Welcome to the Week 4 grades!
This was a rough week for injuries in the NFL, with several notable players going down. In Baltimore, Lamar Jackson left the game at halftime after injuring his ankle against the Titans. Saquon Barkley didn't return for the Eagles after injuring his hamstring in the first quarter against the Rams.
The Bengals also took a big loss when Ja'Marr Chase was knocked out of the game with a concussion in the first half against the Jaguars. Cincinnati was hit with a double whammy when Tee Higgins also suffered an adductor injury. The Broncos lost 2024 NFL defensive player of the year Patrick Surtain to an ankle injury. And then you have the Commanders, who took another hit at QB when Marcus Mariota went down with a knee injury in London against the Colts.
So how did those injuries impact this week's grades? Let's find out, starting with the Bengals' loss to Jacksonville.
Jaguars (3-1) 22-17 over Bengals (2-2)
B
Jaguars The Jaguars defense got gashed up for more than 430 yards, but they made plays when they had to, and that's how you beat good teams in the NFL. Rayuan Lane saved the game with a huge fourth-down tackle on the Bengals' final offensive play. Foyesade Oluokun kept the Jags alive with a fourth-quarter interception after Cincinnati had marched deep down into Jacksonville territory. Those are big plays. Offensively, the numbers weren't sexy, but everyone did their job, which is the sign of a well-coached team. Through the first four weeks, the Jags have made it clear that they're one of the best teams in the AFC.C+ 
Bengals There have been some questions this week about whether Joe Burrow is clutch, and that debate is likely going to rage on after his performance in this game. Burrow had the chance to win it with a late drive, but he threw short of the sticks on fourth-and-10 with under a minute to play in the fourth quarter. He also threw two interceptions, including a fourth-quarter pick that came inside Jacksonville's 10-yard line. It didn't help that the Bengals lost Ja'Marr Chase to a concussion in the second quarter, and it also didn't help that Burrow got zero support from a rushing attack that totaled just 23 yards. But the bottom line is that the offense wasn't good enough. Going into the season, the Bengals figured they could win games if the defense played better, and that unit played well enough to win. The offense didn't carry its weight. Chiefs (4-0) 30-27 over Raiders (3-1)
B
Chiefs At the rate things are going, the offseason signing of Kenneth Walker might go down as one of the best free agency acquisitions in NFL history. In a game where Patrick Mahomes struggled with his accuracy, the Chiefs' offense was able to chug along thanks to Walker, who rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns. When you're outshining Mahomes, you're doing something right in Kansas City. Tyquan Thornton had a breakout game for the Chiefs, but he might not see the field again this year after suffering a gruesome injury. Andy Reid probably won't be thrilled with the overall performance of his defense -- they had zero sacks for the third straight game and struggled to stop the Raiders' big tight ends -- but Xavier Nwankpa did save the day with a game-clinching interception. It's hard to complain about anything when you're undefeated and that's what the Chiefs are. B 
Raiders It's been a long time since the Raiders have been in a game like this and that seemed to show in crunch. The Raiders made mistake after mistake in the fourth quarter, which overshadowed an otherwise impressive game. DarekeYoung had a back-breaking fumble on a kickoff return that allowed the Chiefs to take a two-score lead. The Raiders defense did a good job of holding the Chiefs' offense in check until the fourth quarter when the wheels fell off the wagon. And let's not forget about Kirk Cousins, who threw for 365 yards: He's doing his best to make sure Fernando Mendoza never sees the field this year. The Raiders didn't get the result they wanted, but they certainly proved that they can play with anyone. It won't be surprising at all if this team is competing for a playoff spot come January. Seahawks (3-1) 30-23 over Chargers (4-0)
B
Seahawks The Seahawks bullied the Chargers for the better part of three quarters, jumping out to a 27-6 lead, but then almost blew the game. The Seahawks defense won this game with a strip-sack of Justin Herbert by Uchenna Nwosu, which was fitting, because the defense beat up on the Chargers all game. The Seahawks defense is so good because it's so strong at every level. They got a sack from one of their safeties (Nick Emmanwori), their linebackers came away with two interceptions and their defensive line caused nightmares for Herbert. This is one of the best defenses in the NFL, and if they didn't get a little sloppy in the fourth quarter, this game would probably have been a blowout. C 
Chargers The Chargers offense has been bad this year and after losing RT Joe Alt and WR Ladd McConkey to injury in this game, things only got worse. With Alt out, the Seahawks were basically able to tee off on Justin Herbert, who got sacked four times while also turning the ball over three times. The Chargers defense held Seattle under 300 yards and gave this team a chance to win, but the offense just didn't have the firepower to keep up. At 0-4, it might be time to write the Chargers off. 49ers (4-0) 24-14 over Broncos (2-2)
C+
Broncos If the Broncos need to do one thing forward, it's that their offense needs to figure out how to get off to a faster start. You can blame new play-caller Davis Webb or you can blame Bo Nix or you can blame Sean Payton, but whatever the problem is, the offense seems to look out of sync at the beginning of each game. Through four weeks, this team has only scored one first-half touchdown and 13 total first-half points. That's not going to cut it, especially when you're facing a high-powered offense like the one the 49ers have. The Broncos defense held the 49ers in check for the better part of three quarters, but after losing both starting corners -- Patrick Surtain (ankle) and Riley Moss (ribs) -- things went south quickly. B+ 
49ers The 49ers offense gets all the headlines, but it was the defense that stole the show in this game. Raheem Morris called a brilliant game that saw the 49ers keep Denver out of the end zone for the first three quarters. The offense finally shot to life over the final 1.5 quarters. On the 49ers' final three possessions of the game, Brock Purdy went 9/10 for 129 yards and two touchdowns (He was 10/20 for 89 yards before that). The offensive line continues to be the big story: They kept Purdy from getting sacked against a ferocious Broncos' defense and the 49ers are now the first team in 21 years to start 4-0 while giving up zero sacks. Vikings (4-0) 15-10 over Dolphins (0-4)
B-
Dolphins The Dolphins scored zero points and put up just 76 yards in the first half and it looked like they were going to get run off the field in Minnesota, but they actually showed some feistiness down the stretch. Ollie Gordon took over for the injured De'Von Achane and gave the Dolphins some life on offense with a 100-yard performance that included a 53-yard run. Zach Sieler led a defense that harassed Kyler Murray while holding the Vikings out of the end zone. Going into Minnesota and pulling off a win here would have been one of the biggest shockers of the season and the Dolphins almost did it. This team was a Chris Bell toe away from pulling off the upset.B- 
Vikings It took four weeks, but the Vikings offense finally showed signs of life. For the first time all years, the Vikings topped 250 yards and they did it with the solid one-two punch of T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones. The Vikings tight end caught 13 passes for 119 yards and appears to have a budding chemistry with Kyler Murray. Jones also came up big with 124 yards on 24 touches. The Vikings didn't score a TD on a day where they struggled in the red zone, but they took a baby step forward and that's what they need right now. This team has mastered the art of winning ugly, but they keep winning, and that's all that matters in the NFL. Patriots (2-2) 29-26 over Bills (3-1)
A-
Patriots After struggling through the first three weeks, Drake Maye proved that he can still play at a high level. The Patriots QB needed a big game, and he got it: Not only did he throw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, but he also rushed for a team-high 54 yards. Maye also deserves a lot of credit for engineering a game-winning 73-yard TD drive that saw him complete four passes of at least 12 yards, including a 23-yard score on a WILD catch by Efton Chism that ended up providing the game-winning points. Maye wasn't perfect — there were still too many turnovers — but if he continues playing this well, the Patriots will be in the playoff conversation later in the season. B- 
Bills It's hard for the Bills' offense to win when it's not on the field, and that was one of the problems for Buffalo in this game. The Bills had only four possessions lasting at least five plays, and on top of that, they couldn't get their run game going. The Bills went into this game with the third-best rushing offense in the NFL, and they were going up against a Patriots defense that has struggled to stop the run this year. Despite that, Joe Brady decided to run the ball just 12 times with James Cook. That was bad, but the defense was the bigger problem. The Bills suddenly don't look so invincible. Cowboys (2-2) 34-30 over Texans (0-4)
B
Cowboys This will forever be known as the CeeDee Lamb game. It's not easy to move the ball on the Texans' defense, but the Cowboys made it look easy. That was mostly thanks to Lamb, who caught 17 passes for 189 yards and a TD. The Cowboys' two highest-paid offensive players came up clutch with Dak Prescott hitting Lamb for a game-winning 12-yard score with just 40 seconds left in the game. The Cowboys still have plenty of question marks — namely, their defense can't stop anyone — but it's a lot easier to try and fix those problems when you're coming off a win.
B- 
Texans The Texans might be done. This team was supposed to have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but it certainly hasn't looked like that through four weeks. The return of Nico Collins, who has seven catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, did provide a huge spark for Houston's offense, but again, that went to waste because the defense couldn't slow down the Cowboys. The Texans rebounded from 0-3 to make the playoffs, but 0-4 might be too deep a hole to climb out of. Rams (2-2) 24-20 Eagles (2-2)
C+
Rams For three quarters, the Rams did everything they could to lose, but then they came alive in the fourth. With their season on the ropes, the Rams stepped up and stole this one from Philly. Matthew Stafford went 13-of-17 for 149 yards in the fourth quarter. In his return to the field, Puka Nacua caught five passes for 76 yards in the FOURTH QUARTER ALONE to help spur the comeback. Sometimes, a bad game can be saved by your clutch players coming up big, and that's what the Rams got here. The only reason the Rams stayed in this game is that Chris Shula's defense absolutely shut down the Eagles, holding Philly to just 172 total yards. Not only did the unit stop a tush push cold in the fourth quarter, but the defense also came up with a goal-line stand. This feels like a win that could start something special for the Rams. C 
Eagles If you go 0-for-12 on third down, you're just not going to win the NFL. With just 172 yards, this was the Eagles' ugliest offensive performance since 2014. The defense gave Philly every chance to win this game with two picks and several big plays, but the offense threw it all away. Jalen Hurts struggled with his accuracy, and the rushing attack took a huge hit when Saquon Barkley was knocked out of the game with a hamstring injury in the first quarter. After averaging just 210 yards of offense over their past two games, it might be time for offensive coordinator Sean Mannion to go back to the drawing board to try to get things back on track. Bears (3-1) 23-12 over Jets (1-3)
D
Jets Let's start with the good news for the Jets: Minkah Fitzpatrick came up with the team's first interception in 637 days. Unfortunately for the Jets, that was about the only thing that went right. The Jets' defense didn't force a single punt, and because of that, the Bears' offense was on the field for more than 42 minutes. That's on Aaron Glenn, who couldn't figure out how to stop Ben Johnson's offense. The Jets went through the NFC North gauntlet over the past three weeks, and they got a beatdown by losing all three games. A- 
Bears Ben Johnson has apparently designed the perfect NFL offense because it seems to work no matter who's under center. On Monday night, Case Keenum went wild, but for Sunday's game, Johnson kept him on the bench and went with Tyson Bagent. It almost didn't matter who the QB was for this game, because Kyle Monangai took over. The running back went off for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. Since Johnson took over as coach in 2025, the Bears are 10-0 when they rush for at least 140 yards, and they hit 232 in this game. The bigger story with the Bears might be how well the defense is playing. After giving up 37 points in Week 1, the Bears have only given up 22 points in the past three games combined. In this game, they kept the Jets from converting a single third down. It's not quite the 1985 Bears, but if the defense keeps playing like this, the Bears are going to be a serious Super Bowl contender. Giants (3-1) 36-24 over Cardinals (1-3)
C
Cardinals This game was a total meltdown for Jacoby Brissett, who threw three interceptions for the first time in his 11-year career. Brissett had a chance at redemption with the Cardinals at New York's 4-yard line on the final play of the game, but he threw a pick-six. The Cardinals have now given up at least 30 points in three straight games for the first time since 2019, in case you're wondering how bad things are now going for Arizona. B 
Giants The Giants have had the ultimate "bend but don't break" defense this year. For the second week in a row, a team was down inside the Giants' 10-yard line in the final 30 seconds looking for a game-winning score, and for the second week in a row, the Giants' defense won the game with an interception. This time, it was a pick-six by Deonte Banks. That was one of three picks for a big-play defense. Offensively, the Jameis Winston roller coaster ride continued — he threw three TD passes, but also two interceptions — but the important part is that the Giants picked up another win, and they now have first place to themselves this late in the season for the first time since 2015. Packers (2-2) 17-14 over Buccaneers (0-4)
C
Packers The Packers did their best to give this game away with two turnovers in the fourth quarter, but the defense saved the day. That being said, that side of the ball also got some horrible news with the loss of Edgerrin Cooper to a season-ending injury. The loss of Cooper is a big hit because the Packers don't have many playmakers left on defense. As for the offense, this team continues to look out of sync, and the offensive line is still an issue, but the Packers don't have to panic quite yet after pulling out the win. This was probably the ugliest win of the week for any team in the NFL, but the good news for the Packers is that ugly wins count the same as normal wins. C 
Buccaneers When you're forced to start an undrafted rookie QB, it's almost impossible to win in the NFL, and the Buccaneers found that out the hard way in Week 4. With Baker Mayfield out, the Bucs turned the offense over to Jalon Daniels, and although he certainly showed some flashes, he also threw two interceptions that both came in Packers' territory. Those two picks led to 10 points for Green Bay, and that was the difference in the game. Of course, at this point, it really doesn't matter who's at QB for the Bucs, because at 0-4, it's starting to feel like Tampa's season might already be over. Ravens (3-1) 24-18 over Titans (0-4)
C
Titans The Titans aren't good enough to make big mistakes and beat a team like Baltimore. Those big mistakes are what eventually cost them the game here. Cam Ward started things off with a massive mistake when he threw an interception with his second pass of the game that quickly turned into a Ravens' touchdown. The Titans also failed to score any points on a drive that reached Baltimore's 2-yard line. And there was also a Carnell Tate fumble late in the first half that came in Ravens' territory (Tate more than made up for that with nine catches for 145 yards). The Titans, who have now lost three straight games by six points or less, seem to be playing better every week, and that's what you want from a young team. At some point, the moral victories will turn into an actual victory. B 
Ravens Lamar Jackson only played two quarters, but he made them count. In just one half of play, Jackson threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with an ankle injury at halftime. By then, the Ravens led 24-7, and they held on for dear life after that. After being the hero in Brazil, Zay Flowers once again came up big with eight catches for 118 yards. All eyes will be turning to Jackson going forward, because if his injury causes him to miss a few weeks, the Ravens will have to figure out how to survive without him. Colts (2-2) 30-13 over Commanders (1-3) (in London)
B
Colts With Daniel Jones off his game, the Colts were forced to rely on Jonathan Taylor and the defense in London. Jones has been plagued by turnovers all season, and that continued overseas. After throwing an interception in each of the first three weeks, he threw another one in the first half against the Commanders while also losing a fumble. Not to mention, he completed just 55.9% of his passes. The Colts' defense looked great, but they faced a third-string QB for most of the game, so it's hard to take anything definitive away from that. Look, the Colts needed a win, and they got it, but this wasn't as dominant as the scoreboard might suggest.C 
Commanders This is the kind of score you'd expect to get when one team is forced to play its third-string QB for 3.5 quarters. Rookie QB Athan Kaliakmanis had to enter the game after Marcus Mariota went down in the first quarter, and outside of one long TD pass, the Commanders didn't do much with the rookie under center. Although this ended up being a blowout, the Commanders deserve some credit for keeping this a one-score game going into the fourth quarter. The only thing we really learned about this team in this game is that if Jayden Daniels or Marcus Mariota aren't ready to go next week, then the Commanders are going to be in trouble in Week 5 against the Giants. Browns (3-1) 27-24 over Steelers (2-2) on Thursday
B-
Steelers This game seemed to expose every problem the Steelers seem to have: The offense is inconsistent, the defense keeps giving up big plays and they can't even trust their kicker anymore. Chris Boswell missed his third field goal of the season in this game. He didn't miss his third kick until Week 10 last year. Also, Aaron Rodgers needs to be smarter with the football. Although he threw for 299 yards, he threw two ill-advised interceptions. As for the defense, they gave up five plays of at least 10 yards in Cleveland's final two scoring possessions of the fourth quarter. Those are big plays you simply can't give up in crunch time. The Steelers have plenty of talent, but everyone needs to get on the same page before the season starts to go south. B+ 
Browns The Browns weren't viewed as a team with high expectations going into the season, but suddenly, they look dangerous. The Browns' offense has been the biggest surprise, and that's due to Deshaun Watson. The QB had another impressive game, and a big reason he's had a strong season so far is because of Cleveland's two rookie receivers (Denzel Boston and K.C. Concepcion). Those two combined to make nine catches for 153 yards against the Steelers. The Browns went into the season with a strong defense — that unit had five sacks and two turnovers against Pittsburgh — and if the offense is also playing at that level, there's no reason this team can't make the playoffs. It's starting to look like the Browns might actually be for real. Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments 
