The NFL just keeps delivering. Week 4 saw plenty of upsets. It saw teams building and teams falling apart right in front of our eyes in “America’s Game of the Week” (so much for those “The Chiefs are done” and “The Ravens are Super Bowl favorites” takes, right?). It saw Scorigami.
And it saw another shocking mistake, brought to you by the same team who did it most notably last season. AD Mitchell fumbled as he ran into the end zone against the Rams, costing the Colts seven points in a game they lost by … seven. Mitchell also had a holding call that wiped out a 53-yard Jonathan Taylor touchdown, and Indianapolis only had 10 defenders on the field on Los Angeles’ game-winning 88-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Tutu Atwell.
But the celebration is the one that gets to me the most. Penalties happen. Miscommunications resulting happen.
Celebrating before the end zone should never happen. And yet it’s now happened to the Colts twice in under a year: Taylor did it against the Broncos in Week 15 last year, and I railed against him in that week’s version of this very column. According to The Athletic, Shane Steichen even instituted a “letters and logos” saying: Don’t celebrate unless you’ve crossed the letters and logos in the end zone.
Ultimately, coaches can do and say the right things. It’s up to the players to execute, and Mitchell failed. The first 99% of his play — the hand fighting, the leaping grab, the spin — were outstanding. He is an incredibly talented player. Mitchell apologized to the team Monday, but apologies can’t replace a loss with a win.
We certainly didn’t like Mitchell’s mistakes in Week 4, but there was plenty more to like and dislike as the first month of the NFL season came to a close, too.
Five things we liked in Week 4Bijan Robinson leveling up … again
I wanted to include Robinson after his monster Week 2, but he didn’t quite make it. Then the Falcons didn’t score a point in Week 3. We cannot deny the Falcons’ star superstar this time. Against the Commanders, he posted 75 rushing yards and 106 receiving yards. He is just the third running back since 1990 to have multiple 100-yard receiving games within the first four weeks, joining 2018 Alvin Kamara and 1991 Thurman Thomas.
The highlights remind me of an NBA highlight package, with broken ankles all over the place.
Robinson is both smooth and sudden. He glides past defenders and cuts on a dime. And he’s only getting better at that, which is scary. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Robinson reached a career-best 21.69 miles per hour on his 69-yard reception.
He’s also averaging 3.58 yards per carry after contact — his previous career high was 3.10 — and has already forced an NFL-best 24 missed tackles. His 37.5% tackle avoidance rate is on track to be the second-highest Pro Football Focus has ever recorded. He is the total package.
Travis Etienne Jr. leads revitalized Jaguars running game
I’ve been partial to Etienne since the days he starred at Clemson. After missing his rookie year, he had 1,400+ yards from scrimmage in 2022 and 2023. But his efficiency declined in 2023 and plummeted in an injury-derailed 2024.
It’s safe to say he’s back. Check out the move he puts on 49ers safety Jason Pinnock on this run.
That’s the elusiveness and explosiveness that made him a star. That’s the type of play that we’re seeing again: His 6.1 yards per carry leads the NFL this season.
But go back and watch that clip again, and look at Brenton Strange (No. 85) and Brian Thomas Jr. (No. 7) driving their blocking assignments nearly all the way to the sideline. Jacksonville is averaging 1.77 yards per carry before contact, the seventh-highest rate in the NFL. Their PFF run blocking grade is sixth. Last year, they ranked 29th and 26th in those respective coordinators. And for that, we have to thank Coen, who led the Buccaneers‘ excellent running game last year and is doing the same in his new home.
Rushing Success Rate Ranks
Buccaneers
Jaguars
Season Before Coen
32nd (2023)
20th (2024)
Season With Coen
9th (2024)
8th (2025)
C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins connect on a deep ball
The Texans have found themselves behind the chains a lot this season. They have not found themselves able to do this very often:
Stroud completed two passes 20+ yards downfield Sunday after two total over the previous two weeks, and it was in a game the Texans controlled most of the way.
But this one to Collins is a big one. DeMeco Ryans called it “the play of the game” because the Texans didn’t fold despite it being second and 33. Stroud thinks the play can kickstart an offense badly in need of one.
Stroud’s other deep completion was this strike to rookie Jayden Higgins.
Yes, the Titans have been awful, but guess what? The Texans face the Ravens’ porous defense next. Maybe this can be something to build on. Stroud has shown elite downfield accuracy when given time.
This Cole Bishop play
I have written about the issues with the Bills‘ safety play before. But, my goodness, Cole Bishop take a bow.
Yeah, we like that.
This Dak Prescott throw
I like to finish the “like” section with a favorite highlight. Bishop seemed to have that spot locked up. Then Dak Prescott and Jalen Tolbert did this.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, it was the second-most improbable completion on record (since 2018). But I don’t need stats to explain this one. It was simply awesome.
Five things we didn’t like in Week 5Ravens can’t rush the passer
There is a lot wrong with the Ravens. Their injuries are forcing them to play guys they signed off the street days before games — no, I’m not exaggerating — but the defense had issues even before this latest wave of injuries. I dove into it all and whether it can be fixed here:
‘We’re just not a good enough football team yet’: Can Ravens’ issues on both sides of the ball be fixed?
Zachary Pereles
One issue worth really zooming in on, though, is the edge rush, especially because that’s an area the Ravens should have some production. Odafe Oweh is healthy. Tavius Robinson is healthy. Mike Green is healthy. David Ojabo is healthy. Adisa Isaac and Kyle Van Noy are hurt, but the “healthy” list includes four guys picked in the first four rounds and three guys picked in the top two rounds.
Entering “Monday Night Football,” 86 players had played at least 80 snaps as a pass rusher. Here’s where the Ravens’ four ranked:
Ravens Notable Edge RushersPressure Rate<<Rank (out of 86)Odafe Oweh11.20%45thTravis Jones9.40%67thTavius Robinson7.20%74thMike Green6.80%77th>> Average is 12.2%
The Ravens have, generally, crushed drafts for years, but their misses at edge are mounting and really hurting, literally and figuratively.
Everything Panthers
Oh boy. Let’s look at three plays from the Panthers’ 42-13 loss to the Patriots that were, to be generous, not great.
“When it’s a full team effort like this, I have to put that on myself,” coach Dave Canales said after the game, per the team’s postgame transcript. “I have to look at how I’m preparing the team, how we’re going about our work. I have to look at that and compete to find an edge to get these guys to work together, to focus so we can get the execution that we’re seeing happen in our processes.”
The Panthers are once again one of the league’s worst defenses. Injuries have wreaked havoc on the offensive line. Bryce Young is missing far, far too many throws, and he’s also the victim of the league’s fifth-highest drop rate. It feels like it’s getting late early in the Canales era; performances like these just aren’t acceptable.
Commanders keep giving up big passes
In Week 1, the Commanders’ new-look defense held Russell Wilson’s Giants without a touchdown.
Since then, it’s been a mess, especially when it comes to big plays. Washington has allowed five completions of 40+ yards over the past three weeks. Only the Cowboys (six) have allowed more.
These haven’t been contested catches, either. They’re all wide open. On the big Robinson catch above, Bobby Wagner has absolutely no chance to cover the running back. On a later 43-yard completion to Drake London, Marshon Lattimore was penalized for holding on the play and still gave up the catch.
Entering “MNF,” 49 cornerbacks had played at least 200 snaps. Lattimore is 46th in PFF’s grades. Mike Sainristil is 44th.
Sainristil (via ESPN’s John Keim) and coach Dan Quinn both pointed to communication issues. But that seems to be just one issue.
Mike Tomlin’s ultra-conservative late-game strategy
With two minutes left to go in the Steelers‘ eventual 24-21 win over the Vikings, Pittsburgh had a second-and-6 at the Minnesota, and Kenneth Gainwell gained 5 yards. ESPN’s win probability gave Pittsburgh a 95% chance to win.
Then Gainwell got stuffed on third down. Instead of trying for a first down, the Steelers took a delay of game and then punted. Corliss Waitman’s punt went through the end zone, meaning Pittsburgh only gained 25 yards of field position. The Vikings, with one minute left, needed only a field goal to tie.
Ultimately, they didn’t get that field goal. Tomlin’s decision worked. That doesn’t mean it was the correct one. The Vikings’ chance to win got to as high as 18%. Maybe facing Carson Wentz helped Tomlin feel comfortable in his defense, but the secondary was down several players due to injury, and Wentz had just hit Jordan Addison on an 81-yard pass the drive before.
Pittsburgh ran the ball well all day. They even successfully used tight end Connor Heyward on their version of the “Tush Push” earlier in the game. Punting this ball was both extremely conservative and unnecessarily risky to the Steelers’ chances to win.
Packers‘ nearly disastrous finish
Speaking of late-game mismanagement that turned out OK, if Tomlin’s was poor, the Packers’ was egregious.
Lost in the sea of storylines — the second-highest scoring tie ever, Micah Parsons‘ return, Dak Prescott’s excellence game, George Pickens‘ performance with CeeDee Lamb out, whatever Jerry Jones said — was that the Packers almost lost this game for no reason whatsoever.
From the Dallas 15-yard line with 28 seconds left in overtime, a Jordan Love pass to Emanuel Wilson lost 1 yard. Things should have been simple enough from there. You could hurry up and try one more shot in the end zone, or you could let the clock run and spike the ball to set up a field goal, or you could just run the field goal unit on and kick.
Instead, the Packers decided to run a play … without hurrying up. They snapped it with six seconds left, and Love fired to the end zone. His pass hit linebacker Jack Sanborn and fell to the turf. Everyone’s eyes immediately went to the clock: one second. Brandon McManus delivered, and the 40-40 tie was complete.
But this was completely unnecessary. The clock never should have been a factor. Instead, Green Bay was one second from disaster.
“The operation was just way too slow,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I don’t know if our guys didn’t know we were in two minute or what. But ultimately, communications got to get better. Myself to Jordan, Jordan to the huddle.”
The new overtime rules have really delivered, and this game showed a new aspect: the clock. Colloquially, the NFL says both teams are guaranteed a possession in overtime. But dig a little deeper. Rule 16, Article 3(d) says …
“There shall be a maximum of one 10-minute period, even if the second team has not had an opportunity to possess the ball or if its initial possession has not ended. If the score is tied at the end of the period, the game shall result in a tie.”
Two things are for certain: LaFleur will be doubly sure to make sure his team knows the rules, and we’re going to get more wild overtime finishes.