What to make of NFL Week 4, including Patriots' big win over Panthers: Our reporters break down every game

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NFL NationSep 28, 2025, 05:05 PM ET
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Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off Thursday night with an exciting matchup between the Seahawks and the Cardinals. Arizona tied the score at 20 with 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but Seattle drove down for a game-winning, 52-yard field goal by Jason Myers as time expired.

Sunday's action kicked off in Dublin, Ireland, as the Steelers beat the Vikings 24-21 in the second international game of the season. Back in the United States, the Patriots and Falcons bounced back from Week 3 losses with victories over the Panthers and Commanders, respectively. Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart shocked the Chargers in his debut, handing them their first loss of the season. The Texans got in the win column with a shutout against the Titans, while the Eagles stayed undefeated against the Buccaneers.

Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let's get to it.

Philadelphia 31, Tampa Bay 25

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Eagles

How did the Eagles almost let that one slip away? The Bucs cut into Philly's 24-3 lead thanks in large part to touchdown passes of 77 and 72 yards by Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, marking the two longest plays against the Eagles defense since Vic Fangio became defensive coordinator, per ESPN Research. Add that to an Eagles offense that went largely quiet -- they had five three-and-outs in the second half -- and you have a recipe for a near meltdown. The defense came up with some big plays late to keep the Eagles undefeated.

What to make of the QB performance: Quarterback Jalen Hurts looked like he had fully overcome his struggles against Bucs coach Todd Bowles, going 8-of-9 for 56 yards and two touchdowns against the blitz in the first half to help stake the Eagles to a sizable lead. The tide changed in the second half, however, as Hurts went 0-for-8 while the Bucs mounted a comeback. -- Tim McManus

Next game: vs. Broncos (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

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Eagles take blocked punt to the crib on opening drive

Eagles start off hot as Sydney Brown takes the blocked punt to the house for an Eagles touchdown.

Buccaneers

Why couldn't the Bucs come back this time? There's certainly no quit in this group, but they continue to have costly early mistakes. The defense surrendered two touchdowns on shovel passes to Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert in the first half, on top of a blocked punt returned for a touchdown to fall into a 21-point deficit. Yet somehow, those plays, plus running back Bucky Irving's fumble and Mayfield's fourth-quarter pick didn't put the game out of reach again. Bowles cut back on the blitzes that Hurts had carved up in the first half, holding him to 0-for-8 in the second. They fought back with touchdown receptions by wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and Irving -- each of which covered 70-plus yards. And once again, Mayfield used his legs to keep things alive.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Last week, it was a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. This week, it was a blocked punt returned for a score -- the second blocked punt the Bucs have allowed this season. No other team in the league has more than one. Punter Riley Dixon also shanked a punt for 18 yards. There's work to do for this group, though kicker Chase McLaughlin's 65-yard field goal -- one yard off the league record and the longest outdoor kick in league history -- was exciting. -- Jenna Laine

Next game: at Seahawks (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Buffalo 31, New Orleans 19

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Bills

How concerning is the Bills' sloppiness? The Bills came into this game with 10 days of rest, but it didn't show in the performance. There were a season-high 11 penalties, allowing the Saints to start four drives in Buffalo territory, and both the offense and defense stalled out midgame. New Orleans got a lot of help from Buffalo's missed tackles, which is an area the Bills need to correct. Once again, Buffalo pulled out the win in the fourth quarter, but the issues that stood out, especially on defense, will be a priority to clean up.

Key stat to know: Running back James Cook broke the franchise record for consecutive regular-season games with a touchdown (eight). Cook continues to be a highlight, recording over 100 rushing yards for a third straight game (117 yards) and playing a large role in the team going 4-0 for the first time since 2020. -- Alaina Getzenberg

Next game: vs. Patriots (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)

Saints

Is this a turning point for the Saints? Some of the Saints' usual issues still showed up -- they gave up big plays and had a key special teams penalty that snuffed out any chances of a comeback. But overall, the Saints played much better than they have been this season against a very good Bills team. They cut down on the penalties, showed improvement in all three phases and also showcased young players such as Jonas Sanker and Kendre Miller. It was a big turnaround from last week's blowout loss. The Saints haven't been able to win a game yet, but they face the 1-3 Giants and a rookie quarterback at home next week, giving them hope to get out of their winless slump.

Most surprising performance: Running back Kendre Miller. Miller had 65 rushing yards against the Bills, the second-most in his career. He also had his first touchdown of the season and a third-down conversion. Miller played in only six games last year, so this game could represent an upward trend for his usage. -- Katherine Terrell

Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

N.Y. Giants 21, L.A. Chargers 18

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Giants

What's next for Jaxson Dart and the Giants without Malik Nabers? It appears Dart and the Giants will have to move forward without Nabers. The early fear is the star receiver tore the ACL in his right knee, according to a source. An MRI is scheduled for Monday. But Dart managed to do good things in his first career start, and the Giants' offense looked different with his ability to run. Dart went 13-of-20 for 111 yards with a touchdown. He ran for another 54 yards and a score. They'll continue to use his legs to create offense without Nabers.

Stat to know: Five QB hits by edge rusher Abdul Carter. The rookie had the best game of his young career. He was constantly in the Chargers' backfield, hitting quarterback Justin Herbert. But this year's No. 3 draft pick wasn't alone. Brian Burns had four QB hits and a sack. The Giants' edge rushers -- Carter, Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux -- combined for 20 pressures, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Domination. -- Jordan Raanan

Next game: at Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Chargers

What does this Chargers offense look like if Joe Alt is out for an extended time? If Alt does miss multiple weeks, the Chargers might have to consider bringing an additional lineman to compete for the left tackle spot or move right tackle Trey Pipkins III to protect Herbert's blind side. Alt's replacement, Austin Deculus, struggled mightily Sunday. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he allowed six pressures on 36 pass blocking snaps -- no other lineman allowed more than four. Before looking for help via trade or free agency, the Chargers could elevate practice squad tackles David Sharpe and Foster Sarell to the active roster.

Trend to watch: Omarion Hampton's emergence. After enjoying the best game of his career in Week 3, the rookie running back followed it up with an even better one against the Giants. He finished with a career-high 128 rushing yards, a touchdown and 37 receiving yards. Hampton's best highlight was a 54-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter; it was the longest rushing touchdown by a rookie in franchise history. -- Kris Rhim

Next game: vs. Commanders (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Detroit 34, Cleveland 10

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Lions

How does the Lions' offense improve from here on out? Detroit's explosive offense knew it would face a difficult test against the Browns' defensive front, but it passed the test with ease. The Lions registered 277 yards of total offense, which was their fewest since their Week 1 loss at Green Bay, but they controlled the game despite struggling to get a consistent run game going. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs logged 91 of Detroit's 109 rushing yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown, while David Montgomery struggled with nine carries for 12 yards. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown also scored two touchdowns. Montgomery, a Cincinnati native, should be more of a factor next week in his return to his hometown to face the Bengals.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Matching up against one of the NFL's stingiest run defenses, Lions quarterback Jared Goff attempted to air it out with wide receiver Jameson Williams, his top deep ball threat, but the connection wasn't there early on. Williams was targeted by Goff eight times, but was able to connect only twice; Williams also had a crucial drop that could have been a huge gain at 6:17 in the second quarter. Goff also threw an interception to Browns cornerback Denzel Ward while trying to hit Williams on a deep pass in the third quarter. Williams also lost 3 yards on an end-around carry in the fourth quarter. -- Eric Woodyard

Next game: at Bengals (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

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Jahmyr Gibbs slips his way in for a Lions TD

Jahmyr Gibbs finds an opening and weaves his way in for an 8-yard touchdown.

Browns

How much longer can the Browns stick with Browns QB Joe Flacco? Flacco threw a pair of first-half interceptions and lost a fumble in the second half, increasing his season total to a league-high eight giveaways. All the turnovers haven't been Flacco's fault, but they contributed to 17 points for the Lions and have been at the center of Cleveland's 1-3 start. Flacco's six interceptions are the most by a Browns quarterback through the first four games of a season since Baker Mayfield's six in 2019.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The Browns didn't give their backup tackles help against Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Cleveland left Cornelius Lucas, filling in for injured right tackle Jack Conklin, alone for all 17 of his matchups with Hutchinson, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Hutchinson made Cleveland pay, recording two sacks and five pressures when matched up against Lucas. -- Daniel Oyefusi

Next game: vs. Vikings in London, United Kingdom (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. p.m. ET)

Houston 26, Tennessee 0

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Texans

Is Woody Marks positioning himself to take over the RB1 role? Against the Titans, the rookie had a career day. He had career-highs in carries (17), overall touches (21), offensive snaps (41), receiving yards (50) and touchdowns (2). Marks outperformed starting running back Nick Chubb (11 carries for 47 yards) and got a bulk of the snaps and carries.

Turning point: Quarterback C.J. Stroud found wideout Nico Collins for a 37-yard gain on second-and-33. At this point in the game, the score was 6-0 with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter. But after Stroud found Collins down the sidelines, the Texans scored touchdowns on three straight drives. -- DJ Bien-Aime

Next game: at Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Titans

Where do the Titans go from here? This team is a disaster four weeks in. There is no rhythm on offense, and the defense continues to wear down at the end. This was the fourth consecutive game in which Tennessee allowed an explosive run to the end zone that was littered with missed tackles. The offense has gone without a touchdown in two of its four games, and kicker Joey Slye missed two field goals. It's hard to imagine things getting any worse for the Titans. But back-to-back road trips to the West Coast, followed by former coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots at home, could spell disaster.

Stat to know: This was the first time the Titans were shut out in the first half under coach Brian Callahan. It was their first shutout in a game since Oct. 13, 2019, when they lost 16-0 to the Broncos. They had only been shut out twice in franchise history before Sunday. Neither team made it to the red zone until the fourth quarter. -- Turron Davenport

Next game: at Cardinals (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

New England 42, Carolina 13

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Patriots

Have the Patriots found their new running back snap distribution? One week after Rhamondre Stevenson lost two fumbles and backup Antonio Gibson lost one, the Patriots altered the snaps played by running backs by lessening Stevenson's workload with more of an even split. At halftime, Stevenson still led the way with 11 snaps, followed closely by TreVeyon Henderson's 10 and Gibson's five. The Patriots held a 28-6 lead at that point. Patriots running backs didn't lose any fumbles this week, which could foreshadow a similar approach with snaps moving forward.

Turning point: Cornerback Marcus Jones' 87-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter changed everything. The Patriots had another slow start on defense by giving up an early touchdown, then went three-and-out on offense; that left no energy in Gillette Stadium. Jones' catch was impressive, as he broke an initial tackle, took off up the left side and then cut back in the middle to cap it off. His 167 punt return yards are the most by a Patriots player in a game in franchise history. -- Mike Reiss

Next game: at Bills (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)

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Hunter Henry breaks free for 31-yard Patriots TD

Hunter Henry sprints in for New England’s fifth touchdown against the Panthers.

Panthers

What happened to the chemistry between QB Bryce Young and WR Tetairoa McMillan? They had an almost magical chemistry all offseason and through Week 2. But it has been off since. Before this game became embarrassing, Young missed an open McMillan down the left side. And he later missed the rookie with room to run down the right side. McMillan had three catches for 40 yards before Andy Dalton replaced Young. The offense needs that magic to keep pace.

Most surprising performance: Carolina's special teams unit. First, there was a missed PAT. Then, an 87-yard punt return allowed for a touchdown. Then, a badly missed 55-yard FG attempt. Then, a 61-yard punt return that almost went for a touchdown. The special teams group that was spectacular in last week's 30-0 victory were dreadful Sunday. -- David Newton

Next game: vs. Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Atlanta 34, Washington 27

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Falcons

Was this the real Falcons offense all along? Running back Bijan Robinson had a career-high 181 yards from scrimmage. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw his first touchdown passes this season to a wide receiver (Drake London) and tight end (Kyle Pitts Sr.). Even running back Tyler Allgeier got in on the action with a rushing touchdown. After being shut out by the Panthers last week, firing wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard and moving offensive coordinator Zac Robinson down to the field, the Falcons came out firing in an encouraging win.

What to make of the QB performance: Penix hit London in stride on a deep shot in the second quarter that went for 43 yards, the longest pass play to a wide receiver of the season for the Falcons. That's the kind of throw and performance -- more than 300 yards passing -- Atlanta expected out of Penix when it drafted him at No. 8 in 2024. -- Marc Raimondi

Next game: vs. Bills (Oct. 13, 7:15 p.m. ET)

Commanders

Was this just a bad game by the defense, or reason to be concerned? With the offense banged up, the Commanders needed their defense to play well. Instead, the Falcons gained 15 or more yards on 10 plays and had a season-high 436 yards overall. Washington's coverage continues to have issues when teams use motion, leading to confusion and a free target. The problem is the big plays have been allowed all season. Washington's inconsistency against the pass -- it had allowed 20 pass plays of 15 yards or more, tied for 27th entering the game -- will be the team's undoing if that doesn't get fixed.

What to make of the QB performance: The Commanders lack explosion minus quarterback Jayden Daniels and injured receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown. The result was backup quarterback Marcus Mariota's most pedestrian outing since signing with Washington ahead of last season. He threw for 156 yards and had one ill-advised deep ball picked off, but did manage a total of two touchdowns. Had Washington's defense helped Sunday, that might have been good enough. There is hope that Daniels will return for Week 5, but it remains to be seen if McLaurin and Brown will do the same. -- John Keim

Next game: at Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Pittsburgh 24, Minnesota 21

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Steelers

Is this version of the Steelers' defense here to stay? The Steelers' defense put together its best showing of the season, collecting six sacks and 10 tackles for loss against QB Carson Wentz. The return of S DeShon Elliott was crucial in thwarting RB Jordan Mason and the rushing attack, and Elliott also came up with a big second-quarter interception. LB T.J. Watt dramatically affected the game, too, with a third-quarter interception when he deflected the ball at the line of scrimmage and grabbed it out of the air. Even DT Keeanu Benton, who had a tough start to the season, got two sacks. Big plays still came back to bite the defense late, as Jordan Addison's 81-yard catch-and-run set up Jalen Nailor's late fourth-quarter touchdown.

Most surprising performance: With starting running back Jaylen Warren a surprise inactive with a knee injury, the already woeful Steelers' run game seemed dead on arrival at Croke Park. But veteran Kenneth Gainwell quickly revived it with two touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards on 19 carries for 99 yards to go with six catches for 35 yards. The Steelers also used OL Spencer Anderson and TE Darnell Washington as extra blockers to help unlock the run game. -- Brooke Pryor

Next game: at Browns (Oct. 12, 1 p.m. ET)

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Steelers make big stop on 4th down to seal the win

Carson Wentz is unable to convert on fourth down as the Steelers see out a close victory over the Vikings.

Vikings

Where does the Vikings' offense go from here? The Vikings showed some life with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but by the end of Sunday's game, they were playing with more backup offensive linemen (three) than starters (two). And their results reflected it, with Wentz taking six sacks and facing pressure for most of the game. From a personnel perspective, there aren't many reinforcements on the way. QB J.J. McCarthy (ankle) has missed two consecutive weeks of practice, making his return in Week 4 a long shot. Left guard Donovan Jackson (wrist) is going to miss at least one more game, and it's difficult to project either right tackle Brian O'Neill (knee) or center Ryan Kelly (concussion) to be ready.

What to make of the QB performance: It was hard not to compare the Vikings' struggling offense with the Steelers' offense, quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers, whom the Vikings decided against signing during the offseason. Rodgers' nearly perfect afternoon (18-of-22, 200 yards) came mostly on the kind of timing-based, quick-pass offense that would work well for a team like the Vikings, who have protection issues. Instead, the Vikings were left with Wentz, whom the Vikings signed last month as a backup for McCarthy. -- Kevin Seifert

Next game: vs. Browns in London, United Kingdom (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. p.m. ET)

Seattle 23, Arizona 20

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Seahawks

Where does Jaxon Smith-Njigba rank among the best receivers in football? Smith-Njigba got off to the best three-game start in franchise history with 323 receiving yards -- second most in the NFL this season to that point. It took him a while to get going against Arizona on Thursday, but he finished with four catches for 79 yards, including a 22-yarder that set up the Seahawk's winning field goal. Smith-Njigba, who also rushed for 11 rushing, was Seattle's best receiver last season, even with DK Metcalf still in the fold. Now, Smith-Njigba has a case to be among the best in football.

What to make of the QB performance: Sam Darnold has been getting it done with his arm and his legs. In this contest, his poise on key drives was a factor, as well. In addition to the throw to Smith-Njigba that set up the winning kick, Darnold (18-of-26, 242 yards, one TD) threw a dime to his No. 1 receiver on the previous drive for 36 yards. Late in the first half, Darnold scrambled and hit rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo for 32 yards; on the next play, he found an open swath of turf and ran for 24 yards. That drive ended with a touchdown that put Seattle up 14-3 at halftime. -- Brady Henderson

Next game: vs. Buccaneers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Cardinals

How do the Cardinals fix their offense? It won't be easy or quick, but the Cardinals need to address a few issues to their offense: how to get the entire scheme and key players in a rhythm early; how to reduce the number of plays that are losses, no gain or gains of a yard or two; and how to complete "got to have it" plays on third down and in the red zone. If they can improve in those three areas, Arizona's offense will look more like the one that scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Seattle.

What to make of the QB performance: Kyler Murray did what he could with what he had available to him, finishing with his lowest adjusted QBR this season (27.8). Both of his interceptions were on throws to Marvin Harrison Jr., and the wide receiver was likely more at fault for each of them. However, after going 1-of-5 when targeting Harrison in the first half, the duo was 5-of-5 for 58 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Murray finished 27-of-41 passing for 200 yards. -- Josh Weinfuss

Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

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