NFL Game Recaps: Week 4, 2021

NFL Game Recaps of previous weeks and seasons can be found via links at the bottom of the page.

Bengals 24, Jaguars 21

Despite an early injury to D.J. Chark, who broke his ankle, the Jaguars were in position to win this game in a blowout. Up 14-0, they had possession on Cincinnati’s 1-yard line late in the second quarter. Trevor Lawrence, who had success running for first downs earlier in the contest, tried to scramble into the end zone, but was stuffed by a defender. The Jaguars turned it over on downs rather than extending their lead to 21.

The Bengals took their two-touchdown deficit into the locker room, but came out swinging in the second half. Thanks to a 33-yard reception to Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals were able to finally reach the end zone. They scored a second touchdown shortly later after a Jacksonville three-and-out. The two teams exchanged scores, but Cincinnati obtained possession in a tie affair with 5:33 remaining in regulation. Thanks to a holding penalty by cornerback Tre Herndon, the Bengals were able to advance into field goal range via a 26-yard completion to tight end C.J. Uzomah. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson drilled a 35-yard field goal, allowing Cincinnati to steal a game that it never led.

Uzomah was the hero for the Bengals. Trailing only Tyler Boyd (9-118) in receiving, Uzomah caught five passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Jacksonville’s inept defense has been weak to tight ends every week this season, so it wasn’t a surprise to see Uzomah thrive like he did. Uzomah missed most of last season with an injury, so it’s great that he had this sort of performance.

With Tee Higgins sidelined, the only other Bengal with multiple catches besides Boyd and Uzomah was Chase, who reeled in six of his nine targets for 77 yards. He didn’t catch a touchdown for the first time in his career, but his 33-yard reception set up Cincinnati’s first score.

Joe Burrow had a rough start because of some poor blocking, but the Bengals got their act together in the second half, making some adjustments by adding a sixth blocker. Burrow finished with only seven misfires, going 25-of-32 for 348 yards and two touchdowns.

Joe Mixon also scored. He rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. However, Mixon missed the final drive of the game because of some sort of foot or leg injury. Luckily for the Bengals, he has extra time to recover from this malady.

Mixon’s counterpart enjoyed a terrific evening. James Robinson scored twice, tallying 78 yards on 18 carries. Robinson didn’t have to share any touches with Carlos Hyde for the first time all year, as Urban Meyer made Hyde inactive for this game. It took Meyer about a month, but he finally figured out that Hyde no longer has what it takes in the NFL.

Lawrence has endured an inconsistent rookie season thus far, but he didn’t make any mistakes for the first time. He went 17-of-24 for 204 yards, doing most of his damage as a scrambler. He rushed eight times for 36 yards and a score. He picked up three first downs on a single drive with his legs.

As mentioned, Chark was knocked out of this game in the first quarter. That would explain why Laviska Shenault was able to catch six passes for 99 yards. Marvin Jones (3-24) disappointed, while new tight end Dan Arnold (2-29) drew a defensive hold in the end zone, ultimately setting up one of Robinson’s touchdowns.

Bears 24, Lions 14

So much can change on a weekly basis in the NFL, and this game was proof of that. The Bears failed to do anything offensively in Week 3, scoring just six points as Justin Fields took nine sacks versus the Browns. Just seven days later, the Bears enjoyed a terrific offensive showing, with Fields coming away with his first victory in the NFL.

Of course, the caliber of opponent matters, and Detroit’s defense is terrible compared to Cleveland’s stop unit. Still, Fields played very well, misfiring just six times and making very few mistakes. There were only two major blunders on Fields’ part. The first was an interception, though that was tipped at the line of scrimmage. The second was a fumble on a strip-sack, but Fields did well to recover the ball on the ground.

There were far more positives than negatives, however. Fields did most of his damage aerially, going 11-of-17 for 209 yards and the pick. He scrambled just thrice for nine rushing yards. Fields made some impressive throws, including a 64-yard bomb to Mad-Eye Mooney on the second drive of the game. He later went back to Mooney with an impressive pass in which he showed amazing touch on a 32-yard connection. Fields’ final excellent throw was a 24-yard dart to Allen Robinson where he fit the ball through a tight window. Fields missed out on a touchdown much earlier in the game when he threw too high in Mooney’s direction, but the receiver was still able to make the 21-yard catch.

Mooney had a big game, as he might be Fields’ preferred receiver. Mooney caught five passes for 125 yards, including deep shots of 64 and 32 yards. He also made a terrific, leaping catch for a 21-yard gain on the opening drive. Meanwhile, Robinson notched just three receptions for 63 yards, but made them count with a couple of deep receptions.

The dark cloud over this victory for the Bears was that David Montgomery suffered a leg injury in the fourth quarter. It’s a shame that this spoiled what was a great day for Montgomery, who rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Damien Williams, who tallied 55 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts, must be added in every fantasy league if Montgomery is out for a while.

As for the Lions, they had a chance to potentially pull the upset, but they shot themselves in the foot too many times. Down 7-0, they suffered a fumble on an errant snap on a first-and-goal. The next drive, which also went into the Chicago 5-yard line, ended in a turnover on downs, as a fourth-down Jared Goff pass was batted by Alec Ogletree. Goff then was strip-sacked during another red zone trip. The Lions eventually got their act together, but they were too far down to catch up to the Bears.

Goff went 24-of-38 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and a lost fumble. He had a solid performance in between the 20s, but he and his teammates were too inept in the red zone until late in the game.

Both of Goff’s touchdowns went to Kalif Raymond, who had just one other catch. Raymond’s three grabs for 46 yards and two scores trailed Quintez Cephus (4-83) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (6-70). T.J. Hockenson (4-42) was a disappointment, though he drew an interference flag.

The Lions’ coaching staff said that D’Andre Swift would be a bigger part of the offense this week, but they did not tell the truth. Jamaal Williams, who started this game, had nearly double the number of carries, 14-8, outgaining Swift, 66-16. Swift caught four passes for 33 receiving yards, but his fantasy owners should be worried about the reduced workload.

Jets 27, Titans 24

Zach Wilson endured a difficult schedule to start his NFL career. Battling the highly ranked Panthers’ defense, then Bill Belichick and Vic Fangio, Wilson looked like an utter failure through three games. Things are much different now, however, as Wilson thrived in his first easy matchup. Going up against an already-poor defense missing Bud Dupree, Wilson had a brilliant second half and overtime to lead his team to its first victory of the year.

It appeared as though it was going to be more of the same struggles for Wilson, who threw behind his receiver on the opening drive, then fired an interception shortly later when Corey Davis fell down. Wilson barely completed half of his passes for just 65 yards heading into intermission, but everything changed once the Jets came back from the tunnel. It all started when Wilson hit Keelan Cole while on the run with a 54-yard bomb. This set up a field goal, giving the Jets a 10-9 lead. Following a Tennessee touchdown, Wilson launched a deep pass in Davis’ direction, drawing an interference flag. Wilson ultimately connected with Jamison Crowder in the end zone, tying the game at 17. On the ensuing possession, Wilson scrambled right and commanded Davis to run deep downfield. Wilson launched a rocket, which ended up being a 53-yard score. This gave the Jets a 24-17 lead.

The Titans struck back at the end of regulation to force overtime. Wilson, however, took the opening possession of the extra session deep into Tennessee territory, thanks to another big play to Cole. Wilson missed tight end Ryan Griffin for a potential touchdown, but the field goal was good enough to win because the Titans couldn’t match the three, thanks to a horrible delay-of-game penalty turning a 44-yard try into a 49-yard whiff by Randy Bullock.

Wilson finished 21-of-34 for 297 yards, two touchdowns and the interception, which wasn’t really his fault. What Wilson did following halftime was remarkable, as you can see by his second-half and overtime stats: 14-of-22, 232 yards and two scores.

Davis caught one of the 50-yard bombs from Wilson, thriving in a revenge game. Davis snatched four of his seven targets for 111 yards and a touchdown, and that doesn’t include the drawn interference flag. Crowder (7-61) also found his way into the end zone, though he dropped a pass deep in Tennessee territory.

Michael Carter continued to operate as the lead back for the Jets, rushing for 38 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. He was the only New York running back with more than five touches.

While the Titans have to feel some shame for this loss, it must be pointed out that neither A.J. Brown nor Julio Jones played. It was nothing but Derrick Henry for the Titans, as Henry dashed for 157 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. He also caught two passes for 20 receiving yards.

Without the services of Brown and Jones, Ryan Tannehill didn’t have the best showing; he went 30-of-49 for 298 yards and a touchdown. He saw more pressure than he’s used to seeing, as New York didn’t exactly have to respect his receivers. He was at least partly responsible for the delay of game that put Bullock in a tougher kicking spot in overtime.

Nick Westbrook was a huge disappointment with only three receptions on his eight targets for 29 yards. It was backup running back Jeremy McNichols who led the Titans in receiving; he caught eight of his 12 targets for 74 yards, as Tannehill had to release the ball quickly to avoid pressure from the talented Jets’ defensive line. McNichols had a great third-and-21 conversion early in the game, impressively evading Jets defenders in the open field.

Browns 14, Vikings 7

Cleveland’s defense and running game deserves all the credit for this victory. The Vikings scored an early touchdown when Kirk Cousins hit Justin Jefferson in the end zone after a penalty negated the same connection on a prior score. That was the only time Minnesota put points on the board, as the Browns’ stop unit limited the Vikings to just four yards per play. The defensive front, which notched nine sacks against the Bears last week, swarmed Cousins at every opportunity. Cousins seldom had a chance to do anything.

The ground attack, meanwhile, did a great job of keeping Cousins off the field. The Vikings lost the clock duel by 11 minutes as a result, as Minnesota was helpless to stop both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chubb rushed for 100 yards on 21 carries, while Hunt gained 69 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. One of the key plays of the game saw Hunt convert a third-and-20 with a 33-yard sprint. That gain set up a Cleveland field goal.

With the Cleveland defense and rushing attack dominating, why did the Browns win by just seven points? The answer to that is Baker Mayfield, who had a putrid performance despite battling a poor Minnesota secondary. Mayfield was extremely inaccurate in this game, failing to complete half of his passes. He missed some potential touchdowns, including one bad pass to Hunt in the end zone early in the opening quarter. On the following drive, Mayfield whiffed finding Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone with a horrible fade. He later had Beckham for another potential score, this time of the deep variety, but missed him once again, this time with an underthrown ball. And if that wasn’t enough, Mayfield had a wide-open Beckham on the final offensive drive for a potential touchdown to clinch the victory, but threw behind him.

Mayfield, as you might suspect, posted a horrific stat line, going 15-of-33 for 155 yards. He didn’t commit any turnovers, but only because Patrick Peterson dropped a potential interception of his in the end zone. It was truly a ghastly performance, and despite the great defense and running game, the Browns will have no chance of winning in the playoffs if Mayfield plays like this.

Beckham and his fantasy owners have to feel very frustrated. Beckham should’ve scored multiple touchdowns, but thanks to Mayfied’s incompetence, he caught just two passes for 27 yards. He trailed only Rashard Higgins (4-63) in the box score.

As for the Vikings, Cousins could do nothing against Cleveland’s great defense following the opening drive. He finished 20-of-38 for 203 yards, one touchdown and an interception late in the game on a desperation heave. Cousins had been enjoying an MVP-like season heading into this game, but that came to an end through no fault of his own. The Browns absolutely dominted this game in the trenches.

Jefferson was Minnesota’s sole productive receiver. He caught six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. He made a great diving catch of 12 yards on the opening drive, then made a stellar adjustment on a 14-yard connection. He also caught a deep pass that was negated by a holding penalty. Adam Thielen (3-46) struggled to do much in this tough matchup after the opening drive that featured a Thielen third-down conversion.

The Minnesota running game wasn’t effective either. Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison split the workload in Cook’s return from injury, with Cook outgaining Mattison, 34-20, on one fewer carry (10-9). Cook barely played in the second half until there were a few minutes remaining. He may have aggravated his injury, but he looked perfectly fine once he returned to the field.

Bills 40, Texans 0

The Bills didn’t exactly have the dominant offensive performance many expected them to enjoy, despite what the final tally says. They scored just one touchdown in the opening half, posting 16 points in total heading into intermission. The team had some struggles in the red zone amid poor weather, while Josh Allen tossed an interception because he didn’t see Lonnie Johnson.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter because the Buffalo defense suffocated Houston’s offense. In one of the most hilarious stat lines you’ll ever see, Davis Mills was 1-of-7 for three yards and two interceptions in the first half. That’s right: He had just one more yard than interceptions. Buffalo outgained Houston, 224-11, heading into the break.

The Bills finally scored sevens instead of threes following intermission, while Houston continued to do nothing. It was a 33-0 shutout when the Bills pulled their starters.

Allen shook off a disappointing first half to thrive following intermission, going 9-of-11 for 114 yards and a touchdown after the break, though he was lucky that Christian Kirksey dropped a potential interception. He ultimately finished 20-of-29 for 248 yards, two scores and the aforementioned interception. He also scrambled six times for 41 rushing yards.

Stefon Diggs’ fantasy owners have been waiting for a great performance from their stud receiver. Diggs caught seven of his 10 targets for 114 yards, though he failed to find the end zone. Emmanuel Sanders (5-74) and Cole Beasley (2-16) also failed to score. Allen’s two touchdowns went to Dawson Knox (5-37).

Both Devin Singletary and Dawson Knox carried the ball 14 times. Singletary predictably outgained Moss, 79-61, but Moss was the one who scored a touchdown. Singletary had a 41-yard run negated by a hold that didn’t have anything to do with the play.

As for the Texans, there’s not much to say beyond what was written already. Mills’ final numbers were 11-of-21, 87 yards and four interceptions. He also lost a fumble when the ball slipped out of his hands to begin the game. Thanks to his struggles, only two Texans logged more than six receiving yards: Brandin Cooks (5-47) and David Johnson (3-27). Johnson nearly converted a fourth down early in the game with a reception, but Jerry Hughes was able to bat down the pass.

Speaking of Johnson, he rushed for 21 yards on five carries, finishing just shy of Mark Ingram’s team lead of 24 yards on six attempts.

Cowboys 36, Panthers 28

The Cowboys won this game in a blowout, but they were trailing at the half. Their defense had issues against Sam Darnold’s legs, as Darnold scored two rushing touchdowns while scrambling for 28 yards. Darnold was also efficient as a passer, completing 12-of-16 passes for 114 yards. Thanks to a failed two-point conversion, Carolina had a one-point advantage heading into intermission.

The game completely changed in the second half because Dallas made several big plays. The first was an Amari Cooper 35-yard touchdown bomb that awarded the Cowboys the lead, as Cooper torched new Panther cornerback C.J. Henderson. The next was a 47-yard Ezekiel Elliott run that gave the Cowboys possession on the Carolina 4-yard line, setting up a quick score. The third was a Darnold interception. He didn’t see Trevon Diggs, and the pick set up another Dallas touchdown, as Dak Prescott found Cedrick Wilson for a 23-yard score. And just like that, Dallas’ 14-13 deficit turned into a 36-14 lead.

Elliott was Dallas’ top offensive producer. Thanks to his 47-yard run, he was able to eclipse the century mark. He finished with 143 yards on 20 carries. Tony Pollard (10-67) also had a nice game on the ground.

Prescott didn’t post any eye-popping stats, but was very efficient. He went 14-of-22 for 188 yards and four touchdowns. Prescott did his best work after halftime; he threw three touchdowns compared to just one incompletion in the second half! Prescott’s second-half numbers were 6-of-7 for 84 yards and the three scores.

The only prominent Dallas player who disappointed was CeeDee Lamb and his two catches for 13 yards. Lamb, remarkably, was the sole Cowboy who caught a pass, but didn’t score. Five Cowboys logged receptions and exactly one touchdown: Cooper (3-69), Dalton Schultz (6-58), Cedrick Wilson (2-30) and Blake Jarwin (1-18). Schultz lost a fumble on a second-quarter drive, but some incompetent officiating negated the turnover.

Moving on to the Panthers, Darnold added two passing touchdowns to his rushing scores, albeit in garbage time. He finished 26-of-39 for 301 yards, four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) and a pair of interceptions. He also scrambled six times for 35 rushing yards. Despite the great fantasy stats, Darnold was a liability at times with his turnovers against a defense that has improved, but is still not very good.

Darnold’s vultured touchdowns away from Chuba Hubbard, who perhaps would’ve had a solid outing if his team didn’t fall too far behind in the third quarter. Hubbard was able to run just 13 times, gaining 57 yards in the process. He also caught two passes for 14 receiving yards.

Thanks to garbage time, D.J. Moore helped his fantasy owners with a stellar stat line. He caught eight of his 12 targets 113 yards and both of Darnold’s passing touchdowns.

Colts 27, Dolphins 17

The final score shows that the Colts won this game by double digits, but that’s a misleading result. This was an evenly matched defensive struggle that was decided by several Miami mistakes.

The Dolphins led 3-0 in the second quarter when they forced the Colts into a punt. However, an offside penalty allowed Indianapolis to extend the drive, ultimately allowing Jonathan Taylor to score the first touchdown of the game. The Dolphins later gave the Colts 10 free points off two fumbles. The first was a muffed punt, while the second was a Jacoby Brissett strip-sack in which Brissett avoided two defenders, but couldn’t escape a third in a crowded backfield. Seventeen points off costly Miami blunders gave the Colts a free win.

Aside from Miami’s constant errors, the big take-away from this game is that Carson Wentz looked much healthier than he did last week. Wentz was limited in practice all week, but didn’t show it in Miami. Wentz misfired on just eight occasions, going 24-of-32 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. He did this despite missing two starting offensive linemen: Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith.

Both of Wentz’s touchdowns were thrown to Mo Alie-Cox, who caught three passes for 42 yards. He finished behind only Michael Pittman Jr. (6-59) and Zach Pascal (4-44) in the box score.

The Dolphins allowed Peyton Barber to look like Jim Brown last week, and their struggles against the run continued in this game despite the missing Indianapolis offensive linemen. Taylor rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on just 16 carries.

Miami didn’t have nearly as much success running the ball. Malcom Brown was the leading rusher with 23 yards on eight attempts. Myles Gaskin, conversely, was nowhere to be found; he carried the ball just twice for three yards. It’s even more puzzling why he didn’t see a single target. The Dolphins need to consider hiring a new offensive coordinator because their current coaches can’t evaluate their own talent.

Brissett, struggling behind a horrible offensive line, needed to accumulate garbage time to make his stat line look respectable. He went 20-of-30 for 199 yards, two touchdowns and a lost fumble, but accumulated just 57 yards by halftime. Brissett had no chance in this revenge game, as he had no blocking to help him. When he wasn’t running for his life, he was skipping horrible passes into the ground.

DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki were the recipients of those two garbage-time scores. Parker had four catches for 77 yards, while Gesicki snatched five balls for 57 yards. Jaylen Waddle (3-33) had a disappointing game, while Will Fuller (1-6) left the game with an injury. Fuller had a deep catch negated by an illegal hands penalty.

Giants 27, Saints 21

Daniel Jones had been a turnover machine early in his career, but he has cut down on the give-aways ever since the opening-week loss to the Broncos. Still, the turnover reduction hadn’t translated into victories – at least until this contest.

Jones committed just a single turnover against the Saints, and it was an inconsequential one because it came on a Hail Mary just prior to halftime. Instead, Jones came up big on some drives, including one possession in the opening half that featured a 52-yard touchdown bomb to John Ross. Despite this, the Giants still trailed 21-10 in the second half. Jones didn’t panic as he may have in prior seasons. He engineered a couple of scoring drives to send this game into overtime. He then took the initial possession all the way down the field, as a 23-yard connection to Kenny Golladay set up the Saquon Barkley decisive touchdown.

Jones finished 28-of-40 for 402 yards, two touchdowns and the Hail Mary interception. This was one of the best performances of his career, and it could be a harbinger of things to come.

Including the game-winning score, Barkley found the end zone twice in this game. He rushed 52 yards on 13 carries, as he did most of his damage aerially; he caught five passes for 74 receiving yards. His lone mistake was fumbling in overtime, but his team recovered. Following a slow start, Barkley is officially back to full strength.

Three Giants finished ahead of Barkley in the box score: Golladay (6-116), Kadarius Toney (6-78) and Ross (3-77). Golladay moved his team in position for the tying field goal at the end of regulation with a 28-yard reception where he bounced off the defender. He also got open for a 23-yard connection in overtime to set up Barkley’s game-winning score.

Toney was exceptional in this game. He converted an early third-and-18 by eluding numerous defenders. He later danced around multiple defenders on a 21-yard reception. Toney saw a team-leading nine targets, so this could be the beginning of something special, particularly in PPR formats.

The Saints didn’t have as much luck with their inconsistent quarterback. Jameis Winston didn’t have a bad game, going 17-of-23 for 226 yards and a touchdown. However, he had to deal with inadequate pass protection because two offensive linemen were sidelined. The Saints should be thankful Winston didn’t commit any turnovers. In fact, it was Taysom Hill who was guilty of an interception on a deep shot downfield one play after a Winston touchdown pass was negated by a holding penalty.

While Hill was responsible for the interception, he scored two touchdowns, vulturing fantasy points away from Alvin Kamara, who enjoyed a great rushing performance. He rushed for 120 yards on 26 carries. Curiously, Kamara caught just one pass for 10 receiving yards.

The Saints’ leading receiver, Marquez Callaway, caught a deep bomb of 58 yards, but hurt his ankle on the play. He remained in the game, so there should be no concern. Deonte Harris (5-52) was next on the stat sheet, while Juwan Johnson (2-20) caught Winston’s sole touchdown.

Chiefs 42, Eagles 30

The Chiefs were bound to put forth a terrific performance in this game after two consecutive losses. They were extremely sloppy the past couple of weeks, fumbling away a potential victory against the Ravens and then committing three turnovers inside the Chargers’ 30-yard line to begin last Sunday’s contest. Kansas City made just one error in this game, scoring touchdowns on all but a single possession against a hapless Philadelphia defense that had no chance.

The one Kansas City blunder was a Patrick Mahomes interception that he made as a result of Orlando Brown pressure. Despite Brown being at fault, it was still a pass Mahomes shouldn’t have thrown. He made up for it the rest of the way, however, torching the Eagles’ defense relentlessly. The Chiefs were an unbelievable 9-of-10 on third down as Mahomes threw five touchdowns. Remarkably, he had just one more incompletion.

Mahomes finished 24-of-30 for 278 yards, five touchdowns and an interception. A trio of his scores went to Tyreek Hill, who had a monstrous performance against the Eagles’ secondary. Hill caught 11 of his 12 targets for 186 yards otherwise.

Mahomes’ other touchdowns were to Clyde Edwards-Helaire and someone named Jody Fortson. Travis Kelce was the only disappointment in this contest. He caught just four passes for 23 yards against a Philadelphia defense that was helpless to stop Dalton Schultz last week.

Edwards-Helaire topped the century mark for the second week in a row. In addition to his receiving score (2 catches, 12 rec. yards), Edwards-Helaire rushed for 102 yards on just 14 carries.

While Kansas City’s offense was unstoppable, the defense had its problems. The team stopped Miles Sanders effectively – Sanders was limited to 13 yards on seven carries – but Jalen Hurts looked like the second coming of, well, Mahomes at times in this matchup. The Eagles generated just 10 fewer yards in this game, though they were aided a bit by one final garbage-time drive.

Hurts was 32-of-48 for 387 yards and two touchdowns to go along with eight scrambles for 47 rushing yards. Hurts looked terrific at times, but he made some mistakes. One was an interception that was negated by replay review, while another was a lost fumble on a strip-sack that negated a scoring opportunity right before halftime. Hurts also missed some passes he should’ve converted in the red zone and during the fourth quarter. As an example, he missed Zach Ertz for a score in the opening quarter.

Still, it was a strong performance overall from Hurts, especially when considering that the Eagles were missing four offensive linemen in this game. It must be noted that Hurts had three apparent touchdowns negated by penalties, but this is the sort of thing that happens with a team missing four blockers.

Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for some big gains, including a touchdown that was called back because Smith went out of bounds and then caught the ball. Smith ultimately caught seven passes for 122 yards. Ertz was next with six grabs for 60 yards, while Dallas Goedert (5-56) caught a touchdown. Both Ertz and Goedert also had potential scores wiped out by penalties.

Kenneth Gainwell had a decent game. He rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown on just three carries, and he also caught six of his eight targets for 58 receiving yards. He and Sanders saw a similar number of touches.

Redskins 34, Falcons 30
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: Where was this offense production last week from the Redskins? Oh, wait, there was a difference in the caliber of defenses they faced. Taylor Heinicke would be a Hall of Fame quarterback if he got to battle Atlanta each week.

Even though we are still early in the 2021 season, both of these teams needed this win to keep within striking distance of their division leaders. Both teams struggled defensively, but Taylor Heinicke made some huge throws in the clutch to lead Washington to a comeback win on the road.

The Falcons took the opening drive down the field, with Matt Ryan finding Kyle Pitts (4-50) for a few completions that accounted for 30 yards, but the drive stalled and they settled for a field goal. Early in the second quarter. Atlanta extended its lead when Cordarrelle Patterson ran a deep post and got wide open in busted coverage for a 42-yard touchdown. Washington quickly responded with Heinicke lofting in a beautiful 33-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin.

Late in the first half, the Redskins took the lead thanks to Heinicke hitting Ricky Seals-Jones for 16 yards and scrambling for 20 yards to set up a short rushing touchdown for Antonio Gibson. Ryan then led a drive that was capped with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Patterson to put Atlanta up 17-13 at the half.

The third quarter opened with the rare sight of a kickoff return for a touchdown – this one by DeAndre Carter. Commissioner Touchback was probably distraught at seeing a kick return, but it was fun for the Redskins and their fans, along with giving them a 19-17 lead after Dustin Hopkins missed his second extra point. Atlanta regained the lead with a 14-touchdown pass to Patterson, who skied over Kendall Fuller for the score. The two-point conversion was broken up, so Atlanta held a 23-19 lead, but Washington responded with Heinicke leading a field goal drive to cut the lead to 23-22.

A questionable roughing the passer penalty on Chase Young gifted Atlanta a fourth-down conversion, and to end the drive, Mike Davis put together a superb run after the catch for a 7-yard touchdown. Down 30-22 with time winding down in the fourth quarter, Heinicke led a drive with a key third-and-long conversion on a pass to J.D. McKissic to get inside the 20. On the next snap, Heinicke made a great play to break a tackle from Dante Fowler and then threw a ball up for grabs that McLaurin made an adjustment to for a touchdown catch. The two-point conversion went incomplete, so with just under four minutes, the Falcons were left clinging to a 30-28 lead.

The Redskins got the ball back with 1:47 on the clock starting at their 24. Heinicke hit Carter for 24 yards, and a completion to Adam Humphries moved the ball inside the 35. On third down, Heinicke rolled to his left and floated a pass back to his right to McKissic, and the running back made a miraculous play, exploding downfield and diving into the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown. A Hail Mary was knocked down by Kendall Fuller to clinch the win for Washington.

Heinicke completed 28-of-33 passes for 290 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Gibson took 14 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown, plus made two receptions for 12 yards. McKissic caught five passes for 44 yards and a touchdown while also running for 15 yards on seven carries.

McLaurin caught six passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Ryan completed 25-of-42 passes for 283 yards with four touchdowns.

Patterson had six carries for 34 yards and made five receptions for 82 yards and three touchdowns.

Calvin Ridley had seven catches for 80 yards.

Seahawks 28, 49ers 21
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: Yeah, I’m sure Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a “calf injury” no one in the world saw that resulted in his benching. Kyle Shanahan, stop being a wuss and just tell everyone that you benched Garoppolo for performance issues.

This was a game that Seattle had to have after losing back-to-back contests. This win puts the Seahawks at 2-2, tied with San Francisco, and within striking distance of the Rams (3-1) and Cardinals (4-0). The 49ers pulled Jimmy Garoppolo in the second half as he dealt with a calf injury, but both Garopollo and Trey Lance were not capable of outplaying Russell Wilson.

San Francisco struck first, with Garoppolo leading a drive that ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ross Dwelley, but on the next 49ers’ possession, Quandre Diggs jumped a route for an interception that set up Seattle just across midfield. Nick Bosa put a stop to that field position, as he blew past Duane Brown for a third-down sack that forced a punt. After a slow start, Wilson began moving the ball late in the first half, hitting a pass to Alex Collins for a gain of 28 yards. After a few more completions, D.K. Metcalf caught a 14-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven entering halftime.

Trey Lance replaced Garoppolo to open the second half, and the 49ers’ offense had issues sustaining drives after that. After trading punts, Seattle put a drive together midway through the third quarter. Wilson finished it by running into the end zone from 16 yards out to get the Seahawks the lead. On the ensuing kickoff, San Francisco fumbled the ball away, and a few plays later, Wilson hit Freddie Swain for a 13-yard touchdown to put Seattle up 21-7. The 49ers responded when Seattle had completely busted coverage on Deebo Samuel, leaving him wide open along the sideline, and Lance hit him to let Samuel race down the field for a 76-yard touchdown.

Early in the fourth quarter, Wilson engineered a drive, but it would have stalled out if not for a critical pass interference on San Francisco. Alex Collins (10-44-1) then scored from 14 yards out to put Seattle in control, 28-13. The 49ers added a touchdown in garbage time.

Wilson completed 16-of-23 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He also rushed for another score.

Chris Carson finished with 30 yards on 13 carries.

Metcalf caught four passes for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Garoppolo completed 14-of-23 passes for 165 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He was pulled in favor of Lance, who went 9-of-18 for 157 yards and two touchdowns to go along with seven scrambles for 41 rushing yards.

Trey Sermon ran for 89 yards on 19 carries.

Samuel had eight receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns. George Kittle brought in four catches for 40 yards.

Cardinals 37, Rams 20

The Rams seemed like they were invincible coming off their big win against the Buccaneers, but no one told that to Arizona. The Cardinals were the superior squad in this matchup, winning in every facet in this blowout.

Kyler Murray, who had never defeated the Rams in his career, was nearly flawless against this great defense despite missing two starting offensive linemen heading into this game. Murray beat the Rams’ talented secondary aerially despite missing two offensive linemen. The Rams constantly swarmed the backfield, but Murray used his legs to either buy time and hit his receivers with a nice pass, or scramble for considerable gains.

Murray finished 24-of-32 for 268 yards and two touchdowns. He also scrambled six times for 39 rushing yards, which includes a conversion with a third-and-16 run. With this win over Matthew Stafford, Murray has emerged as the leader for MVP.

Murray did a great job of spreading the ball around, which he had to do because Jalen Ramsey was smothering DeAndre Hopkins throughout the afternoon. Hopkins still led his team in receiving, but had just four catches for 67 yards. Including Hopkins, five Arizona players logged at least three receptions. This includes A.J. Green (5-67) and Maxx Williams (5-66), who caught Murray’s touchdowns.

Chase Edmonds, who was one of those five Cardinals, caught four passes for 19 yards. He nearly made an amazing reception along the sideline, but the ball squirted out at the final second. He was better on the ground, rushing for 120 yards on 12 carries, but his owners saw James Conner (18-50) vulture two touchdowns.

This wasn’t just an offensive onslaught by Arizona. The defense clamped down on the Rams’ offense, limiting them to just 13 points before garbage time. The linebackers and defensive backs made numerous great plays to defend Stafford’s passes.

Stafford, however, was at fault for this loss because was just off. He threw behind Cooper Kupp and behind Robert Woods on one first-half drive. He launched an interception on a deep shot to DeSean Jackson and had a second potential pick negated by roughing the passer. There was a delay-of-game penalty following a 16-yard completion to Kupp. In the second half, Stafford missed Kupp twice for big gains, one of which would’ve been a touchdown. The announcers cited that Stafford wasn’t seeing the field as well as usual. Perhaps this was a byproduct of having to prepare for the Thursday game as well.

Stafford finished 26-of-41 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and the interception. Keep in mind that some of this, including the second touchdown, came in garbage time. This was Stafford’s worst performance as a Ram, by far, but he’ll have a chance to bounce back in four days.

Stafford’s ineptitude ruined Kupp’s afternoon, limiting him to five catches for 64 yards, though he also dropped a pass. He trailed only Van Jefferson, who snatched six balls for 90 yards and a touchdown. Woods (4-48) hauled in a touchdown at the very end of the game.

Darrell Henderson looked good in his return, gaining 89 yards on 14 carries. Sony Michel (3-11) lost a fumble in the second quarter.

Ravens 23, Broncos 7

The Ravens had a streak of 42 consecutive games with 100 rushing yards entering this contest. They had an extremely difficult matchup against the Broncos, who were able to bottle up Baltimore’s ground attack throughout the afternoon. Vic Fangio’s outstanding defense was able to limit Lamar Jackson’s scrambles, while Baltimore’s running backs stood no chance versus Denver’s front seven.

This, perhaps, would’ve been enough to stymie Baltimore’s offense in the past, but Jackson was terrific as a passer in this game. He hit numerous deep throws, including a 49-yard bomb to Marquise Brown. Jackson, who eclipsed the 300-yard plateau, missed out on even better stats because of some drops and penalties. There were a couple of misses, but they didn’t end up mattering at all.

Jackson finished 22-of-37 for 316 yards and one touchdown, as those figures helped negate minimal rushing yardage (7-28). Jackson should’ve thrown a second touchdown to Mark Andrews, but a face mask penalty negated the score.

Jackson’s lone score went to Brown, who didn’t have three drops this week. Brown, guilty of no drops this time, caught four passes for 91 yards and the touchdown. Andrews (5-67) had decent stats despite the nullified touchdown.

Baltimore curiously deactivated Ty’Son Williams heading into this contest, opting to roll with the decrepit trio of Latavius Murray, Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman. Neither Bell nor Freeman did much, as Murray handled most of the workload instead. Murray, to no surprise, looked like he was running in quicksand, mustering just 59 yards on 18 carries, though a touchdown saved his fantasy performance.

It’s unclear why the Ravens benched their top running back. It nearly cost them their 100-yard rushing streak, but John Harbaugh put his offense on the field with three seconds remaining. Thanks to a 4-yard Jackson scramble, Baltimore was able to extend its streak to 43 games.

The Broncos, meanwhile, never had a chance in the second half because Teddy Bridgewater suffered a concussion late in the second quarter when Tavon Young crushed him on a blitz. That said, Bridgewater, who is supposed to be brilliant versus the blitz, struggled against the Ravens. He went 7-of-16 for 65 yards and a touchdown, as the two missing offensive linemen had something to do with this result. Bridgewater was very close to connecting with his receivers on some deep passes early in this game, so perhaps he would’ve eventually gotten there had he not been knocked out early.

With Bridgewater sidelined, Drew Lock was called into action. Lock predictably struggled, going 12-of-21 for 113 yards and an interception. He overthrew Courtland Sutton and didn’t appear to be on the same page as his receivers at times.

Noah Fant (6-46) scored Denver’s lone touchdown, which actually gave the team a 7-0 lead. Only one Bronco accumulated more receiving yardage. That was Sutton and his three grabs for 47 yards.

Javonte Williams had one of the best plays of the game for the Broncos, dragging multiple defenders on a 31-yard run. Despite this, Williams was given just six other carries, as his seven total attempts went for 48 yards. Melvin Gordon (9-56) looked good at times, too.

Packers 27, Steelers 17

The Steelers initially appeared as though they would be competitive with the Packers. They scored on an early touchdown on a deep Diontae Johnson scoring throw. Their defense, with T.J. Watt back on the field, was likely to slow down the Packers and their depleted offensive line. With an early lead, the Steelers seemed like they could control the game.

That, however, changed when in a 7-7 tie, Ben Roethlisberger lost a fumble on a strip-sack in his own territory. The Packers converted the take-away into a quick touchdown, while the Steelers barely did anything offensively following the initial score. The Packers eventually opened a 27-10 lead, as Roethlisberger helplessly dinked and dunked his way to his latest defeat.

Roethlisberger just might be the worst starting quarterback in the NFL right now not named Davis Mills. Save for a couple of rare occasions, Roethlisberger posed no threat to Green Bay’s secondary. His short tosses were difficult to watch, especially on two fourth-down situations. Roethlisberger dinked a minus-1 yard pass on a fourth-and-4 and then dunked a 1-yard pass on a fourth-and-5. The offensive line is a huge problem, but it appears as though Roethlisberger’s arm strength has completely vanished.

Roethlisberger went 26-of-40 for 232 yards, one touchdown and an ugly interception to end the game. He also lost a fumble on a strip-sack. If Roethlisberger still had talent, he would have connected on a pair of touchdowns that he missed.

Only two Steelers were productive fantasy players in this contest: Johnson, who caught nine of his 13 targets for 92 yards and a touchdown, and Najee Harris, who rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts to go along with six catches for 29 receiving yards. Curiously, Benny Snell was on the field instead of Harris on an important third-down play. Snell predictably dropped the ball.

Aside from Johnson and Harris, only one Steeler registered more than 11 receiving yards. That was James Washington and his four catches for 69 yards. JuJu Smith-Schuster saw eight targets, but reeled in just two of them for 11 yards.

Aaron Rodgers overcame this difficult matchup, doing well despite the offensive line injuries. He went 20-of-36 for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Protection was an issue at times, but Rodgers did a great job of making some key conversions.

With Marquez Valdes-Scantling sidelined, Randall Cobb came up big with five catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns. He barely edged out Davante Adams (6-64) for the receiving lead.

Speaking of surprising stat leaders, A.J. Dillon outgained Aaron Jones, 81-48, with both handling 15 carries. Jones also caught three passes for 51 receiving yards, but was guilty of a fumble.

Buccaneers 19, Patriots 17

In the most anticipated regular-season game in memory, Tom Brady would be returning home and battling Bill Belichick for the first time in his career. Brady broke Drew Brees’ career passing yards record in this game, but didn’t have the best performance. Belichick showed him some looks Brady hadn’t seen before, and the constant rain made things difficult for the future Hall of Famer. Rob Gronkowski’s absence also played a factor.

Sloppy play from teammates didn’t help matters. A deep pass to Antonio Brown was negated by an illegal hands penalty. Another significant gain to Mike Evans was wiped out by offensive pass interference. However, it was New England’s excellent defense that was the greatest factor. Belichick’s stop unit clamped down on Brady, limiting him to a low completion percentage; Brady was just 15-of-27 in the opening half and finished 22-of-43 for the game.

The Patriots, meanwhile, did enough scoring to give themselves a 17-16 lead with 4:34 remaining. Brady had one more opportunity to drive for the win, and he predictably got his team into New England territory, thanks to a Leonard Fournette drawn pass interference, giving the Buccaneers 31 free yards. Following a few completions to Mike Evans and Antonio Brown, Brady took a shot to Brown into the end zone, but Brown couldn’t come up with the touchdown, as the ball bounced off his hands. Ryan Succop drilled a 48-yard field goal, giving Tampa a 19-17 advantage.

All hope wasn’t lost for the Patriots, however, as Mac Jones was enjoying a terrific game for the most part. Jones made very accurate throws and released the ball quickly throughout the evening. There were some mistakes – Jones was intercepted when he was hit as he threw, and he nearly tossed a pick-six by throwing late across his body – but he otherwise beat Tampa’s ailing secondary with smart passes. Jones was exceptional at reading the Tampa defense. In fact, the Buccaneers gave up on blitzing because Jones was so effective against it. Jones also made most of the appropriate back-shoulder throws.

Jones, with 1:57 remaining, had a chance to become the hero on Brady’s return. Hunter Henry immediately drew an interference flag near midfield, but a false start caused the Patriots to settle for a 56-yard field goal. Nick Folk doinked the ball off the left upright, giving the Buccaneers a slim victory.

Brady finished 22-of-43 or 269 yards. The stats aren’t impressive by any means, but it was likely the toughest mental matchup Brady will have all year. Plus, there were other factors that were mentioned, such as Gronkowski’s absence and the poor weather.

With Gronkowski sidelined, Evans and Brown tied for the team lead with seven receptions for 75 and 63 yards, respectively. Chris Godwin chipped in with three grabs for 55 yards.

Fournette had a big game. In addition to drawing that big pass interference, he rushed for 91 yards on 20 carries to go along with three catches for 47 receiving yards. However, Ronald Jones (6-25) vultured a touchdown.

The Patriots didn’t have nearly as much success running the ball, as Nelson Agholor led the team in that department with his single “carry” on a backward pass for four yards. Damien Harris finished with minus-4 yards on four attempts versus Tampa’s stalwart ground defense. Harris at least had positive yardage as a receiver, catching two balls for 30 receiving yards.

Despite having no running game to aid him, Jones had a stellar completion percentage, going 31-of-40 for 275 yards, two touchdowns and the aforementioned interception. Aside from the two mistakes discussed earlier, Jones was flawless. It helped that the Buccaneers’ already-ravaged secondary lost Carlton Davis and Antoine Winfield Jr. to injuries, but Jones simply outsmarted Tampa’s defense for the most part.

Jakobi Meyers led the team with eight catches for 70 yards. He appeared to lose a fumble on the second drive, but replay review negated the turnover. Kendrick Bourne (5-58) and Agholor (3-55) were next on the box score, while tight ends Henry (4-32) and Jonnu Smith (3-14) snatched Jones’ touchdowns.

Chargers 28, Raiders 14

The Chargers have a history of ruining potential victories with dumb mistakes or an inexplicable turn of events, and it appeared as though that would surface again in this contest. The Chargers absolutely dominated the early portion of this game, outgaining the Raiders, 248-51, in the opening half. They led 21-0, as the two teams didn’t even seem like they were in the same league. The Chargers showed no signs of blowing their third victory of the season.

Those sentiments quickly changed when Derek Carr caught fire. The Raiders, who have led a pair of double-digit comebacks this season heading into this game, looked like they would once again have their second-half magic when they scored a pair of touchdowns and then retained possession with a chance to tie the score. However, the Chargers sacked Carr on a third-and-3 on their 28-yard line, forcing a long field goal. The usually accurate Daniel Carlson missed, giving the Chargers great field position. The Chargers stalled, but went for it on a fourth-and-2. Justin Herbert converted with a toss to Jared Cook, ultimately setting up an Austin Ekeler touchdown to clinch the victory.

Herbert was way better prior to halftime, as he was 20-of-25 for 175 yards and three touchdowns heading into intermission. He slowed down in the second half, at least until his huge conversion. The Raiders put pressure on Herbert, but he eventually overcame it in the clutch, which is something the Chargers haven’t done in recent memory. Herbert’s final stats were 25-of-38 for 222 yards and the three scores.

Cook was the Chargers’ leading receiver, catching six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. His fourth-and-2 conversion wasn’t his only clutch moment, as he also caught an earlier fourth-and-1. Head coach Brandon Staley’s aggressive play-calling is refreshing, and the Charger skill-position players are able to benefit from it.

Herbert’s other touchdowns went to Ekeler (3-28) and Donald Parham (2-17). Both Keenan Allen (7-36) and Mike Williams (1-11) disappointed their fantasy owners, especially the latter. Williams’ production has improved this year because Herbert has enjoyed more time in the pocket, but that wasn’t the case in this contest. Herbert took a deep shot to Williams at one point, but missed him with an overthrow.

As for Ekeler, his two touchdowns and three receptions were just a part of his overall fantasy production. Ekeler had some nice gains on the ground, dashing for 117 yards on 15 carries.

The Raiders didn’t have nearly as much success rushing the ball. Josh Jacobs didn’t quite look like himself, mustering just 40 yards on 13 attempts. Given that Jacobs was struggling, it’s puzzling why the Raiders didn’t give him more rest, especially when having the luxury of taking a loss with a 3-0 record entering this affair.

Outside of the third quarter, Carr struggled in this contest, as the Chargers’ pass rush gave him severe problems in the opening half. When given the opportunity to throw, he whiffed on some passes and didn’t see some open receivers. Carr finished 21-of-34 for 196 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in desperation time. He also fumbled on a Joey Bosa strip-sack, but a teammate of his recovered. Carr was ultimately booed by the many visiting Raider fans when he scrambled for a minimal gain on the final offensive drive.

Carr’s touchdowns went to Darren Waller (4-50) and Hunter Renfrow (4-45), who made a big special-teams play when he tackled a Charger on a fake punt to prevent the first down. This made up for Renfrow’s rare drop earlier in the game. Meanwhile, Henry Ruggs (3-60) led the team in receiving to go along with a deep drawn interference flag, but could’ve had more yardage had Carr hit him on a shot downfield.

Adding injury to insult, the Raiders lost three cornerbacks to injuries in this game: Trayvon Mullen (foot), Damon Arnette (groin), Nate Hobbs (concussion).

For more thoughts, check out my updated NFL Power Rankings, which will be posted Tuesday morning.

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