears as though Dalvin Cook, the rookie sensation out of the Minnesota backfield, tore his ACL. For a team that needs all of the offensive fire power that they can muster, especially without Sam Bradford, the loss of Cook is absolutely demoralizing. The Viking will now have to keep themselves afloat without their playmaking back for the remainder of the season. I’m not sure that’s possible. It’s a somber day in Minnesota.

8. The Giants are done. There has been just one team in the history of football who began the season 0-4 and made the playoffs. I don’t think the Giants can make it two. They have so much talent so their struggles are perplexing, but records don’t lie. Next week, they get the Chargers who also happen to be 0-4. That is a game that neither team can afford to lose.

9. Carson Wentz is that dude. The Eagles are one touchdown away from being undefeated through the first month of the season and their second-year quarterback deserves the lion’s share of the credit. He reminds me of Brett Favre. He has a similar build and certainly has the same gunslinger mentality. In my eyes, Wentz is already a top-10 quarterback in the NFL.

10. The Broncos defense is other worldly. If you remember, this same defensive unit led by Von Miller won Denver a Super Bowl, as they put Peyton Manning and the offense on their shoulders. Listen to this: Melvin Gordon, Ezekiel Elliott, LeSean McCoy, and Marshawn Lynch have combined to run the ball 50 times for 95 yards against the stout Broncos defense this season. That is absurd! So long as Trevor Siemian and the offense can be serviceable, Denver can beat any team in the NFL.