2023 season, Week 4 review

[racepug]

1) DET, with the win at Lambeau (their 2nd straight, and their 4th straight win vs. the Packers overall), truly appears to have a leg up in the N.F.C. North. They might very well be in line to win their first division title in 30 years after all.

2) BUF showed that they're still the team to beat in the A.F.C. East with an impressive defensive performance against the Dolphins. The two teams meet again in the last week of the regular season in south FL.

3) After I heaped praise (I wasn't the only one) upon CLE and 'Nawlins' (for their defensive play in particular) after Week 3 each team came up with a face-plant in Week 4. It appears that the Browns couldn't overcome the absence of Deshaun Watson (I'm not sure if Derek Carr played for the Saints).

4) Not sure what to make of the closeness of PHI's win over WAS. Maybe someone who follows those teams more closely than I do can offer some thoughts.

5) The Bengals have played themselves into a hole, one that's going to be difficult to play themselves out of unless they improve greatly, and soon.

6) Nice job by the Texans in hammering PIT. I'm glad to see DeMeco Ryans enjoying some success with his old team early in his tenure as H.C. there and from what I've heard C.J. Stroud has been doing for HOU what CHI was hoping Justin Fields would do for them (from the start).

7) Even "fate" couldn't keep MIN from getting a "W" against still winless CAR (and its rookie QB).

8) CHI might very well be on its way to having both the #1 and the #2 pick in next spring's draft the way they and CAR are going although Justin Fields starting the game vs. DEN 16 for 16 says something (I'm just not sure what).

9) New England's problems continue. I again have questions about Bill Belichick as his record in N.E. post-TB12 is currently at 0.481 which isn't a whole lot better than his record was when he was H.C. of CLE (0.450). After yesterday's blowout loss (the most lopsided loss, ever, for a B.B.-coached team) to the N.F.C. entry based in TX I saw several items online, one that compared Bill Belichick to an old t-shirt that brings great memories with it but that needs to be tossed, and Chris Simms and Mike Florio suggesting that this might be B.B.'s last year as H.C. in N.E. If the Pats have another down season I guess we'll find out how much patience Robert Kraft has after all the winning and championships N.E. got when Tom Brady was around.

10) SFO did to ARZ what the N.F.C. entry based in TX couldn't do the previous week and in so doing tied the franchise record for consecutive (regular season) wins (14). To set the franchise record they'll have to beat. . .the N.F.C. entry based in TX, which travels to Santa Clara for a Sunday Night match-up in Week 5. (Note: RB Christian McCaffrey set the 49ers record for "consecutive games scoring a TD," [13] a record that was previously held by someone you've probably heard of: Jerry Rice)

11) The Jets put up a great fight on Sunday night - much better than I (and probably most other people) thought they would after they fell behind 0 - 17 to the defending league champions. From what I heard Zach Wilson played well but just as with Justin Fields' performance in the Windy City, it wasn't enough to bring the home team a win (although I understand that the Jets feel aggrieved - and not unjustifiably - about a late defensive P.I. call that went against them).

12) And finished just a little while ago, the Seahawks kept their "unbeaten all time at MetLife Stadium" status intact by hammering the home-town Giants tonight. 11 sacks (a team record)! I haven't seen the Seahawks get after an opposing QB that well in a LONNNG time and rookie CB Devon Witherspoon looks to be an emerging star. Not to get too carried away but if Jamal Adams can stay healthy (a BIG "if"), and Quandre Diggs, 'Riq Woolen, and Devon Witherspoon can keep up their level of play I think that those four might someday outshine even the "Legion of Boom." (Note: tonight's game was the 21st all time between SEA and the NYG. With the win the Seahawks, after winning 6 of the last 7 between the two, now lead the all-time series, 11 - 10)

[Brian wolf]

Outshine the Legion Of Boom? ... lets not carried away, the league is different from then ... besides, no one knows which team will lay down from week to week ... haha

[JameisBrownston]

Burrow looks like a JAG backup who can't move the ball effectively to save his life. He's not making tons of bad decisions or anything, he's Joe Burrow, he just looks like an untalented undrafted rookie being asked to run the most unbearably conservative scheme imaginable. This dude's calf has got to be torn in at least 4 places, there is something we are not being let in on because the Bengals are terrified. They utterly mismanaged their backup QB situation, and this is what they have to pay for it, forced to run Burrow out there in no condition to play because they don't trust their backup for anything. I predicted that they would never win a SB with Burrow, and it seems I may be right. An elite QB can only cover up so much franchise malpractice for so long, and at the end of the day, Cincinnati is and always will be a dysfunctional franchise that doesn't know how to win. I just hope Burrow can recover and save his career at this point, if they refuse to put him on IR and he just continues to play horribly, which he will if he's not allowed to heal. Obviously he's part of the reason and needs to be protected from himself too, but I don't think he'd feel so uncomfortable not playing if they invested in a capable backup. Disgusting situation, Bungles always gonna find a way to bungle. Trade for Cooper Rush or something and be done with this sad state of affairs, please.

[racepug]

Burrow looks like a JAG backup who can't move the ball effectively to save his life. He's not making tons of bad decisions or anything, he's Joe Burrow, he just looks like an untalented undrafted rookie being asked to run the most unbearably conservative scheme imaginable. This dude's calf has got to be torn in at least 4 places, there is something we are not being let in on because the Bengals are terrified. They utterly mismanaged their backup QB situation, and this is what they have to pay for it, forced to run Burrow out there in no condition to play because they don't trust their backup for anything. I predicted that they would never win a SB with Burrow, and it seems I may be right. An elite QB can only cover up so much franchise malpractice for so long, and at the end of the day, Cincinnati is and always will be a dysfunctional franchise that doesn't know how to win. I just hope Burrow can recover and save his career at this point, if they refuse to put him on IR and he just continues to play horribly, which he will if he's not allowed to heal. Obviously he's part of the reason and needs to be protected from himself too, but I don't think he'd feel so uncomfortable not playing if they invested in a capable backup. Disgusting situation, Bungles always gonna find a way to bungle. Trade for Cooper Rush or something and be done with this sad state of affairs, please.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-power-rank ... 19174.html