NFL Week 4 grades: Bengals get ugly grade for blowout loss; Dolphins earn 'B' for win over Jets
Here are the Week 4 grades for every team
By
John Breech
•
20 min read
Welcome to the Week 4 grades!
There were two games played Monday night, and we've got grades for both of them. In the first matchup, the Miami Dolphins continued their mastery over the New York Jets with a 27-21 win. The victory marked the 10th straight time the Dolphins have beaten the Jets in Miami. New York is now 0-4, which puts new head coach Aaron Glenn in a tie for the worst start ever for a first-year Jets' coach.
In the nightcap, the Denver Broncos beat up on the Cincinnati Bengals. The Broncos led 21-3 at halftime and then coasted to a 28-3 win from there.
With that in mind, let's get to the Week 4 grades, starting with Denver's big win.
Denver 28-3 over Cincinnati
| F |  |
| The Bengals might have the worst offense in the NFL. With Joe Burrow out, the Bengals have looked absolutely lost during Jake Browning's two starts. Cincinnati has no rushing attack and Browning isn't able to get the ball to his best playmakers, and because of those two things, the Bengals haven't been able to do anything. Cincinnati has now been outscored 76-13 over the past two weeks. The Bengals might not be at rock bottom yet, but they're getting close. If the offense doesn't get things figured out soon, this team might not win another game. | |
| A |  |
| Sean Payton is in his third season with the Broncos, and this might have been his most impressive win. Bo Nix ran Payton's offense to perfection, throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a rushing score. J.K. Dobbins crossed the 100-yard mark, and the Broncos had three receivers who finished with at least 55 yards. It was total domination by a Broncos offense that racked up 513 yards. The Broncos defense was also impressive, holding the Bengals to just 159 yards. The Broncos are 2-2, but they could easily be 4-0 (both losses came on a last-second field goal). A win like this should give the Broncos some serious confidence going into their Week 5 showdown with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. | |
Miami 27-21 over N.Y. Jets
| C |  |
| The Dolphins didn't beat the Jets because the Jets beat themselves. The Jets came out and fumbled away their first two possessions, including one from Braelon Allen that came at the Dolphins' 1-yard line. Isaiah Williams also fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half. Those three fumbles led to 14 points for the Dolphins. The lost fumbles overshadowed a somewhat impressive performance from a Jets offense that piled up more than 400 yards, including a wild 43-yard scamper by Justin Fields. The problem is that bad teams stay bad because they keep making bad mistakes, and the Jets couldn't get out of their own way in Miami. | |
| B |  |
| The Dolphins' defense has been struggling this season, but they came to play against the Jets. Tyrel Dodson had one sack and two tackles for a loss in a game where the Dolphins recorded two sacks, five tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. If the defense can continue to play this well, the 1-3 Dolphins might be able to claw into the wild-card race later in the season. Offensively, the Dolphins also looked sharp. Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdown passes, which both went to Darren Waller, who was playing in an NFL game for the first time in 631 days. Tagovailoa is now 6-0 against the Jets, and if he got to face them every week, the Dolphins would never lose. This was easily the Dolphins' best all-around game of the year, but it came at a cost with the loss of Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins now have to regroup on a short week and figure out how to efficiently run their offense without Hill. | |
N.Y. Giants 21-18 over L.A. Chargers
| C- |  |
| The Chargers got caught napping in this one. This team came out flat during a first quarter where the Giants jumped out to a 10-0 lead (L.A. had just 49 yards on three possessions in the opening quarter). The Chargers have been using Justin Herbert's right arm to win games this year, but Herbert couldn't carry them on a day where it seemed like he was facing pressure on every other play. Herbert threw two costly interceptions that led to 10 points for the Giants. The offensive line was bad and it might get worse with the loss of Joe Alt to an injury. With Alt going down, the offensive line could be a huge issue for the Chargers going forward. Through the first three weeks, the Chargers looked like one of the best teams in the AFC, so it will be interesting to see if this loss was a fluke or something more concerning. | |
| A |  |
| The first start of Jaxson Dart's career was a memorable one for the Giants. Dart's numbers won't wow anyone -- he threw for just 111 yards -- but he provided a spark that just wasn't there with Russell Wilson. Dart totaled two touchdowns, including a 3-yard pass to Theo Johnson in the third quarter that provided what ended up being game-winning points. Defensively, the Giants beat up on Justin Herbert, who was sacked twice. They also forced him to throw two interceptions with the biggest one coming from Dru Phillips, who returned it 56 yards to the Chargers' 3-yard line. This was arguably the biggest upset of the NFL season and thanks to this win, this team is going to be playing with a lot more confidence going forward. Of course, this win did come at a massive cost with the Giants losing Malik Nabers (possible torn ACL) for the season. | |
Green Bay 40-40 tie with Dallas
| B- |  |
| Micah Parsons didn't turn out to be much of a factor in the Micah Parsons revenge game. The Packers defense, which looked dominant through the first three weeks of the season, had no answers for anything that the Cowboys did on offense. The Packers' defensive meltdown almost cost them the game, but Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs and Romeo Doubs came to the rescue. Doubs caught three TD passes while Jacobs totaled 157 yards and two touchdowns on 26 touches. As for Love, he made several big time throws and he kept the Cowboys defense guessing on a night where he completed at least one pass to 10 different receivers. The Packers can't be happy with this tie, especially since they led by double digits at one point. | |
| B |  |
| The Cowboys didn't get the win, but it probably felt like a win for Jerry Jones, who got to watch Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense put up some huge numbers on the Micah Parsons and the Packers defense. Prescott was nearly perfect, completing 77.5% of his passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns. And more importantly, George Pickens (eight catches, 134 yards, two touchdowns) proved that he can be the No. 1 receiver in Dallas while CeeDee Lamb is sidelined. The Cowboys defense, which hasn't been able to stop anyone this season, continues to be a huge issue. The Packers piled up 489 yards and became the third straight opponent to score 31 or more points against Dallas. If the defense can't stop anyone, it could be a long season for the Cowboys. | |
Kansas City 37-20 over Baltimore
| F |  |
| It's official: The Ravens defense can't stop anyone. Going up against a struggling Chiefs offense, the Ravens didn't force a single punt until the fourth quarter. Lamar Jackson usually plays well enough to keep Baltimore in the game when the defense is struggling, but that simply wasn't the case here. Jackson turned the ball over twice, before leaving with a hamstring injury in the second half. The Ravens also made some interesting coaching decisions like only giving Derrick Henry eight carries and not having him in the game on both a third-and-1 and fourth-and-1. After just four games, it seems like Baltimore's season is already hanging on by just a thread. | |
| A |  |
| It took four weeks, but the Chiefs offense came alive and all it needed was Xavier Worthy out on the field. With Worthy back in the lineup, the Chiefs' offense exploded for 37 points. Worthy played a big part in the resurgence with 85 receiving yards and 38 rushing yards. Patrick Mahomes, who threw four TD passes, looked a lot more comfortable with his speedy receiver back on the field. Rashee Rice will be back on the field in Week 7, and what that happens, the Chiefs will be back at full strength and we all know what this team can do when they're at full strength. | |
L.A. Rams 27-20 over Indianapolis
| B- |  |
| This is a game that Adonai Mitchell will probably want to forget about forever. The Colts receiver cost his team two touchdowns on Sunday: First, he fumbled a ball out of the end zone after he started celebrating too early on what should have been a 76-yard TD catch in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, a 53-yard TD run by Jonathan Taylor got called back due to holding on Mitchell. Although you can blame Mitchell for the loss, there was plenty of blame to go around: Daniel Jones threw two interceptions and the defense couldn't stop Matthew Stafford, 375 yards, including an 88-yard TD to Tutu Atwell with 1:33 left to play. Despite all the mistakes, the Colts were still in a spot to win the game on the road against a good Rams team and there's something to be said for that. Indy feels like a team that is going to be in the playoff conversation later in the season. | |
| B+ |  |
| Puka Nacua is quietly making the case that he might be the best receiver in the NFL. Heading into Week 4, Nacua led the NFL with 333 yards and he added a huge number to that total by catching 13 passes for 170 yards against the Colts. Matthew Stafford was absolutely locked: The Rams QB completed at least one pass to nine different receivers on a day where he threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns. When the Rams offense is firing on all cylinders, this team is tough to beat. Now, the Rams have just a few days to recover before facing the 49ers in an NFC West showdown on Thursday. | |
Chicago 25-24 over Las Vegas
| B+ |  |
| Caleb Williams is turning into Mr. Clutch under Ben Johnson. The Bears QB struggled at times against the Raiders, but he had a nearly perfect fourth quarter: He totaled 77 yards while leading two scoring drives (He also recovered a fumble after an errant shotgun snap). The real reason the Bears won this game, though, is because of their defense. The unit forced four turnovers with two of those coming on interceptions by Kevin Byard. They also made a huge stop when they held the Raiders to a field goal after Las Vegas got a first-and-goal from the 7-yard line in the fourth quarter. Both sides of the ball seem to be improving every week, which should give the Bears a lot of confidence heading into their Week 5 bye. There's no stopping Da' Bears. | |
| B- |  |
| The Raiders got some good news and some bad news in this game. The good news is that Ashton Jeanty finally broke out and he did it in a big way. The rookie running back rushed for 138 yards and a TD while also adding two receiving scores. He looked comfortable in the offense and he looks like he's going to be a force for the Raiders. The bad news is that the Raiders' biggest problem on offense might be Geno Smith. For the second time in three weeks, Smith threw three interceptions and it's almost impossible to win in the NFL when your QB throws three picks. The Bears got 13 points off of Smith's interceptions, which is a back-breaking total for a Raiders team that lost by just one point. Despite the interceptions, the Raiders still had a chance to take the lead with 30 seconds left, but a Daniel Carlson field goal got blocked. Just another mistake for a team that made a lot of them on Sunday. | |
Jacksonville 26-21 over San Francisco
| A |  |
| The Jaguars won this game the old-fashioned way: With defense, a strong ground game and a dash of special teams. Defensively, the Jags forced four turnovers and they've now forced a total of 12 on the season, which leads the NFL. The biggest turnover came late in the fourth quarter when Arik Armstead forced a Brock Purdy fumble that iced the win of Jacksonville. Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile had led a total turn around of a unit that couldn't stop anyone from doing anything last year. Travis Etienne had an another impressive game (124 yards) and looks completely revitalized in Liam Coen's offense. From a special teams standpoint, Parker Washington had the biggest play of the game with an 87-yard punt return for a TD in the second half. The Jags are surprisingly good and a road win over the 49ers definitely proves that. | |
| C- |  |
| The 49ers imploded in this game. For one, they turned the ball over four times, which led to 17 points for the Jaguars. They also surrendered an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown. Every time it looked like the 49ers might claw their way back into the game, they ended up shooting themselves in the foot. Speaking of feet, in his first game back from a toe injury, Brock Purdy went out and threw for 309 yards, but he also had two costly interceptions. This loss was on a 49ers offense that needed to be better, especially since the defense was playing its first game without Nick Bosa. | |
Philadelphia 31-25 over Tampa Bay
| B+ |  |
| This was a statement win by the Eagles, who jumped out to a 24-6 halftime lead before holding on for dear life in the second half. The Eagles special teams continues to be a difference-maker. After blocking two field goals last week, the unit came back this week with a blocked punt that was returned for a TD by Sydney Brown. With the Bucs focused on Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts was forced to carry the offense and he did that with 192 total yards and two TD passes. The defense came up with several big plays in the second half, including a fumble recovery, a fourth-down stop and a fourth-quarter interception. The Eagles don't always win pretty, but they always seem to come up with a clutch play whenever they need one and that's what clutch teams do. | |
| C+ |  |
| The Buccaneers let this game get away from them in the first half: Baker Mayfield struggled with his accuracy during the first two quarters, the defense got diced up by Jalen Hurts and the special teams gave up a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown. By the time Tampa Bay got rolling, it was too little, too late. With Mike Evans out, Emeka Egbuka stepped up for Tampa Bay (four catches for 101 yards) and Bucky Irving was a huge weapon (20 touches for 165 total yards), but the Bucs simply made too many mistakes and you can't do that against good teams. | |
Atlanta 34-27 over Washington
| B- |  |
| With Jayden Daniels out, Marcus Mariota and the Commanders offense actually did a good job of keeping Washington in the game, but the defense was a let down. Dan Quinn's unit just couldn't get a stop when they needed one on a day where the Falcons totaled 435 yards while driving up and down the field. This performance looks even worse for the Commanders defense because it came against a Falcons offense that scored zero points last week. | |
| A- |  |
| After getting shut out last week, the Falcons came back with a vengeance in Week 4. The Falcons offense is at its best when Bijan Robinson is getting the ball and he showed why against the Commanders: Robinson totaled 181 yards (106 receiving, 75 rushing). Kyle Pitts also got involved in the action with five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. And let's not forget about Drake London, who went off for eight catches and 110 yards. When Michael Penix Jr. is able to get everyone involved, the Falcons offense can be extremely dangerous and proved that against Washington. | |
Buffalo 31-19 over New Orleans
| C+ |  |
| The Bills definitely got more than they bargained for from a feisty Saints team that trailed by just two points with under 10 minutes left to play in the the fourth quarter. The Saints were able to stay in the game thanks in large part to a steady rushing attack that was led by Alvin Kamara (70 yards) and Kendre Miller (65 yards). The defense also made some big plays, including a fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter, but New Orleans seemed to wear down with the defense on the field for nine of the 15 minutes in the fourth. The Saints didn't win, but if they keep playing like this, they'll almost certainly will pull off an upset at some point. | |
| B- |  |
| There are no easy games in the NFL and the Bills learned that here. The Saints kept hanging around until the Bills landed a knockout punch by dominating the fourth quarter. Overall, it was a sloppy game by the Bills, especially during a second quarter where they totaled just 13 yards. Fortunately for Buffalo, when you have Josh Allen on your team, you can still win by double digits when you play sloppy. James Cook kept the offense humming with 135 total yards (117 on the ground). The biggest concern the Bills should have from this game is that their defense struggled to stop the Saints. If the defense doesn't get better, this team could have another season that ends in heartbreak. | |
Detroit 34-10 over Cleveland
| D+ |  |
| The Browns seem to have the same problem every week: Their defense plays well enough to win, but no one else does. The Browns held the Lions to just 277 yards, but they got blown out because Joe Flacco couldn't stop turning the ball over. The Browns QB threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, and the Lions were able to turn those three turnovers into 17 points. The Browns special teams wasn't much better: Andre Szmyt missed a field goal and the punt team surrendered a 65-yard TD return. If the defense could get some help, this team would be a lot more competitive. | |
| A- |  |
| The Lions learned an important thing about their team today: They can win even if the offense has an off day. With the Detroit offense struggling, Aidan Hutchinson and the defense took over. Hutchinson racked up two of the Lions' three sacks in the game and Detroit's constant pressure led to three turnovers by Joe Flacco. The Lions had three scoring drives of less than 20 yards thanks to those turnovers. Good teams find a way to win when their offense is struggling, but great teams turn the game into a blowout and that's what the Lions did here. | |
New England 42-13 over Carolina
| F |  |
| The Panthers actually looked impressive on their opening drive, but they did absolutely nothing after that. Carolina wants Bryce Young to be the franchise QB, but he's playing like he doesn't want the job (He threw for just 150 yards). Of course, Young wasn't the biggest problem for the Panthers, that would be their special teams. Not only did the Panthers miss a field goal, but they also surrendered two punt returns of more than 60 yards. The Panthers had a chance to build on their 30-0 win over the Falcons in Week 3, but instead, they got run out of Gillette Stadium and they played like a team that's not going to win very many games this year. | |
| A |  |
| Marcus Jones woke up on Sunday and apparently decided he was going to lead the Patriots to a win. The New England punt returner had two returns of 60 yards or more, including an 87-yard return that gave the Patriots the lead for good at 7-6 in the first quarter. Drake Maye was almost as good as Jones. The Patriots QB was nearly perfect, completing 82.4% of his passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. At 2-2, the Patriots find out just how good they are in Week 5 when they play the Bills in Buffalo. | |
Houston 26-0 over Tennessee
| F |  |
| It might be time to blow things up and start over in Tennessee. This was an ugly all-around game for the Titans: They couldn't move the ball (they were held to just 175 yards), their kicker couldn't make a field goal (Joey Slye missed two from inside 45 yards) and even their once reliable defense started to show cracks in the second half. This team had the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and is on its way to earning it once again for 2026. | |
| A |  |
| With Houston's offense struggling, the Texans needed a dominant performance from their defense and that's exactly what they got here. The Texans pitched a shutout for the first time since 2010 and they did that beating up on an overmatched Titans offense. The better news for the Texans is that the offense finally came alive during a second half where Houston put up 20 fourth-quarter points. Woody Marks stole the show with 119 total yards and two total touchdowns. If the offense can carry the momentum of the second half into future games, the Texans might be able to rebound from their 0-3 start. This was the first step. | |
Pittsburgh 24-21 over Minnesota (Dublin)
| C+ |  |
| The Vikings lost this game because they got bullied by the Steelers defense. Carson Wentz got sacked six times and although he did throw for 350 yards, he spent most of the game running for his life. Wentz also threw two costly interceptions, including one in the third quarter that the Steelers turned into seven points. Wentz was solid when targeting Justin Jefferson (10 of 11 for 126 yards), but he completed just 57% of his passes when throwing to anyone else. Also, Wentz got no help from a rushing attack that averaged just 3.5 yards per carry. With Minnesota's offense struggling, things won't get any easier in Week 5 when the Vikings head to London to face the Browns, who have one of the top defenses in the NFL. | |
| B |  |
| The NFL's first game in Ireland was a successful one for the Steelers. After recording five sacks in Week 3, Pittsburgh's defense was even better this week with six sacks on Carson Wentz. One of those sacks came from T.J. Watt who also had a key interception in the second half. On the offensive side of the ball, the Steelers' rushing attack came alive for the first time this season: Kenneth Gainwell carried the ball 19 times for 99 yards for a ground game that totaled 131 yards (The Steelers' previous high this season was 72). Aaron Rodgers also seems to be getting more comfortable each week and his chemistry with DK Metcalf only seems to be growing. Rodgers threw for 200 yards and Metcalf had 126 of that, including an 80-yard TD catch. With the AFC North in total disarray, the 3-1 Steelers suddenly feel like a dark horse to win the division. | |
Seattle 23-20 over Arizona (Thursday)
| B |  |
| The Seahawks have quietly won three in a row and this game was a good example of why this team is so good: Seattle can run the ball on you (Kenneth Walker led a rushing attack that totaled 155 yards), Sam Darnold is efficient (he completed 69.2% of his passes for 242 yards and a TD) and the defense can get after the quarterback (Leonard Williams had 1.5 sacks in a game where the Seahawks got to Kyler Murray six times). Yes, Seattle did almost give this game away after blowing a 20-6 lead in the fourth quarter, but resilient teams always find a way to win, and that's exactly what the Seahawks did here. | |
| C |  |
| If the Cardinals offense didn't sleepwalk through the first three quarters -- a span where it totaled just 138 yards -- this team might have beaten the Seahawks on Thursday night. The chemistry between Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. continues to be a huge concern. During the the first half, Murray was picked off twice while targeting Harrison, including one pass that the receiver bobbled (Harrison did bounce back during a second half where he caught five passes for 58 yards). The Harrison-Murray connection wasn't the only issue: The Cards had zero rushing attack without James Conner and the offensive line struggled against a Seahawks defense that sacked Murray six times. Chad Ryland also committed the ultimate kicking blunder when he knocked a kickoff short of the landing zone in the final minute of the game. If the Cardinals can ever figure out how to play four quarters of football, they could be a formidable team this year. | |
