Week four of the NFL was another uncertain week, fitting into the theme of the year 2020.  The NFL postponed the Titans-Steelers game until week seven because of a COVID-19 outbreak on the Titans, and a game between the Patriots and Chiefs was rescheduled to the next day. Due to this, there were two Monday Night Football games to conclude the weekend. Let’s breakdown the week.

I want to highlight three games in particular for week four.  The first game is the matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.  This game was a critical game for both ball clubs, with Cleveland putting up 49 points and moving the Browns to 3-1 on the season.  The final score of this game was misleading; the Browns were up 42-14 at one point in this game and the Cowboys put up points during garbage time in the 4th quarter.  In any other year the Cowboys would be in trouble starting 1-3, but since the NFC East is so weak this season no one should be counted out yet.

The next game I want to highlight is the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the New England Patriots. This game was delayed a day because Patriots quarterback Cam Newton and Chiefs practice squad player Jordan Ta’amu both tested positive for COVID-19, so the NFL had to reschedule this game on Monday Night for an impromptu doubleheader. The Patriots were eleven point underdogs but held Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to six points through most of part of three quarters.  New England clearly missed their star quarterback Cam Newton because both of their other quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Jared Stidham struggled in the game. Even though the Patriots are now 2-2 so far this season, this game was a “good” loss.  The New England defense played great against the league’s best quarterback and as long as they get Cam Newton back they will go deep into the playoffs.

The final game I want to talk about is the Packers and the Falcons. The undefeated Packers took on the winless Falcons, which many people thought was going to be a trap game because of the Packers numerous injuries.  The Packers were without their top two receivers on offense, starting tight end, and starting nose tackle, yet they had no problem against Atlanta.  Quarterback Aaron Rodgers continued to be flawless on his quest for a third MVP, throwing for over 300 yards passing and four touchdowns. The Falcons are now 0-4 and their coach Dan Quinn is on the hot seat and may lose his job any week now.  Green Bay is headed into the bye week tied for the best record in the NFL, but will play a tough opponent in week six in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Thursday Night Football game this week features the 3-1 Chicago Bears and the 3-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. These two teams have a lot of uncertainty with injuries for the Buccaneers and a weak offense for Chicago.