Arizona Cardinals only unbeaten team in NFL
... as Tom Brady makes return
Five undefeated teams ambled into Week 4 of the 2021/2022 National Football League (NFL) season and only the Arizona Cardinals emerged unscathed. The Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, and Las vegas Raiders all failed in their bid to extend the unbeaten streak.
The Cardinals and the Rams butted heads in the only battle of the unbeaten last weekend, and the visitors from Arizona came out at the better end of a 37-20 scoreline. Arizona’s quarterback (QB) Kyler Murray frustrated the Los Angeles defence, consistently finding open receivers or running for his own yardage, while scoring on seven of eight possessions after a game-opening punt.
The Rams had the NFL’S number one defence in yards and points allowed last season, but they have given up 911 yards and 61 points in the last two weeks. Last Sunday, they had few answers for a Cardinals offence that is averaging 35 points per game so far, against very good defences. The Cardinals last finished a season with a winning record in 2015 and are now off to their longest perfect start since 2012. They will host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday as Justbet favourites and an extension of the winning run is expected.
On the other end of the spectrum, both team from New York scored 27 points each, went into overtime and, considering their opponents, shocked the NFL world with their first win of the season. The Jets invited the Tennessee Titans, minus receivers AJ Brown and Julio Jones, into Metlife Stadium last Sunday afternoon and held them in check until the fourth quarter. The Titans rallied in the fourth to score 15 points and extended the game with the scores tied at 24 points each – a field goal separated the two for the 27-24 Jets overtime victory.
The Giants travelled to the Caesars Superdome (formerly the Mercedesbenz Superdome) to tackle the New Orleans Saints later the same day and had an eerily similar result as that of their hometown neighbours. After a scoreless first quarter, the points total was evenly balanced up to the end of regulation time, with both teams amassing 21. The visitors finished the day with running back Saquon Barkley driving Saints’ defensive tackle Sky Tuttle into the end zone for the 27-21 overtime win.
Giants’ QB Daniel Jones passed for a career high 402 yards and two touchdowns against a respected defence and will travel to Dallas this weekend to attempt a repeat performance against the Cowboys. Dallas are 3-1, with the only loss coming to the defending Super Bowl champions in the opening game of the season and are playing inspired football. They will be all in for this divisional clash and are predicted to register another home win.
The much-anticipated return of QB Tom Brady to Gillette Stadium as a visitor, for the first time, was finally realised last Sunday night during prime time when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers marched into enemy territory. Brady played two decades for the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick, where he racked up 249 wins as a starter, getting to nine Super Bowls and winning six.
Belichick successfully schemed a game plan to limit Brady’s prowess – 22 of 43 for 268 yards with 0 touchdowns – but, unfortunately, didn’t have enough points on the board to secure a win. However, the game was more about the storyline and less about the score, and with the Buccaneers’ 19-17 win over the Patriots, Brady joined Brett Favre, Drew Brees (recently retired), and Peyton Manning as the only QBS to beat all 32 teams in NFL history. Brady also broke Brees’ record for career-passing yardage and added to another all-time mark with his 233rd regular-season victory.
Brady and the Buccaneers will have a less emotional and easier outing at midday this Sunday, when they invite the floundering Miami Dolphins into Raymond James Stadium. The matchup will see teams at separate ends of the scale, evidenced by the overwhelming disparity in Justbet odds. Tampa Bay are averaging 30.5 points per game this season, while Miami have a paltry 15.5, with the Dolphin’s only win coming in Week 1 in a narrow 17-16 victory over the Patriots.
The Tampa Bay encounter should be the easiest call this weekend but there is a Sunday night confrontation that should not be missed – the Justbet Super Bowl favourite Kansas City Chiefs against a potent Buffalo
Team
Kansas City Chiefs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Buffalo Bills
Green Bay Packers
Los Angeles Rams Baltimore Ravens Cleveland Browns Arizona Cardinals
Dallas Cowboys
Los Angeles Chargers
*Only Top 10 odds shown (see website for full list)