The word from week 4 of the NFL is nostalgia. It is defined as a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning to return to some past period or irrecoverable condition. The fans in New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Denver, and New Orleans were feeling nostalgic as they watched their respective teams this past week and the entire season. The five teams are a combined 1-4 in week 4 and are 8-12 this season. Over the past two decades, these teams were considered the standard in the league because they had the best quarterbacks of the generation including Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees. These teams are struggling because they have still not replaced their Hall of Fame quarterback. Also, it is a reminder that having an elite quarterback is what really makes teams a real contender, and now these franchises are struggling to win games. In this article, we will discuss whose stock is up and plunging.
Stocks Up
1. Buffalo Bills- the Dolphins entered week four as the hottest team in the league after dropping 70 points on the Denver Broncos. However, Buffalo reminded Miami that they are still the cream of the crop in the division in a dominant 48-20 win. Josh Allen’s resurgence continued by completing 21 of 25 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns. The defense was even more impressive in forcing two turnovers and getting after the quarterback with four sacks in restricting the top offense in the league.
2. Houston Texans- the Texans continue to be the Cinderella team of the NFL that neutrals will support. The team finished 3-13-1 last season and made wholesale changes by hiring DeMeco Ryans and drafting CJ Stroud. Stroud was impressive against the Steelers in completing 16 of 30 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Stroud has been an impressive rookie quarterback because he has six touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 1,212 yards through a month in the NFL.
3. Christian McCaffery- last season, the 49ers pulled off a rare blockbuster in-season trade when they sent a second-round, third-, and fourth-round pick in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024 to the Panthers for the All-Pro running back. However, after his performances in red and gold, the Panthers likely feel the asking price should have been steeper. McCaffery had another dominant performance on Sunday, finishing with 27 touches, 177 yards, and four touchdowns. By scoring a touchdown, he surpassed the legendary Jerry Rice for 13th consecutive games with a score. However, he fell a touchdown shy of breaking the number 80’s single-game franchise record, but at this pace, he will get that record soon.
Stocks Plunging
1. New England Patriots- this franchise is synonymous with winning, but on Sunday, Bill Belichick suffered his worst loss in his three-decade-long head coaching career when his team was throttled 38-3 by the Cowboys. Mac Jones put in a disastrous performance by completing 12 of 21 passes, 150 yards, and two interceptions. Two of Jones’ turnovers were returned for touchdowns which indicates how sloppy the team played. Belichick decided to bench Jones late in the game and turn to Bailey Zappy but reiterated after the game that Mac was still his quarterback. Also, the team lost their best two defensive players, Matt Judon and Christian Gonsalez to make matters worse. Things are looking very bleak in New England.
2. Oakland Raiders/New York Giants- the two franchises had a common denominator in their ugly performances in week 4-they could not protect their quarterback. Khalil Mack shone against the Raiders in a 24-17 win for the Chargers by dominating his matchup for 6 of the seven sacks tallied by the team. Mack fell one short of the single-game record set by Derrick Thomas in 1990. The Raiders are now 1-3, and Josh McDaniel is on the hot seat in year two as Head Coach. The Giants were even more embarrassing on Monday Night Football because their quarterback, Daniel Jones, got pulverized by the Seattle Seahawks’ defense. The Seahawks racked up 11 sacks as the long-standing offensive line issues reared their head in New York. Jones also threw two terrible interceptions, and the Giants look on course for a tough season.
3. Cincinnati Bengals- I picked this team to go to the Superbowl, but after four weeks, that dream is suffering a quick and painless death. The Bengals struggled against the Titans on the road, and Joe Burrow looked a shell of himself in completing 20 of 30 passes for 165 yards in the game. Burrow injured his calf during training camp and carried the ailment into the regular season. Burrow can’t drive the ball down the field in his throws, and scramble to make throws outside the pocket. If the team loses next week against the Seahawks, they must realistically consider shutting him down to get this man healthy.