I had a little bit of time to burn tonight, so I figured I’d reflect upon the games from Week 4 in the NFL. I was only able to get through a handful of the games, but I’ll get back at it in the morning with the ones I left out. Feel free to let me know what you guys think.
Baltimore 23, Cleveland 16
To me, Baltimore’s biggest problem in this game was that they were a bit hesitant to hand the ball off to their best player. That being said, I never felt like the Ravens were in danger of losing, so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much. The Browns performed at about the level that everyone expected, but I thought Baltimore’s defense would be a little more impressive than they were. Not sure if this game is an accurate indicator of what to expect from the Ravens this year though, because we see a lot of games like these between divisional “rivals”
Atlanta 30, Carolina 28
Impressive rebound by Cam Newton, but Matt Ryan and Roddy White stole his thunder in the final minute. The play of the game I heard the most about was not the long throw to set up the Falcons kicker at the end of the game, but Cam Newtons fumble – which Carolina recovered – that gave Atlanta new life. Yes it was a poor play by Newton, but the team wouldn’t even have been in the game without him. Cam giveth and Cam taketh away.
New England 52, Buffalo 28
Turnovers lost this game for the Bills. Ryan’s Fitzmagic has run out and suddenly everyone surrounding the franchise must be sick to their stomach with the obnoxious knee-jerk contract that he was given last year. I’m sure it must feel more like a prison sentence to everyone who has love for the team, and I send my deepest condolences. If there is a silver lining for this team, it has to be the backfield tandem of Spiller and Jackson, even though they didn’t quite measure up this week. The Patriots hung around even though they didn’t play their best game, and took complete advantage of the opportunities given to them by the Bills.
Minnesota 20, Detroit 13
From what I saw of this game, it seems that these teams have taken steps in opposite directions. Christian Ponder has certainly improved with a year of experience under his belt, and I don’t think the Lions are going to be able to get by without a running game this year. Calvin Johnson has been a victim of double coverage this entire season – which everyone should have seen coming considering the freakish numbers he put up last year – and the Lions have struggled because they’ve become somewhat reliant on him. It is a passing league, but that is not justification for Matt Stafford throwing 50 times a game every week. If Detroit is going to come close to reaching the success of last year, they are going to need to tweak their offensive strategy a bit. The best way to go may involve finding out who the starting running back is, but what do I know.
San Diego 37, Kansas City 20
Didn’t see much of this game except for the highlights and I looked at the stat sheet, but from what I can tell, San Diego is the better team and controlled the game throughout. Phillip Rivers completely outclasses Matt Cassel (even though he is a whiny crybaby) and when one team features a much better quarterback than their opponent, the outcome is usually pretty predictable. Jamaal Charles is still an absolute monster, and Dwayne Bowe is an elite receiver, but that is really all that stands out to me about the Chiefs. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think too many pieces are in place for Kansas City.
