NFL Week 4: Patriots stun Bills, Panthers topple Lions as Falcons erupt for 45

NFL Week 4 delivered another collection of surprises, huge individual performances and close finishes, with the New England Patriots knocking off the Buffalo Bills, the Carolina Panthers taking down the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons closing the week with an offensive explosion against the New Orleans Saints.

Eight of the 16 games were decided by seven points or fewer, including four by three points.

Patriots shock Bills

One of Sunday’s biggest surprises came in Buffalo, where Drake Maye threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns as the Patriots handed the Bills their first loss, 29-26.

The Green Bay Packers escaped Tampa Bay with a 17-14 victory over the Buccaneers, while the Kansas City Chiefs remained unbeaten by edging the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27.

Week 4 had opened Thursday in Cleveland, where the Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 despite Aaron Rodgers throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns. DK Metcalf added 115 receiving yards for Pittsburgh.

Burrow piles up 428 yards

Joe Burrow produced the biggest passing total of the week, throwing for 428 yards, but the Jacksonville Jaguars still walked out of Cincinnati with a 22-17 victory over the Bengals.

Tee Higgins caught 11 passes for 157 yards in the loss.

The Los Angeles Rams also won on the road, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20 behind Matthew Stafford’s 317 passing yards and two Kyren Williams rushing touchdowns.

The New York Giants defeated the Arizona Cardinals 36-24 as Jameis Winston threw three touchdown passes and Malik Nabers caught six passes for 112 yards and a score.

Monangai runs wild for Bears

Kyle Monangai delivered one of Week 4’s biggest rushing performances, carrying 30 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns as the Chicago Bears beat the New York Jets 23-12.

Jonathan Taylor rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns as the Indianapolis Colts rolled past the Washington Commanders 30-13 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

The Baltimore Ravens held off the Tennessee Titans 24-18, while the Minnesota Vikings improved to 4-0 with a 15-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Lamb delivers for Dallas

CeeDee Lamb turned in one of the week’s outstanding receiving performances, hauling in 17 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown as the Dallas Cowboys edged the Houston Texans 34-30.

The San Francisco 49ers also moved to 4-0 with a 24-14 victory over the Denver Broncos, while the Seattle Seahawks dropped the Los Angeles Chargers to 0-4 with a 30-23 win.

Panthers pull off Sunday surprise

Another of Sunday’s biggest upsets came in Carolina, where the Panthers knocked off the Lions 32-26 despite Jared Goff throwing for 412 yards.

Tetairoa McMillan was spectacular for Carolina, catching 14 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, while Chuba Hubbard rushed for 122 yards and two scores.

Falcons finish Week 4 with a flourish

The week’s highest-scoring performance came Monday night in New Orleans, where the Falcons overwhelmed the Saints 45-24.

Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries as Atlanta piled up 45 points, the highest total by any team in Week 4.

After four weeks, the Chiefs, 49ers and Vikings remain unbeaten, while the Dolphins, Chargers, Texans and Titans are still searching for their first victory.

And if the first month is any indication, predicting what comes next isn’t getting any easier.