Sunday, Sept. 28 was one of the longest football days of the year. From 9:30 a.m. EST when the Vikings’ Will Reichard kicked off to the Steelers in Dublin, Ireland, until 12:11 a.m. EST on Monday morning when Brandon McManus hit a game-tying field goal for the Green Bay Packers, there was maybe one hour total in which there was no NFL football being played (not including commercial breaks). That’s over 13 and a half hours of football to be watched, making Week 4 feel less like a sprint and more like a marathon. That’s not including the Seahawks’ 23-20 victory over Arizona on Thursday or the Monday Night Football doubleheader.
Compounded with the elite Saturday college football slate, which was headlined by the University of Alabama and University of Oregon both pulling off away upsets against top five teams (No. 5 University of Georgia and No. 3 Penn State), as well as Ole Miss beating No. 4 Louisiana State University and an unranked University of Virginia team handing a No. 8 Florida State its first loss, football fans were more than spoiled this weekend.
The Ravens have (Balti)more to worry about – Do we have an idea of who’s who in the AFC?
There’s no nice way to put this, but the Ravens look nothing like the Super Bowl contenders many expected them to be coming into this season. They stand at 1-3 after a 17 point loss in Kansas City Sept. 28. This weekend was the third time (out of four games) that the Ravens’ defense has given up at least 37 points. Simply put, Super Bowl worthy teams don’t give up that many points week-in, week-out.
Ravens defenders could point to the fact that their three losses have come against the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills, all strong teams with credible Super Bowl aspirations; however, to be a Super Bowl contender, you have to be able to beat the other teams contending, something the Ravens have been unable to do. While their lackluster defense was the story this weekend, their offense also faltered, with superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson only throwing for 147 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Jackson also came out of the game injured, which will be something the Ravens’ faithful will have to keep a close eye on.
On the other side of the spectrum, this was the first time all season that quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs looked truly comfortable on offense. Getting wide receiver Xavier Worthy back seems to have been big for the Chiefs, and they may have finally found their footing.
Jaxson throws darts – Giants’ rookie backfield leads them to a victory over an undefeated Charger team.
When Jaxson Dart was the second quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, some were surprised he went so early. He was good at Ole Miss, but nothing spectacular, and didn’t have the raw skills that other first round quarterbacks have had, such as the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen or the Indiana Colts’ Anthony Richardson.
However, none of that mattered when Dart took the field for his first NFL start this week. Going up against an undefeated Chargers team, one with a strong defense, was always going to be a tricky debut for Dart, but he was able to put in a strong performance and lead his team to a 21-18 win.
Dart didn’t exactly light the box score up in the air — although he did lose superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers to a torn ACL — only throwing for 111 yards and a touchdown, but the most impressive part of his game may have been his running ability. Dart ran for 54 yards and collected his own touchdown while taking numerous large hits. He did have to sit out a play for a concussion check and was pictured grabbing his hamstring.
However, Dart wasn’t the only rookie who is being credited for his toughness this week as running back Cam Skattebo had 90 total yards himself, adding to a very strong start to his rookie campaign.
While it is incredibly early to be making predictions for this Giants team, there is reason to believe the Giants’ front office got the recent draft right, and it’s only going up from here.
All roads lead to Rome (Odunze) – First year offensive-minded head coaches had a good weekend.
The Chicago Bears had two top 10 picks in the 2024 NFL draft, selecting quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall and wide receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9 overall. However, their rookie seasons were both quite disappointing, leading to the Bears firing their head coach and bringing in offensive guru Ben Johnson from the Lions. This move seems to have paid off so far, as Williams and Odunze look a lot more like the players that the Bears thought they were getting when they drafted them.
The Bears now have back-to-back wins, including a narrow 25-24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders this week. Williams has been good, but Odunze has been the real star so far. He’s second in the league in receiving touchdowns and is currently the third highest scoring wide receiver in fantasy, averaging just shy of 20 points a game.
Johnson isn’t the only offensive-minded first-year head coach to have gotten off to a strong start. Liam Coen’s Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-1 after beating a solid San Francisco 49ers team, and Brian Schottenheimer had his Dallas Cowboys fighting back for a tie against a potential Super Bowl team in Green Bay. While this might simply be coincidence, it feels impressive that there are yet another set of young, offensive focused head coaches who are able to surpass expectations.
Packers vs. Cowboys was one for the ages – is Dak Prescott in the top five QB conversation?
Before Week 4 kicked off, NFL.com had quarterback Dak Prescott ranked as the eighth best quarterback in the league. That feels far too low, especially after taking into account this past week’s performance against the Green Bay defense, which hadn’t given up more than 18 points yet this season. Of these points allowed, seven of them came in garbage time, so it could be argued the Packers have only really given up 13 points max thus far.
Prescott was truly excellent against a very good Packers team as NFL fans were treated to a 40-40 final, the highest scoring tie in the Super Bowl era. Prescott threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns on a completion percentage greater than 75%, all of which are excellent. He also added a touchdown on the ground.
The Packers’ Jordan Love also had a great game with 337 yards and three touchdowns, so it’d be unfair to not mention him. However, Prescott was able to have a strong performance against a truly tough defense even without his best weapon, as star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was out injured. With no clear-cut top guy in the NFC and the Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow Jackson both being hurt, it’s uncertain where Prescott truly stands when it comes to top QBs. Allen and Mahomes are probably the only two that are easily above him, and after that, there’s an argument to be made for Prescott as the next one up.
Another week of football introduces more confusing and difficult decisions for fantasy managers. Here are the recommendations for fantasy managers to adjust their squads and ensure the best results in Week 5.
Start
Cameron Skattebo (RB, NYG) (Away vs. NO)
He’s no Saquon Barkley, but Skattebo strikes fear into any NFL defense who has to face him. So far this season, Skattebo collected 181 rushing yards, which will increase in the coming weeks.
This week, Skattebo faces the struggling New Orleans Saints. The Saints are 0-4 and have conceded 475 rushing yards in four games.
Furthering Skattebo’s case is his ability to run after contact with the ball. Skattebo had 4.4 yards after contact in his NFL debut and shows no signs of slowing down. Last week against the Chargers, Skattebo had the most touches of all running backs in the league with 27, showing the trust placed in him by the Giants coaching staff. He also had 79 rushing yards, which may not seem like much, but Skattebo was facing a strong Chargers defense.
This week, he is facing a New Orleans defensive unit that has racked up 11 sacks this season. Expect Giants head coach Brian Daboll to heavily rely on Skattebo in the running game, as well as call screens and quick passes to mitigate the threat of the New Orleans’ pass rush.
Skattebo’s importance to the Giants offense cannot be understated, especially with the loss of premiere wide receiver Malik Nabers to a season-ending ACL injury. The Saints’ struggles against the run also contribute as they have conceded an average of 118 yards per game. With a rookie quarterback under center and their best receiver injured, expect Skattebo to become the focal point of the Giants’ offense.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, DET) (Away vs. CIN)
The Detroit Lions seemed like they would be in trouble after a Week 1 loss to their division rival the Packers. Head coach Dan Campbell and company banished these doubts and roared back (sorry) in overwhelming fashion, scoring a combined 124 points in their next three games without any signs of slowing down.
Wide receiver St. Brown is entering his fifth season as an integral piece of this offense and the only player in the league with more than 105 receptions in his past three seasons. St. Brown leads the league in touchdowns this season and is coming up against the Cincinnati Bengals, ranked 30th in the league against passing offenses. With the Bengals severely lacking in offensive stars, expect the Lions and quarterback Jared Goff to have multiple opportunities to feed St. Brown the ball and maximize his fantasy potential in Week 5.
Davante Adams (WR, LAR) (Home vs. SF)
While Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua steals the headlines because of his unbelievable start to the season, Adams is quietly putting in the work and emerging as a strong option for a WR2 with the upside of a WR1. With Nacua’s immense form and frequent targeting, the Rams’ Week 5 opponents, the San Francisco 49ers and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh may choose to pay special attention to Nacua, opening Adams up for favorable matchups against inexperienced players.
While there are concerns about Adams’ targets — or lack thereof — there are more than enough to go around with the offensive system of head coach Sean McVay and the evergreen quarterback Matthew Stafford under center.Furthermore, the 49ers are coming off a demoralizing loss to the Jaguars and will still be without star defensive end Nick Bosa due to an ACL tear. Stars like linebacker Dee Winters and first-round pick defensive lineman Mykel Williams were also limited participants in practices and are likely to see fewer snaps on Oct. 2. This can lead to more opportunities and time for Stafford to throw the ball and Adams to display his excellent route running skills.
Sit
The entire Bengals organization (Home vs. DET)
It seems like the lion is stronger than the tiger after all. The Bengals are coming off of a game where their offense could only muster three points, and now they are facing a team that has scored 124 points in their last three games.
While it is harsh to blame only one person for the Bengals dire situation, circumstances haven’t helped them, with the injury to Burrow bringing a dynamic offense to a stuttering halt. Injuries to the offensive line haven’t helped either, as the Bengals have conceded 13 sacks in four games, which is the fifth highest in the league. Furthermore, they are coming up against a fearsome pass rush led by former second overall pick defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, leading a unit that has wreaked havoc with 14 sacks on the season already.
Despite talented players like reigning wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and reigning sack leader and defensive end Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals just don’t have the offensive or defensive firepower to match the Lions. The revolving door at offensive line doesn’t make backup quarterback Jake Browning’s job any easier either. The Bengals and their fans should just hope that they escape this week without being mauled and look forward until they get Burrow back from his injury. Until then, it’ll be ugly viewing for Bengals fans.
Ashton Jeanty (RB, LV) (Home vs. IND)
Last week, Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty showed flashes of the Heisman trophy runner-up that caused the Raiders to select him sixth overall. It has been a tough start to the season for the Boise State alum, and it doesn’t look like it will get easier as Jeanty comes up against a top 10 run defense in the Indianapolis Colts.
While it would be tempting to view Jeanty’s performance against the Bears as a sign of a future star, there are still major problems with the Raiders offensive line. Until Week 4, Jeanty had a staggering 101% of his yards after contact, which means that he was contacted before the line of scrimmage on nearly every snap before his breakout performance.
It won’t be easy to go up against a strong Colts team that’s hit a rich vein of form and is looking to stake their claim atop the AFC South.
A.J. Brown (WR, PHI) (Home vs. DEN)
A.J. Brown gave fantasy owners hope with a strong showing against the Rams in Week 3, but he was invisible again to quarterback Jalen Hurts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurts seems insistent on outrushing Barkley this season, targeting Brown only twice for a measly seven receiving yards.
It doesn’t look like it will get any easier for Brown as he is coming up against the ninth ranked pass defense in the Denver Broncos and is sure to be matched up against reigning defensive player of the year cornerback Patrick Surtain II. This latest mediocre showing has also pushed Brown out of the top 15 in fantasy rankings, underneath players like Tampa Bays’ rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and Worthy, who missed time due to an injury.
While the Rams game was a glimmer of hope, Brown and his fantasy owners should hope that Hurts remembers that he has arms — not just legs — and will target Brown. But it doesn’t look like Hurts or offensive coordinator Kevin Pattulo has figured that out yet.
