Approaching Week Four of the NFL, I outlined an article explaining “Why the Miami Dolphins are posed to go undefeated for the second time in NFL history,” but after a poor outing against the Buffalo Bills, one thing is becoming clear this season: We are primed to witness some Oscar-worthy entertainment this year for a few big reasons. Primarily, there is a great mix of talent across all of the divisions in the NFL, paving the way for a competitive final few weeks of the season. But, rewinding to now, we are seeing how any matchup could go either way. In Week Three, the Arizona Cardinals bested the formidable Dallas Cowboys, and this week the poorly rated Washington Commanders took last year’s Super Bowl runner-up, the Philadelphia Eagles, to overtime in a high scoring affair.
Last year, NFL fans popularized the conspiracy theory that the NFL is “scripted,” claiming, semi-ironically, that the league pre-determines outcomes and events. This offseason, the NFL poked fun at the viral trend, releasing ads that showed players sitting at a table read for this year’s season as if they were actors in a movie. With the first quarter of the season that saw Aaron Rodgers go out for the year on his first drive, all-pro tight end Travis Kelce score off the field with Taylor Swift and teams pushing scoring records (only to lose in the week after?), we can be sure that the remaining 14 weeks are bound to be electric.
The Miami Dolphins were humbled after dismantling the Denver Broncos last week, getting lit up by the Buffalo Bills’ offense that looks ready to try for the Lombardi Trophy this year. Miami’s red hot offense was suffocated as the Bills proved how unstoppable they can be when at their best on both sides of the ball. It is safe to say that the Bills belong in the top tier of teams, along with the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys bounced back this week in a 38-3 win over the New England Patriots, who are now 1-3 and at the bottom of the NFC East. Dallas proved that last week’s embarrassing loss to the Cardinals was nothing more than a slip up in their campaign for a championship.
The San Francisco 49ers took care of business with a 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals. San Francisco and the Philadelphia Eagles are now the only two remaining undefeated teams. The Niners are the first team since the 2013 Denver Broncos to post 30 or more points in seven straight games, dating back to last season, and show no signs of slowing down. Their offense is dialed in and running back Christian McCaffery looks fantastic.
The Washington Commanders came out with heat against the Philadelphia Eagles after a 34-point loss against the Buffalo Bills last week, but could not repeat their upset of the Eagles on primetime from last season. Although the Commanders led by a touchdown going into halftime, the Eagles came out strong and forced overtime to score the deciding field goal.
At Soldier Field, the Chicago Bears opened up against the Denver Broncos looking like a whole new team with the win in hand, leading 28-7 after quarterback Justin Fields tallied his fourth touchdown of the game prior to the end of the fourth quarter. Then, the Bears reverted to their true form, giving up 17 points in the fourth quarter to remain winless. For Chicago fans, this week might have been especially painful, but they can find solace in one thing: When the Bears are locked in, they are not half bad. Justin Fields had his first career 300-yard game and did so looking great. Hopefully the Bears can keep some of their momentum as their current losing streak stands at 14 and dates back to last season. It is also tied for longest in the team’s over 100 year history. On the bright side, the Denver Broncos finally got a win. They will have to keep it going next week against a New York Jets team that just gave the Chiefs a run for their money.
At Metlife, Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs almost had their own “Eras Tour” spoiled, avoiding an embarrassing collapse to the suffering New York Jets, with Taylor Swift in attendance. The Chiefs rushed out to a 17-0 lead but then lost their rhythm and got swallowed up by that robust Jets defense, throwing two interceptions and giving up a safety. All of a sudden, the Jets and Chiefs were tied. For the first time in either his college or professional career, Patrick Mahomes was outperformed by his opposing quarterback—Mahomes had more interceptions and fewer completions, passing yards and touchdown passes on Sunday night than—wait for it…Zach Wilson. The Jets and their quarterback had bad blood coming into this week, with many demanding that the Jets revoke Wilson of his starting duties. Despite getting off to a slow start, Wilson found his mojo, connecting with his offense and tying the game up as both teams headed into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, New York fell apart, allowing Kansas City to kick a field goal to give the Chiefs their second consecutive victory in their love story era.
NFL fans should be eager for this upcoming week of football. Starting off on Thursday night, expect the Chicago Bears to pull off an upset against the Washington Commanders. This Bears team showed upside and they are more than ready to get in the win column. As Sunday rolls around, the Detroit Lions should put on a show against the winless Carolina Panthers in a clear assertion of their talent. The Cincinnati Bengals will face a pivotal matchup against the Arizona Cardinals in a duel that will either provide them with either tide-changing momentum or determine that Cincinnati has for sure fallen off. Finally, on Sunday night, the Dallas Cowboys will go head to head with the also undefeated San Francisco 49ers. This should be the matchup of the week as these two dominating teams look to extend their win streak. Who will leap to 5-0? Are the Jets and Bears potentially capable after their surprising performances? How will the Dolphins bounce back after a tough loss? And when will Travis Kelce have a diamond-selling pop album come out about him? These questions and more will become clear next weekend.