NFL Week 4 recap

Jim vs. Harry: After Week 4, Who’s a Real Super Bowl Contender?

ByJim Balz
NFL Week 4 recap
Photo by Amit Lahav on Unsplash

Week 4 had a little of everything: a sleepy afternoon in Santa Clara, a battle of 3-0 teams in Las Vegas, and a Texans halftime lead that fell apart. Our NFL Week 4 recap starts with the scoreboard. Then the Balz twins fight over the only question that matters a quarter of the way through the season: who’s actually a Super Bowl contender?

NFL Week 4 Recap: The Scoreboard

DayMatchupFinal
Thu 10/1Steelers at BrownsCLE 27, PIT 24
Sun (London)Colts vs. CommandersIND 30, WAS 13
SunCowboys at TexansDAL 34, HOU 30
SunPackers at BuccaneersGB 17, TB 14
SunJaguars at BengalsJAX 22, CIN 17
SunRams at EaglesLAR 24, PHI 20
SunPatriots at BillsNE 29, BUF 26
SunJets at BearsCHI 23, NYJ 12
SunTitans at RavensBAL 24, TEN 18
SunCardinals at GiantsNYG 36, ARI 24
SunDolphins at VikingsMIN 15, MIA 10
SunBroncos at 49ersSF 24, DEN 14
SunChiefs at RaidersKC 30, LV 27
SunChargers at SeahawksSEA won; score not confirmed
SNFLions at PanthersNot confirmed at press time
MNFFalcons at SaintsTonight, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

Round 1: The Snooze Bowl in Santa Clara

JIM: Let’s be clear: the 49ers weren’t shut out in the first half, Harry, no matter what your group chat says. San Francisco got on the board with a 24-yard field goal to tie it late in the first half, then had a field goal blocked on the final play of the half, so it stayed tied at 3. 3-3 at halftime. I’ve seen more offense at a chess tournament.

HARRY: Boring to you, a grind to me. Both offenses struggled on a hot day in the Bay Area, but the 49ers took advantage of a fumbled punt return by Marvin Mims Jr. to set up a third-quarter touchdown drive that gave them the lead for good. Then Purdy sealed it with a 56-yard touchdown pass to George Kittle with 2:15 to go. That’s a 4-0 team winning on a day it didn’t have its best stuff.

JIM: Fine, I’ll give you the Kittle bomb. But Denver’s 2-2 because it keeps spotting teams entire halves. Last week they were down 16-0 to the Rams at halftime and still won 30-26. And the red-zone offense still looks stuck in neutral.

HARRY: And Bo Nix almost pulled off another comeback anyway. His 13-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle plus a 2-point conversion cut it to 17-14 with 4:05 to play. The scarier news for Denver is that All-Pro CB Patrick Surtain II left with an injury, and we’re waiting on an update.

Round 2: Vegas Heartbreak and Houston Collapse

JIM: Two 3-0 teams walked into Allegiant Stadium, and the one that walked out 4-0 is the one that always does. Patrick Mahomes and Kenneth Walker III carried Kansas City to a 30-27 win. The Raiders hung around, I’ll give them that, but it’s still Chiefs real estate.

HARRY: Three points, Jim. The Raiders are 3-1 and nobody should be laughing. Houston’s the team that hurts. The Texans led Dallas 16-6 at halftime, then the Cowboys scored 14 in the third quarter and 14 more in the fourth to win 34-30. Houston drops to 0-4, and I genuinely feel for a fan base that watched that lead melt.

JIM: Feel for them all you want, but 0-4 is 0-4. Meanwhile Buffalo got clipped at home, 29-26 by the Patriots, and the Giants are suddenly 3-1 after Deonte Banks returned a pick 98 yards for a touchdown in the final seconds. Week 4 was chaos.

Round 3: Super Bowl Contenders After Four Games

HARRY: My take: the 49ers are the best team in football. Undefeated, they’ve won ugly and won pretty, and their defense shut down Bo Nix and the Broncos for three quarters. A team that can win a 3-3 rock fight is a team that’s built for January.

JIM: Cute. Kansas City is 4-0 too, and they just added a ground game, with Walker carrying the load on the road against an unbeaten division rival. That’s not a contender, Harry, that’s the favorite until somebody takes it from them. And keep an eye on Detroit's offense.

HARRY: Funny you mention Detroit, because Sunday night was supposed to be the shootout of the week. It was the first Sunday Night Football game in Charlotte since the 2015 season, and Carolina’s secondary was missing starting corners Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. Our sources hadn’t confirmed a final at deadline, so we’ll save the gloating.

JIM: You’re saving the gloating because you picked Carolina in your head and you know it. The Lions’ ceiling is a contender. The Panthers are a nice story.

Monday Night and Next Week’s Schedule

Tonight’s NFC South game: Falcons at Saints at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the call. With the Saints, Falcons and Panthers all 1-2 coming in, New Orleans is looking to avenge a series sweep by Atlanta. Harry's full pick is up on The Hairy Times: Falcons vs Saints Prediction: Sorry, Jim, I've Got This.

DayMatchupTime (ET)TV
Thu 10/8Buccaneers at Cowboys8:15 p.m.Prime Video
Sun 10/11Eagles vs. Jaguars (London)9:30 a.m.NFL Network
Sun 10/11Bears at Packers1:00 p.m.FOX
Sun 10/11Texans at Titans1:00 p.m.CBS
Sun 10/11Bengals at Dolphins1:00 p.m.FOX
Sun 10/11Raiders at Patriots1:00 p.m.CBS
Sun 10/11Vikings at Saints1:00 p.m.FOX
Sun 10/11Browns at Jets1:00 p.m.CBS
Sun 10/11Colts at Steelers1:00 p.m.CBS
Sun 10/11Giants at Commanders1:00 p.m.FOX
Sun 10/11Broncos at Chargers4:05 p.m.CBS
Sun 10/11Lions at Cardinals4:25 p.m.FOX
Sun 10/1149ers at Seahawks4:25 p.m.FOX
Sun 10/11Ravens at Falcons8:20 p.m.NBC/Peacock
Mon 10/12Bills at Rams8:15 p.m.ESPN/ABC

Bears-Packers was moved from its original 4:25 p.m. slot to 1:00 p.m. ET, and it’s still on FOX. The Panthers and Chiefs are on bye. We haven’t confirmed the Week 6 Thursday night game (Oct. 15) yet.

The Verdict

JIM: The Chiefs are my Super Bowl pick. Mahomes is perfect in Vegas, Walker gives them a hammer, and Kansas City gets a bye while everyone else beats each other up. Write it down, little brother.

HARRY: The 49ers win in Seattle next Sunday and go 5-0. This is the most complete team in the league, and Bay Area fans have waited long enough for a team that can win any kind of game.

So whose side are you on? Will the 49ers still be unbeaten after their trip to Seattle in Week 5, or is Jim right that Kansas City is the real team to beat? Make your pick in the comments.

Your turn: Think Jim or Harry got it wrong? Make your case in the comments (join the Balz Fan Club free to comment and like the best takes). Want the bigger picture beyond the box score? Read The Hairy Times, our sister paper.

Sources we checked (17)

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