Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season brought a few surprises but also some results that were to be expected. After week 4, the remaining undefeated teams are the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings, while the Jacksonville Jaguars are the only team who remain winless. Here are five key takeaways from the week of action.

The Dolphins are in trouble.

The Miami Dolphins came into the season highly regarded. They have a strong offense led by superstar Tyreek Hill and solid complementary pieces. On the other side of the ball, General Manager Chris Grier re-signed standout cornerback Jalen Ramsey to a massive new deal in September, providing optimism for the team. 

However, the season has yet to go according to plan. Experiencing the consequences of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s recurring head injuries, the Dolphins are nowhere near as good as they should be. 

They sit at 1-3 after giving the Tennessee Titans their first win of the season. Trying out three different backup QBs and desperately looking for an offensive solution, the Dolphins still seem to have no idea what their plan is. This bodes trouble for all of the Dolphins’ offensive options and puts the Dolphins in a worrying place for the rest of the season. 

The Vikings are legit.

When rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy tore his meniscus in a preseason game on August 10th and his team announced he was out for the 2024 season, many wrote off the Minnesota Vikings and their potential for a good season. In a tough NFC North, it would take a lot of work for them to contend, especially with no clear starting quarterback. 

However, current quarterback Sam Darnold is performing better than ever before. Before his time in purple and gold, he was at best a low-tier starter, but now, he’s been one of the best QBs in the NFC so far this season. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has worked wonders with Darnold and paired him up with a phenomenal defense led by Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, there’s a good chance the Vikings could go far in a weak NFC. After beating their rivals, the Green Bay Packers, on the 29th of September, it feels like the sky could be the limit for this team, a claim that would’ve seemed odd at the beginning of the season.

Are the Commanders… good?

After having the second-worst record last season, few expected the Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to be off to the hot start they’re on now. After dismantling the Arizona Cardinals, 42-14 on Sept. 29th, the Commanders improved to 3-1, enough to be top of their division. 

This drastic improvement largely comes down to Daniels’ play, but also how their offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury, has been calling plays that fit right into Daniels’ strengths. Daniels is a true dual-threat quarterback, capable of winning both through the air and on the ground. The Commanders also have good pieces around Daniels, including running back Brian Robinson Jr. and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. With a fairly easy slate of games coming up, the Commanders could very well find themselves fighting for the playoffs.

The Ravens may have found their groove.

The Ravens had a slow start to the season, narrowly losing to the Chiefs and Raiders before barely beating the Cowboys. Their week 4 matchup on Sept. 29th pit them against a then-undefeated Buffalo Bills team that had been destroying their opponents thus far. Led by star quarterback Josh Allen, the matchup didn’t look like it would bode well for the Ravens. 

Yet, the Ravens dominated them, winning with a score of 35-10. Running back Derrick Henry annihilated the Bills’ defense, running for just shy of 200 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Lamar Jackson did what he needed to do, throwing for two touchdowns and adding one more on the ground. The Ravens do often start seasons off slowly, so it remains to be seen if this can be the start of them turning everything around and building their Super Bowl potential.  

Eagles fans have reason to be worried.

Two seasons ago, the Philadelphia Eagles dominated the NFC before narrowly losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Last year, they collapsed toward the end of the season and crashed out of the playoffs. 

This season, they’re just not playing well. The games they win look flukey, and they got trounced by a not-great Buccaneers team this weekend, 33-16. On paper, this collapse doesn’t make much sense. Yes, they’re facing injuries (but who isn’t) and did lose perennial all-pro center Jason Kelce this offseason, but they also added one of the best running backs in the game in Saquon Barkley. Yet they just don’t look like a cohesive, put-together team, and are frankly playing well below the sum of their parts. 

The issue could lie with the fact that quarterback Jalen Hurts seems to have taken a step back, or even with head coach Nick Sirianni. That being said, the Eagles need to figure it out and do so quickly, or this season could be another disappointing one.

Week 5 Predictions: Who should you start and sit?

This week of football brought more upsetting losses, relief for a winning score and even more injuries. Jets fans are back to disappointment after gaining false hope in Week 3. The Eagles and their fans are thankful for this bi-week after the embarrassing loss without A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Chiefs scrambled for their fourth consecutive win, and somehow pulled it off. The Bills lost their winning streak with their first loss of the season against the Ravens. 

But as we head into Week 5, who should you start and who should you sit? 

Start:

Jayden Daniels (QB, WAS) (Home vs. CLE)

To be frank, Daniels is the best thing that ever happened to the Commanders since their name was changed. This past week versus the Cardinals, his ESPN Quarterback Rating was 89.4 — earning him second in last week’s total QBR, a career high. Totaling 233 passing yards against Arizona —  averaging 7.8 — and 47 rushing yards — averaging 5.9 — Daniels continues to establish himself as a dual-threat quarterback. He’s performed well under pressure, only throwing one interception thus far this season, with his complete passing percentage at 86.7%. The Commanders take on the 1-3 Cleveland Browns at home Sept. 6. With the Browns only notching one win against the Jaguars this season, and coming off of losses to the Giants and Raiders, there should be no shortage of opportunities for Jayden Daniels — and the rest of the Commanders squad — to dominate.

Justin Jefferson (WR, MIN) (Home vs. NYJ)

Jefferson’s 97-yard touchdown catch made a striking statement for the Vikings against the San Francisco 49ers Sept. 15, but he has been proving himself since the start of the season. He has 358 total yards, ranking fifth in the league, and is tied for first in touchdown totals with Arizona’s Marvin Harrison Jr., each with four for the season. 

Jefferson is on a roll, and it’s helping the Vikings as they remain the one of two 4-0 teams in the league. Last week against the Packers, he had one receiving touchdown and 85 receiving yards, remaining steady after tallying 81 receiving yards and one touchdown the previous week against the Texans. Jefferson’s skill to catch the most complex catches is unmatched: His 14-yard touchdown against the Packers proved this, as he used cornerback Keisean Nixon’s turn for the ball to deflect off Nixon’s back into Jefferson’s hands. So far, Jefferson has accumulated 79.8 fantasy points, but it’s still early in the season. Previously, he has racked up over 350 points, with his lowest being around 200. 

Alvin Kamara (RB, NO) (Away vs. KC)

Kamara has proved himself again and again this season. Despite not reflecting in the Saints’ 2-2 record, Kamara pulls his weight. This season, he has 80 carries — tied for second in the league — 362 yards, fourth in the league, and five touchdowns in which he is tied for first. Last weekend’s 26-24 loss against the Falcons left a bitter taste in the Saints mouth, especially for Kamara, after he notched 19 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown. Kamara was questionable leading into week 4 dealing with some hip and rib injuries, but he managed to execute immensely for New Orleans. There has been no talk about Kamara sitting this week, but if he does it can be assumed he was forced. This season alone Kamara has earned 106.6 fantasy points. Throughout his entire career — which dates back to 2017, he has earned over 2,000 fantasy points.  

Sit:

Aaron Rodgers (QB, NYJ) (Away vs. MIN)

Rodgers needs to sit — and maybe retire. There was a bit of hope when the Jets beat the Titans and Patriots, but this past week against the Broncos was hard to watch. With just one touchdown from the Broncos in the game’s entirety, Rodgers’ breakthrough proved to be inconsequential. Rodgers’ passing yards are fine; last week he was at 225 yards with a completion percentage at 57.1%. But Rodgers was forced to run the ball last week, which is not his strong suit, and it showed in the five sacks he suffered. His longest rush of the game was 26 yards, and previously this season against the Titans and Patriots, it was one and 18, respectively. There is a possibility Rodgers could sit out this due to his knee being swollen after the game Sept. 29, but facing the Vikings this weekend could pressure him into playing. 

Gabe Davis (WR, JAX) (Home vs. IND)

Davis has not looked good all season, but stooped to a new low Sept. 29. Last week, against the Texans, he had one receive and -2 yards. So far this season he has received nine and collected 121 yards, averaging about 13.4. Perhaps last week was a low point for Davis, but the fantasy points from the past weeks were 9.2, 7.3, 3.8 and 0.8. This constant decrease is not a good look for Davis — or for your team. 

Brandin Cooks (WR, DAL) (Away vs. PIT)

Cooks isn’t bad, he just isn’t impressive. He has had nine receptions this season, with only one last week against the Giants. This season he has put up only 91 yards, with the past two weeks at 16 yards each. His only touchdown of the season was against the Browns, where he had all of his season highs so far: four receptions and 40 yards. When the Saints crushed Dallas at home 44-19, Cooks tried rushing the ball, which ended up -3 yards, so it’s no surprise that he hasn’t attempted this during these last two games. His fantasy points this season so far are 14.5, 3.6, 3.6 and 2.6 per week. This major drop from 14.5 to 3, and now at a steady decline, which is why Cooks needs to sit.