Here are some of the big stories from week 4 of the NFL season.
Dolphins win despite losing wide receiver Tyreek Hill for the season.
Hill, pictured being carted off the field. Photo: Sports Illustrated
The Jets and Dolphins – both winless after three games – battled it out on Monday Night Football. Though both teams were searching for their first win, it wasn’t due to a lack of talent, making for a great game. The way the game unfolded was rather emblematic of both teams. By and large, the Jets’ offense had several convincing drives down the field; however, the Jets did Jet things, and by the end of the fourth quarter, they recorded three fumbles, all of which the Dolphins recovered. The Dolphins executed rather well in this game, relative to their play so far this season. Their defense made big plays, and their run game was effective.
Tyreek Hill Injury:
Despite the game being mildly entertaining, the news of this game is the injury to star Tyreek Hill. In the third quarter, the Fins’ wide receiver went down with a gruesome leg injury. He was carted off the field, put in an air cast, and transported to the hospital. It has since been confirmed that he suffered a dislocated knee and multiple ligament tears, including a torn ACL. It is not an overreaction to say that the Fins’ outlook beyond this game is very uncertain. Their best player has been ruled out for the season; Miami has an option to get out of his current contract next season, and at 31 years old, he will only regress going forward. Needless to say, this injury is catastrophic for the Dolphins.
Trouble in Bengal land – Where do they go from here?
Bengals QB Jake Browning being sacked vs the Broncos. Photo: Yahoo Sports
The week 4 Bengals were identical to the week 3 Bengals: They were without Joe Burrow, and they got destroyed. They walked into the Mile High and left with 3 points for and 28 against. Their defense was Swiss cheese; they gave up 326 yards passing, 186 yards rushing, and a whopping 29 first downs. The offense didn’t perform much better. The most concerning department in this team is the offensive line; it is dreadful. The O-line is a culmination of the managerial mishaps the Bengals have made in recent years – they covered it up for a while, but everything comes to light at one point or another.
The question is, what do the Bengal’s do? Their franchise quarterback is out for the next 3 months, and their playoff hopes will continue to plummet each week they do not have him. In my eyes, they need to make some deals to restructure their team and their salary cap. To some, trading wide receiver Tee Higgins away may be controversial; however, dealing him away would be their best chance to acquire an impact defensive player and get some salary cap relief.
Jaxson Dart and the Giants.
Malik Nabers was injured in the game. Photo: NBC Sports Boston.
After week 3, head coach Brian Daboll made a change that many had been clamoring for: start Jaxson Dart. The first-round rookie shows the type of flash and execution that you see in many of the league’s top quarterbacks. In his first NFL start, Dart performed very well. While he only threw for 111 yards and a touchdown, he ran for 54 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, he dealt with pressure well enough, despite being sacked five times. Though they are unlikely to make the playoffs this year, the New York Giants are on the come-up.
Unfortunately for the Giants, they lost star wide receiver Malik Nabers to injury, who has now been ruled out for the season due to a torn ACL. Nabers’ injury is a big blow to New York, and we will see how significantly that will impact them going forward.
The Chiefs are… Back?
Jones, pictured, during the national anthem ahead of Ravens’ matchup. Photo: People.com
Social media’s negative buzz surrounding the Chiefs can be discarded. Kansas City outclassed the Ravens in week 4. Sure, Lamar Jackson came out of the game in the third quarter, but the Chiefs had been controlling the game up to that point. Chiefs’ QB Mahomes threw for 4 touchdowns on the day, and the return of Xavier Worthy was huge for KC. A notable contributor to this game was Chris Jones, who came directly from a funeral before the game, touching down in Kansas City 45 minutes before kickoff. He was escorted by police to the stadium and missed warmups, but suited up and played.
The Ravens fall to 1-3, now in a bit of a hole. Though they are behind the proverbial “8-ball,” they will be fine and will be in the playoffs come week 17.
