Final NFL Week 4 Observations ... And Former Miami Dolphins Updates

Week 4 brought some scheduling changes, more impressive performances from the NFL's elite quarterbacks, and sacks by former Miami Dolphins defensive ends

The Miami Dolphins' loss in Week 4 came against one of the six teams still undefeated after the first month of the NFL season.

Russell Wilson continued his magnificent start, but the other early MVP candidates kept pace.

That's specifically Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and Josh Allen in Buffalo, who both up big numbers in moving their team to 4-0.

Rodgers now has 13 touchdowns against zero interceptions this season, which of course brings the obvious question: Why exactly did the Packers take Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft?

Does Rodgers look like somebody the Packers should discard anytime soon?

Let's just say it was a strange pick at the time, and it hasn't gotten any less strange.

As for Allen and the Bills, there were some (cough, cough) who predicted before the season they'd be real good, so their 4-0 start isn't shocking.

That said, while Allen needs to be commended for the incredible progress he's made as a passer, it's only fair to point out some really bad decisions he keeps making.

Specifically, he continues with the bad habit of hanging on to the ball too long to try to make something happen all the time. It's how he ended up with his shoulder injury against the Raiders, though luckily for him and the Bills it turned out not to be significant. But later he took an unsightly sack midway through the fourth quarter with the Bills up 14 and in position to make it a three-score game.

That's an area Allen still has to clean up. It's why he's not in the same class as Rodgers or Wilson, though maybe it's time to accept that he's a top 10 quarterback because of his combination of running ability and arm strength that allows him to make some throws other quarterbacks just can't make.

-- If we're talking quarterbacks, obviously we have to look at San Francisco because that's the team the Dolphins will face next. The 49ers are coming off a loss at home against a previously winless Eagles team that exposed them for their deficiencies at quarterback. Nick Mullens started in place of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo and looked like a backup quarterback before he gave way to C.J. Beathard, the grandson of former Dolphins exec and Hall of Famer Bobby Beathard. As of Tuesday morning, we still didn't know who would start at quarterback against the Dolphins. Garoppolo isn't nearly as good a quarterback as his statistics would indicate because he's the beneficiary of a quarterback-friendly system and plays behind a very good offensive line, but it's clear he's the best the 49ers have to offer.

-- We also saw Monday night that the Patriots offense just isn't the same without Cam Newton because neither Brian Hoyer nor Jarrett Stidham scare anybody. The way New England's defense contained Patrick Mahomes and company, the Patriots actually would have had a good chance to win the game with Newton in the lineup.

-- What happens in Houston after the firing of coach/GM Bill O'Brien obviously is something the Dolphins will be watching closely considering they own the Texans' first- and second-round picks next year. The truth about Houston is it's difficult to know how good or bad the team is because it's opening schedule was so brutal. Had the Texans opened with the Lions, Giants, Falcons and Colts as the Bears did instead of getting the Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers and Vikings, does anybody really believe they would be 0-4 right now? Having said that, their record still is 0-4 and things could unravel very quickly if despair sets in.

-- That O'Brien became the first head coach fired in 2020 came as a surprise to many who expected that "honor" to go to former Dolphins head coach Adam Gase. Like the Texans, the Jets are 0-4, though they also had a tough opening stretch with the Bills, 49ers and Colts. But it's more the way the Jets are losing that's problematic for Gase and his job prospects. To say the team is a mess is being kind.

-- Another former member of the Dolphins, Doug Pederson, also was facing questions about job security after the Eagles' 0-2-1 start, but now his team is in first place in its division after that win in San Francisco. That's how bad the NFC East is.

-- The biggest reason the Browns are for real in 2020 is because of their offensive line and what they did in the offseason to address it. They signed right tackle Jack Conklin away from Tennessee as a free agent, selected left tackle Jedrick Wills in the first round of the draft, and most importantly hired O-line guru Bill Callahan. If you don't think Callahan makes a difference, check out what Ereck Flowers had to say about him and his importance in Flowers' development.

-- Starting our weekly check of 2019 Dolphins players with their new team, Raekwon McMillan continues to have practically no impact for the Raiders. Against Buffalo in Week 4, he played one defensive snap along with 11 on special teams.

-- Taco Charlton got his second sack in three games for the Chiefs in their victory against the Patriots.

-- Charles Harris had his second sack in two games for the Falcons in their loss against Green Bay. The two sacks on the season matched his career high, which he set as a rookie first-round pick for the Dolphins in 2017.