NFL Weekly Recap: Week 4

With Week 4 of the NFL season now in the books, there’s a greater sense of clarity among which teams look like contenders and which ones look like pretenders.

Race for the AFC South

In the preseason it appeared as though the Jacksonville Jaguars would easily win the division and would look to be playoff contenders.

However, through four weeks of the season, not only are the Jaguars off to a slow 2-2 start, but all of the teams in the division are also 2-2.

Houston rookie quarterback CJ Stroud and Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson have had phenomenal starts to their rookie seasons, as they have both completely turned their franchises around.

Meanwhile, in Tennessee, the Titans have been fighting this season as they took down the Cincinnati Bengals this week to also improve to 2-2.

While Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars will look to maintain the ropes on the division for a second consecutive season, don’t be surprised if the Texans or Colts come up and snag the division from them.

Trouble in Cincy?

After becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history just days before the NFL season started, Joe Burrow and the Bengals have struggled greatly this season.

The Bengals currently have a 1-3 record and are sitting at the bottom of a stacked AFC North division after losing to the Tennessee Titans 27-3.

The Bengals have scored three points in two games this season and Joe Burrow has thrown only two touchdowns and two interceptions on the season.

For a team that has made the AFC Conference Championship two years in a row and made a Super Bowl appearance, it’s shocking to see them playing at such a poor level.

With tensions flaring, the offense struggling, and a very hard remaining schedule, the Bengals are going to need a spark this week if they want to make a playoff push.

A new powerhouse team in the NFC?

After many tough seasons for Detroit, the Lions have finally broken out and established themselves as not only the front runners for the NFC North but as one of the best teams in the NFL.

With their dominant 34-20 win over the Green Bay Packers, the Lions now sit at 3-1 and are first in an NFC North division that looks weaker than usual years.

The Chicago Bears are in rebuild mode as they are 0-4 to start the season, the Minnesota Vikings are off to a slow 1-3 start and the Packers sit at 2-2.

Jared Goff and the offense have been looking in rhythm all season, while the much-improved defense has been backing up their play and taking care of business.

While there is still a long way to go in the season and some tough teams to get through in the NFC conference like the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles, the Lions will look to continue their dominant start.

The new best team in the AFC?

After a brutal week one performance against the New York Jets, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills have looked unstoppable, out-scoring their opponents by an average of 30 points per game in their last three games.

After a lot of off-season drama with the possibility of Stefan Diggs leaving and the Bills possibly losing some key defensive players, they have absolutely destroyed the narrative and look to make a Super Bowl run this season.

After a dominant 48-20 win over the red-hot Miami Dolphins, the Bills seem to have a different kind of energy to them this season and are not holding back at all.

With the Bengals off to an abysmal start and the Chiefs offense struggling to get it going early, the Bills are primed to take over the top seed in the AFC conference this season.

Michael Landis is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mpl5930@psu.edu