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Week 4 brought another round of records, led by stars putting up career-best performances and teams finding improbable ways to win.

Kenneth Walker III continued his historic start, while CeeDee Lamb set a career high in catches and Puka Nacua climbed past Randy Moss. Patrick Mahomes keeps chasing Tom Brady while Dak Prescott added their names alongside franchise legends, and Jonathan Taylor made history overseas.

Elsewhere, the 49ers proved age is just a number, the Bears dominated the Jets and the Rams turned a 3.2% chance of victory into a stunning comeback.

From individual milestones to a comeback few saw coming, here are the numbers that defined Week 4:

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• Kenneth Walker III’s 537 rushing yards are the most through the first four games of a season over the last decade. The last player with more was Arian Foster, who had 539 in 2010.
• Walker’s 537 rushing yards are the most through the first four games of a season in Chiefs history.
• Walker’s 177 rushing yards against the Raiders set a new career high, surpassing his previous mark of 173 from Sept. 14, 2026.
• Walker has six runs of 20+ yards through four games, twice as many as the Chiefs had in all of 2025 (three, the fewest in the NFL).
• Walker is the fourth player in NFL history with 175+ scrimmage yards in three of the first four games of a season, joining Christian McCaffrey (2019), Billy Sims (1980) and Jim Brown (1963).

• CeeDee Lamb set a new career high with 17 receptions on Sunday.
• Lamb is the first player in Cowboys history with 15+ receptions, 150+ receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in a single game.
• Lamb recorded his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game, marking his fifth career streak of at least three straight. That ties Michael Irvin for the most such streaks in Cowboys history and leads the NFL since Lamb entered the league in 2020.
• Sunday also marked Lamb’s 30th career 100-yard receiving game, the second-most in Cowboys history behind Irvin (47).
• Most games with 10+ receptions in Cowboys history: CeeDee Lamb (13), Jason Witten (11) and Michael Irvin (seven).

• Puka Nacua passed Randy Moss (4,272) for the fifth-most receiving yards through a player’s first 50 career games in NFL history, reaching 4,390 in just his 46th game on Sunday. He trails only Justin Jefferson (4,825), Lance Alworth (4,785), Odell Beckham Jr. (4,695) and Julio Jones (4,471).
• Despite playing only 46 games, Nacua already ranks third in receptions (327) and fifth in receiving yards (4,390) among players through their first 50 career games.

• Tetairoa McMillan’s final stat line: 14 receptions and 192 receiving yards, both career highs, plus two receiving touchdowns, tying his career high.
• Receiving yards (192): Tied Muhsin Muhammad (Sept. 13, 1998) for the second-most in Panthers regular-season history, trailing only Steve Smith Sr.’s 201 yards on Oct. 30, 2005.
• Receptions (14): Tied Christian McCaffrey (Sept. 16, 2018) and Smith (Nov. 20, 2005) for the second-most in Panthers regular-season history, behind McCaffrey’s franchise-record 15 on Dec. 22, 2019.
• McMillan became the only player in Panthers history with at least 14 receptions, 190 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a single game.
• McMillan reached 10 receptions, 150 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the third quarter, joining Smith (Week 3, 2005) as the only players in franchise history to reach all three marks in a single game.
• McMillan joined Amari Cooper and HOFs Randy Moss and Isaac Bruce as the only players in NFL history to have at least 190 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns in a primetime win prior to age 24.

• With the Chiefs Week 4 win, Patrick Mahomes joined Peyton Manning (seven) and Tom Brady (six) as the only quarterbacks since 1950 to start 4-0 in their first four starts of a season at least five times.
• Mahomes has 99 career regular-season wins in 130 starts. With a Week 6 victory over the Chargers, he would tie Tom Brady (131 starts) as the fastest quarterback to reach 100 regular-season wins in NFL history.

Father Time Can Wait

• The 49ers 11 touchdown catches by players age 30 or older are the most by any team through four games in NFL history: George Kittle (four, age 32), Deebo Samuel (three, age 30), Mike Evans (two, age 33), Demarcus Robinson (one, age 32) and Kyle Juszczyk (one, age 35).
• The 49ers are 4-0 for the fifth time in franchise history. They reached at least the NFC Championship Game in each of their previous four 4-0 starts: 2023 (12-5, reached Super Bowl LVIII), 2019 (13-3, reached Super Bowl LIV), 1990 (14-2, reached NFC Championship Game) and 1984 (15-1, won Super Bowl XIX).
• The 49ers have allowed an explosive play rate of just 3.5%, the lowest by any team through four games since 2000. They’ve allowed only nine plays consisting of a run of 10+ yards or a reception of 20+ yards.
• Brock Purdy is the only quarterback in NFL history to start 4-0 with one or fewer combined sacks, fumbles and interceptions.

Ben Johnson’s Ground Game

• The Bears outgained the Jets by 240 yards in the first half, their largest first-half yardage advantage since Sept. 30, 2018, against the Buccaneers (+255).
• The Bears had more first downs (34) than the Jets had offensive plays (32) on Sunday.
• The Bears have four games with 230+ rushing yards since 2025, the most in the NFL. No other team has more than two.

• With Sunday’s win over the Texans, Dak Prescott earned his 85th regular-season victory as a starting quarterback, tying Hall of Famer Roger Staubach for the second-most in Cowboys history. Only Troy Aikman (94) has more.
• Prescott now has 28 career game-winning drives (27 in the regular season, one in the postseason), tied for the fifth-most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2016. He ranks second in Cowboys history behind Tony Romo (30).

• Jonathan Taylor now holds the NFL record for career rushing yards in international games.
• Taylor has 19 career games with multiple rushing touchdowns, tied for the fourth-most by a player before turning 28 in NFL history.
• Taylor’s 75 rushing touchdowns tie Eric Dickerson for the fifth-most through a player’s first 90 career games in NFL history.

A 3.2% Chance

• According to Next Gen Stats, the Rams win probability fell to 3.2% with just over eight minutes left in regulation. After stopping the Eagles at the goal line while trailing by 10 with 7:26 remaining, the Rams scored 14 unanswered points to secure a 24-20 comeback win.
• The Rams win over the Eagles was just their second against Philadelphia in the last 20 years, improving their record to 2-9 in that span.
• Sean McVay improved to 2-6 against the Eagles after entering Sunday with a 1-6 record.

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Sunday’s National League Division Series Game 2s delivered the kind of October drama that leaves fans at home staring at the screen in disbelief.

In Milwaukee, the Brewers were down to their final strike when Jackson Chourio lined a two-run single off Mason Miller for a 4-3 walk-off win, their second comeback against the Padres in 20 hours and a 2-0 series lead. 

Hours later in Los Angeles, the Braves beat the Dodgers 3-2 in a bullpen game to even their series, with Michael Harris II’s seventh-inning double driving in the winning run and Didier Fuentes retiring the first 11 Dodgers he faced.

Both series now head to Game 3 on Tuesday. The Padres need a win in San Diego to stay alive, while the Braves send Chris Sale to the mound against the Dodgers in a tied series.

Here is what stood out from Day 2 of the MLB Division Series:

Biggest Moment

Chourio came through again for Milwaukee, and this time with the Brewers down to their final strike. 

San Diego led 3-2 when one of baseball’s top closers, Mason Miller, entered trying for his first six-out save since 2024. Miller retired the side in the eighth, but after a groundout in the ninth, he issued the first postseason walks of his career to Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick. 

Pinch-hitter Gary Sánchez walked on a full count to load the bases, and Chourio lined a 101.3 mph fastball up the middle, past Jake Cronenworth’s diving backhand, for a two-run RBI single to walk it off.

Jackson Chourio hits walk-off two-run single, helping Brewers defeat Padres, 4-3

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Miller threw 40 pitches, his most since 2023, with 18 of them topping 100 mph and the fastest a 103.5 mph offering that Chourio fouled off. 

The Brewers never led until the final swing, and they won despite committing three errors, which led to two unearned San Diego runs. 

Chourio tied Game 1 with a two-run homer for his fifth career postseason homer, a franchise record, and he made the play of the series when he caught Ty France’s ball off the roof in the ninth. 

The Padres now need a win Tuesday to stay alive.

Best Hitter

Michael Harris II brought his bat for a Braves team that needed every run it could get. 

The Atlanta center fielder went 3 for 4 through seven innings, adding a single in the third, a triple in the fifth and a two-run-scoring double in the seventh, leaving him a home run shy of the cycle. 

His biggest hit came in the fifth inning with the game tied at 1-1. 

With two outs, Harris smacked a ball the other way that Teoscar Hernández misplayed into a triple, and he scored on a wild pitch by Kris Bubic to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. In the seventh, he lined a two-out double into the gap against Edgardo Henríquez, driving in Matt Olson to extend Atlanta’s lead.

Harris comes up clutch for the Braves once again after hitting a three-run homer in Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the Phillies.

Best Pitcher

Four days after taking the loss on Alec Bohm’s 10th-inning homer in Wild Card Game 2, Didier Fuentes delivered the best relief outing of the postseason in a 3-2 Braves win.

The right-hander took over in the sixth inning of a 2-1 game and retired the first 11 Dodgers he faced. That included a perfect eighth inning in which he struck out Will Smith and Freddie Freeman.

In the ninth, Fuentes got Kyle Tucker to fly out and Andy Pages to ground out, and he was one strike from finishing the job when Max Muncy homered to cut the lead to 3-2. Raisel Iglesias then got Josue De Paula to pop out to end it.

Fuentes closed the game started by opener Ray Kerr, who threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, in a bullpen game in which Atlanta used six pitchers. The Dodgers hadn’t put a runner on base since the fifth inning until Muncy’s homer and were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position through five innings.

What’s Next

The division series continues with the ALDS Game 2s on Monday and the NLDS Game 3s on Tuesday. Here’s how it will play out:

• Monday, Oct. 5: White Sox at Guardians (Game 2), 5 p.m. ET. The White Sox lead the series 1-0.
• Monday, Oct. 5: Yankees at Rays (Game 2), 8 p.m. ET. The Rays lead the series 1-0.
• Tuesday, Oct. 6: Dodgers at Braves (Game 3), 6 p.m. ET on FOX. Chris Sale will start for the Braves, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pitch for Los Angeles.
• Tuesday, Oct. 6: Brewers at Padres (Game 3), 9:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The Padres are one loss from elimination.

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The Braves took a big gamble with their pitching plan on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. The plan paid off.

Chris Sale started Game 1 of the Braves’ wild-card series last Tuesday against the Phillies. He then appeared in Game 3 two days later, which the Braves considered to be his bullpen day.

So, Sale would have had a full four days of rest ahead of Sunday night’s Game 2 against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. Instead, the Braves opted for a third straight bullpen game. 

It’s the second time this postseason left-hander Ray Kerr started a game, and it’s the second time he thrived.

Against the Phillies on Thursday, Kerr threw 3 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. On Sunday at Dodger Stadium, he went 2 2/3 scoreless, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out four.

“How about Ray Kerr?” Derek Jeter said on the MLB on FOX postgame show. “Let’s just give it to the young man. I mean, he pitched Game 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies. No one really knew, maybe outside of the Braves organization, that he was going to pitch in a pivotal Game 2 when you’re down at Dodger Stadium when the whole world’s picking the Dodgers to win. And he went out and did the exact same thing.

“So, he deserves a lot of credit. He set the tone for the Braves pitching staff and it just snowballed after that.”

Kerr started it, and Didier Fuentes ended it with 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball. That one run came when Max Muncy homered in the ninth inning to end Fuentes’ outing. Closer Raisel Iglesias came in and got pinch-hitter Josue De Paula to pop out in foul territory to seal the win.

In the biggest game of his life, Ray Kerr delivered a scoreless outing at Dodger Stadium. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) –>

Fuentes made a major impression back in spring, when he allowed one run, two hits and one walk over 13 2/3 innings in Grapefruit League play. He struck out 18 and allowed an opponent batting average of .049.

He eventually joined the big-league club after starting the season in the minors and thrived. He had a 2.45 ERA over 58 appearances (73 1/3 innings). Now, so far in his postseason career, he has allowed two runs in his first 6 2/3 innings.

“What can you say about Fuentes?” Alex Rodriguez asked. “Just turned 21 years old, the native from Colombia was fantastic – 3 2/3 (innings), only that one hit, the home run. Really impressive win for this team.”

Next up is a heavyweight showdown on Tuesday in Atlanta for Game 3.

For the Dodgers, it will be reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who, in two years with the team, has already become a legend for his impressive October performances. Opposite him will be Sale, who has rejuvenated his career in Atlanta after being traded there from the Red Sox in December 2023.

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DODGER STADIUM (Los Angeles) – With Chris Sale unavailable, and with the Braves needing two bullpen games to get through the first two games of the National League Division Series on the road against two Cy Young Award winners, they still found a way to return to Atlanta with the series tied at one game apiece.

Dodgers deadline addition Tarik Skubal came “as advertised” in Game 1, but Blake Snell couldn’t pick up where Skubal left off. 

The Braves patiently waited out the lefty, who couldn’t find the zone in a short outing, and held the high-powered Dodgers offense to one run until two outs in the ninth inning, when Max Muncy cut his team’s deficit in half with a solo shot off reliever Didier Fuentes. 

Down to his last out, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts summoned rookie Josue De Paula for his first career playoff appearance. Braves manager countered with closer Raisel Iglesias, who induced a pop-up to end the 3-2 win. 

Here are my takeaways:

On one side was Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner. On the other was Ray Kerr, a two-time junior college attendee. 

Naturally, it was the latter who departed the game with a 1-0 lead. 

This is Ray Kerr’s October, and we’re all just living in it. 

(Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) –>

“Ray Kerr is amazing, man,” Weiss said. “He did it again.” 

Kerr found out he was starting Sunday’s bullpen game the morning of the game. 

“I was like, ‘All right, let’s get it,” Kerr said. “Just another Sunday, right?”

It certainly looked that way, the way he calmly handled the high-pressure stakes. 

Considering his journey, and the will and resilience it took for the 32-year-old to get to baseball’s grandest stage, maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise. 

Kerr grew up in foster care, attended junior college, became academically ineligible, returned home to Reno, Nevada, worked at 7-Eleven and a movie theater and figured that might be what the rest of his life looked like. But then he made his way to another community college, pitched well, excelled during Alaska summer league, got noticed by the Mariners, signed a minor-league deal and worked his way up the professional ladder. 

He was coming off a two-year hiatus following Tommy John surgery when he returned to a big-league mound this year for the first time since 2024. After making nine regular-season appearances for the Braves, he got the ball to start the deciding Game 3 of the wild-card series and outdueled the Phillies’ Aaron Nola with 3.1 scoreless innings.

For his encore, he was only expected to go an inning or two. Instead, he outpitched Snell over 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out four batters and setting the stage for the Braves’ upset. 

“That was a huge start, or open, or whatever you call it, in two huge games for us,” catcher Drake Baldwin told me. “It says a lot about him.” 

2. Dodgers Rotation May Not Be As Invincible We Thought

If the Dodgers’ postseason rotation was supposed to be impenetrable, indomitable, unconquerable, Sunday night demonstrated otherwise. 

Early last October, Snell looked like the pitcher the Dodgers paid for, combining to allow two runs with 28 strikeouts and five walks over 21 innings in his first three starts of the 2025 postseason.

That was not the version of the left-handed pitcher who showed up Sunday in his first start of the 2026 postseason. 

 (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) –>

Snell allowed five free passes in Game 2 of the NLDS alone, looking rusty after dealing with a late-season groin injury that limited him to just five innings of work over the final two weeks of the regular season. Lacking control, it took Snell 90 pitches to labor through his 3.2 innings. He needed four pitches or more against each of the last 10 batters he faced and was unable to get out of the fourth inning following his fifth and final walk of the day. 

“He just was fighting himself with his delivery all game,” Roberts said. “I think that just, overall, it wasn’t the groin. He just wasn’t sharp tonight.” 

He did, however, limit the Braves to just one run after Brock Stewart entered and retired Ronald Acuña Jr. to clean up his fourth-inning mess. 

Still, it was hardly the outing they expected out of Snell after he recorded a 1.13 ERA in his final eight starts of the regular season after returning from an elbow procedure. 

3. Harris Outshines Freeman

 

A troublesome right knee had sapped Freddie Freeman’s power in the season’s second half, playing a role in the star first baseman hitting just one home run after the All-Star break and one extra-base hit in all of September. 

But he tends to find a different gear when the calendar flips to October. 

On Sunday, he found it. 

The man who hit a walk-off grand slam (plus three more home runs) in the 2024 World Series and who ended an 18-inning World Series Game 3 marathon against the Blue Jays last year with another walk-off blast made his first major mark on the 2026 postseason Sunday with a game-tying solo shot off Grant Holmes in the fourth inning. 

The blast finally gave the Dodgers some momentum and a crowd of 50,729 fans, who had been quieted by Snell’s shaky performance, a reason to get rowdy. 

But Michael Harris II ensured that was short-lived.

Dodgers reliever Kris Bubic, pitching for just the sixth time as a Dodger after returning from an elbow injury, was one pitch away from a perfect fifth inning. He breezed through the first two batters, then got Harris down 0-2 before the Braves center fielder poked a sweeper well outside the zone the other way. 

The ball carried, and carried, and carried, eventually up and over the outstretched arm of left fielder Teoscar Hernandez, whose circuitous route and failed attempt to make the play allowed the ball to ricochet off the wall and helped Harris stretch his double into a triple. 

“I knew I didn’t fully get it,” Harris told me. “I knew it was slicing away from them. As I got closer to first, I was kind of blocked by his body, so I didn’t know if he caught it or not. Then I had seen it bounce off the wall, and I just had to keep digging. 

Getting to third was consequential, as Bubic then fired a wild pitch to bring in the go-ahead run. 

It was one of three hits on the day for Harris, who also singled and doubled and is leaving his imprint on the 2026 postseason. Harris’ three-run home run off Nola in Game 3 of the wild-card series helped send the Braves to the NLDS. 

3 1/2.   What’s Next?

It’s about as star-studded of a pitching matchup imaginable for Game 3. 

The Braves played a dangerous game using Sale to face the final five batters in Game 3 of the wild-card series, two days after he started Game 1. That extra work between starts meant he was unavailable for Games 1 and 2 of the NLDS in Los Angeles, a risky proposition in a best-of-five series. 

“We needed to win that series, and that was our best chance to do it,” said Weiss. “So, I have zero regrets about pitching Chris Sale in that last game.” 

The decision did not come back to burn him in Los Angeles, as the Braves still managed to steal Game 2 despite missing their ace, setting them up nicely for Sale to pitch in Atlanta in Game 3 on four days of rest since his wild-card relief appearance and six days of rest since his last start. 

The Dodgers also have to feel good about their chances, too, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto beginning his World Series MVP postseason follow-up campaign. 

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And then there were three.

Four weeks into the NFL season, three undefeated teams remain: the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings, who are among this year’s biggest surprises. 

Week 4 was another barn burner, with nine one-score games heading into Monday’s contest between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. The comeback kids, the Denver Broncos, could not overcome an 11-point, second-half deficit, losing to the 49ers 24-14. Sean Payton’s Broncos must work on avoiding slow starts, scoring just 13 points in the first half through four games.

And Kenneth Walker III remains the best offseason acquisition, totaling 177 rushing yards and two scores in the Chiefs’ road win over the previously undefeated Las Vegas Raiders.

Now, let’s overreact to Sunday’s Week 4 action. 

The Los Angeles Rams came back from a 10-point deficit against the Philadelphia Eagles behind the strength of running back Kyren Williams on offense and edge rusher Byron Young on defense en route to a 24-20 victory on Sunday. Williams finished with 146 scrimmage yards and the final two touchdowns of the game for Los Angeles, including the game-winner — a gutsy 7-yard run where he broke a handful of tackles and dove in for the score.

Defensively, Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald were not available for the Rams due to injury, and Young was up for the task. He finished with 2.5 sacks, including a strip-sack of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to help close out the game.

And Rams head coach Sean McVay earned his first victory over Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni as L.A. moved to 2-2. However, McVay’s team still has issues.

Special teams remain a work in progress. The Rams gave up a 41-yard punt return by Britain Covey that set up a Philadelphia score. Kicker Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field goal and kicked the ball out of bounds on a kickoff late in the game.

That might not be the biggest problem the Rams face, though. Stafford’s two interceptions in the first half had the Rams down early. The 38-year-old’s miscues have been a disturbing trend for the Rams this season. 

Conclusion: Not an overreaction

At the center of L.A.’s issues on offense have been the struggles of Stafford. While Stafford is third in the league in passing (1,189), he’s also tied for second in interceptions (6) and has a pedestrian passer rating (80.1).

As my colleague Ralph Vacchiano pointed out, Stafford was 20 for 36 for 177 yards and two picks with 7.5 minutes left in Sunday’s game. Then, he heated up on the final two drives, finishing 12 of 15 for 140 yards.

That’s Stafford this season in a nutshell. He’s played terribly for long stretches, sometimes too long. When the Rams need him to play well, though, Stafford has mostly heated up enough to make them competitive. But Stafford just has not been the elite, consistent performer he was last season, when he won MVP. 

For the Rams to truly reach Dream Team status, they need the prime Stafford from last season.

The Patriots Are Back

The Patriots finally looked like the team that reached the Super Bowl last season on Sunday, defeating one of the best teams in the NFL and their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills, 29-26. Drake Maye looked like the guy who competed for an MVP as well, finishing with 269 passing yards, three touchdown passes and an interception as he led New England to a game-winning touchdown in the final minutes. 

Maye also used his legs, leading his team with 54 rushing yards. Defensively, the Patriots forced two Buffalo turnovers and held the Bills to 340 total yards, keeping Josh Allen in check. 

Conclusion: Overreaction

After taking advantage of playing one of the easiest schedules in the league last year, the Patriots still have some tough games ahead, including the much-improved Las Vegas Raiders next week at home and the Chicago Bears on the road in Week 7.

And while it was good to see Maye play well, the Patriots are still missing No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown on offense and have yet to consistently run the ball effectively. We’re not sounding the alarm on the Patriots anymore, but we’re in wait-and-see mode for now. 

Hit The Panic Alarm For The Eagles’ Offense

New Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion hasn’t been able to figure things out yet in Philadelphia. The Eagles’ offense hasn’t been explosive enough or effective enough so far under Mannion. Philadelphia is averaging just 18.3 points per game (down from 22.3 points per game last season) and quarterback Jalen Hurts finished with only 93 passing yards as Philadelphia was 0-for-12 on third down in its loss to Los Angeles. 

Jalen Hurts has thrown for just 713 yards this season. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

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Even worse, Mannion has been unable to get Philadelphia’s potent running game going. Yes, Saquon Barkley had to leave the game with a hamstring injury, but even when the star running back’s been healthy, Philadelphia’s running game has been inconsistent. The Eagles finished with 104 rushing yards and are averaging just 4.16 per carry, ranking toward the bottom of the league. 

Conclusion: Not an overreaction

Hurts still doesn’t look totally comfortable in the offense, and the Eagles are even having trouble converting traditional plays they are usually effective at, like the Tush Push. Hurts is averaging just 206 passing yards a contest and has just five passing touchdowns on the year.

The Eagles are battling through injuries to key players like receiver DeVonta Smith, tight ends Dallas Goedert and Eli Stowers and right tackle Lane Johnson. But the bottom line is that the Eagles are no longer dangerous on offense.  

Buccaneers Should Part Ways With Todd Bowles

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been in every game, but are now 0-4 after losing Sunday’s game to the Green Bay Packers, 17-14. The loss is an extension of the skid Tampa went on to end last season, when it lost seven of nine. Quarterback. Baker Mayfield has regressed (although he missed Sunday’s game) and the Buccaneers have struggled to keep healthy players on the field.

In a winnable NFC South that the Bucs were expected to compete in, the season feels like it’s over, and we just began October. 

Conclusion: Overreaction

While the Bucs are scuffling, it wasn’t that long ago that Bowles made the Buccaneers a model of consistency in the NFL. Just two years ago, Bowles coached the Buccaneers to their fourth straight NFC South title and fifth straight playoff appearance. Those streaks were only a game short of being extended last season, but his success has gone hand-in-hand with Mayfield’s career resurgence, which recently landed the quarterback a three-year, $165 million contract extension.

There are things that the defensive-minded Bowles needs to fix. Their defense entered Sunday 24th in points allowed, but did look a bit better against the Packers as they were able to force multiple turnovers in the red zone. They only have six sacks, though, as they didn’t sack Packers quarterback Jordan Love once on Sunday.

Still, there’s a path for the Buccaneers to compete in the NFC South. They’re only two games behind the division-leading Carolina Panthers, and they’ve yet to play a divisional game. 

The Las Vegas Raiders Are For Real

The Raiders played the Kansas City Chiefs tight and gave them a tough battle before Kenneth Walker III took over the game and the most clutch player in the league, Patrick Mahomes, did Patrick Mahomes things. But give Las Vegas credit, it gave Kansas City a good scare and appeared ready to compete with the top teams in the NFL in its 30-27 loss. 

Specifically, what’s been impressive about the Raiders has been the play of their defense. Linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Waker have given Las Vegas a strong presence inside, while young defensive backs Hezekiah Masses and Treydan Stukes have shown that the moment hasn’t been too big for them. Maxx Crosby is still one of the top pass rushers in the league.

Conclusion: Not an overreaction

Kirk Cousins has been an efficient game manager on offense, keeping the Raiders in games by helping to move the chains. He threw for 365 yards on Sunday, making several big throws to help the Raiders battle for all 60 minutes. 

More importantly, head coach Klint Kubiak has the Raiders believing. He exuded confidence in his halftime interview with CBS’ broadcast of Sunday’s game, confidently saying that the Raiders would win the game. 

That didn’t come to fruition, but it’s evident that the Raiders can hang around with some of the NFL’s best. If Las Vegas keeps this going, maybe Fernando Mendoza doesn’t play this season.

Commanders Need To Move On From Head Coach Dan Quinn

Entering a season with high expectations after a disappointing 2025 campaign, the Commanders sit at the bottom of the NFC East at 1-3 following their loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. And the start of 2026 unfortunately looks a lot like last season for Quinn and the Commanders.

With dynamic star quarterback Jayden Daniels out again with a dislocated elbow, Quinn also lost his backup Marcus Mariota to a knee injury early in Sunday’s loss. That meant the Commanders were down to Athan Kaliakmanis, a seventh-round rookie out of Rutgers.

Injuries continue to be the downfall of this team, with foundational players in receiver Terry McLaurin, guard Sam Cosmi, tackle Laremy Tunsil and Daniels all out on offense.

Conclusion: Overreaction

Quinn is still two years removed from leading this group to the NFC Championship Game and had success at his last head coaching spot with the Atlanta Falcons, leading them to a Super Bowl during his tenure there. Quinn deserves some time to see if he can turn things around.

Specifically, Quinn should get an opportunity to lead this team for an extended period with a healthy Daniels to see if he can compete in an improved NFC East.

Mike McDaniel Is Out Of Time As Chargers OC

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh gave Mike McDaniel a nod of approval after their 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, saying his offensive coordinator isn’t going anywhere. But the fact that Harbaugh even had to say that publicly speaks to how badly this year has started for the Chargers, who fell to 0-4 with Sunday’s loss.

Los Angeles has lost seven straight games dating back to last season, with an offseason of heightened expectations in the middle of all that thanks to the arrival of McDaniel. The weight of those losses falls mostly on the offense, though. Quarterback Justin Herbert continues to play the worst football in his seven-year NFL career, throwing a pair of woeful interceptions in Sunday’s loss. 

Herbert finally got some things going in the second half, and we’ll see if that can serve as a spark as the Bolts host the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium next week.

Conclusion: Not an overreaction

It’s hard to believe the McDaniel-led Chargers’ offense is one of the worst in the NFL right now, but that’s where they are at. Herbert went 5 of 14 for 36 passing yards and two picks in the first half before turning things around in the second half, allowing the Chargers to tie (or potentially win) the game in the final minutes. However, Los Angeles’ drive ended with Herbert getting strip-sacked. 

Hebert has thrown a league-high six interceptions trying to throw the ball over 20 yards down the field, per Next Gen Stats. The Bolts are averaging just 14.7 points per game, No. 28 in the league. Herbert only has four touchdown passes to go with a 70.6 passer rating. Atrocious.

McDaniel needs to turn things around quickly if it isn’t already too late. 

Bryce Young is certainly playing like one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and he showed why in the Carolina Panthers’ 32-26 win over the Detroit Lions. Young finished 29 of 41 for 329 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 110.7 passer rating. It’s the second time Young has thrown for over 300 yards this season.

Young leads the league in passing yards (1,268), is tied for third in passing touchdowns (9) and has an impressive 100.0 passer rating. He’s also tops in the league in some of advanced metrics, including yards under pressure (411), touchdowns under pressure (4), deep passing yards (321) and touchdowns outside the numbers (7), per Next Gen Stats.

Conclusion: Not an overreaction

Despite his diminutive stature, Young has played big for the Panthers, putting them in contention to defend their NFC South title by guiding one of the most explosive offenses in the league. And Young has been buoyed by the play of second-year pro receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who finished with 14 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s win. 

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The Atlanta Falcons visit the New Orleans Saints on Monday, October 5, 2026 at 8:15 p.m. ET from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA. 

Both teams enter 1-2. The Saints are averaging 27.0 points per game and allowing 27.7. The Falcons are averaging 17 points per game and allowing 22.7.

The Saints are 2.5-point favorites over the Falcons, with a total of 47.5 and a moneyline of -148 for the Saints and +125 for the Falcons.

Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game.

How to Watch Falcons vs. Saints

• When: Monday, October 5, 2026 at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
• TV: ESPN
• Stream: ESPN Unlimited – Get the FOX One / ESPN Bundle

Players To Watch

New Orleans’ passing game has carried the offense through three weeks, and Tyler Shough has driven it at a heavy clip. He has completed 68.9 percent of his throws for 917 yards, 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, and the Saints rank fourth in the league in passing yards per game at 281.3. In last week’s 35-27 loss to Las Vegas, he went 29 of 42 for 255 yards and a career-high 4 touchdowns, keeping New Orleans in a shootout it couldn’t quite close.

tlanta’s defense is allowing 263 passing yards per game, third most in the league, a number that fits the volume Shough has already put up.

No Saints target has been busier than Chris Olave through three games. He has turned 36 targets into 27 catches for 375 yards and a touchdown, already clearing 100 receiving yards twice, including a 9-catch, 107-yard day in last week’s loss to Las Vegas.

Atlanta’s secondary has been active without much to show for it, breaking up 17 passes but coming away with just 1 interception all season. That aggressive, low-reward profile is exactly what Olave has picked apart all year.

Atlanta’s ground game exploded last time out, and Bijan Robinson was the reason why. He carried 29 times for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Week 3 win over Green Bay, adding 19 receiving yards and a 55-yard burst. He is up to 349 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns through three games, and Atlanta ranks second in the league in rushing yards per game at 173.0.

New Orleans is allowing 27.7 points per game, fifth most in the league, having given up 83 points through three weeks. Robinson’s workload and burst are built to keep piling onto a defense that’s already leaking points.

New Orleans’ pass rush has been busy without turning many takeaways, and now it draws a receiver coming off the best game of his career. Drake London caught 9 of 10 targets for a career-high 194 yards in the Week 3 win over Green Bay, including back-to-back fourth-quarter gains of 68 and 40 yards. Through three games he has 15 catches for 274 yards on 20 targets, a surge that lined up with Michael Penix Jr.’s return under center.

The Saints have 7 sacks this season but are tied for 25th in the league with just 1 interception. A group that gets to the passer without finishing plays is the kind London has already made pay this year.

Falcons vs. Saints Odds

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Drake Maye upstaged Josh Allen. Tetairoa McMillan upstaged Amon-Ra St. Brown. And the Jacksonville Jaguars upstaged the Cincinnati Bengals.

That’s just the beginning as we try to digest Week 4. It wasn’t the Sunday that we expected. But it was the best NFL Sunday yet in 2026, with 10 games finishing with a one-score differential. It was chaotic in the best way.

Welcome to Sound Smart, where I take you beyond what’s obvious. Let’s go below the surface. Let’s spin it forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines. If I do my job, you’ll be fluent in the NFL’s Week 4 action.

1.

Watching Kenneth Walker III explode for the Kansas City Chiefs feels a bit like watching LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006, when he rushed for 28 touchdowns (and caught three more). I know Walker’s touchdown total isn’t likely to flirt with what Tomlinson posted. But their levels of dominance feel comparable, with Walker running for 177 yards and two touchdowns — now up to six total on the season — in the team’s 30-27 win over the formerly undefeated Raiders.

This must exceed what the Chiefs imagined for Walker, whom the team signed to a three-year, $43.05 million contract as a free agent after he won Super Bowl MVP with the Seahawks. This is the beginning of something new for Kansas City. Something super.

Walker is one of a handful of newcomers who have opened up a new Super Bowl window for superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. If not for this impressive offseason, it would be another rebuilding year for K.C. But the Chiefs are realistically thinking about a title again. Their rebuilding year was last year. 

They’ve jumped right back into dynasty mode.

Rookies Mansoor Delane and R Mason Thomas have looked like real contributors and, at times, stars for the Chiefs in these early games. Edge rusher Thomas managed eight pressures against the Raiders, a game-high and a season-high for the rookie. Cornerback Delane actually had an outlier game, allowing 83 yards and a touchdown. But on the season, he has allowed just 10 catches on 18 targets for 107 yards and this week’s TD. He has also been a willing and capable run defender, earning his snaps on just about every down. So, yeah, he’s doing just fine.

But Delane was selected sixth overall. He was supposed to be solid. Thomas went in Round 2. He was supposed to make some big plays.

What about tackle Kahlil Benson? Ever heard of him? He’s an undrafted rookie who has started multiple games on Mahomes’ blindside. And if you haven’t heard of him, it’s because Benson has been awesome, allowing just two pressures in Week 4. You don’t hear about him because he’s doing such a good job.

Kahlil Benson (No. 70), an undrafted offensive tackle out of Indiana, is protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

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Between Walker and the rookie class — the Chiefs have studs to build around for the long haul.

And that shouldn’t take anything away from the veteran additions. Defensive tackle (and fullback) Khyiris Tonga, safety Alohi Gilman and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed — all of whom joined K.C. in free agency — have allowed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to do what he does best: dial up elaborate blitzes. Those can be tricky for newcomers — even though Sneed originally played for the Chiefs before spending two years with the Titans — but you don’t see the personnel holding Spags back in the slightest.

Nor do you see the Chiefs holding back Mahomes. He seemed to carry the weight of the world or — at the very least — his offense in recent years. Now, he’s playing with a breezy, carefree attitude. The ball pops out of his hand. He’s running with energy that makes you forget he just got back from an ACL injury. There’s magic in his game again.

And you don’t hear any criticisms about Andy Reid’s play designs or calls. That’s gone, too.

It’s not because the Chiefs ran it back. It’s because they welcomed change. 

The new guys have meshed perfectly. And so the Chiefs’ dynasty rolls on.

2.

If the Rams are playing, then you’re going to see a close-up shot of Sean McVay imploring his team to get in the game. It has happened basically every week. It has become a 2026 staple.

And it certainly wasn’t one I expected.

McVay pulled his offense aside in Australia against the 49ers and begged the players to get it together. Then again in Denver, in the second half, when the Rams let the win slip through their fingers. And then again in Philadelphia — right before the Rams finally won a tight game against a good team. It took two touchdowns in the final four minutes to edge the Eagles 24-20.

McVay was asked what he said to the offense in Week 4 — when he pulled them aside. 

“I don’t remember exactly. It was more just what was on my heart. Just: ‘Guys, we’re capable. You’ve gotta believe. And you’ve gotta just string good plays together. Our defense is doing everything that they can to keep us in this game.’ And I believed in that group,” McVay told reporters after the game.

I guess this is the first time he’s gotten through to his squad.

The question is why this “Super Team” has gotten itself into so much trouble this year. Why has its coach had to implore the Rams players to believe in themselves? Now, the obvious answer is that they’re overhyped, overly confident and overly complacent. I’ll buy that.

The other obvious explanation is injuries. Edge Myles Garrett (knee) has missed three games. Aaron Donald (back) missed this week. Receiver Puka Nacua (hip/groin) missed time before returning this week. Outside of quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Davante Adams, those are the superstars who were supposed to make this team super.

McVay chose optimism for what was a deeply improbable win.

“[The comeback] says that they’re mentally tough. I think that’ll really serve us well,” he said. “I’m really proud to just be a part of this group — and what they represent.”

He added: “I’m proud that we came to life when we had to — and it’s because our defense gave us a chance to.”

Sean McVay reacts after a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 4. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

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In theory, the Rams will get healthier — or, at the very least, they’ll see their stars progressively get healthier. And maybe McVay’s optimism is founded. Maybe he sees something developing that I’m missing. But I see Stafford struggling as much as he has since maybe 2022. I see the Rams lack consistency from quarter to quarter. 

They should be more dominant than this. They shouldn’t need their coach to pull them aside every game. They should play four quarters of good football. They should be a Super Team.

3.

Brock Purdy opened the season as the league’s most dominant quarterback, both in counting stats and in advanced stats — from touchdowns to interceptions to expected points added to completion percentage over expected. All that, however, came with an asterisk.

*But the 49ers hadn’t played anyone good.

Well, for all the haters, this performance checks off the unchecked box: Handle a good defense.

The Niners beat the Denver Broncos 24-14 on Sunday. There was a minute there when it didn’t look pretty for Purdy. He started 10-of-20, with the cold streak extending into the beginning of the third quarter. But he followed it with a concluding run of 9-of-10. 

By game’s end, he was 19-of-30 for 218 yards and two touchdowns — stats boosted in large part due to a huge screen play from George Kittle, who took it to the house for a 56-yard touchdown. 

Brock Purdy walks off after the 49ers beat the Broncos at Levi’s Stadium in Week 4. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

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Maybe it wasn’t a huge game. But it was an extremely clean game from Purdy — spotless, in fact. He had zero turnovers and took zero sacks. In fact, he hasn’t been sacked yet this season. He was much better against the Broncos’ blitzes (10-of-12, 124 yards, 2 TDs) than when they sent four or fewer (9-of-18, 94 yards). 

The game didn’t call for him to be the hero. He read the situation. He managed the situation. And the 49ers stayed undefeated, taking down a Broncos team that has quality wins against the Rams and Jaguars.

These sorts of gritty wins are a crucial part of the MVP hunt. Be a part of the win. Don’t get in the way of the team. Don’t turn a win into a loss.

And, from my vantage point, it was exactly the type of game that Purdy needed to stay on pace with the big dogs in the MVP race. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson should all be in the mix this year. Eventually, Purdy will need a marquee performance. But if it’s meant to be, that’ll come. Because he’s in the NFC West. He’ll see the Rams again, and he’ll see the Seahawks twice. There will be no shortage of adversity.

This was his first big test. He passed — not with flying colors — but he did enough. And he knows as well as anyone that this is just his first test. He’ll get plenty more.

4.

It was a dizzying finish, with points upon points. Yards upon yards. 

In the Cowboys’ 34-30 win over the Texans, every play was competitive — all the way to C.J. Stroud’s final incompletion in the end zone on the game’s final play.

But the Cowboys don’t have to make it this hard.

CeeDee Lamb shouldn’t have had to log 17 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown with 40 seconds left. Running back Javonte Williams shouldn’t have had to score three touchdowns.

And that’s because this defense isn’t good enough to sustain the Cowboys. Which is exasperating, because … how long have we been saying that?

Of course, the Dallas defense did improve from last week — in a sense. It didn’t blow the game. Last week, in a string of game-management mistakes, the Cowboys let Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and receiver Zay Flowers complete an improbable play that put Baltimore in field-goal position. The Ravens took the lead as time expired. It was a 34-31 Baltimore win, but it felt more like the Cowboys lost it.

So, yeah, the Cowboys didn’t let their late lead slip away again. But I’m not really sure that counts for much. Not in my book, at least. The Texans are 0-4, and while they’re a little better than their record shows, they’re not much better. Stroud is playing his way out of a contract extension. DeMeco Ryans is testing his job security. Things are spiraling in Houston.

The Cowboys just need to learn how to put teams away. They’ll remain an unserious team until their defense … starts playing defense.

5.

What do you see when you watch that throw? I see a quarterback who’s confident beyond what’s reasonable.

For Drake Maye, that’s a good thing.

This isn’t your average 23-yard touchdown. Obviously, it’s an incredible throw — and an incredible catch. It was the go-ahead touchdown in the Patriots’ 29-26 win over the Bills in Buffalo. But also, that’s receiver Efton Chism III, who entered training camp as — maybe — the Patriots’ WR7. He had five career catches going into this game.

The throw flipped the game, changing the Patriots’ probability of winning from 27.4% to 60.2%, per Next Gen Stats. The pass had a 29.7% chance of completion.

Perhaps most importantly, the throw came from Maye, who I pegged as having confidence problems. I wasn’t the only one. Coach Mike Vrabel implied the same thing.

“I can’t manufacture confidence. I can’t just say, ‘Hey, be confident,’” Vrabel told reporters last week. “You have to practice. You have to hit those plays in practice, and you have to feel good about it.”

Over the first three weeks, Maye had one touchdown and six interceptions. He was taking too many unnecessary risks. His deep ball lacked the confidence that we saw in 2025. And every pass looked overly difficult — and overthought — particularly the final interception in New England’s blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.

Maye had confidence issues. And sometimes, that’s more complicated than fixing footwork and/or a throwing motion. Sometimes, that’s easier. Much easier.

Because, heck, maybe the Patriots and Maye just fixed those issues with a win on the road. They’re 2-2 and the sky is no longer falling in New England.

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Joel Klatt’s top four didn’t budge this week, even though one of them didn’t play.

Georgia holds at No. 1 after taking care of Vanderbilt, while Texas and Ohio State sit right behind at two and three. Alabama is climbing fast, moving up to No. 5 off a blowout of Mississippi State, and Indiana jumped a spot after a statement road win at Rutgers.

Elsewhere, BYU cracks the top 10 for the first time this season despite a banged-up, grind-it-out win over TCU, while Oregon and Utah both move up during bye weeks.

Now that five weeks of college football are in the books, here are Klatt’s 10 best teams in the country.

Record: 4-0

Previous ranking: Unranked ↑

Klatt’s thoughts: “Listen, you’re going to be mad even though I included you. But here you are in the top 10 because I know that you’re a good program. I didn’t think you played your best against TCU, but here’s BYU. They’re going to go in at number 10. 

“They had to grind out that 17-10 win. Running back LJ Martin did go down in that game — I’m not thrilled about that. Hopefully it isn’t serious. Isaiah Glasker also had to leave the game. QB Bear Bachmeier just found a way. He’s kind of gritty.”

Record: 4-0

Previous ranking: 10 ↑

Klatt’s thoughts: “At nine, I’ve got Utah. They were off this past week, but all they’ve done is take care of business. Who’d have thought that I’d be sitting here with Utah in my top 10 and Michigan not even close right now, man. 

“I’m already circling that holy war, by the way. The Utah-BYU game is going to be fire. That’s November 7. Winner of that one, I think, is definitely in Dallas for the Big 12 Championship Game, and I think the winner of that one likely wins the Big 12 Championship Game. 

“So the winner of that game, I really like in the College Football Playoff.”

Record: 3-1

Previous ranking: Unranked ↑

Klatt’s thoughts: “At No. 8 I’m going Oregon. They were off this week after that big win over USC. You guys know how I still feel about Oregon. They can walk on any field in America, and they can tell themselves if they play their best, they can win. 

“So the top eight teams are just different than everybody else right now in the country, and Oregon is number eight.”

Record: 5-0

Previous ranking: 5 ↓

Klatt’s thoughts: “At seven, I’ve got Notre Dame. And listen, maybe I can even say the top seven are interchangeable. I think Notre Dame could be the best team in the country. 

“They’ve just been a little bit inconsistent and at times sloppy. They were sloppy early against North Carolina, but they win it 37-26. They gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half, but they’ve won their 15th straight game. CJ Carr had five total touchdowns in that game. The rainstorm made it kind of sloppy, and it was interesting, but 30 rushes for 166 yards — five and a half per. I’ve been wanting them to run it better. They have and did in that game.”

Record: 5-0

Previous ranking: 7 ↑

Klatt’s thoughts: “At six, I’ve got Indiana. Like any other program in the country, if they were the defending national champion and undefeated, on a 21-game winning streak — would they be number six? I’m just kicking myself for having them number six right now. 

“Turbo Richard was back. He ran for over 200 yards. Lee Beebe ran for over 100 yards — over 300 on the ground between them. Wide receivers Nick Marsh and [Charlie Becker] both went over 100 each. Hoover is playing well. They’ve got a couple of shutouts — they basically shut out Rutgers until the fourth quarter in that game.

“And I know it’s just Rutgers, and their schedule hasn’t been great, but the Northwestern win looks a lot better now than it did when they beat them. Indiana — 21-game winning streak — No. 6. That’s just fuel for Curt Cignetti.”

Record: 5-0

Previous ranking: 6 ↑

Klatt’s thoughts: “I’m kind of all in on Bama. I kind of love it, guys, I really do. Bama’s excellent. Where are they at in my top five? They’ve gone all the way up to number five. You might’ve thought I was going to put them number one, but I put them at five. And candidly, my top five teams are totally interchangeable. Maybe even my top six. Bama is right up there. They are excellent.”

Record: 5-0

Previous ranking: 4

Klatt’s thoughts: “At number four, I’ve got Miami. Miami is impressive, man. They destroyed Clemson 41-13 on the road. QB Darian Mensah continues to look like a dude. He’s really good. Mensah is an upgrade for the Canes. Wide receiver Malachi Toney didn’t have the biggest day, but he doesn’t have to, because they can do a lot of things — they can run it, and they’ve got other players who can get the ball too. 

“The defense was outstanding, they got after the quarterback. Miami’s going to be an issue, and they should absolutely win the ACC. They’ve separated themselves in the ACC by quite a large margin.”

Record: 4-1

Previous ranking: 3

Klatt’s thoughts: “Ohio State is going to be in my top 10. They did not move. I can’t put them over Texas because they did not beat Texas. So Ohio State is No. 3.”

Record: 4-0

Previous ranking: 2

Klatt’s thoughts: “Texas No. 2. Longhorns were off — they’ve got Oklahoma coming up. Nobody else has two wins over top-15 teams. They’ve got Ohio State and Tennessee on their résumé, so they’re there.”

Record: 5-0

Previous ranking: 1

Klatt’s thoughts: “I have Georgia No. 1. There’s just something about this Georgia team. It’s not as emphatic a statement as it was last week against Oklahoma, but they took care of Vanderbilt, a game that was a seven-point game at half, and then they ran away with it in the second half.

“Bulldogs have a big one this week, though, that ‘Bama game. If they don’t get pressure on Keelon Russell, they will lose this week, because Russell is outstanding. I think the winner of that game will be, at least for me, in the driver’s seat in the SEC, even with Texas out there with their two top-15 wins.”

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Sometimes, how good — or bad — a result is depends on which oddsmaker is relaying the news. NFL Week 4 odds provided a good case in point.

The Vikings were 9.5-point home favorites vs. the Dolphins. With Minnesota up 15-10 just before the two-minute warning, tight end T.J. Hockenson could’ve scored and likely given the Vikes a 22-10 win and cover.

Instead, he slid down just before the goal line, and QB Kyler Murray then ran out the clock on three kneel-downs.

“We needed the Vikings. If Hockenson scores, that’s a huge difference for us,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said Sunday night.

Alternatively, from BetMGM trading manager Adair Horne: “We ended up with a nice result due to the late kneel by Hockenson. If he had scored the touchdown, it would have been in our top-two worst results for the week.”

Oddsmakers from Las Vegas and across the country chimed in to recap the weekend that was in NFL and college football betting.

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Patriot Punishment

Over the first three weeks of the season, Josh Allen and the Bills erased most of the Rams’ edge in Super Bowl futures odds. The two teams are now virtually co-favorites at several sportsbooks.

And the public betting masses expected Buffalo to keep rolling in Week 4, as a 7-point home favorite vs. the Patriots. But New England didn’t get the memo.

Drake Maye led a late 73-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 23-yard touchdown pass to Efton Chism III, and the Pats upset the Bills 29-26.

“While bettors enjoyed several marquee wins throughout the [early] slate, the Patriots’ shocker remained the result that did the most damage to parlays and gave the book its biggest sigh of relief,” Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said.

The Jaguars topping the Bengals 22-17 as 2.5-point road underdogs, and the Cowboys outlasting the Texans 34-30 as 3-point road underdogs also dinged the masses in Sunday’s nine-game early window.

“Beyond the massive New England upset over Buffalo, a couple of under-the-radar results helped the house,” Feazel said. “Jacksonville and Dallas both chipped away at customer profits, making for a rare week where the book was happy to be a Cowboys fan.”

At BetMGM, Horne also highlighted the Pats and Cowboys wins, along with the Panthers’ 32-26 Sunday night upset as 4.5-point home underdogs to the Lions.

“Overall, it was not the best day for bettors, with a few outsiders winning and only four favorites covering the spread,” Horne said.

Carolina was one of those outsiders, helping blow up plenty of moneyline parlays that finished with Detroit on Sunday night. Based on BetMGM’s closing numbers, the Colts, Rams, Bears and 49ers were the only favorites to cover.

Drake Maye and the Pats turned Bills bettors into losers on Sunday (Getty Images).

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Performing For The Public

Horne pointed to three games that fell most favorably for BetMGM customers.

“The biggest losers for the book this week were the Colts vs. Commanders, Ravens vs. Titans and Steelers vs. Browns,” Horne said.

Indianapolis was a 5-point favorite and beat Washington 30-13 in London, in a game that saw Commanders QB Marcus Mariota suffer an early knee injury. South Point’s Andrews concurred with Horne on that result.

“We really needed the Commanders, and the quarterback gets hurt in the first quarter,” Andrews lamented.

Cleveland was a 2.5-point home ‘dog in the Thursday night game and beat Pittsburgh 27-24 on a waning-seconds field goal.

Baltimore built a 24-7 halftime lead over Tennessee, but didn’t have Lamar Jackson for the second half due to an ankle sprain. The Ravens still won 24-18, while failing to cover as hefty 11.5-point favorites.

However, Baltimore was seen as a Bingo free space in countless moneyline parlays. So just by winning, regardless of margin, the Ravens were a shot in the arm for the betting public.

Plus, per usual, Ravens running back Derrick Henry was hugely popular in the First Touchdown Scorer/Anytime Touchdown Scorer markets. Henry gave the masses a two-for-one by scoring the first TD, less than three minutes into the game.

Other notable wins for the bettors: the Rams, Giants and Bears.

“The Rams’ comeback and cover was the standout game result, paying off for bettors both pregame and in-play,” Feazel said. “The ever-popular Giants also delivered, while the Bears were among the biggest team winners of the day.”

The Rams trailed the Eagles 20-10 well into the fourth quarter. But L.A. scored two TDs in the final four minutes to win 24-20 and cover as a 3.5-point road favorite.

The Giants were 2.5-point home underdogs to the Cardinals and trailed 14-3 in the first quarter. But New York ultimately turned the game into a shootout and clinched a 36-24 win on Deonte Banks’ 98-yard interception return for a touchdown as time expired.

The Bears were never really threatened by the hapless Jets, winning 23-12 as 3.5-point home favorites.

The Rams’ comeback win over Philly was a boon for bettors (Getty Images).

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On Campus

As much as the public betting masses wanted nothing to do with Florida against Ole Miss in Week 4, they were all over the Gators in Week 5 at Missouri.

Florida was a 5.5-point favorite and was among the most-bet teams at all the big national sportsbooks. BetMGM’s Saturday pretty much hinged on whether Florida covered the spread.

Interestingly, much like Ole Miss imploded against Florida, losing 52-28, the Gators got flattened by Mizzou 45-17.

“It was a topsy-turvy day for the book,” BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. “But Mizzou outright was a colossal result, especially on the in-play book.”

Indeed, bettors jumped on Florida as it fell behind 20-10 at halftime, certain that a big Gators comeback was looming. It wasn’t.

“That’s what really made that game a huge winner for the book, on top of the lopsided pregame need,” Magee said.

Notre Dame also bit the public masses Saturday by failing to cover as a 21-point road favorite vs. North Carolina. The Tar Heels made this game far more interesting than expected, pulling within 21-20 on Jaden Jefferson’s 98-yard kick return to open the second half.

Carolina ultimately lost 37-26, but easily covered the spread.

Magee noted a couple of favorable outcomes for the customers.

“Bettors had a great result on Ohio State winning big at Iowa, and also had a nice outing on Miami covering against Clemson,” he said.

The Buckeyes were 14.5-point favorites and notched a 31-14 win and cover. The Hurricanes had even less trouble, rumbling to a 41-13 victory as 14-point road favorites.

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When you rewrite Ohio State’s record book before you turn 21, fans can start etching your name amongst the greats. During Ohio State’s win over No. 14 Iowa, Jeremiah Smith gave them every reason to. 

The Buckeyes’ junior wide receiver caught 11 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns in No. 5 Ohio State’s 31-14 win at Iowa, becoming the program’s all-time leader in both receptions and touchdown catches. 

His 57-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was the 36th of his career, passing Chris Olave, and he celebrated with a Heisman pose. Along the way, he also passed Emeka Egbuka for the most catches in school history and became the first Buckeye with back-to-back 200-yard receiving games, following up a 217-yard performance against Illinois.

On the latest edition of “The Joel Klatt Show,” FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt brought up the question: Is Smith the greatest Buckeye of all time?

“I’ve seen this question posed out there on social media and the like: Is Jeremiah the best Buckeye ever? Is he starting to get into that territory?” Klatt said. “And you know what? I think he might be entering the chat.”

Klatt’s case starts with the single-season greats. He argued Smith has already passed many Buckeyes who built their legacies on one standout year, a group that includes Ezekiel Elliott, who led Ohio State to a championship, Chase Young and his 16.5 sacks and Eddie George and his 24 touchdowns.

“I think if you look at his entire body of work, he is wide receiver one at wide receiver U, and all of them would say it,” Klatt said. Klatt said the group of former Ohio State standouts includes Cris Carter, Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. 

Klatt added that Egbuka, who stayed at Ohio State for an extra season in part to play alongside Smith, “said it to my face.”

Klatt stopped short of putting Smith at the very top. The two names he believes belong in that conversation are Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in college football history, and Orlando Pace, the offensive tackle who won the Lombardi Award twice and finished fourth in the 1996 Heisman voting.

Buckeyes legend Orlando Pace won the Lombardi Award twice and finished fourth in the 1996 Heisman voting. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)

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“I know that sounds crazy, but is he starting to get there? And here’s the deal: I can’t give him the nod over those two guys, and specifically Orlando Pace,” Klatt said.

But Klatt said Smith has a clear path to changing that. Smith was a freshman on Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team, and he is trying to become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Alabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2020.

“If this guy wins the Biletnikoff and wins the Heisman Trophy, he’s already got a national championship under his belt,” Klatt said. “I believe that then it becomes a question of is Jeremiah Smith or Orlando Pace the greatest Buckeye in history?”

For now, Klatt believes those two stand apart.

“If you’re just talking about singular talents and dominant players at their position in this sport, I think it’s Jeremiah Smith and Orlando Pace as the greatest Buckeyes ever.”

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