Spoilers: The 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs are still tough to beat and the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings might just be for real -- along with renaissance QB Sam Darnold.
With three games left in Week 4, nine games were won by one score (eight points or less), with two featuring the winning score in the last minute of regulation. Additionally, 10 games were within one score in the fourth quarter.
So far this season, there have been 39 NFL games decided by eight points or fewer, 38 by seven points or fewer, and 32 by six points or fewer, marking the highest totals for these outcomes through Week 4 in NFL history.
The Minnesota Vikings beat Green Bay Packers, 31-29, to reach 4-0 for the first time since 2016, while the Kansas City Chiefs won against the Los Angeles Chargers, 17-10, also improving to 4-0 for the first time since 2020.
Minnesota Vikings renaissance quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns with a rating of 123.4, while wide receiver Justin Jefferson had six catches for 85 yards and one touchdown in the Vikings' Week 4 victory.
Darnold is the sixth quarterback to throw at least two touchdown passes and have a passer rating of 105 or higher in each of his team's first four games of a season, joining Tom Brady (2007 and 2015), Peyton Manning (2013), Aaron Rodgers (2011 and 2020), Matt Ryan (2016), and Russell Wilson (2020).
Jefferson is the fifth player since 2000 to have at least 50 receiving yards and a touchdown in each of his team's first four games of a season, joining Antonio Gates (2010), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (2007), and Hall of Famers Randy Moss (2007) and Terrell Owens (2004). Great company to be in!
Jefferson has 6,257 receiving yards since joining the NFL in 2020, passing Julio Jones (6,201 yards) for the fourth-most by a player in their first five seasons. Only Torry Holt (6,784 yards) and Hall of Famers Randy Moss (6,743) and Jerry Rice (6,364) have more. Elite company!
Check out our interview with Chicago Bears legend Tommie Harris:
Three rookie quarterbacks – Jayden Daniels from the Washington Commanders, Bo Nix (despite SIXTY -- Only 60 passing yards) from the Denver Broncos, and Caleb Williams from the Chicago Bears – won their games in Week 4. For the Broncos' win, you could say Aaron Rodger's New York Jets also lost that game 10-9. Oof.
It is the third time in NFL history (excluding 1987) that three rookie quarterbacks won in the same week earlier than Week 4, following Week 2 of 2012 (Andrew Luck, Ryan Tannehill, and Russell Wilson) and Week 3 of 2016 (Jacoby Brissett, Dak Prescott, and Carson Wentz).
Caleb Williams, who won his NFL debut at home in Week 1, is the first rookie quarterback picked No. 1 overall to win his first two home games in the common draft era.
Jayden Daniels completed 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown, with a rating of 96.3, and gained 47 rushing yards with one rushing touchdown in Week 4.
Daniels completed 21 of 23 pass attempts, achieving a rookie record 91.3% completion rate in Week 3. He is the first NFL player to have a completion percentage of 85% or higher in two consecutive games, with at least 15 attempts in each.
Daniels has an 82.1 completion percentage this season, surpassing Tom Brady's 79.2 percent in 2007 for the highest completion percentage in a team's first four games in NFL history. Wow.
Daniels had an 82.1 completion percentage, surpassing for New England Patriots QB (and current Jacksonville Jaguars backup) Mac Jones's 70 percent (112 of 160) for the highest completion percentage by a player in his first four NFL games (minimum 80 attempts).
Daniels has a passer rating of 90 or higher and a completion percentage of 70 or higher in each of his first four career games, making him one of only two rookie quarterbacks in NFL history, along with Dak Prescott (2016), to achieve this in four straight games.
Daniels has 218 rushing yards, making him and Robert Griffin III (234 rushing yards) the only quarterbacks with at least 200 rushing yards in their first four career games since the Super Bowl era began. Hopefully, things end better in Washington for Daniels than they did for RG3.
Daniels has four rushing touchdowns, making him one of the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era to achieve this in their first four career games, alongside Robert Griffin III, Cam Newton, and Anthony Richardson.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase recorded 85 receiving yards, including a 63-yard touchdown, in the Bengals' 34-24 victory against the Carolina Panthers.
Chase has 4,017 receiving yards and 32 touchdown receptions in four years, making him the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to reach 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in his first 50 games, joining legends like Randy Moss, Jerry Rice, Odell Beckham Jr, and A.J. Green. Incredible.
Chase, at 24 years and 212 days old, became the fourth player under 25 to have 10 touchdown receptions of 50 or more yards, joining Randy Moss (14 touchdowns), Harlon Hill (12), and Odell Beckham Jr. (10).
Chase has nine touchdown receptions of 60 or more yards, tied with Lance Alworth, Odell Beckham Jr., and Victor Cruz for the third-most in NFL history for a player in their first four seasons. Only Homer Jones (12 touchdowns) and Harlon Hill (10) have more.
Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 345 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in his 19th-game, leading the Texans to a 24-20 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags, who looked like a team on the rise two seasons ago, are now 0-4. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence hasn't won a start since last years and well, it's almost next year...
Stroud has five career games with at least 300 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and no interceptions, making him one of only three players to achieve this in their first 20 NFL games, along with Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts recorded two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) in Week 4 in a 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hurts has 43 rushing touchdowns in his career, tying him with Steve Young for the third-most by a quarterback in NFL history. Only Cam Newton (75 rushing touchdowns) and Josh Allen (55, as of Sept. 29) have more.
Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney had an interception in each of the first four games of the 2024 season.
McKinney is the first player in 29 seasons and the fourth since 1970 to have an interception in his first four games with a team, joining Otis Smith (1995, New York Jets), Terry Jackson (1978, New York Giants), and Ken Lee (1972, Buffalo Bills).
McKinney is the fourth player since 2000 to get an interception in each of his team's first four games, following Trevon Diggs (2021, Dallas Cowboys), Devin McCourty (2019, New England Pats), and Brian Russell (2003, Minnesota Vikings).
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