NFL Week 4 latest buzz predictions questions fantasy tips

Trevor Story hits tiebreaking double in 10th as Red Sox beat Blue Jays 6-5

Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season has arrived, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are here to break down the biggest questions, latest news and notable buzz heading into the slate of games. Plus, they pick out which players should -- or shouldn't -- be in your fantasy football lineups.

Who are the next QB candidates to get benched this season? Which coordinators are working their way into head-coach consideration? And which teams are off to confusing starts or have been hit badly by the injury bug? It's all here, as Dan and Jeremy answer big questions and empty their reporting notebooks with everything they've heard heading into Week 4.

Jump to: Possible QB benchings | Confusing teams Coordinators rising | Injury concerns Fantasy tips | Latest buzz

What are you hearing on who could be the next quarterback to get benched?

Graziano: I mean, technically it's the Packers' Malik Willis, since Jordan Love sounds like he's close to coming back. But that's not the answer you're looking for here. So I'm going to go with the Raiders' Gardner Minshew for my first choice.

When Minshew won a training camp battle with Aidan O'Connell for the starting job, it seemed like you couldn't rule out the possibility of the two flip-flopping back and forth all season. The Raiders played a lousy game and lost to the Panthers on Sunday, and coach Antonio Pierce was clearly not happy afterward. I'm not saying Minshew was one of the guys Pierce was accusing of making "business decisions" in that game, but he is 24th in QBR (44.1) through three weeks. We often see teams make a change at starting QB just to shake things up, even when it's not all the quarterback's fault. I wouldn't be surprised to see O'Connell starting soon.

Fowler: The heat is squarely on Minshew, but his Week 2 upset of Baltimore might be enough to buy him another week. Still, it's important to remember that some with the Raiders thought O'Connell had a slight edge coming out of offseason workouts/minicamp, and neither quarterback truly separated himself in the preseason. But I'll go with New England. The Drake Maye chatter will only mushroom from here. And the sense I got all offseason was that Jacoby Brissett would be the starter but might need to win enough games to keep the job.

Where are you at with the Will Levis situation in Tennessee? Receiver Tyler Boyd's comments to the media that the Titans' passing game hasn't found its chemistry yet stood out to me. I suspect Tennessee will give Levis more time to develop, but he must make better decisions -- or Mason Rudolph will be the one making them.

Graziano: That's the thing, right? Not only do they have to reach a point where they feel like Levis' decision-making is holding them (and him) back, but they likely have to be convinced it would be better with Rudolph. It's kind of like the Carolina situation a little bit. Sure, Bryce Young had to sit down because he was repeating too many of the same mistakes and it didn't look as if it would get better. But also, everyone you talk to in Carolina says Andy Dalton looked great all offseason, and the team believed the offense would be considerably better if it put the veteran in. The locker room surely was feeling that.

If the locker room in Tennessee feels similarly, like Levis is a lost cause and Rudolph is the guy, then yeah. But I don't know enough about that situation to make a good prediction on when or if they'll make a change. I know the Titans went into the season aiming to use it to find out about Levis, which makes me think he'll get a long leash. But it's worth watching for sure.

I'm wondering if there comes a point when the Colts, who believe Anthony Richardson needs to play in games to improve, decide to give him a week or so off to clear his head. And dude ... like ... is every uninspiring week from Deshaun Watson in Cleveland bringing us closer to Jameis Winston time there?

Fowler: My sense is the Colts ride with Richardson for a while. They really need this to work. They waited forever to take a shot on a quarterback high in the draft, and Richardson's ceiling is incredible. The accuracy and decision-making issues are concerning, but Colts coach Shane Steichen has long been a fan of Richardson's acumen as well as his physical traits, so I'm still bullish on Richardson marrying the two in horseshoe harmony. Problem is, this week he's playing the Steelers, who lead the league in scoring defense and total defense.

The new Watson reality is one that's still tough to fathom. I just looked this up: Watson had 10 300-yard games in 2020, his final season in Houston. He was on the short list of quarterbacks who struck fear in opponents. Since then, he hasn't been close. Fifteen games is a relatively small sample size (especially in Cleveland, where quarterbacks work in dog years). He shows glimpses of the old Deshaun with a few throws here and there. But the body of work hasn't been good enough, and the offensive line is now depleted, which will apply more pressure on Watson to make quick decisions. Cleveland has a good roster and needs to capitalize, but I'm still not expecting a quick hook, barring a complete disaster on the field. There's too much invested in him.

The most confusing team of the season is _______?

Fowler: The Jacksonville Jaguars. The disastrous start to the season -- especially coming off last year's collapse -- is confounding. This is a pretty good team, or should be based on the talent on the roster, but it's coming apart at the seams. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence isn't living up to the hype. He hasn't won a game since Thanksgiving weekend of last year! The offense is allergic to the red zone. And the defense ran into a Buffalo buzzsaw Monday night, which can't help its confidence. The tough early season schedule hasn't helped. Losing by 37 on "Monday Night Football" can't happen. This must be turned around starting Sunday at Houston, or coach Doug Pederson's plan will continue to be scrutinized.

Graziano: "At Houston" is a tough place to start a turnaround! A short-week road game coming off another road game is the last thing the Jaguars need. Right now, they're a disaster. And I agree, Pederson is a strong candidate for in-season hot-seat status if things don't start looking better.

How about the Dallas Cowboys for this one? Are they simply this bad on defense? Is it coaching or personnel? I would think they get right Thursday night against the Giants, but if they don't there's going to be panic in the streets. And even if they do, are they trustworthy enough to where they can carry some momentum into October? The Eagles are weathering their early-season issues a lot better than the Cowboys, and if quarterback Jayden Daniels is what we saw Monday, the Commanders could be a factor in that division as well. The Cowboys need to get something figured out quickly.

Fowler: That answer has a few layers to it, Dan. Run defense is easily the biggest issue, and coordinator Mike Zimmer has coached plenty of good run-stopping units in the past. Some of this comes down to basics: physicality, discipline, tackling. But I believe we're starting to see a few cracks in the foundation due to an inactive offseason and the enormous contracts of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott (and, eventually, edge rusher Micah Parsons) handcuffing the team. Dallas' middle-class talent is not great. The Cowboys have drafted well, but that's not enough. Signing a few more veterans in free agency would have really helped them.

I still believe they are good enough to turn this around. But the defense must play with more of an edge, or Jerry Jones might escape to his yacht to drown out the noise. Speaking of Dallas, where are you at with the team that just won there, Baltimore? Last season was the time for Lamar Jackson to grow as a passer. But Sunday, the Ravens ran the ball 45 times and all but ignored tight end Mark Andrews. They considered offensive line changes during the week but didn't make any moves on game day. What is this offense's identity?

Graziano: I actually don't find Baltimore all that confusing. So far, the Ravens have been what I thought they would be -- a team likely to take a step back this season while they reset in a few areas. The offensive line is taking a little bit of time to come together as it works in three new starters. The defense looks like it misses Mike Macdonald, whose Seattle defense is crushing it so far. It took them a few weeks to figure out the best way to use running back Derrick Henry, and in the coming weeks we'll find out how much of that was them/him and how much of it was a Cowboys' defense that can't stop the run at all right now.

I think Sunday's game plan was a good one, given Dallas' issues on run defense, but I don't think it'll work against Buffalo this week. They're going to have to figure out how to marry a run game that requires Jackson to go under center more than he ever has with a pass game focused on receiver Zay Flowers. And part of their identity the past few years has been "Team that blows fourth-quarter leads," and the Ravens very nearly did that again in Dallas!

Which coordinators could be working their way into the head-coaching carousel with strong starts?

Graziano: My answer is a little bit complicated, because right now the buzziest coordinator in the league is former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who's in his second season running the Vikings' defense. On performance alone, he's unassailable. The Vikings have allowed a total of 30 points this season to the Giants, 49ers and Texans, and Flores is drawing raves for the way he disguises pressures and confuses quarterbacks. It started last season in Minnesota, but the players are executing it at a much higher level in Year 2 of the system.

The question with Flores as a head-coaching candidate is, of course, that he still has a pending lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination in the league's hiring practices. The Vikings' defense could be the reincarnation of the 1985 Bears and it would still be hard to imagine an owner hiring a head coach who's in the middle of suing the league.

Three days ago, I might have said Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak here, but New Orleans' offense came crashing down to earth a little against the Eagles on Sunday, didn't it, Jeremy?

Fowler: It did, but that's to be expected. You can't score 40 on everyone, and the maligned offensive line regressed to the mean a bit. But overall, Kubiak has modernized the Saints' offense and improved the operation, which should help his case in the carousel. His pedigree carries weight. And I absolutely agree on Flores. He's punishing opposing playcallers with his disguises.

It's hard to ignore what Joe Brady is doing in Buffalo, dating to last season. He has established an equal opportunity offense that finds the open man and can dictate the pace with a run-heavy attack. He interviewed for head-coaching jobs years ago and sort of missed the window, but it appears that will open for him again.

Graziano: Brady is a good one. I was having this conversation with someone Monday, and we kind of agreed there aren't a ton of obvious names right now. Ben Johnson in Detroit and Bobby Slowik in Houston will likely be the big names on the circuit, but they aren't new to it. It's a little early for Ryan Grubb in Seattle or Drew Petzing in Arizona, though obviously stranger things have happened. Arthur Smith is doing a really nice job with Justin Fields in Pittsburgh and likely gets a look again at some point, but probably not this soon. Can I cheat and point out that Bill O'Brien was a really good NFL head coach who's doing a good job with Boston College at the moment and could want back in at some point?

Fowler: We all know the usual suspects this time of year -- Slowik and Todd Monken (Baltimore) come to mind as playcallers -- but as far as sneaky, emerging names, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has caught the attention of some around the league. Same with Petzing, whose Cardinals offense ranks seventh in yards per game.

Which team's injury issues are most concerning?

Fowler: Where do you start? Several contenders have been ravaged by injuries through three weeks. San Francisco has had a terrible stretch. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (torn pec, out for year) is the 49ers' fourth elite player to go down for a short or extended period, joining running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles), tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf). That McCaffrey is seeing a specialist in Germany for his injury can't be good for his outlook. The earliest he can return is Week 6, but that seems like a long shot. The 49ers have enough personnel to survive ... but I'm not sure they have enough to thrive.

Graziano: The 49ers are my answer, too. They built a very top-heavy roster with highly paid stars, and if those guys miss significant time it's going to be tough for them to fill in -- receiver Jauan Jennings and running back Jordan Mason notwithstanding. Sunday's in-division collapse against the Rams could come back to haunt them, as the Niners are already two games behind 3-0 Seattle. San Francisco needs to get some of its stars back soon. We've seen the 49ers lose entire seasons to injury epidemics during Kyle Shanahan's tenure already, and the window for the current group isn't going to last forever.

That said, because we both picked the same team, let me throw out the Cincinnati Bengals. Tackle Trent Brown going down for the season is a blow to the offensive line, but I'm much more concerned about the injuries to their defensive line. The Bengals have had a rash of injuries at defensive tackle, their edge rushers have been dealing with nagging issues since the start of training camp, they can't stop the run, and they couldn't do anything against the pass in Monday night's loss to the Commanders. Cincinnati is another team with high preseason hopes that could struggle to overcome injuries, especially now that it has started 0-3.

Fowler: The issues with Cincinnati stretch beyond injury. Quarterback Joe Burrow looks efficient yet tentative. The offense looks promising ... until it doesn't. The defense looked flat against the Commanders on Monday after looking inspired in Week 2 against the Chiefs. Putting together a complete performance is an issue. It's hard to count out Cincinnati's pedigree, but the Bengals will need to get hot. At least some of the injuries are survivable. Defensive tackle B.J. Hill will be back eventually, and first-round pick Amarius Mims should be able to replace Brown on the O-line.

Somehow the Rams got past San Francisco on Sunday, as if to say that anything's possible with Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. But I'm not sure how Los Angeles can move the ball consistently with receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua both out and several issues along the offensive line. How will the Rams do it, Dan?

Graziano: I honestly have no idea, which is why it's good that McVay is their coach and I'm not. That comeback win Sunday is a major testament to the abilities of McVay and Stafford, and that combo can probably carry the Rams to more wins than their injury-riddled roster should accumulate, but I don't see how they can do that every week. They aren't all that healthy on defense, either, and yes, to bring this conversation full circle, the Rams are the team whose injury concerns are likely to be the most debilitating over the long haul. I mean, the reason Kupp isn't on IR is that they can designate only eight players to return from IR over the course of the season and they're afraid they'll run out of spots!

What's your top fantasy football tip of the week?

Graziano: You probably have to start Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson considering where you drafted him. But if you have another option this week, I'd seriously consider it. Wilson and quarterback Aaron Rodgers haven't fully clicked yet, and while I think they ultimately will and it'll be beautiful, this isn't the week to expect it. The Jets are playing the Broncos, and that almost certainly means Wilson will draw shadow coverage from Denver cornerback Pat Surtain II, who's playing as well as any corner in the league right now.

Denver just held Tampa Bay's Mike Evans to 17 yards on two catches Sunday, and only one of those came in Surtain's coverage. Evans was targeted only three times in a game the Bucs were losing the whole time. In Week 2, Surtain tracked Pittsburgh's George Pickens, who caught two passes for 29 yards on four targets. In Week 1, Surtain was on Seattle's DK Metcalf, who had three catches for 29 yards on four targets. Teams are barely looking at the receiver Surtain is covering, and while Rodgers would love to get Wilson going, he's probably not going to want to try Surtain if other options are working.

Fowler: If you're dealing with injuries at WR or TE, use the waiver wire to play an Eagles pass catcher -- either tight end Dallas Goedert or even wide receiver Jahan Dotson. Goedert exploded for 170 yards in Week 3, and with receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith both possibly out, he should be a focal point again. And Dotson would move up the depth chart. Dotson is a risky play because of his lack of production -- he has only three receptions for 14 yards this season -- but he's a capable option and likely steps into the forefront against a depleted Bucs defense.

Also, Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams is tempting. While I don't expect him to throw 52 times for the second consecutive week, the Rams' defense is giving up high-volume passing yards, and the Bears can't run the ball right now.

What else are you hearing this week?

Graziano:

My sense of the Miami Dolphins' quarterback situation while Tua Tagovailoa remains out indefinitely is that, yes, it's possible they start Tyler Huntley on Monday night, but that likely depends on Skylar Thompson's health. Thompson started in Week 3 but suffered a chest injury, and at this point in the week, the Dolphins aren't sure how much he's going to be able to do in practice and whether he'll even be healthy enough to play in Week 4. Huntley just got there last week, and while they like him and he has a shot to start at some point (particularly if Thompson doesn't show more than he did Sunday before his injury), the Dolphins would like to get Huntley some more practice reps in their offense before throwing him out there on the field. If Thompson can't go, then I think the coaches spend the week building some sort of scaled-down game plan based around what Huntley can do and start him over Tim Boyle. Regardless, this is a very difficult situation right now, and there's obviously no timetable for Tagovailoa's return as he consults with more neurologists and works his way through the short- and long-term implications of his third diagnosed concussion of the past three seasons. The loss of offensive tackle Trent Brown to a season-ending knee injury is a tough blow for the Bengals because it eats away at their offensive line depth. But they were very happy with rookie first-round pick Amarius Mims in training camp, and there was a chance he was going to start Week 1 over Brown before Mims got hurt in the preseason. Mims was being eased back in as a sixth offensive lineman in heavy run packages but had to take over for Brown on Monday after Brown got hurt. Expect the Bengals to start Mims at right tackle moving forward, and don't be surprised if he plays well. Watch for the Jets to work wide receiver Mike Williams into the playbook more and more in the next couple of weeks. Williams is coming off a torn ACL and played just nine snaps in the season opener, 37 in Week 2 (which represented 65% of the Jets' offensive plays) and then just 33 (45%) in Week 3 when they were blowing out the Patriots. The Jets believe that the way they worked running back Breece Hall back into the lineup over the first four to six weeks of last season is a template they can follow with Williams, whom they view as a red zone playmaker for Aaron Rodgers and a big part of their plans once he's fully healthy. The Steelers have been very happy with Justin Fields' performance at quarterback, including the way he has executed the game plans and been able to take on more and more as the weeks have gone on. They believe their young group is learning how to win, and Fields looks like the starter for the foreseeable future. They're also very happy with the way their young offensive line is performing -- particularly rookie center Zach Frazier. Where the Steelers' offense is probably still a little short is at wide receiver, where George Pickens is the nominal No. 1 by default but is still working on being a consistently reliable part of the offense. The Steelers were active on the wide receiver market in the offseason -- remember, they had a real chance to land Brandon Aiyuk had the 49ers not been able to extend him -- and I expect them to continue to monitor the receiver trade market as the deadline approaches. Tennessee's DeAndre Hopkins and Jacksonville's Christian Kirk are two veterans who could conceivably become available and might be appealing to the Steelers if their teams continue to lose and fall out of the playoff race. Jaguars fans might want to stop reading now, but for those who are wondering about the long-term contract they just gave to quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has lost his past eight starts, I took a look. Lawrence was guaranteed $142 million at signing, and that guarantee is split up as follows -- a $37.5 million signing bonus, a fully guaranteed salary of $1.5 million in 2024, $37 million of guaranteed money in 2025, $37 million of guaranteed money in 2026 and $29 million of guaranteed money in 2027. Yes, he has guaranteed money in the fourth year of the deal. Lawrence is still 11 days shy of his 25th birthday, which is one of the reasons the Jaguars felt good about giving him the deal. They think he has plenty of time to improve and flourish. But it's certainly fair to wonder, based on the way the past two seasons have gone, if this is a deal they could end up regretting when they're still paying him big guaranteed money at age 28.

Fowler:

I caught up with Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell to discuss his offense, which ranks third in scoring (28.3 points per game) and has helped guide the Vikings to a 3-0 start. What's obvious is quarterback Sam Darnold's star turn. What's not so obvious is Minnesota's impressive physicality up front, which stands out against a backdrop of bad offensive line play leaguewide. That has been huge for Minnesota. "The offensive line has been really physical, and [tight end] Josh Oliver has been a big factor in that, too," O'Connell said. "We've been able to run it and sustain drives. On the early downs with the [play-action] pass, screens, we've been able to steal some chunks and we've been efficient on third down." He likes the plus-two turnover margin but wants to see "self-inflicted penalties" cleaned up. Darnold is a catalyst, and the Vikings are not shocked. They believed this offseason that Darnold had untapped potential -- and as one team source said, "can throw the s--- out of the ball." He just needed to clean up decision-making that plagued him in the past. O'Connell and the staff -- and, yeah, the mere presence of star receiver Justin Jefferson -- have streamlined that decision-making for him. Justin Fields continues to build momentum in Pittsburgh. When someone on the sidelines is yelling "QB1" to him after a score, he's in a secure spot with his 3-0 team. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, typically among the league leaders in honesty from the podium, said there's no reason to declare Fields the starter beyond Week 4 because Russell Wilson is not healthy. This aligns with what I've heard throughout that Wilson's calf injury is no joke, and playing/practicing in the preseason seemed to make it worse. He's simply not moving at a high clip at this point. Also, my sense after asking around is that Fields might have graduated from the play-until-you-lose phase to gain the freedom to play through mistakes, within reason. You can guarantee Tomlin and the Steelers are very satisfied with Pittsburgh's plus-four turnover differential. If Fields can keep that number consistent, that might weigh heavier than an eventual loss. I still hold firm that the Steelers saw Wilson hold better command of the offense than Fields in the preseason ... but in Tomlin axiom, this is a moving train that Fields hopped on with both feet. That gives him a considerable advantage currently. While the Dolphins make plans at quarterback for at least the next three weeks without Tua Tagovailoa (IR, concussion), a trade for a passer doesn't seem likely at this point. A source said Miami is "not much into it at this time." Keep in mind, all signs are that Tagovailoa wants to play again this season, and he's eligible as early as Week 7. Making a flashy move for a quarterback, potentially disrupting the loose timeline and plans of Tagovailoa and the team, comes with risk. Now, the Dolphins might have to do something, so all of this is a bit of a moving target. In the short term, Miami must decide when Skylar Thompson (ribs) will be available and make plans around that, with backups Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle in mind. Steelers right tackle Broderick Jones fought through adversity to have a bounce-back game in Week 3. He dealt with elbow and wrist injuries in the preseason and played through them. He has been asked to play multiple tackle spots since being drafted in 2023, despite starting only one full season at Georgia. He served as the sixth tackle in Week 2, committing multiple penalties, but didn't complain and worked through it. Now, Jones is slated as the starting right tackle with Troy Fautanu out for the season. And the early signs are promising. OK, here are a few quick-hitters: Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen suffered what a source called a "fairly significant" hamstring strain, which landed him on injured reserve. He should return after Week 7, but the exact timeline is uncertain. ... Talented Seahawks rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (hamstring) is expected to miss some time. It might not be too long, but Seattle will be cautious with its first-round pick. ... Watch for Bears running back Roschon Johnson to possibly get an extended look this week. Chicago has struggled mightily to run the ball and turned to Johnson, more of a bruiser, for eight carries in Week 3 vs. the Colts. The Bears need to get downhill faster. ... It wouldn't be shocking to see changes to the back end of the Raiders' defense. That's where they need a shake-up, which coach Antonio Pierce all but promised after Sunday's ugly loss to Carolina.