Handing Out Game Balls for Every NFL Week 4 Game

One quarter of the NFL season is in the books, and we still have no idea what's going on. Great teams are bad, bad teams are great, good teams are losing to terrible teams, and terrible teams lead divisions.

Some wild comebacks succeeded, some desperate comebacks fell just short, and some teams showed up and handled their business as usual.

Offenses finally got some of that 2011 mojo back in Week 4, with a lot of last season's high-flying passing teams finally getting airborne. We saw turn-back-the-clock performances by some very familiar names and jaw-dropping numbers from relative unknowns.

But which players made the most of their four Week 4 quarters? Which players grabbed their games by the lapels and shook them 'til they begged for mercy?

Those who bossed their Week 4 games get game balls.

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

"Rod Woodson Game-Winning Pick Six" Game Ball: Cary Williams, Baltimore Ravens

Williams' 63-yard interception return was neither the score that gave the Ravens the lead nor the last score of the game. But the pick-six made a crucial divisional battle 23-13, and the Browns' two answering field goals whittled the margin of victory to six.

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

"Forgot about Dre" Game Ball: Roddy White, Falcons receiver

Julio Jones got a lot of well-deserved preseason attention. But Roddy White is still one of the best receivers in the business, and his 8-catch, 169-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Panthers proves it.

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

"'Joe Cool' Rides Again" Game Ball: Tom Brady, New England Patriots

The Patriots were down by two touchdowns, on the road, in the third quarter against a divisional opponent who beat them last year. Tom Brady flipped his shades on and led the Pats to six straight touchdown drives, including a four-yard rushing touchdown.

By the 52-28 final score, you'd never know the game had even been close.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

"Dante Hall the Game is Over Before it Starts" Game Ball: Percy Harvin, Vikings receiver/returner

When Percy Harvin took the opening kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown, no one would have predicted the Vikings wouldn't score an offensive touchdown—or that Harvin's touchdown would be the margin of victory.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans

"J.J. Watt Silent but Deadly" Game Ball: J.J. Watt, Texans defensive end

On a day when two Texans (Danieal Manning and Kareem Jackson) had pick-sixes, it's difficult to turn around and give the game ball to J.J. Watt. But Watt had ANOTHER two sacks against the Titans, plus a crucial fumble recovery.

Through the first four games, Watt has notched 20 tackles and 7.5 sacks—sustained across a season, that would be an incredible 80 tackles and 30 sacks. He certainly can't keep that pace up, but what he's doing deserves to be recognized over and over.

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs

"Junior Seau Memorial" Game Ball: Donald Butler, Chargers linebacker

Butler not only had one of the three interceptions the Chargers reaped off of Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, he racked up six tackles and one-half sack. Butler drastically tilted the field against the Chiefs, enabling a hugely important 37-20 win.

San Francisco 49ers at New York Jets

"Bomani Jones #BEATEMDOWN" Game Ball: San Francisco 49ers

This was a pure, complete, three-phases-of-the-game 34-0 domination. As Sirius Radio and ESPN personality Bomani Jones says, it was that BEATEMDOWN.

Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams

"Morten Andersen I Am the Entire Offense" Game Ball: Greg Zuerlein, Rams kicker

With neither offense able to make a splash, Zuerlein set a franchise record—and immediately broke it—with 58- and 60-yard field goals. Zuerlein added two more field goals to lead the Rams to a 19-13 win.

Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals

"Big-Time Players Make Big-Time Plays at Big-Time Times in Big-Time Games" Game Ball: Andre Roberts, Cardinals receiver

When things looked bleak for the Cardinals, Roberts hauled in two fourth-quarter touchdowns (including a 46-yard catch-and-run and an outstanding 15-yard grab) to force overtime and the eventual win.

"Terrell Owens Super Bowl XXXIX Don't Blame Me" Game Ball: Brian Hartline, Dolphins receiver

Look, Hartline had 12 catches for 253 yards. You can't blame him for the loss.

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos

"You Don't Need To Teach an Old Dog New Tricks" Game Ball: Peyton Manning, Broncos quarterback

Manning went 30-for-38 passing for 338 yards and three touchdowns. His team won, the other team lost. You know, his usual thing.

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars

"No Harm No Foul" Game Ball: Andy Dalton, Bengals quarterback

Dalton had an effective, efficient day: He completed 20-of-31 for 244 yards, and two scores. He even added a rushing touchdown.

But Dalton got extremely lucky when his first-quarter interception was immediately fumbled back to the Bengals by Jaguars linebacker Kyle Bosworth.

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers

"Welcome Back Kotter" Game Ball: Aaron Rodgers, Packers quarterback

Packers fans and fantasy owners alike have been waiting for Rodgers and the Packers to do their high-scoring thing, and against the Saints' porous pass defense, they finally delivered: Rodgers completed 31-of-41 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns.

Better yet, the Packers squeaked out a critical home win.

Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

"You Can Count on the Butler" Game Ball: Alfred Morris, Redskins running back

The story of this game was the late-game lead changes, the multiple fourth-quarter go-ahead scoring drives, the poised performance by Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III and/or the redemption of kicker Billy Cundiff.

But Morris chugged along for 113 yards and a touchdown on his 21 carries. Not only was he keeping the Skins offense on schedule, his 39-yard scoring dash put the Redskins up 21-3 in the second quarter.

Butler? Alfred? See what I did there?

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

"Giant Killer" Game Ball: LeSean McCoy, Eagles running back

McCoy stepped up on Sunday Night Football, with 23 carries, 121 second-half yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Mike Vick closed the game strong, but McCoy's performance made the difference for the Eagles.

"Icing The Kicker is Dumb" Game Ball: Andy Reid, Eagles head coach

Look, icing the kicker is stupid. waiting long enough for the kicker to actually get an attempt off before the timeout is called has burned many teams in the past, and it nearly burned Reid and the Eagles. When will NFL head coaches get the message?