It’s the fourth Sunday of the 2021 NFL season and we’re keeping you updated on all the action and biggest storylines throughout the day. The Week 4 slate has some fantastic matchups and storylines, and we’re here to help you watch it unfold. Check back often to find out everything you need to know.
Schedule
Thursday
Bengals 24, Jaguars 21 (Recap)
Sunday
Cowboys 36, Panthers 28 (Recap)
Browns 14, Vikings 7 (Recap)
Bears 24, Lions 14 (Recap)
Bills 40, Texans 0 (Recap)
Colts 27, Dolphins 17 (Recap)
Chiefs 42, Eagles 30 (Recap)
Giants 27, Saints 21 (OT) (Recap)
Washington 34, Falcons 30 (Recap)
Jets 27, Titans 24 (OT) (Recap)
Cardinals 37, Rams 20 (GameTracker)
Seahawks 28, 49ers 21 (GameTracker)
Ravens 23, Broncos 7 (GameTracker)
Steelers 27, Packers 17 (GameTracker)
Buccaneers at Patriots, 8:20 p.m. ET (Preview)
Monday
Raiders at Chargers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Preview)
Deebo Samuel won’t be denied as Lance replaces Garoppolo
Deebo Samuel has been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL so far this season, and Sunday was no different. After catching a 79-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, he and rookie Trey Lance connected again in the game’s final minutes. Samuel made the grab at the 12-yard line and did the rest, making a few quick cuts before bulldozing across the goal line. He finished the day with eight catches for 156 yards, the second time in four games that he exceeded 150-plus yards receiving. Still, it was not enough in the 49ers’ 28-21 defeat. Lance replaced starter Jimmy Garoppolo in the second half, as Garoppolo reportedly was dealing with a calf injury. Lance finished 9 for 18 for 157 yards with the two touchdowns to Samuel. Garoppolo was 14 for 23 for 165 yards with a touchdown and an interception before leaving with the hurt calf.
Conner’s second TD extends Cardinals’ lead
The Rams looked like the NFL’s best team in defeating the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3, but it might be another NFC West team that’s deserving of the No. 1 spot in next week’s power rankings. The Cardinals have controlled this game from the middle of the first quarter on, with Kyler Murray throwing for two touchdowns and James Conner rushing for two more. His latest 2-yard score put the Cardinals ahead 34-13.
Collins helps Seahawks break open NFC West matchup
Since falling behind 7-0 fewer than six minutes into the game, the Seahawks have dominated the 49ers as they look to get back to .500. Alex Collins was the latest Seahawk to find the end zone on a zig-zagging score from 14 yards out.
Rodgers ties Marino with third-quarter TD
Green Bay is handling Pittsburgh at Lambeau Field, and in the process Aaron Rodgers is climbing the record brooks. With this 1-yard touchdown to Randall Cobb, Rodgers tied Dan Marino for sixth on the all-time passing TD list.
Wilson’s TD scramble puts Seahawks on top
The Seahawks offense was unable to move the ball at all for much of the first half, going three-and-out on five straight possessions to start the game. However, a touchdown before the break gave the Seahawks confidence, and they carried that over into the third quarter with a seven-play, 66-yard touchdown that Russell Wilson capped with a 16-yard scramble.
Offsides negates Steelers’ FG-return TD
Football is a game of inches and milliseconds, and that was no more evident than on one of the final plays of the first half between the Steelers and Packers. Mason Crosby’s 31-yard field goal was blocked by Minkah Fitzpatrick, who then scooped up the ball and sprinted 75 yards the other way for a touchdown. But it turned out that Fitzpatrick and Joe Haden were JUST offsides coming off the left edge, negating the score. Instead of the Steelers taking the lead into halftime, the Packers extended their advantage to 17-10 after Crosby converted the second attempt.
Hollywood Brown (finally) catches long TD
It turns out Marquise Brown can haul in touchdown passes, which wasn’t the case last week when he dropped three balls that easily could have ended with scores. This was the toughest catch, too, as the wide open Brown had to completely lay out to bring in the 49-yard score. It marked Brown’s third touchdown of the season, two of which have been at least 42 yards.
Broncos’ rookie RB refuses to go down
Javonte Williams has basically split carries with veteran Melvin Gordon through three games, but the second-round rookie will surely receive more touches if he has more runs like the one he broke off late in the first quarter against the Ravens. After spinning to avoid a defender near the line of scrimmage, Williams ran through multiple tackles and then carried All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey 20 yards before finally going down inside the 10-yard line. The Broncos opened the scoring two plays later.
Missed FG gives Jets first win
Not long after the Giants secured their first victory of 2021, the Jets followed suit against the touchdown-favorite Tennessee Titans. While the Giants won their game with their offense, the Jets defense held up just enough to force a 49-yard field goal attempt. Randy Bullock’s attempt sailed wide left, giving the Jets a 27-24 win in overtime.
Big Ben’s historic TD puts Steelers on top
Coming off an uninspiring performance in last week’s loss to the Bengals, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers wasted little time letting the league know they can still rack up points. Fewer than five minutes into the game, Roethlisberger lofted a pass that landed right in the hands of Diontae Johnson for walk-in 45-yard score. It marked the 400th-career touchdown pass for Big Ben, becoming the eighth quarterback in NFL history to do so.
Washington turns frantic scramble into game-winning TD
On third-and-7 with 49 seconds to play, it looked as though Taylor Heinicke might have to throw the ball away, meaning Washington would have to settle for the game-winning field goal attempt. But then Heinicke threw the ball back across the field to J.D. McKissic, who did the rest by outrunning the Falcons defenders to the front right pylon for a 30-yard score. It turned out to be the last in Washington’s dramatic 34-30 triumph.
Saquon’s overtime TD gives Giants first victory
Saquon Barkley capped by far his best performance of the season by slicing through the Saints defense for a 6-yard touchdown to give the Giants their first victory of the season. After entering Sunday with 190 yards from scrimmage through three games, Barkley racked up 126 yards (52 rushing and 74 receiving) and two scores in the upset.
Tyreek Hill’s 3rd TD wraps up Chiefs win
Hill’s huge day powered Kansas City to its second win on the year, as he caught 11 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. His final score secured the win for the Chiefs. Back to .500 for them.
More Heinicke magic
Who knows if Taylor Heinicke is the long-term answer in Washington, but there’s something special about this player. He somehow thrives in the scramble situation, and did again on Sunday.
There’s the Saquon we know
The Giants were down double digits to the Saints in the fourth quarter, but a big play from Saquon Barkley changed that. The Penn State product is a dynamic receiving back if you remember, and he’s looking better each week.
Zach Wilson calls his shot deep!
Wilson is putting together his best performance as a pro, and he directed traffic on this throw — telling the former Titan Corey Davis to go long. They connected on a 53-yard touchdown.
Trevon Diggs records 2 INTs
If you haven’t noticed yet, Trevon Diggs of the Cowboys is a rising star in this league. He picked off two passes against the Panthers, which brings him up to five interceptions on the season. He has picked off at least one pass in each game this year.
Zach Wilson shows off his big arm
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft hasn’t had an incredible start to his professional career, but he’s getting better. He showed his potential on this third down throw, where he rolled right and hit Keelan Cole for a huge gain.
Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper retake lead
Prescott is building his Comeback Player of the Year case, and this throw will surely be included on the highlight reel. He put it right where it needed to be.
Cordarrelle Patterson scores third TD of the day
Patterson is more than just a return specialist, he’s an offensive weapon. He’s had a good season up to this point with the Falcons, but Sunday was truly a career day. Patterson has now scored three touchdowns against Washington!
Justin Fields makes insane throw
Fields is impressing in Chicago. He and Darnell Mooney have hooked up a few times for big gains — including this play where Fields dropped it right in the bucket. What a throw!
Washington’s DeAndre Carter goes 101 yards
Things are heating up in Atlanta. On the opening kickoff of the second half, Washington’s DeAndre Carter went 101 yards to reclaim the lead for the Football Team.
Taysom Hill goes beast mode!
Taysom Hill may not be QB1, but he definitely plays an important role for the Saints. Check out this beast-mode touchdown run that would make Marshawn Lynch proud.
Jameis deep to Callaway
Remember when Jameis Winston and Marquez Callaway hooked up for two touchdowns in the first half of a preseason game? They haven’t been able to carry that kind of success into the regular season, but they did connect for a deep shot today.
Khalil Mack pitches fumble recovery
The Bears defense is one of the best in the NFL, and they are showing out against the Lions. They forced a Goff fumble in the red zone, and after recovering it, Khalil Mack had enough awareness to pitch possession to someone with a faster set of wheels to pick up some extra yardage.
Come for the play, stay for the commentary.
John Ross scores 52-yd TD in first game as Giant
Ross is playing his first game as a Giant today, and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact. In the second quarter, Daniel Jones found him streaking down the field for a 52-yard score!
Tyreek Hill and Patrick Mahomes = cheat code
The duo of Hill and Mahomes is just unfair. Just throw the ball up to Hill and he will get it. Nice fingertip grab here.
Cordarrelle Patterson torches Washington’s D
The Washington Football Team was expected to have a top 3 defense in the league this year. Instead, through three games, it has the second-worst unit in the entire NFL. Washington’s defense has really struggled early on against Atlanta, and Patterson torched them for a long score.
David Montgomery with two early touchdowns
Montgomery is on the verge of a career day. He scored a rushing touchdown in the first quarter and then a second one on the first play of the second quarter. He simply would not be brought down.
Sam Darnold: Power option star
No Christian McCaffrey no problem? Matt Rhule and the Panthers aren’t simply going to abandon the run just because their best player is injured. Carolina dialed up a power option on the goal line, and the former Jet faked the pitch while cutting right up the middle for the score. That’s now four rushing touchdowns for Darnold on the season!
Fumble or interception?
Things aren’t going well for the Lions early on. In fact, a snap went off of Jared Goff’s shoulder and landed in the arms of Bears defensive tackle Bilal Nichols. Not sure we have seen anything like this before.
Mahomes underhand touchdown
Patrick Mahomes is known for all the wild things he can do with the football. Against the Eagles, he recorded an UNDERHANDED touchdown pass.
Vikings, Justin Jefferson strike first
Browns-Vikings is one of the most underrated matchups this week, but maybe a Minnesota win will get the NFL world to wake up to how well Kirk Cousins is playing. He and star wideout Justin Jefferson connected for the first touchdown of the game.
Darnell Mooney one-handed catch
Hey, the Bears are moving the ball this week! Chicago recorded more yards and points on its first drive (75 yards, seven points) than they did all of Week 3. Justin Fields gets another chance to prove he’s the quarterback of the future with Andy Dalton out, and he connected with Mooney for a nice first down. The throw wasn’t incredibly accurate, but Mooney was good enough to reel it in.
David Montgomery later punched in the first touchdown of the game from the five-yard line.
Rain could affect Texans-Bills, Lions-Bears and more
It’s only the first NFL Sunday of October, but we’re already seeing a few games that could be affected by adverse weather conditions. Josh Allen and the Bills are the biggest favorites of the week, at -17.5 at home against the Texans, but it might not be so easy battling Mother Nature. There is an 85% chance of rain from when the game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET until 4 p.m. ET, with winds in the 9-10 mph range, according to weather.com. That could also make things more difficult for Houston rookie Davis Mills, who’s making his second start at quarterback.
Meanwhile, the Bears are hoping Justin Fields’ second start won’t be as sloppy as his first, but the weather at Soldier Field could make that more difficult. There’s a 40 to 50% chance of showers during the first three hours of the 1 p.m. ET game against the Lions. The good news is that wind shouldn’t be a factor, as it is supposed to reach only 4 to 5 mph.
Elsewhere, there’s a 50-60 percent chance of rain in Green Bay for Steelers-Packers, and there could be some light rain for Tom Brady’s return to Foxborough in the nightcap. Only light winds are expected in both of those.
