Here are nine things that stood out from Sunday’s games in Week 4 of the 2019 NFL season.
9. Larry Fitzgerald is great, but could be even better
The Arizona Cardinals wide receiver moved past Tony Gonzalez and into second place on the NFL’s all-time receptions list. He now has 1,326 catches through the first four games of his 16th season. He trails only Jerry Rice, who had 1,549 career catches. Rice is widely regarded as the best receiver ever. But think about this – Fitzgerald had a few of his prime years with Carson Palmer and Kurt Warner at the top of their games. But Fitzgerald probably already would be ahead of Rice if he hadn’t spent so much time catching passes from the likes of John Skelton, Kevin Kolb, Matt Leinert, Drew Stanton, Derek Anderson, Blaine Gabbert, Ryan Lindley and Max Hall.
8. There may be hope for Jameis Winston after all
The Bucs went out to Los Angeles and scored 55 points in a win against the Rams. Yeah, who thought that was going to happen? Winston was supposed to finally blossom with Bruce Arians as his head coach. But through the first three games, Winston was just as inconsistent as he had been in his first four seasons, and Tampa Bay fans were calling for his job. Well, forget about that talk, at least for now. Winston had one of the best games of his career. He completed 28 of 41 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns against a team that was in the Super Bowl last year. He spread his passes among eight receivers. Yeah, he did throw one interception that was returned for a touchdown, but that didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. When all is said and done, this game could end up being the turning point that makes the Bucs decide to make Winston the first quarterback in franchise history that they’ve drafted and signed to a second contract.
7. One of Jameis Winston’s teammates got away with a crime
Again, the pick-six Winston threw in the fourth quarter didn’t really matter in the end, it did some damage to Rams cornerback Marcus Peters. As Peters returned the interception 32 yards for a touchdown, he took a blatant helmet-to-helmet hit from Tampa Bay left tackle Donovan Smith. No penalty was called. Peters was evaluated by medical personnel and could end up in concussion protocol. Smith likely will end up being fined by the league office.
6. Speaking of helmet-to-helmet hits …
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen took a wicked shot from New England cornerback Jonathan Jones. Allen had to leave the game and was replaced by Matt Barkley. The penalty was wiped out by an offsetting call.
Here’s what Senior Vice President of Officiating Al Riveron had to say about the play:
The NFL needs to firmly enforce a standard on helmet-to-helmet hits
5. Nick Chubb is the NFL’s most underrated running back
Cleveland’s second-year running back has been far from a household name despite a solid rookie year. But that probably changed Sunday. After many people were souring on the Browns and calling them overrated after a 1-2 start, Chubb came through in a big way in a 40-25 victory against the Baltimore Ravens. He carried 20 times for 165 yards and three touchdowns, making Baltimore’s defense look silly. For the season, Chubb is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and also has 14 receptions.
4. The Lions had a great game plan for Patrick Mahomes -– and still lost
The Kansas City quarterback came in with a chance to set an NFL record by throwing for at least two touchdowns. He didn’t, and his streak stalled at 14 games. For only the fourth time in his career, Mahomes went through a game without throwing a touchdown pass. Yet, the Chiefs still defeated the Lions, 34-30. Give Detroit credit for limiting Mahomes – as much as Mahomes can be limited. He completed 24 of 42 passes for 315 yards. But Mahomes came through when it mattered most. At the end of the game, he led the Chiefs on a 79-yard drive that ended with Darrel Williams scoring on a 1-yard run. On that drive, Mahomes completed six of nine passes for 55 yards and also had a crucial 15-yard run. He still is the leading candidate for Most Valuable Player award.
3. The Seahawks are Russell Wilson’s team – whether his coaches like it or not
After a victory against Arizona, Seattle coach Pete Carroll was asked what excited him most about his team’s play. He didn’t hesitate and immediately pointed to running back Chris Carson. Yeah, Carson had a great game, putting up 145 yards of total offense. But the fact is this is still Wilson’s team. The quarterback had a near-perfect day. He completed 22 of 28 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown. Wilson hasn’t thrown an interception this season. As long he stays this close to perfect, the Seahawks can go a long way.
2. The Vikings have one of the worst passing games in the modern era
Despite the fact that Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins is making $28 million in base salary and a workout bonus this year, the Vikings have almost nothing to show for it. Cousins has been nothing but a liability in the passing game, and that was evident in Sunday’s loss to Chicago. The Bears didn’t worry at all about Cousins. They devoted all their defensive energy to stopping running back Dalvin Cook, and that showed the formula for beating the Vikings. Cook gained only 35 yards on 14 carries. The Bears challenged Cousins to beat them, and he couldn’t. He completed 27 of 36 passes for 233 yards, but none of that mattered as Cousins didn’t throw for a touchdown. Is it time to bench Cousins and go with backup Sean Mannion? That would be an act of desperation. Then, again, it might be time to try something drastic.
1. What do the Redskins do at quarterback?
As bad as Kirk Cousins has been in Minnesota, the quarterback situation in Washington might be even worse. The winless Redskins finally yanked (highly) ineffective starter Case Keenum in Sunday’s loss to the Giants. Even though Washington’s coaching staff doesn’t believe Dwayne Haskins is ready, the rookie got tossed into the game. Naturally, he threw three interceptions. So, who’s the starter going forward? Haskins and Keenum aren’t the answer. Colt McCoy, who suffered a severe leg injury last season, just returned to practice last week. He might not be physically ready. But hey, this is a choice coach (for now) Jay Gruden may not have to make. The Washington Post reported last week that Gruden could be fired if his team lost to the Giants. We’ll see if owner Dan Snyder pulls the plug Monday.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
