The Week the NFL Script Flipped
NFL week 4 scores just hit different this year. If you spent your Sunday afternoon staring at the TV in a state of mild confusion, you weren't alone. Honestly, the 2024 season's first quarter-mark felt like a fever dream where the perennial powerhouses forgot how to tackle and the "rebuilding" teams decided to become juggernauts.
By the time the dust settled on Monday night, we only had two undefeated teams left in the entire league. Just two.
Remember when everyone said the Minnesota Vikings were essentially tanking after losing Kirk Cousins? Yeah, Sam Darnold hasn't received that memo. The Vikings went into Lambeau Field and hung 31 points on the Packers. It wasn't even as close as the 31-29 final score suggests. Minnesota was up by 28 points at one point. Darnold threw three touchdowns, Jordan Addison snagged two of them, and for a solid three quarters, the Packers looked like they were playing in slow motion.
The Vikings are 4-0. Let that sink in for a second.
Chaos in the Afternoon
The early window was absolute mayhem. Let's talk about the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. Atlanta won 26-24 without scoring a single offensive touchdown. You read that right. Zero. They relied on a muffed punt recovery in the end zone, a 47-yard pick-six from Troy Andersen, and the absolute leg of Younghoe Koo. Koo nailed a 58-yarder—a career-high and a stadium record—with two seconds left to snatch the win.
It’s the kind of game that makes Saints fans want to throw their remotes through the window. Derek Carr and the Saints offense moved the ball, but those self-inflicted wounds were fatal.
Meanwhile, in Tampa, the Buccaneers absolutely dismantled the Philadelphia Eagles. Most people expected a gritty, close-fought battle. Instead, Baker Mayfield came out and threw for 347 yards. The Bucs were up 24-0 before the Eagles even managed to get a first down. Philly was missing A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and it showed. Jalen Hurts was under constant duress, getting sacked six times. The final score of 33-16 actually felt generous to Philadelphia.
NFL week 4 scores: The Standings Shakedown
The AFC is currently a giant pile of "what just happened?"
The Indianapolis Colts, led by a gritty performance from Joe Flacco (who stepped in for an injured Anthony Richardson), took down the previously unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24. This result basically blew up the "Steelers defense is impenetrable" narrative. Justin Fields played well, but he couldn't overcome a slow start.
Then you have the Houston Texans. C.J. Stroud is proving that his rookie year wasn't a fluke, but the Texans are making it hard on themselves. They squeezed past the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20. Stroud had to lead a clinical nine-play drive late in the fourth, hitting Dare Ogunbowale for the game-winner. Jacksonville is now 0-4. Doug Pederson is officially on the hottest seat in the NFL.
Sunday Night Statement
If you stayed up for the Sunday night game, you saw a masterclass in "Bully Ball." The Baltimore Ravens didn't just beat the Buffalo Bills; they bullied them.
Derrick Henry took the first handoff of the game 87 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest run in Ravens history. Henry finished with 198 rushing yards as Baltimore coasted to a 35-10 win. Josh Allen and the Bills looked completely out of sorts. The Ravens defense, led by Kyle Hamilton, took away the middle of the field and forced Allen into uncomfortable check-downs all night.
The Perfect Game
Monday Night Football gave us something we rarely see: perfection. Jared Goff went 18-for-18. Not a single incomplete pass. The Detroit Lions beat the Seattle Seahawks 42-29 in a game that felt like a track meet.
Geno Smith threw for 395 yards and tried his best to keep Seattle in it, but the Lions' efficiency in the red zone was the difference. They scored a touchdown on every single one of their five red-zone trips. With that Seahawks loss, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings became the lone unbeatens left in the 2024 season.
Breaking Down the Numbers
If you're looking at the NFL week 4 scores to find a pattern, good luck. Parity is at an all-time high.
- The Unbeatens: Chiefs (4-0) and Vikings (4-0).
- The Winless: Jaguars (0-4) and Titans (0-4).
- The Biggest Upset: Denver Broncos beating the New York Jets 10-9 in a rain-soaked slog. Bo Nix threw for only 60 yards and somehow won a road game against Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets' kicker, Greg Zuerlein, missed a 50-yarder that would have won it, but honestly, the Jets shouldn't have been in that position to begin with. Their offensive line was a sieve, allowing Rodgers to get hit repeatedly.
Key Takeaways for Your Fantasy Roster
Honestly, if you have Nico Collins, just keep starting him. He had 12 catches for 151 yards this week. He is C.J. Stroud's clear favorite target, especially with Joe Mixon sidelined.
On the defensive side, the Buccaneers' Lavonte David is still that guy. At 34 years old, he led the team with eight tackles and two sacks against Philly. If your league counts individual defensive players, he's a gold mine.
What This Means Moving Forward
We are officially past the "small sample size" portion of the season. The Vikings aren't a fluke. Their defense under Brian Flores is confusing the best quarterbacks in the league with exotic blitz packages.
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The Chiefs are 4-0, but they’ve trailed by at least a touchdown in every single game. They are the third team in history to start 4-0 while trailing in every contest. They are basically the "final boss" of the NFL; you can play a great game against them for 55 minutes, and Patrick Mahomes will still find a way to ruin your week in the final five.
On the flip side, the Jaguars and Titans are in deep trouble. History says only about 1% of teams that start 0-4 make the playoffs. For Jacksonville, a team with a $275 million quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, that's a disaster.
Actionable Insights for Week 5
If you’re looking at the betting lines or just trying to win your office pool for next week, keep these things in mind:
- Don't bet against the Vikings until someone proves they can handle Brian Flores’s pressure.
- Fade the Jaguars until Trevor Lawrence finds his rhythm; his accuracy (54.5% this week) is a major red flag.
- Watch the injury reports for the Eagles. Without their top receivers, that offense is completely one-dimensional and reliant on Saquon Barkley breakaways.
- Buy low on the Ravens. They started 0-2 and people panicked. After the way they handled Buffalo, they look like the best team in the AFC North again.
The NFL is a week-to-week league, but Week 4 provided a massive reality check for several Super Bowl "contenders."
Keep a close eye on the waiver wire for players like Kareem Hunt, who looked sharp in his return to the Chiefs, and Jordan Addison, who is clearly the perfect complement to Justin Jefferson in Minnesota. The landscape has shifted, and the teams that were supposed to be "rebuilding" are currently sitting at the top of the mountain.
Check the injury status of Anthony Richardson and Malik Nabers before locking in any early Week 5 picks. Richardson’s oblique injury could mean more Joe Flacco time in Indy, which ironically might make their passing game more consistent in the short term. Nabers is dealing with a concussion after a breakout start, and the Giants' offense is virtually non-existent without him.
The standings are crowded, the stars are banged up, and the 2024 season is officially off the rails in the best way possible.