Sunday Rundown: Key takeaways from Week 4's biggest games
Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.
Late-afternoon games
Ravens in trouble
I wasn't planning to be overly concerned about whichever team fell to 1-3 after Sunday's heavyweight matchup between the Chiefs and Ravens. I would have stuck to it if Baltimore was even remotely competitive, but I'm not going to be preaching patience anymore. The 37-20 final doesn't even begin to tell the story of how this one went for Baltimore. Lamar Jackson coughed up a pair of crucial turnovers, the offense was oddly eager to abandon a Derrick Henry-led run game, and the defense continues to look like a shell of the dominant group we saw over the second half of last season. That unit currently ranks 30th in EPA/play, according to TruMedia. The Ravens still have as much talent as any roster in football, but the injuries are really starting to pile up. Jackson, Ronnie Stanley, Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and Nate Wiggins all left this week's game with injuries. Jackson, alone, missing any time with his hamstring injury could be enough to dig a hole that's too big to get out of this year.
A silver lining
The Colts couldn't close out a win over the Rams, but that shouldn't have much impact on the way we look at this team moving forward. Being in position to beat a Super Bowl contender like this should be taken as a sign that everything else we've seen over the first month of the season is no mirage. Indy might have run away with this one were it not for AD Mitchell fumbling away a long touchdown at the goal line and committing a back-breaking holding call to wipe out Jonathan Taylor's go-ahead score. Daniel Jones, no matter what doubts we may hold about his true upside, is proving to be a steadying presence at the controls of Shane Steichen's offense. And the defense has had some great moments in the early days under Lou Anarumo. The Colts are going to be a tough matchup for pretty much anyone they face.
Puka on record pace
We're only four games into the season, so it's probably a little early to start monitoring records. But another monster game from Puka Nacua creates a special situation worth your attention. The Rams superstar is already up to 42 catches for 503 yards on the year, putting him on a 17-game pace of 178 catches and 2,137 yards. That unfathomable stat line would shatter both single-season records. Michael Thomas owns the all-time receptions mark at 149, while Calvin Johnson still has the best yardage total at 1,964. The arrival of Davante Adams might cap Nacua's touchdown potential, irritating fantasy football managers in the process, but the volume he sees everywhere else on the field remains sky-high. And why wouldn't it? There might not be a more dominant receiver in the game right now.
Are the Jags ... good?
Early-season wins over the Panthers and Texans weren't enough to ease concerns I had about the Jaguars heading in. A road win over the undefeated 49ers, though? Now we're talking. While I'd still like to see more from Trevor Lawrence, Liam Coen quickly has this offense moving in the right direction no matter what he gets from his quarterback. The run game, in particular, has been a meaningful upgrade over what we saw from this group last year. And the defense has been even better. A new system appears to have unlocked a group that finished last season ranked 31st in EPA/play. Four games into this new era, the Jacksonville defense is tied for second by that same metric.
49ers missing Bosa
The 49ers might need to make a trade if this defense is going to survive without Nick Bosa. The pass rush was virtually non-existent against the Jaguars, as San Francisco was held without a single sack or QB hit. Unfortunately for the 49ers, it might be a while before certain teams are willing to accept their fates as deadline sellers. Robert Saleh is going to have to get creative when it comes to cooking up pressure in upcoming games against the Rams and 49ers. A 3-0 start could disappear in a hurry without meaningful improvement in that all-important area of the game.
Geno struggling
The Raiders trading for Geno Smith was supposed to be a game-changer. And considering the way he played in Seattle over the last few years, getting him for a third-round pick felt like a steal. The excitement around that move has all but disappeared just four games in. His three interceptions were the difference in a heartbreaking loss to the Bears this week, and he's now up to a league-worst seven picks. Smith is no stranger to INTs, but it was never this bad with the Seahawks. The Raiders will have no chance at bouncing back from their tough start if he doesn't start taking care of the ball.
Early kickoffs
Dart helps Giants stun Chargers
Jaxson Dart certainly wasn't perfect in his first NFL start, throwing for just 111 yards and taking five sacks. But perfection was never the expectation. The Giants were looking for a spark against one of the NFL's best defenses, and that's exactly what they got. The first-round rookie was a breath of fresh air for an offense that had little-to-no juice with Russell Wilson. His ability to make things happen with his legs (54 yards, 1 TD) was crucial in complementing an outstanding effort from the defense and pulling off a shocking win over the Chargers. Dart's development as a passer will be fascinating to monitor in the weeks and months ahead. Unfortunately, he'll have to set out on that journey without the benefit of an elite receiver. Malik Nabers is reportedly believed to have suffered a torn ACL in the win.
Chargers OL falling apart
Rashawn Slater going down with a season-ending knee injury in training camp was a massive blow to the Chargers' plans on the offensive line. Joe Alt exiting Sunday's game with a reported high ankle sprain complicated matters even further. The early prognosis suggests the star sophomore avoided any sort of long-term injury, but he'll almost certainly miss some time in the coming weeks. As we saw against the Giants, that could present some significant problems for the Chargers' offensive line in the coming weeks. Justin Herbert was under constant pressure in Sunday's upset defeat.
Penix bounces back
It wasn't looking good for Michael Penix Jr. this time last week. His performance in a 30-0 loss to the Panthers seemed like a bad sign for his chances of a sophomore breakout, but he responded in the best way possible. The former first-rounder played the best game of his young career in Sunday's win over the Commanders, completing 20 of 26 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns. He did have another bad interception, but the Falcons will live with the occasional turnover when he's making this many plays downfield. The unique arm talent is what makes him a potential difference-maker.
Tomlin gets away with it
There were several positives to take away from the Steelers' win over the Vikings in Dublin. DK Metcalf finally got involved in a big way (5 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD), Kenneth Gainwell spearheaded a shockingly efficient day on the ground, and the defense managed to get on track (6 sacks, 2 INTs) after a rough start to the year. But Pittsburgh allowed Minnesota to hang around and Mike Tomlin's decision-making nearly gave the game away at the end. Punting the ball instead of trying to put the game away with a 4th-and-1 play on the Vikings' 40-yard line is inexcusable. The Steelers might make some noise this year, and this was a big win to that end, but they aren't good enough to consistently overcome outdated game management.
Vikings needed that one
It may not seem like a Week 4 loss to the Steelers is that big of a deal - the Vikings are sitting at a respectable 2-2 after the opening month of the season. Take a look at the upcoming schedule, though, and it becomes clear that this game was a major missed opportunity. Wins over the Steelers and the Browns next week would've given the Vikings a 4-1 start to the season, and that could've gone a long way toward their chances of surviving the gauntlet stretch that lies ahead. After the Browns and their bye, the Vikings get the Eagles, Chargers, Lions, Ravens, Bears, Packers, and Seahawks. There could be plenty of losses over that stretch if the quarterback play isn't better than what we've seen from J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz.
Patriots trending up?
We'll have to take this week's result with a grain of salt, as the Panthers aren't exactly the most daunting opponent. But that doesn't mean it can't still be an important sign of progress for this Patriots team. Sunday's 42-13 victory was easily New England's most complete effort of the year. Drake Maye was nearly perfect on his limited attempts, the defense gave up all of six points until a garbage-time score, and Marcus Jones ripped off an 87-yard punt return touchdown. Most importantly, after last week's five-turnover debacle, the offense took care of the ball. Next week's Sunday night game in Buffalo will be a really interesting test for a team that should only continue to round into form as the season moves forward.
Callahan on thin ice?
We officially have a front-runner in the race for the first head coach to be fired. With all due respect to Mike McDaniel, there may not be anyone even close to Brian Callahan right now. The hot seat was already getting warm after a blunder-filled 0-3 start. While the Texans may be a more formidable opponent than their record suggests, a 26-0 loss this week should crank up the pressure even more. Cam Ward has the talent to me a productive starter at this level. While it's possible that the Titans simply don't have the roster talent to set him up for success as a rookie, it's beyond clear that the head coach isn't elevating the situation, either. Maybe a midseason change doesn't help, but we're talking about the development of a No. 1 overall pick here. The stakes are high enough that it's probably worth finding out.
Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.