Sooners in the NFL: Week 4

For the third time in their NFL careers, former Oklahoma quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield squared off on Sunday.

Another NFL Sunday has come and gone with Week 4 now in the books just short of Monday night’s collision between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.

With the first quarter of the season slate nearing its conclusion, games start to take a greater importance as teams try to avoid digging themselves into too big of an early season hole to dig out from.

That was certainly the case for a pair of former Oklahoma quarterbacks on Sunday, with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray colliding in the professional ranks for the third time.

The two Heisman Trophy winners and No. 1 overall picks were teammates with the Sooners and are close friends, making their NFL matchups special for both of them as well as for OU fans.

Unfortunately for Mayfield, though, the “rivalry” between the two has gone in Murray’s favor to this point, with the 2018 OU quarterback have taken each of the first two meetings entering Sunday.

That trend would continue this time around, with Murray’s Arizona Cardinals besting Mayfield’s Carolina Panthers 26-16 in Charlotte.

Kyler Murray

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

A tie game into the fourth quarter, Murray got the better of Mayfield thanks to a four-yard rushing touchdown as well as a 23-yard scoring toss to a former OU teammate of both quarterbacks in wide receiver Marquise Brown.

Mayfield would connect on a 13-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffery to try and start a late comeback, but the deficit proved to be insurmountable.

The win moves the Cardinals back up to .500 at 2-2 on the season with the Panthers falling into the precarious position of sitting at 1-3.

Next up, Murray will face yet another former Oklahoma quarterback in Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CT.

Mayfield and Carolina, meanwhile, will host the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday at 3:05 p.m. CT.

As for the rest of the Sooners in the NFL, here is a recap of how they did in Week 4:

Arizona Cardinals

(W 26-16 at Carolina)

• WR Marquise Brown: 6 receptions on 11 targets for 88 yards, 1 touchdown
• OL Cody Ford: DNP (IR List)
• OL Marquis Hayes: DNP (Practice Squad)
• QB Kyler Murray: Completed 23 of 32 passes for 207 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 12 rushes for 26 yards, 1 rushing touchdown
• S Steven Parker: DNP (Practice Squad)

Atlanta Falcons

(W 23-20 vs Cleveland)

• RB Damien Williams: DNP (IR List)

Baltimore Ravens

(L 23-20 vs Buffalo)

• TE Mark Andrews: 2 receptions on 5 targets for 15 yards
• OL Ben Powers: Started at left guard

Buffalo Bills

(W 23-20 at Baltimore)

• DL Jordan Phillips: DNP (Inactive)

Carolina Panthers

(L 26-16 vs Arizona)

• QB Baker Mayfield: Completed 22 of 36 passes for 197 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, 2 rushes for 0 yards

Cincinnati Bengals

(W 27-15 vs Miami on Thursday Night)

• RB Joe Mixon: 24 rushes for 61 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 receptions on 4 targets for 13 yards
• RB Samaje Perine: 1 rush for 0 yards

Cleveland Browns

(L 23-20 at Atlanta)

• DE Isaiah Thomas: 1 quarterback hurry
• DL Perrion Winfrey: 1 solo tackle, 1 tackle for loss
• WR Mike Woods: DNP (Inactive)

Dallas Cowboys

(W 25-10 vs Washington)

• LB Devante Bond: DNP (Practice Squad)
• DT Neville Gallimore: 2 solo tackle, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 1 quarterback hurry
• WR CeeDee Lamb: 4 receptions on 5 targets for 59 yards

Denver Broncos

(L 32-23 at Las Vegas)

• OLB Nik Bonitto: Saw playing time in a reserve role
• S Delarrin Turner-Yell: Saw playing time in a reserve role

Detroit Lions

(L 48-45 vs Seattle)

• K Austin Seibert: DNP (Inactive)

Houston Texans

(L 34-24 vs LA Chargers)

• DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo: 1 solo tackle

Kansas City Chiefs

(W 41-31 at Tampa Bay)

• TE Blake Bell: DNP (IR List)
• OT Orlando Brown: Started at left tackle
• C Creed Humphrey: Started at center
• LS James Winchester: Served as long snapper for 8 snaps

Las Vegas Raiders

(W 32-23 vs Denver)

• LB Curtis Bolton: DNP (Practice Squad)

Los Angeles Chargers

(W 34-24 at Houston)

• LB Kenneth Murray: 3 solo tackles, 2 assisted tackles, 5 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 quarterback hurry

Los Angeles Rams

(at San Francisco on Monday Night)

• OL Bobby Evans: 

Minnesota Vikings

(W 28-24 vs New Orleans in London)

• LB Brian Asamoah: Saw playing time in a reserve role

New England Patriots

(L 27-24 at Green Bay)

• OLB Ronnie Perkins: DNP (IR List)
• RB Rhamondre Stevenson: 14 rushes for 66 yards, 4 receptions on 5 targets for 23 yards

New York Giants

(W 20-12 vs Chicago)

• DB Tony Jefferson: DNP (Practice Squad)
• WR Sterling Shepard: DNP (IR List)

New York Jets

(W 24-20 at Pittsburgh)

• OL Dru Samia: DNP (Practice Squad)

Philadelphia Eagles

(W 29-21 vs Jacksonville)

• RB Kennedy Brooks: DNP (Practice Squad)
• QB Jalen Hurts: Completed 16 of 25 passes for 204 yards, 1 interception, 16 rushes for 38 yards, 1 rushing touchdown
• OL Lane Johnson: Started at right tackle

Pittsburgh Steelers

(L 24-20 vs NY Jets)

• S Tre Norwood: 5 solo tackles, 2 assisted tackles, 7 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss

San Francisco 49ers

(vs LA Rams on Monday Night)

• OL Trent Williams: 

Seattle Seahawks

(W 48-45 at Detroit)

• CB Tre Brown: DNP (PUP List)

Washington Commanders

(L 25-10 at Dallas)

• P Tress Way: 6 punts for 270 yards, 45 yards per punt, 5 inside the 20, longest punt 52 yards