Why your NFL team won, lost in Week 4

• The Ravens rush all over the Bills: The Ravens’ ground game combined for 270 yards, toppling the 3-0 Bills.

• The Bengals get their first win: Cincinnati got off the mark with a 34-24 victory over the Panthers, and Joe Burrow is close to his best.

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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

As we hit the four-week mark of the 2024 NFL season, each game continues to reveal new insights. Let’s dive into the key data points from Week 4, analyzing what went right and what went wrong for your NFL team.

Click below to jump to a game:

Dallas Cowboys 20, New York Giants 15

Why the Cowboys won: The Cowboys' offensive line is a work in progress, but it was excellent against the Giants — allowing Dak Prescott to work within a clean pocket often. Prescott completed 19-of-21 pass attempts for 195 yards and two touchdowns when kept clean, earning an 86.4 overall PFF grade.

Why the Giants lost: The Cowboys' run defense has struggled all season, but the Giants were the first team to stumble against that supposed weakness. The Giants averaged just 1.1 yards per rushing attempt, carrying the ball 24 times for 26 yards, and were unable to find any balance on offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33, Philadelphia Eagles 16

Why the Buccaneers won: Baker Mayfield’s excellent year continues, and the former No. 1 pick thrived in a clean pocket vs. the Eagles. Mayfield was kept clean on 78.4% of his dropbacks, completing 26 of his 39 pass attempts for 306 yards and two touchdowns, earning an 88.3 overall grade.

Why the Eagles lost: Conversely, the Buccaneers did a great job of getting after Jalen Hurts. The Eagles quarterback was pressured on 56.8% of his dropbacks and was sacked six times, completing 6-of-14 pass attempts for 53 yards and a touchdown when under duress.

Denver Broncos 10, New York Jets 9

Why the Broncos won: The offense didn’t muster many yards or points, but Bo Nix showed grit in the second half, and the Broncos’ offensive line did well to protect him. Nix was pressured on just 19.2% of his dropbacks and threw his only touchdown of the game out of a clean pocket.

Why the Jets lost: The Jets just didn’t take their chances. Greg Zuerlein missed a field goal as time expired to win the game, and the offense converted on 4-of-17 third-down attempts (24%).

Indianapolis Colts 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 24

Why the Colts won: The Colts’ pass rush was excellent, notching 24 total pressures and sacking Justin Fields six times. Edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo led the way with two sacks, two quarterback hits and three hurries.

Why the Steelers lost: The Steelers struggled to shut down the Colts' primary receiving threats. Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs combined for 14 receptions for 195 yards and a touchdown. The two totaled 11 of the Colts’ 13 first-down receptions and earned 88.9 and 90.1 receiving grades, respectively.

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Houston Texans 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 20

Why the Texans won: The C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins connection continues to be one of the best in the NFL. Stroud connected with Collins 12 times for 150 yards and a touchdown, with Collins earning an 89.5 receiving grade. When the chips are down, Stroud looks for his main guy.

Why the Jaguars lost: The Jaguars’ secondary continues to struggle. The unit allowed 27 completions for 344 yards and 12.7 yards per reception, forcing just four incompletions all game. Six Jaguars defenders earned a coverage grade below 55.0 in the loss.

Minnesota Vikings 31, Green Bay Packers 29

Why the Vikings won: The Vikings’ pass-blocking held up well all game, allowing just eight pressures and one sack. Sam Darnold performed well again, too, partially because he was pressured on just 33.3% of his dropbacks.

Why the Packers lost: Early interceptions from Jordan Love hurt the Packers, and Green Bay was always chasing Minnesota on the scoreboard. Love eventually tossed four touchdown passes and showed resilience, but three drives were thrown away by interceptions. Love earned a 66.8 passing grade, but there was rust in his return from an MCL sprain.

Chicago Bears 24, Los Angeles Rams 18

Why the Bears won: The Bears’ rushing attack, led by D’Andre Swift, finally showed signs of life. Swift earned a strong 66.7 rushing grade, carrying the ball 16 times for 93 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came on a big 36-yard run and was set up by an excellent block in the second level from Coleman Shelton.

Why the Rams lost: The Rams scored just one touchdown in the game and failed to make their red-zone drives count. The offense scored on just 25% of red-zone drives, as the current lack of pass-catching talent showed up — only five receivers caught a pass.

Cincinnati Bengals 34, Carolina Panthers 24

Why the Bengals won: Joe Burrow was kept clean for most of the game and capitalized, completing 20-of-26 pass attempts for 201 yards and two touchdowns in a clean pocket. The offensive line also showed up, as Burrow was pressured on 18.2% of his dropbacks.

Why the Panthers lost: The Panthers defense has been one of the worst in the NFL this season, and the pass rush did not affect the game against the Bengals. The defense notched just nine pressures and failed to register a sack. Burrow was able to dice Carolina up all day.

Atlanta Falcons 26, New Orleans Saints 24

Why the Falcons won: The Falcons didn’t score an offensive touchdown, but they showed up on special teams and defense. Younghoe Koo connected on four field goals, including a 58-yarder as time expired to earn a 90.7 grade. Moreover, the defense scored a pick-six, and special teams scored on a fumble recovery on a muffed punt.

Why the Saints lost: Mistakes cost the Saints despite a productive day in which they registered 366 yards of offense. Derek Carr threw a pick-six in a clean pocket, and Rashid Shaheed’s early punt-return fumble set the Saints up for a tough day.

Washington Commanders 42, Arizona Cardinals 14

Why the Commanders won: Jayden Daniels’ excellent rookie season marches on. The Commanders quarterback completed 26-of-30 pass attempts for 233 yards and a touchdown. The No. 2 overall pick added another rushing touchdown, earning an 82.7 overall grade. Daniels was kept clean on 80.6% of his dropbacks, too, completing 21 of his 25 pass attempts.

Why the Cardinals lost: The Cardinals' defense has been hemorrhaging points and yards this season, and the group was gashed on the ground by the Commanders. Daniels, Brian Robinson and Jeremy McNichols combined for 216 yards on 37 rushing attempts. The Cardinals have been soft up the middle and exposed on the ground, and Sunday was no different.

San Francisco 49ers 30, New England Patriots 13

Why the 49ers won: The 49ers’ ground game picked apart the Patriots defense. Jordan Mason carried the ball 24 times for 153 yards and a touchdown, earning a 67.2 rushing grade in the process. Mason forced two missed tackles and earned 57 yards after contact. Likewise, all five of the 49ers’ starting offensive linemen earned 75.0-plus run-blocking grades.

Why the Patriots lost: Jacoby Brissett was lit up all game. The Patriots quarterback was pressured on 48.7% of his dropbacks, completing 5-of-12 pass attempts for 92 yards and an interception. Brissett was sacked six times, too, earning a 26.9 passing grade when pressured.

Kansas City Chiefs 17, Los Angeles Chargers 10

Why the Chiefs won: The big moment in the game came when Patrick Mahomes connected with Xavier Worthy on a 54-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Then, the Chiefs’ defense, combined with a Samaje Perine touchdown, secured the win. Mahomes earned a 98.6 passing grade on deep attempts, completing both of his attempts for 92 yards and a touchdown.

Why the Chargers lost: The Chargers' ground game has dissipated in the last two weeks, and Los Angeles struggled to gain yardage against the Chiefs. The offense rushed the ball 24 times for 49 yards, averaging just 2.0 yards per attempt. Starting running back J.K. Dobbins earned a 47.5 rushing grade.

Las Vegas Raiders 20, Cleveland Browns 16

Why the Raiders won: The Raiders’ rushing attack looked as good as it has all year. That’s a low bar, but the team rushed for 153 yards on 29 attempts, with five ball carriers logging a rush of 10 yards or more. Alexander Mattison stood out, earning an 87.3 rushing grade, but the Raiders mixed up a running game that just hasn’t gotten going to great success.

Why the Browns lost: The Browns’ offense continues to struggle, but the offensive line has been a particular sore spot. The line gave up 13 pressures and two sacks against the Raiders, while Deshaun Watson was sacked three total times. He held onto the ball for an average of 3.26 seconds, too.

Baltimore Ravens 35, Buffalo Bills 10

Why the Ravens won: Baltimore had the benefit of allowing its dynamic rushing attack to carve up a Bills defense that hasn’t been great against the run. The Ravens rushed for 270 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.9 yards per carry. Derrick Henry did a chunk of damage on an 87-yard touchdown score to start the game, and Lamar Jackson added a rushing touchdown later in the game. Altogether, Henry earned a 76.9 rushing grade.

Why the Bills lost: The Ravens defense swarmed Josh Allen all night. The Bills quarterback was sacked three times and pressured on 42.9% of his dropbacks, completing five of his 12 pressured pass attempts. Allen was on the run often, and the Ravens’ defense did an excellent job of getting home.

Tennessee Titans 31, Miami Dolphins 12

Coming soon!

Detroit Lions 42, Seattle Seahawks 29

Coming soon!