In week 4, the NFL gives a statistical highlight breakdown of multiple games that were played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, September 29.
According to the NFL, there have been 39 games decided by eight points or fewer, 38 games decided by seven points or fewer and 32 games decided by six points or fewer, all the most such games through Week 4 of a season in NFL history.
The Minnesota Vikings defeated Green Bay, 31-29, to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2016 while the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 17-10, to advance to 4-0 for the first time since 2020. Two teams – Buffalo (on Sunday night at Baltimore) and Seattle (at Detroit on Monday night, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC) – can also improve to 4-0 this week.
Chicago Bears division opponent Minnesota has seen amazing play from quarterback Sam Darnold this season. Darnold (who is bouncing back from a struggling QB career) passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns with a 123.4 rating and wide receiver Justin Jefferson recorded five plus receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown in the Vikings’ Week 4 win.
The NFL said Darnold is the sixth different quarterback to record at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 105-or-higher in each of his team’s first four games of a season, joining Brady (2007 and 2015), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (2013), Aaron Rodgers (2011 and 2020), Matt Ryan (2016) and Russell Wilson (2020).
Jefferson is the fifth player since 2000 with at least 50 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in each of his team’s first four games of a season, joining Antonio Gates (2010) and Houshmandzadeh (2007) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (2007) and Owens (2004). Jefferson has 6,257 receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2020 and surpassed Julio Jones (6,201 receiving yards) for the fourth-most by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. Only Torry Holt (6,784 receiving yards) and Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (6,743) and Jerry Rice (6,364) have more.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.