2024 NFL Season, Week 4: What We Learned from Monday doubleheader

Tennessee Titans

2024 · 1-3-0

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Miami Dolphins

2024 · 1-3-0

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• RE-WATCH: Titans-Dolphins on NFL+
• READ: Titans lose QB Levis in first quarter to shoulder injury
• READ: Dolphins HC McDaniel hints at offensive changes after loss

1. Titans battle adversity to earn first win. With zero wins in their first three weeks, Tennessee hit the road to a muggy Miami with one desperate goal: win the game. The Titans didn’t get off to a great start, committing a couple of false starts before Will Levis threw away a possession via an Emmanuel Ogbah interception, and it seemed as if the going would only become more difficult once Levis left the game with a shoulder injury. But Mason Rudolph‘s experience helped steady the ship, keeping the Titans’ offense afloat before they turned to their ground game to carry them to victory. Defensively, the Titans put together an excellent game, stifling Mike McDaniel’s offense, forcing a turnover and five three-and-outs, and holding the Dolphins to under 200 yards of offense on the night. It wasn’t the cleanest operation — Tennessee committed eight accepted penalties for 69 penalty yards — but it was enough to leave with a much-needed first win for head coach Brian Callahan, who can tout his team’s toughness after watching them win the physical battle and consistently put enough points on the board to cruise to victory.
2. Miami’s offense remains stuck in mud. The Dolphins entered Week 4 without holding a lead for a single second of regulation through three games. It seemed, at least on paper, like they might finally break through in Week 4 against the Titans, but we were wrong. In choosing veteran Tyler Huntley, Miami rolled out its third different starting quarterback in four games and found the going to be just as difficult as it was in their ugly loss to Seattle last week, entering the fourth quarter with only 84 total yards of offense. The Dolphins gained just seven yards as a team in the third quarter, trudging into the final period with few signs they’d ever find a rhythm before the end of the game. They did, piecing together an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, but it took 7:09 and plenty of effort. Gone are the days of the explosive Dolphins offense, which just can’t get comfortable without Tua Tagovailoa and is struggling to even make the simple plays.
3. Bill Callahan’s offensive line is starting to come together. On a night in which Tennessee lost its starting quarterback in the first quarter, the Titans needed the running game to carry the load, a reality from which their staff did not shy. The Titans ran the ball on 64.5% of their offensive snaps, churning up 142 yards on the ground and capitalizing on a blocking scheme that consistently created running lanes for Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard. The latter led the way, averaging 4 yards per carry on 22 attempts, but both served a purpose and each found the end zone, taking a ton of responsibility off Rudolph’s shoulders. It’s no surprise Rudolph gave credit to the ground game in his postgame interview, because it carried them to a road win, helping the Titans command possession (34:52 to 25:08) and pull away. And after a rough start that included a couple of false starts and a holding penalty, it was very encouraging to see this unit settle in and execute consistently. That bodes well for a Tennessee team that desperately needed a reason to believe after three tough weeks to start the season.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Titans-Dolphins (via NFL Pro): The Titans’ run defense shut down Miami’s designed rushing attempts, limiting Dolphins ball carriers to 72 yards on 26 designed runs, including -43 rushing yards over expected, the seventh-lowest mark posted by a defense in a game this season.

NFL Research: The Dolphins are the first team to never own a lead through the first four games of a season since the 2017 Browns, who finished 0-16. In the team’s Week 1 win over the Jaguars, the Dolphins kicked the game-winning field goal with no time left.

Seattle Seahawks

2024 · 3-1-0

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Detroit Lions

2024 · 3-1-0

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• RE-WATCH: Seahawks-Lions on NFL+
• READ: Goff throws perfect game, catches first career touchdown
• READ: Macdonald: Loss shows ‘we’re not the team that we need to be at this point’

1. Goff goes perfect. Jared Goff finished 18 for 18 for 292 yards and two touchdowns, including a majestic play-action pass that saw Goff deliver a strike amid a collapsing pocket to a wide-open Jameson Williams for a 70-yard score. Goff was as sharp as ever, posting a completion percentage over expected of +21.9. No matter where you look, Goff’s stats were sparkling from this game, a dreamlike product of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s game plan, which also relied on the emphatic rushing efforts of Jahmyr Gibbs (14 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns) and David Montgomery (12 carries for 40 yards and one touchdown). Speaking of Johnson, after dialing up a hook and lateral in Week 3 for a score, he reached into his bag of tricks once again Monday night, calling a receiver throwback pass, which Amon St. Brown threw perfectly to Goff for a receiving score. Yes, Goff finished with more receiving touchdowns (one) than incompletions (zero). It was that kind of night for the Lions, who followed up a gritty Week 3 win on the road with an explosive, spectacular showing that began with their running game, but ended with the excellence of their quarterback.
2. Seahawks finish on losing end of shootout. Geno Smith tried valiantly, posting gaudy passing totals, repeatedly delivering under pressure and giving every ounce of effort in his body through the final play. He even shook off a crushing blow on Seattle’s ill-fated closing drive to fire one last heave to the end zone, which was unfortunately intercepted. Seattle’s running game did its part, too, piling up 133 yards on the ground, including a team-best 80 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries for Kenneth Walker III. But in games like these, offenses have to be nearly perfect to keep pace, and Seattle simply couldn’t do so, with its first-half turnover (via a DK Metcalf fumble) giving the Lions enough of an early edge to sustain through the final seconds of regulation. If we’ve learned one thing about these Seahawks through four weeks, it’s that they can score, and a lot of it has to do with Smith. If Mike Macdonald can get the defense right, they’re going to be a tough draw for most opponents.
3. Lions need to correct some things defensively. Any time a unit gives up over 500 yards of offense, it’s not a good sign. A 50-percent conversion rate allowed on third down isn’t great, either. It’s fair to point to the history of this matchup, which produced a shootout that ended in overtime last season, but it isn’t just about yards surrendered. Detroit also had a bit of a problem with penalties Monday night. The focus begins with talented rookie Terrion Arnold, who needs to clean up his coverage techniques, which have seen him get flagged eight times, including three times Monday night. Carlton Davis has also been a bit of a flag magnet, drawing four penalties (three accepted, one offset) Monday night. As a unit, the Lions were flagged nine times defensively, frequently giving the Seahawks bonus chances to keep drives alive. Their offense ended up playing well enough to keep the Seahawks at bay purely by outscoring them, and they won’t always face a quarterback as effective at keeping plays alive like Smith, but they’ll need to play better complementary football against the league’s top teams to reach their goals.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Seahawks-Lions (via NFL Pro): Aidan Hutchinson generated a career-high 10 pressures on 54 pass-rush snaps, the most pressures by any player in a game this season.

NFL Research: Jared Goff became the first quarterback in NFL history to attempt more than 10 passes in a game without throwing an incompletion.