NFL Week 4: Top Ten Performances
Goff's spotless MNF performance tops this week's list.
Week 4 concluded Monday night with a pair of games that were greatly at odds with each other in style and entertainment value. In the earlier matchup, the visiting Titans, despite (or because of) losing Will Levis to injury, beat the injured and punchless Dolphins, 31-12, in a game as offensively challenged as it was bereft of star power.
The second contest, between the Seahawks and host Detroit, was played for the most part at a thrumming pace, with both offenses trading well-executed drives and big-play haymakers, and Detroit’s Jared Goff deciding that perfect need not be the enemy of good. The Lions won the barnburner, 42-29.
You can probably guess which of the two games is well-represented on our top 10 list of individual performances for Week 4 of the NFL.
QB Jared Goff, Lions vs. Seattle
How good was Goff in Detroit’s win over Seattle? When you make last week’s MNF performance by Jayden Daniels (21 of 23) look like a start by Ryan Leaf, you know you’re on a historic roll. His 18-of-18 night set an NFL game record for most completions without a miss. And Goff wasn’t dinking and dunking his way to flawlessness — he threw for 292 yards and two scores, including an explosive 70-yard strike to Jameson Williams in the third quarter. Goff even caught a TD pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown. Soooo … that’s what perfection looks like.
RB Derrick Henry, Ravens vs. Buffalo
Left out of the top 10 from Week 3, despite 151 yards rushing and two TDs against Dallas, the big back made sure we took notice Sunday night, as his Ravens won 35-10. Henry ran for 199 yards — just missing his eighth career 200-yard day — including a house call from 87 yards on Baltimore’s first possession. Not since Marshall Faulk joined St. Louis and created The Greatest Show on Turf has there been a better fit between a back and his new team’s style of play.
QB Jayden Daniels, Commanders vs. Arizona
Last week, we asked tongue-in-cheek what could Daniels do for an encore to his 21-of-23 masterpiece last Monday night. Try 26 of 30 in Washington’s commanding 42-14 road win against Arizona. That absurd two-week completion percentage of 88 percent has upped Daniels’ season percentage to 82 — an NFL record for a rookie in his first four games. Though not as dynamic downfield against the Cardinals as he was against Cincinnati, Daniels continued to show a developing mastery of OC Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, especially in the red zone.
LB Fred Warner, 49ers vs. New England
The quarter-pole front-runner for DPOY showed why he’s pro football’s best linebacker in the 49ers’ 30-13 win over New England. Warner’s spectacular leaping pick-six in the second period was San Francisco’s first trip to the end zone and put the Patriots behind the eight ball for the rest of the day. Warner also halted a Patriots drive in the red zone by stuffing RB Rhamondre Stevenson on fourth-and-one.
S Jaquan Brisker, Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams
It was quite a day for the third-year Chicago safety. Brisker logged eight tackles, including a sack, and he forced a fumble, but he saved his biggest play for late in the game. On the Rams’ final possession, he made a leaping interception of a Matthew Stafford pass deep in L.A. territory to preserve the 24-18 win.
RB D’Andre Swift, Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams
In his best game since joining the Bears, Swift showcased his impressive versatility in racking up 165 yards rushing and receiving, as Chicago handled the visiting Rams. His 36-yard scoring run early in the fourth helped put the Bears up two possessions.
LB E.J. Speed, Colts vs. Steelers
The resurrection of Joe Flacco in a Colts uniform received most of the attention, but Speed was Indy’s MVP Sunday in knocking Pittsburgh from the ranks of the unbeaten, 27-24. The linebacker notched 12 solo tackles (14 total), the fourth straight double-digit tackle game to start the 2024 season. Speed may be taking a fast track to his first Pro Bowl.
QB Geno Smith, Seahawks vs. Detroit
In trying to keep with Goff and the Lions, Smith nearly pulled of some heroics of his own. Pressured all night, he made one tough and impressive throw after another. The veteran QB threw 395 yards and a TD and had the Seahawks at the doorstep of a single-possession game late.
LB Kyle Van Noy, Ravens vs. Buffalo
As with E.J. Speed, it’s time we gave Van Noy some recognition. Though he recorded just two tackles against the Bills on Sunday, they were both sacks, making it the third straight game the 11-year veteran has collected two sacks. The most meaningful of the two was a strip sack of Josh Allen in the second half that helped Baltimore break the game open. The Ravens won 35-10.
LB Troy Anderson, Falcons vs. New Orleans
Anderson was all over the field against the Saints, leading Atlanta with nine tackles. He also provided the home team a big lift with a pick-six of Derek Carr on a pass deflected by end Matthew Judon.
Honorable mentions
San Francisco’s Jordan Mason turned in another stellar performance in the 49ers win over New England. The NFL’s second-leading rusher totaled 124 yards on the ground. Hard to imagine that Mason will be phased out when star back Christian McCaffrey returns. He’s just been that good.
Sam Darnold would have made the top 10 based solely on a great first half against Green Bay that saw him throw three TD passes. However, the Minnesota offense generated just three points after intermission, and Darnold threw a red-zone pick and lost a fumble — mistakes that allowed the Pack to get back into the game.
Same game, same position. The performance of Green Bay’s Jordan Love would make both a top 10 best and worst lists. The Packers QB, returning from injury, was slow to shake off the rust, throwing three interceptions. But Love then found a rhythm late, finishing with 389 yards and four TD passes and mounting a furious rally that came up short, 31-29.
Kenneth Walker III scored three rushing TDs and accounted for 116 yards in the loss to the Lions. Teammate D.K. Metcalf caught seven balls for 104 yards.
Kansas City’s Chris Jones sacked Justin Herbert twice in the Chiefs’ hard-fought 17-10 win over the Chargers to remain undefeated.
Chase Brown rushed for 80 yards and scored two TDs to help Cincinnati win its first game of the season, 34-24 victory over Carolina.
Defending DPOY, Myles Garrett, has been playing with multiple injuries so far this season, but still managed two sacks in Cleveland’s 20-16 loss to Las Vegas.
Defensive lineman Kevin Givens filled in for injured tackle Javon Hargrave and got 2.5 sacks of Jacoby Brissett in the 49ers’ win, 30-13, over New England.