Week 4 was a week of clarification.
The Dallas Cowboys reminded us that Mac Jones is not a serious NFL quarterback. The Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns were reminded their mediocre starters are a significant upgrade from the rookie passers on their benches. The Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears played a game that made fans of neither team happy.
But in the middle of this standard-issue Sunday shame was another round of reasons to believe. The Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans all had fairly different expectations for 2023, but each franchise shined in its own way before opening the month of October with a victory.
Let’s talk about them. These are the four things I liked most about Week 4.