With most of the NFL Week 4 schedule complete, it is time to take a look at some of the biggest winners from around the league so far.
Flacco is 39 years old and still hanging on as a viable backup quarterback option. He was forced into action on Sunday due to an injury to Anthony Richardson and helped lead the Colts to an impressive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flacco threw two touchdowns and did not turn the ball over against a defense that was the NFL’s top-ranked entering the week. He may not be a long-term starting option anymore, but he can still win you a game.
D’Andre Swift, running back, Chicago Bears
Swift was off to a brutal start with the Bears through the first three weeks and looking like one of the biggest early busts from the offseason. He finally made a big impact on Sunday, rushing for 93 yards and a touchdown in the Bears’ 24-18 win over the Los Angeles Rams. It was by far his best game with the Bears and came at just the right time.
Denver Broncos defense
You need an out-of-this-world defensive performance to win a game on the road when your quarterback only passes for 60 yards on 25 attempts the way Bo Nix did on Sunday. Fortunately for the Broncos, they got an out-of-this-world defensive performance to hold on for a 10-9 win and give the Broncos their second win in a row. They held the Jets to only 248 total yards and did not allow a touchdown.
Sam Darnold, quarterback, Minnesota Vikings
If you had the Minnesota Vikings being 4-0 at this point in the season with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback, congratulations on all of your success and collect your prize. Darnold and the Vikings remain one of the most stunning success stories in the NFL this season and improved to 4-0 on Sunday with a thrilling 31-29 win over the rival Green Bay Packers. Darnold was 20-for-28 for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Baker Mayfield, quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After a tough game at home against the Denver Broncos a week ago, Mayfield and the Buccaneers bounced back in a big way this week with a dominant 33-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Mayfield was tremendous, completing 30-of-47 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns to improve them to 3-1 on the season. He is completing over 70% of his passes in four games with eight touchdowns to only two interceptions.
Younghoe Koo, kicker, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were 26-24 winners over the New Orleans Saints despite not scoring a single touchdown on offense. They relied on a special teams touchdown, a defensive touchdown and four Younghoe Koo field goals, including a 58-yard field goal with two seconds to play to win the game.
It was not an easy win for the Houston Texans on Sunday, but their young franchise quarterback, C.J. Stroud, helped put the team on his back with 345 passing yards and two touchdowns, including this game-winning score with less than 30 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.
Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator, Washington Commanders
The hottest offense in the NFL belongs to the Washington Commanders, and they put on a clinic on Sunday in a dominant 42-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels looks like he is the franchise player the team needed, while Kingsbury is pushing all of the right buttons on offense. Sunday’s win had to be especially satisfying for him given that he used to coach the Cardinals
