We’re now four weeks through the NFL season and, while it’s no longer the quarterway-mark of the year anymore due to the additional regular season game, it’s as good a time as any to take stock of where teams stand. One month into the season, we’re starting to learn a bit more about rosters, players, and what to expect across the rest of the way.
Week 4 was as interesting as can be, as we saw a massive matchup between two of the top teams in the AFC, as well as four 0-3 teams. Talk about duality. Here’s what we learned from Week 4 of the NFL season.
Khalil Mack turns back the clock
The Los Angeles Chargers defense has been crying out for more production from Khalil Mack over the last year. He notched 8.0 sacks in his first season with the team in 2022, on top of 56 total pressures, 12 QB hits, and 12 tackles for loss. A solid output, but less than what the Chargers anticipated from the former Defensive Player of the Year. Even more so considering they paid the Chicago Bears a second-round pick for him and his impending $38 million cap hit in 2024.
Mack began the 2023 season slowly, and the Chargers defense was looking less than stout once again. Heading into Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chargers would be without Joey Bosa and Derwin James on defense. Someone needed to step up – and Khalil Mack did, flirting with history in the process.
Mack recorded six (count them, six) sacks against his former team, making life a living hell for rookie Aidan O’Connell in his first career start. His six sacks were tied for the second-most in an NFL game and the most since Adrian Clayborn against the Cowboys in 2017. Hopefully, this is the start of a resurgence for Mack.
The Bears now own the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft
Things tend to get worse before they get better. But sometimes, there’s a little glimmer of light even in the darkest of times. Right now, that’s all the Bears have to cling to. They’re 0-4 after their 31-28 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, despite arguably Justin Fields’ best NFL game as a passer.
Fields completed 80% of his pass attempts for 335 yards and 4 touchdowns, with an interception on the side to keep him humble. It was a rare moment of excellence from Fields, who’s struggled to adapt as a drop back passer since he was selected by the Bears in 2021. However, there could be light at the end of the tunnel. But that’s not why we’re here.
The Bears’ loss, as well as the Panthers’ defeat at the hands of the Vikings, means they now own the top 2 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Panthers, of course, traded their 2024 1st round pick to the Bears in the deal that landed them the No. 1 pick in 2023. The Bears likely won’t have the top two picks in next year’s draft, but it’s not out of the realms of possibility. It’s within reach. And even if that means hard times are ahead, that’s the silver lining.
CJ Stroud continues to impress
We’re only four games into the NFL season and four games in C.J. Stroud’s pro career, but it’s safe to say that he looks to be the real deal. Stroud has completed 62.3% of his passes for 1212 yards and 6 touchdowns. So far, he’s averaging over 300 passing yards per game and has yet to throw an interception.
Stroud was heralded as a cool, decisive, and accurate quarterback who could consistently make plays inside the pocket – and had enough of the traits to be interesting off script, but he just had to tap into them a little more. He’s been not only exactly as advertised, but even better at the pro level.
What’s made Stroud’s performances all the more tantalizing is his surroundings. The Texans took on T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, without all five of their starting offensive linemen. The Steelers defense pressured Stroud 11 times, but couldn’t sack him. Stroud completed just over 50% of his pass attempts for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns, and it was as good as a rookie quarterback performance you’ll see given the circumstances.
In a season that began with Bijan Robinson as the consensus favourite for Offensive Rookie of the Year honours, sportsbooks have seen Stroud’s odds to lay claim to the title skyrocket over the first month of the season.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: Ismail Sayeedi. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.