2023 NFL Week 4 Winners and Losers: Josh Allen, AJ Brown in new role as Bengals, Steelers find more trouble

Another week of NFL The work is almost done, and so, nearly a quarter of the 2023 season is complete. Week 4 was particularly eventful, from the Bills defeating Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, to the Broncos scoring 24 unanswered goals against the Bears, to the Texans handily defeating the Steelers .

As we review the busy schedule, here’s a look at some of Week 4’s biggest winners and losers:

The Bills quarterback had a rough start to 2023, but he single-handedly halted the Tua Tagovailoa hype train by beating the Dolphins MVP front-runner on a home run and leading a 48-20 win in which he pitched to Stefon Diggs with a walk-off. Miami may still be a title contender given its offensive star power, but perhaps it’s time to start questioning the Vic Fangio-led defense.

Loser: Bears

Approved limit for the field! But this week may have been worse than the miserable 41-10 defeat at the hands of the Chiefs. After taking three points from the winless Broncos, Chicago proceeded to go on to score 24 unanswered points, as Justin Fields spoiled a four-point breakthrough with two turnovers in the fourth quarter and the coaches decided not to attempt a late field goal.

In the two games since his “feud” with close friend Jalen Hurts, the Eagles star has caught 18 catches for 306 yards and two scores, both of which came deep against the Chiefs to help Philly survive Washington, 34-31, in overtime.

Loser: Steelers

Remember when everyone was picking on Pittsburgh to surprise them by crashing out of the AFC North in the preseason? Fun times. QB Kenny Pickett left Sunday’s loss to the Texans (!) due to injury, but even before that, the entire operation remained down. Coach Mike Tomlin later pledged to do so Changes will comebut most people would have told you weeks ago that change was overdue.

After a week of slowing down the Eagles’ front in the redemption round, Mayfield got back into it against another stout Saints defense, clearly outplaying Derek Carr on the road and thriving even after Mike Evans left with injury to send Tampa Bay to 3-1. . He still handles the ball better than expected, keeping the Buccaneers sleepy to make noise in the NFC playoff picture.

Speaking of NFC South QBs, Ridder is trending in the opposite direction to Mayfield, throwing back-to-back snaps in a loss that resembles a preseason loss to the Jaguars in London. Eight starts, he has yet to raise the level of the offense, and his teammates are growing frustrated.

On a day when he was without Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Pittman, as well as getting little quality from his teammates in the backfield, the Ravens QB had no problem carrying Baltimore’s load against the Browns, scoring four touchdowns and completing all but four. His passes bury Deshaun Watson’s lesser opponents. Things haven’t always been pretty, but a 3-1 start in a new system is promising.

Aside from the fact that Baltimore is 3-1 without hitting its full stride, Cincinnati can’t seem to get out of their way, falling 27-3 to the Giants. Is Joe Burrow healthy enough to play? Because everything he’s putting on the field now isn’t worth it. Their offense simply can’t push the ball down the field, and now Tee Higgins has a rib injury that could sideline him for several games.

Rinse and repeat. The rookie has been just as good as, if not better than, the rehabilitated Cooper Kupp since Week 1, and that includes Sunday’s clutch nine-yard outing against the Colts, where he had 163 yards and the game-winning score. Talk about an unexpected safety valve in Los Angeles, where he will be a favorite target for years to come.