Here’s what we discovered during Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season:

1. Could the Minnesota Vikings be considered the top team in the NFC? Their unbeaten record certainly makes a case, as they became the conference’s first 4-0 team after narrowly defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-29 at Lambeau Field. The last time the Vikings started 4-0 was eight years ago, but that team ended up with an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs.

1a. A month ago, many might have seen the 2024 Vikings as contenders for the basement of a tough division, especially after their rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason. However, the revival of veteran QB Sam Darnold (275 yards, 3 TDs on Sunday) and former Packers RB Aaron Jones’ impressive performance (139 total yards) played significant roles in Minnesota’s latest victory.

1b. Don’t overlook the Vikings’ defense. Despite getting only one sack on Sunday after leading the league with 16 total sacks before the game, the defense produced four turnovers (including three interceptions) and stymied Green Bay’s previously dominant run game, which was averaging 204 yards per game before this matchup.

1c. Much like the highly anticipated Georgia-Alabama showdown the previous night, the Vikings-Packers game had lofty expectations that quickly fizzled out, as one team surged to a 28-0 lead. Credit to both the Packers and the Bulldogs for their commendable comebacks, even though they ultimately fell short.

2. Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens delivered a phenomenal performance on Sunday night, racking up 199 rushing yards and scoring a touchdown in a decisive 35-10 victory over the previously unbeaten Buffalo Bills.

2a. Although Henry faced a couple of setbacks with negative-yardage runs and a late-game fumble, he fell just one yard short of achieving his seventh career 200-yard game. He accumulated a total of 350 rushing yards across the last two weeks.

0-3. Three teams entered Week 4 winless, which is a worrying sign since only six teams have come back from an 0-3 start to reach the playoffs since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The Cincinnati Bengals managed to secure their first win against the Carolina Panthers, while the Tennessee Titans aimed to achieve the same on Monday night against Miami.

0-4. The Jacksonville Jaguars remain winless as well. Historically, just one out of 164 teams that started the season 0-4 during the Super Bowl era (since 1966) managed to recover and qualify for the playoffs – that was the 1992 San Diego Chargers.

5. All five teams that began Week 4 with 3-0 records played away games. By Monday, they had a 2-2 record, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Vikings improving to 4-0, while the Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers stumbled.

6. The total touchdowns scored in the Indianapolis Colts’ 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers matched their season total with three touchdowns scored, but also allowed three, after their leading defense had surrendered only two in the prior three weeks.

7. Los Angeles Rams RB Kyren Williams set a record with the number of consecutive games scoring touchdowns, leading all active players in this statistic.

8. Could the Washington Commanders be the top team in the NFC East? Their record implies so, as they became the first 3-1 team in the division after defeating the Arizona Cardinals 42-14. In just six days, the Commanders achieved two road victories and scored a total of 80 points – marking their highest point total in eight years, dating back to when Kirk Cousins was at the helm in 2016.

9. To find a comparable atmosphere in Washington, one might need to look back to 2012. Back then, No. 2 overall draft choice Robert Griffin III – who would go on to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award despite being picked after Andrew Luck – ignited a franchise renaissance. Now, Jayden Daniels, also a No. 2 overall pick and potentially this season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, is revitalizing a long-suffering fan base with exceptional performances, accumulating 280 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona on Sunday.

9a. Daniels completed 26 of 30 passes against the Cardinals, elevating his league-best completion percentage to an impressive 82.1% – the best four-game start by any quarterback since the Super Bowl era began.

9b. Having previously set a rookie record with a 91.3% completion rate in Week 3, Daniels became the first player in league history to surpass 85% (in fact, he completed 88.7%) over consecutive games with at least 15 throws in each.

9c. His stellar performance provided a satisfying return for both him and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who previously coached the Cardinals for four seasons, especially given Daniels’ background as Arizona State’s quarterback before transferring to LSU in 2022.

10. The number on the jersey of Washington’s Tress Way, who saw his first action as a punter since Week 1 during Sunday’s game, following a span of 20 possessions dominated by Daniels and the offense.

11. Green Bay made an interesting choice by starting QB Jordan Love, who was returning from an MCL injury sustained in Week 1, particularly against Minnesota’s aggressive defense. Love had a decent outing, posting impressive stats that later proved significant (389 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs), but the Packers struggled with a season-low rushing total of 86 yards. Most importantly, Love came through the game without any further injuries.

12. Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey missed his first attempt at a field goal beyond 50 yards in the Thursday night game against the New York Giants, ending a streak of successfully making his first 16 career attempts. Remarkably, Aubrey boasts an impressive conversion rate from distances of 50 yards or more at 94.1%.

than his accuracy on throws from 30 to 39 yards (87.5%).

13. The number of consecutive games in which Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has defeated the Giants. Only Hall of Famer Bob Griese (17 consecutive wins against the Bills) has a longer streak against a single team in NFL history.

14. Prescott hasn’t lost to the Giants since they swept the Cowboys during his first season in 2016.

15. Colts QB2 Joe Flacco, wearing jersey number 39 and recognized as the league’s current Comeback Player of the Year, stepped in for injured starter Anthony Richardson, who hurt his hip in the match against Pittsburgh. Flacco was efficient, completing 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, showing greater distribution skills than the inexperienced Richardson has shown so far.

16. perennial Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce of the Chiefs had a breakout game after entering Sunday with eight catches for 69 yards this season. He caught seven passes for 89 yards – both of which were team highs – in Kansas City’s 17-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

17. Third-year LB Troy Andersen from the Atlanta Falcons achieved a career-high in tackles, including his first NFL pick-six from a deflected pass, which was crucial in their 26-24 win against the rival New Orleans Saints.

18. Atlanta’s victory was also credited to Younghoe Koo’s 58-yard field goal in the final moments – the longest of his seven-year career and the longest ever at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in its eight-season history.

19. Bears RB D’Andre Swift entered Sunday with just 114 scrimmage yards at an average of 2.7 yards per carry. However, in their 24-18 win over the Rams, he amassed 165 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.2 yards per carry.

20. Chicago’s well-rounded offense and opportunistic defense significantly eased the burden on Caleb Williams, who had his most effective game so far (17-for-23, 157 yards, a touchdown, with a passer rating of 106.6) which could serve as a model for future Bears games.

21. In another rookie performance, Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix threw his first career touchdown – an 8-yard pass to WR Courtland Sutton which was crucial in their 10-9 upset over the New York Jets. This was the bare minimum needed for victory on a day marked by offensive struggles and bad weather – Nix ended up throwing for just 60 yards despite seven completions before halftime.

22. Interestingly, Sutton recorded three catches for 60 yards. In contrast, the rest of Denver’s receivers combined for nine catches… but finished with zero yards.

23. According to OptaSTATS, the Broncos have become the first team in the Super Bowl era with four players catching at least one pass without any of them achieving positive yardage.

24. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes continues to set records, including achieving the longest completion in terms of air yards in the eight years of his career during Sunday’s win.

25. Mahomes has now led Kansas City to a 13-12 record in games when they were trailing by double digits, making him the only quarterback in the Super Bowl era to have a winning record under those circumstances, according to @FrontOfficeNFL.

26. Now that he has 100 regular-season starts, Mahomes holds astonishing records of 78 wins and 22 losses while passing for 29,328 yards and 225 touchdowns – all records for a player at this stage of their career.

27. Despite already missing injured RB Isiah Pacheco and WR Hollywood Brown, Mahomes and the team may also have to navigate without WR Rashee Rice, who suffered a knee injury on Sunday. Coach Andy Reid commented, “I’m sure it’s not as good of news as we want.”

28. This week’s uniform insight: One of the positive aspects for the Falcons in recent years is their effective abandonment of their gradient jerseys, which haven’t been seen in two seasons. The Dirty Birds looked fantastic on Sunday in their throwback black jerseys featuring the original team logo and red helmets with a subtle gold stripe – a nod to both the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. They could further enhance their look by incorporating the red jerseys and silver pants used extensively in the late 1970s and ’80s – and honestly, a permanent return of the classic logo wouldn’t be unwelcome either.

29. Another uniform note this week: The Houston Texans introduced their “Deep Steel Blue” jerseys on Sunday, a relatively understated throwback to their original uniforms from their first 22 seasons. But wait until you see what they have in store for next week…

30. One more uniform observation: Instead of opting for a nearly all-white and less than satisfying throwback look, why couldn’t the Browns try something more creative – especially in light of their newly adopted alternate logo? Just a thought.

31. Clearly, the Browns had too much white to compete against the Silver and Black – even though the Las Vegas Raiders played without their top two players, WR Davante Adams and DE Maxx Crosby, both sidelined due to injuries on Sunday.

32. Kudos to the NFC South teams, including the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Panthers, for pledging at least $6 million to aid relief efforts following Hurricane Helene, which devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast and the Carolinas, leading to many fatalities. The league also highlighted the Red Cross on its website, providing fans with the opportunity to contribute. Please consider donating.

***