NFL Week 4: Redeemed QBs, the AFC’s best (so far) and the record streak that finally died

Week 4 of the NFL season featured dramatic fourth-quarter comebacks, quarterbacks who redeemed themselves, quarterbacks who continued to struggle and three teams left standing with undefeated records. Here’s all the action you need to know about from Sunday. Redemption for Drake Maye The first three weeks of the season were forgettable for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. The beleaguered signal-caller entered Sunday with only one touchdown, six interceptions and seven total turnovers through three games. Facing the undefeated Buffalo Bills on the road, Maye had his best game of the season, throwing for a season-best 269 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Patriots to a 26-21 victory. Maye also led New England in rushing with 54 yards in a well-rounded performance. He outplayed his counterpart, Josh Allen, who finished with only 253 passing yards and threw a pick on a potential game-winning drive. Maye led two go-ahead drives in the second half, including an eight-play, 73-yard jaunt in the fourth quarter that ended with the play of the game. New England improved to 2-2, while the Bills fell to 3-1. Another stinker for Justin Herbert Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was also looking for a bounceback performance Sunday. He didn’t find one. Herbert had three turnovers as the Chargers lost 30-23 to the Seattle Seahawks, dropping Los Angeles to 0-4. Herbert threw two interceptions — his second multi-pick game in four weeks — and on a potential game-winning drive, he fumbled when he fell victim to blindside pressure. The loss continued a rough season for Herbert. His passer rating of 73.4 entering Sunday will drop after he posted a 62.4 rating in Seattle, and he’s on pace for a career low in that category. Herbert is also averaging career-worst marks in completion percentage and yards per game. The hiring of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has yet to unlock Herbert, who is lauded by league personnel for his physical tools. To make matters worse for the Chargers, their schedule doesn’t let up anytime soon. Over the next five weeks, Los Angeles will play the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Rams, the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens. Only one of those teams (the Texans) has a losing record. The rest are a combined 11-5. Don’t sleep on the Jacksonville Jaguars Are the Jaguars sneakily the best team in the AFC? Jacksonville improved to 3-1 with a 22-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. The Jags’ three wins have all come against solid quarterbacks: Joe Burrow, Maye and (a surprisingly competent) Deshaun Watson. Since Week 11 of last season, Jacksonville is 11-1 in the regular season. Including the playoffs, the Jags’ only two losses in that time have come by a combined 10 points. Quarterbacks beware: Jacksonville’s defense has six interceptions through four games. The Cowboys didn’t waste a great game from Dak Prescott The Dallas Cowboys improved to 2-2 by winning the battle of Texas, taking down the Houston Texans 34-30 in a back-and-forth game. FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhy 7 million fewer working women get paid time off than men FOR SUBSCRIBERSTom Cruise takes on a new mission: Selling ‘Digger’ Quarterback Dak Prescott continued his stellar play through the early part of the season. He has now thrown for eight touchdowns and only one interception through four weeks. He’s averaging 266.3 passing yards per game, and Dallas has scored at least 31 points in each of its last three games. Prescott leaned heavily on receiver CeeDee Lamb on Sunday, connecting with him 17 times for 189 yards. The Cowboys’ defense also did just enough to secure the victory, despite giving up at least 28 points for the third time in four weeks. The Texans fell to 0-4, unable to capitalize on C.J. Stroud’s 347 passing yards and two scores. Case Keenum improves to 2-0 as the Bears’ starter Keenum played only one snap for the Chicago Bears on Sunday: the opening one. He got to play what head coach Ben Johnson cheekily described as the “ceremonial first pitch.” He was then immediately replaced by Tyson Bagent, who partnered with a steady rushing attack to lead Chicago to a 23-13 win over the New York Jets. The Bears are now 2-0 without starter Caleb Williams. One streak ends ... It took 21 games, but a New York Jets streak at last ended Sunday. When Minkah Fitzpatrick stepped in front of a pass by Chicago’s Tyson Bagent, it was the first interception by a Jets player in an NFL-record 20 games. The Jets hadn’t gotten a pick since Jan. 5, 2025. That also made it the first interception since Aaron Glenn, a former NFL defensive back, took over as head coach. “We got an interception; great,” Glenn said. “We lost the game.” ... and another streak continues The Arizona Cardinals had a rare opportunity Sunday not only to win, but to beat a good team. Instead, after the New York Giants returned an interception in the final seconds to seal a 36-24 victory, one of the league’s most ignominious streaks grew. Arizona has lost 17 consecutive games against teams that entered with winning records, the league’s longest active losing streak, according to NBC Sports research. Under first-year coach Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals have been competitive in three of their four games and shown the kind of life that wasn’t necessarily expected entering a season when they were picked as a likely contender to earn the No. 1 overall pick. If the team does turn a corner under LaFleur, beating a winning team will be a cathartic milestone. More from Sports The 49ers, Vikings and Chiefs remain undefeated Three undefeated teams are left in the NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 4-0 by holding off a frisky Las Vegas Raiders team, which entered their divisional matchup undefeated themselves. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Broncos at home, while the Minnesota Vikings kicked five field goals in a 15-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. Panthers perform on rare primetime stage During Carolina’s first appearance on “Sunday Night Football” since 2016, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young continued his career rebound in a 32-26 win over Detroit. Young, the former No. 1 overall pick, completed his first 11 passes and finished with 29 completions in 41 attempts for 329 yards and two touchdowns to Tetairola McMillan. FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhy 7 million fewer working women get paid time off than men FOR SUBSCRIBERSTom Cruise takes on a new mission: Selling ‘Digger’ Operating often from the slot, McMillan continued a huge day for receivers by catching 14 passes, including those two touchdowns, for 192 yards. Young was 2-14 as a rookie in 2023 and he was benched the next season, but he helped Carolina make the playoffs last season. Through four games this fall, his 1,268 passing yards leads the NFL. The Panthers had lost five of their last six games before they held on late with a defensive stand.