Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku was a questionable case heading into the game against the Baltimore Ravens. For what ? Because he suffered burns to his face and arm on Friday when he tried to light his fireplace. He still showed up at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday, and in spectacular fashion! Covered in a mask to hide his burns, wearing a long fur coat, but without a sweater, and wearing black pants, Njoku looked like a character from a superhero movie. The tight end finally played the game after a successful warm-up period. The Browns game, however, was not, in the absence of quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Browns were trampled by the Ravens, 28-3. Njoku was targeted 7 times by Dorian Thompson-Robinson for 6 catches and 46 yards. Poor Thompson-Robinson was the victim of three interceptions.
The Chicago Bears suffered their 14th straight loss in a duel between two of the worst teams in the NFL. Matt Eberflus’ men let a 28-7 lead slip away in the third quarter to allow the Denver Broncos to win 31-28. The 21-point lead blown by the Bears ties a team record. Justin Fields, who had 335 passing yards and four touchdown passes, lost the ball to the Broncos after a sack by Nik Bonnito in the fourth quarter. Jonathon Cooper then recovered the ball for a touchdown. It was 28-28 after that turnover. Then another turnover against the Bears, this one on a try, allowed Denver to add three more points. Safety guard Kareem Jackson then closed the books with the only interception of the game.
The New England Patriots were outscored 38-3 against the Dallas Cowboys. The 35-point margin is a first for Bill Belichick as a head coach in the NFL. He also lost patience with Mac Jones by removing him from the game in favor of Bailey Zappe in the third quarter. Jones was intercepted twice by DaRon Bland, who returned one of his two steals for a touchdown. The quarterback was also the victim of a fumble converted into a defensive touchdown by Leighton Vander Esch. Jones only saw 12 of his 21 pass attempts find takers for a total of 150 yards. The Patriots (1-3) are 26-28 on the season and have just one playoff appearance since 2020, coinciding with the departure of Tom Brady. Belichick, in his 24th campaign at the helm of the Pats, is just one win away from reaching 300. He would join the winningest coaches in NFL history in the 300-win club: Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318).
Christian McCaffrey was, once again, masterful in a fourth victorious cause (35-16) for the San Francisco 49ers. One of the most versatile players on the circuit, Goodell totaled 177 combined yards and 4 touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals. The running back has produced 600 combined yards and 7 touchdowns so far. He is only the third player in NFL history to offer such statistics after the first four games of a season. He adds his name to those of Emmit Smith and Jim Brown. His averages of 5.7 yards rushing and 7.8 yards passing make him a formidable threat on a team that has big ambitions this season. The 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles remain the only two undefeated teams after four weeks. The Niners will try to maintain their perfect record by hosting the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday in prime time.
