We’re nearly a quarter of the way through the NFL season and the league’s unpredictability is at an all-time high. As Only two teams (Kansas City and Minnesota) are unbeaten, while Jacksonville is the only winless team remaining. Six betting underdogs won outright this week, including Denver’s road upset of the New York Jets.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Week 4:
Winners
Baltimore Ravens
After losing to the Chiefs and Raiders in the first two weeks of the season, there was a realistic possibility that the Ravens could start the year 0-4. However, back-to-back wins over the Cowboys and Bills have them sitting at 2-2, only trailing the Steelers in the AFC North. Derrick Henry’s 87-yard touchdown run set the tone for a dominant performance from Baltimore.
The Ravens are at their best when they can run the ball effectively, and they haven’t had to rely on Lamar Jackson’s arm recently. In the last two weeks, Jackson has thrown a combined 33 passes. In the first two, he threw the ball 74 times. The Ravens have found their identity, and they’ll look to win their third straight game when they face Cincinnati next week.
Washington Commanders
Coming off of a hard-earned victory over Cincinnati on Monday Night Football, I thought the Commanders would be in a difficult spot on the road against the Cardinals in Week 4. Boy, was I wrong. Arizona jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but Washington responded with 27 unanswered points, effectively putting the game out of reach. The dynamic duo of Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected for a their second score of the season.
The Commanders improved to 3-1, the best record in the NFC East. They’ll have an excellent opportunity to get their fourth win as they host a struggling Cleveland team in Week 5.
Losers
Philadelphia Eagles
Some teams just have the other’s number, and that’s evidently the case with Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. The Bucs beat the Eagles 32-9 in last year’s Wild Card round, and after Sunday’s 33-16 victory, Tampa has now won six of the last seven meetings. Baker Mayfield torched Philadelphia’s defense, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns and adding another score on the ground. The Bucs scored the game’s first 24 points and later forced a critical turnover in the third quarter that prevented the Eagles from cutting into their lead.
Philadelphia struggles to play from behind because they abandon the run. Saquon Barkley is unquestionably the best offensive player on the team, and he only touched the ball 12 times against the Bucs after logging 73 total touches in his first three games. Relying on Jalen Hurts to win games with his arm isn’t going to work in the long run. Philadelphia falls to 2-2 and will head into their bye week with lots of work to do.
New York Jets
The Jets were the biggest disappointment of the week and it wasn’t close. They closed as eight-point favorites and took a 6-0 lead into halftime. The defense did its part, holding the Broncos to 186 yards of total offense. The Jets’ offensive stats really weren’t too bad either, as Aaron Rodgers accounted for 251 total yards and didn’t turn the ball over. However, Denver held star running back Breece Hall in check. He turned 10 carries into only four yards. Despite Hall’s struggles, New York still had an opportunity to win the game with a field goal at the end of regulation, but Greg Zuerlein missed from 50 yards out.
The 2-2 Jets will face a difficult test when they battle the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. That game will take place at 9:30 a.m. ET in London, England.
In the Shadows Sports 
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