By David Goldman, Staff Writer
Well…it’s back. Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays just got a whole lot better with the return of NFL football. The season is young, but it has certainly not disappointed when it comes to entertainment. Here’s what to know from the first four weeks of the 2022 season.
For starters, one team remains undefeated, and it is not the defending Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Rams, or the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or the powerhouse Kansas City Chiefs. In fact, it is the Philadelphia Eagles, who remain untouched at 4-0. The team is led by quarterback Jalen Hurts in his third season with the squad. Although the Eagles have had a notably light schedule, facing the likes of Detroit, Washington, and Jacksonville, they still sit atop the NFC East and look to keep their momentum going. The offseason addition of wide receiver AJ Brown has certainly helped, powering the offense with an impressive 25 receptions for 404 receiving yards in less than a quarter of the season played. It is safe to say the birds are flying right now.
Another team that fans are surprised to see in the win column is the New York Giants, who hold an unexpectedly strong 3-1 record. Their defense has looked stellar thus far, and quarterback Daniel Jones is finally starting to look comfortable in the pocket alongside Saquon Barkley, arguably a top-ten running back in the league. Despite a rough 2021 season and an injury-ridden career, Barkley is showing why he was the number two overall draft pick in 2018, leading the league with 463 rushing yards to go along with two touchdowns. Between Philadelphia and the Giants, the NFC East looks to be an exciting division to watch going forward.
In other news, Tom Brady, the man who may never retire, enters his 23rd season after telling the world he was done with football. Brady is quite simply addicted to winning, but this season is not off to the start he may have expected. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit at 2-2 with their most recent loss coming at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. However, if anyone knows Brady, they know that he will invariably make Tampa Bay a Super Bowl contender down the line.
Over in the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills picked up right where they left off from last season. They are 3-1 and have defeated some top-notch teams. Quarterback Josh Allen has a 67.3% passing rate and has thrown ten touchdowns with only three interceptions through the first four games. Buffalo has consistently been in the top two through the first weeks of power rankings. If they continue with this level of domination, they look to go deep in the playoffs.
Not every team is rising to the occasion, though. The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering the season with a new quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger’s 18 seasons at the helm came to an end. Pittsburgh named Mitchell Trubisky as their starting QB, but he has not gotten the job done so far. The team is 1-3 and have lost to the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets, with their one win coming in overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals. Other teams who could use a momentum shift include the New Orleans Saints, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Patriots. The Houston Texans remain winless at 0-3-1.
Through four weeks, the NFL has already given fans excitement, disappointment, and pure joy. The road to Super Bowl 57 starts now.
