B/R Staff NFL Week 4 Report Card: Which Team Is Winning OBJ Trade?

A perfect marriage between expectations and reality rarely occurs within NFL play.

Few certainties presented themselves through four weeks, and a larger sample size hasn't provided much clarity. Instead, the start of the regular season feels more like an extended preseason in which everyone is still trying to find themselves.

So far, everyone knows:

• The New England Patriots remain the league's best team.
• The Miami Dolphins are a downright disaster (on the field, that is, because the team's plan to tank is going very well).
• Patrick Mahomes is ridiculously good.

Otherwise, plenty changes on a weekly basis.

This weekend, the AFC North shifted from the Baltimore Ravens' to the Cleveland Browns' favor. No one wants to take control of the AFC South. More starting quarterbacks (Mitchell Trubisky and Josh Allen) suffered injuries. Seven undefeated teams are now down to three.

In order to parse the league's latest happenings, Bleacher Report's team of NFL writers graded each of the league's hottest topics from Sunday's play.

Odell Beckham Jr. Trade at Season's Quarter Mark

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The NFL landscape changed when the New York Giants decided they no longer wanted to deal with superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and traded the mercurial wide receiver to the Cleveland Browns.

As part of the final deal, Cleveland sent a 2019 first-round pick (nose tackle Dexter Lawrence), a third-round pick (linebacker Oshane Ximines), safety Jabrill Peppers and guard Kevin Zeitler to New York for Beckham and defensive end Olivier Vernon.

In four games with the Browns, Beckham has caught 21 passes for 308 yards and a touchdown, but he managed only two receptions for 20 yards Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. In fact, the Ravens held Beckham without a catch through three quarters for the first time in his career.

Meanwhile, the Giants are 2-2 with contributions from all the players they received in return.

Which franchise receives a better grade so far based on what it got in return?

Ty Dunne: Browns, B+; Giants, D-

With Beckham and Landon Collins and another vet or two let go, the Giants would be even more amped up about the present in these Danny Dimes times. Obviously, general manager Dave Gettleman felt the need to rid himself of Beckham, but here it seems like it would've been worth sitting down to work it out as many damn times as it takes. As for the Browns, don't feel fooled by the two-catch stat line. Odell's presence alone takes them to a new level.

Mike Freeman: Browns, A; Giants, F

Beckham is a transformative player. Even when he's not producing—as he was the case against the Ravens—his presence alone opens up everything for the rest of the offense.

Mike Tanier: Browns, B; Giants, D

The overall stats aren't great, but Odell broke the Jets game wide open and has created opportunities for others. Imagine how exciting the Daniel Jones-OBJ combination could be. Imagine what having a receiver like OBJ could do for Jones' development.

Brent Sobleski: Browns, B; Giants, D

A quick look at Sunday's box score indicates Beckham played one of his worst career games when nothing could be further from the truth. The attention he received from Baltimore's defense opened up the offense for everyone else. He also forced multiple penalties. Conversely, the Giants didn't land a single difference-maker in the deal.

Brad Gagnon: Browns, D; Giants, D-

If not for that 89-yard touchdown against the Jets, this would be a nightmare start for Beckham. You can't give up that much for a guy and then get fewer than 75 yards out of him in three of your first four games. It's a small sample, but that's essentially what we're grading here. But for the Giants, this is a bad grade no matter what. Imagine Danny Dimes working with both Saquon Barkley and OBJ.

Gary Davenport: Browns, A; Giants, D

If you throw the Zeitler for Vernon portion of the deal in here, it looks better for New York. But a pick-six from Jabrill Peppers against Washington isn't going to change my opinion of this deal. How much better could Jones be with Beckham as his No. 1 receiver?

Danny Dimes' Week 2 Performance

Al Bello/Getty Images

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones followed his outstanding debut with a suspect second performance against the rival Washington Redskins. Jones completed 74.2 percent of his passes for 225 yards and a touchdown toss in the Giants' 24-3 victory, but he also threw a pair of interceptions.

Even with a few mistakes, how good was Jones' second performance?

Ty Dunne: B

Ol' Dimes didn't light up the stat sheet like he did in Tampa Bay, but he rebounded nicely from some early-game mistakes, and that escapability is going to keep sneaking up on teams. He knows when to tuck and run. All of a sudden, the Giants have real hope at 2-2.

Mike Freeman: B

He was far from perfect, but he was still solid. What you see with Jones is calmness. We take it for granted, but it's such a huge part of the job and doesn't come easy. He already plays like a franchise quarterback.

Mike Tanier: C-

Jones threw two picks and at least one other pass that should have been picked. That said, his ability to move around and buy time in the pocket has added a whole new dimension to the Giants offense. There are going to be ups and downs in any young quarterback's career; he won't escape many games like Sunday's with a win, but there was nothing too alarming in his performance, either.

Brent Sobleski: C

The deity known as Danny Dimes came down to earth only to reveal his human side. His ascent back toward godhood is imminent, and all should revel in his presence. Until then, the realization he's new to these surroundings and not quite infallible should be taken under consideration.

Brad Gagnon: B-

Right opponent, right time. He'll have to cut down on turnovers (he quietly has four already), but he led his team to a big early lead and coasted from there in Week 4. This was an average performance altogether, which is fine in this spot because Washington is a joke.

Gary Davenport: C+

It's hardly a shock Jones came back down to earth a little after sending social media into full "we're not worthy" mode last week against the Bucs. However, Jones also has the best winning percentage of any quarterback in NFL history, so that hype may be justified.

Dwayne Haskins' Debut

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

Quarterback Dwayne Haskins, this year's 15th overall pick, saw the field for the first time Sunday after Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden benched starter Case Keenum.

Haskins finished 9-of-17 for 107 yards and three interceptions.

Earlier in the week, Gruden said Haskins "needs to continue to sit back and learn and continue to develop," per Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams. Things changed quickly.

Given the circumstances, how did Haskins look in his debut?

Ty Dunne: F

Oh, so that's why Gruden was reluctant to play his rookie quarterback. Nine completions and three interceptions is about as poor a debut as the Redskins could've asked for. Of course, they had to play Haskins at some point, so why wait? They're not going anywhere this season.

Mike Freeman: Incomplete

You can't tell a damn thing about Haskins now. The team has little talent, a terrible offensive line and an awful head coach. This franchise is a mess. That's not Haskins' fault.

Mike Tanier: D-

This one gets pinned on Jay Gruden. The Skins just threw Haskins in the game because nothing else was working. It didn't help that Terry McLaurin was hurt, giving Haskins almost no one to throw to. This is what bad organizations do with rookie quarterbacks: They don't come up with coherent development plans in training camp, then they put them in the worst possible situation.

Brent Sobleski: D

Haskins doesn't deserve a failing grade for the organization's failures. If Washington's coaching staff truly believes the rookie isn't ready, he shouldn't play. Obviously, Gruden didn't have him prepared and said as much just days earlier. 

Brad Gagnon: F

If indeed the coaching staff didn't believe Haskins was ready, they were damn right. He was completely overwhelmed against a bad Giants defense. The numbers are ugly, and empirically, it was just as bad. The Redskins should have waited. They risk doing a lot more harm than good right now.

Gary Davenport: D

The only reason Haskins didn't get an "F" here after his three-interception clunker against the Giants is that he was put in an untenable position. No McLaurin and no offensive line equals no chance.

Odell and Nuk Hopkins' throwing arms

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Sometimes, a little razzle-dazzle is necessary to catch opposing defenses unaware. Trick plays, if timed correctly, can be a big boost to an offense.

Both the Browns and Houston Texans asked their star wide receivers to attempt long throws Sunday. Neither play was successful.

Even so, how did Beckham and DeAndre Hopkins look with their pass attempts?

Ty Dunne: Beckham, A; Hopkins, C

What a throw from Beckham. In this case, you can see why the Browns would have this trickeration in their back pocket. As for the Texans? Using Hopkins as a passer in tighter quarters—up closer to the goal line? Across the field? That didn't quite pan out.

Mike Freeman: Beckham, A; Hopkins, A

OBJ throws better than Jared Goff; Hopkins throws better than Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Mike Tanier: Beckham, A; Hopkins, F

Did you see how Beckham stepped up in the pocket to buy time? If Baker Mayfield could do that, he'd be living up to his preseason hype. As for Hopkins, that was the Bill O'Brien play-calling equivalent to trading two first-round picks for Laremy Tunsil.

Brent Sobleski: Beckham, B+; Hopkins, F

To be completely fair, Damion Ratley let Beckham down. Beckham's teammate ruined a beautiful triple reverse with a little splitting of defenders when he dropped the bomb. Hopkins, meanwhile, should have known better. The play may have been a designed throwback, but that's too far a pass to attempt if the target isn't wide open.

Brad Gagnon: Beckham, C; Hopkins, D-

Beckham gets credit for his pocket presence avoiding a sack, his booming arm and his fairly safe decision. Still, it was an incomplete pass. Hopkins' actual throw wasn't bad, but the decision was astonishingly terrible considering the coverage. Easiest pick of Ross Cockrell's life.

Gary Davenport: Beckham, A+; Hopkins A+

Sure, neither play worked, but the world is a better place when wide receivers uncork seeds down the field. They were a couple of nice throws, too. Beckham's, in particular, should have been caught.

Vontaze Burfict's Hit

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Officials ejected Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict after he led with the crown of his helmet during a head-on collision with Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle, who was already down on a knee after a reception.

"It's a tough decision, it's a tough call. I think it was a flag," Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said after the 31-24 victory, per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "It was very well-documented that the league was going to review those plays this year in New York City. ... But it was a penalty, he went in there with his head down, it was called and, unfortunately for us, it was an ejection."

Burfict's long history of suspensions and villainous acts are well-documented. How should the latest incident be viewed?

Ty Dunne: F

Yeah, not good. There are bang-bang plays, and then there's...that.

Mike Freeman: F

Another disgusting dirty play from the dirtiest player in league history. How he is still allowed to play in the NFL is amazing.

Mike Tanier: F

Only Burfict can aim his helmet directly at the skull of a player who is kneeling on the ground and make it look like that's a totally natural thing to do. Because that is. For Burfict.

Brent Sobleski: D

The "D" stands for "Don't ever let this happen again by indefinitely suspending a habitual offender." The NFL needs to send a message, and Burfict is deserving of such action. This weekend's play saw too many direct helmet-to-helmet hits as is. 

Brad Gagnon: F

Mistakes happen, and it's a violent game. But Burfict lost the benefit of the doubt about half a decade ago. The guy obviously lacks the ability to control his body in those moments. There's no place for that in the modern NFL, and this league would be better off without him.

Gary Davenport: F

This isn't the worst thing Burfict has done. But in today's NFL, it's a flag 10 times out of 10. Given his long history of nonsense like this, he may get a league-mandated vacation, too.

Chase Daniel as Trubisky Replacement

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky injured his non-throwing shoulder Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. In his stead, veteran backup Chase Daniel filled in admirably.

The 32-year-old journeyman completed 73.3 percent of his passes for 195 yards and a touchdown in the 16-6 defensive battle. No timetable has been given for Trubisky's injury thus far, but the Bears appear to be in capable hands with Daniel leading the way.

How did the backup's performance compare to Chicago's normal offense?

Ty Dunne: B

The Chicago Bears just may have a historically great defense capable of shutting down any team at any time. If Daniel or any quarterback can play like this—195 yards, one score, no picks, one sack—week in and week out, they'll contend for a Super Bowl.

Mike Freeman: B

His performance was actually somewhat stunning. He looked better than Trubisky did, and the offense seemed to flow better. It all makes you wonder just how good this Bears team would be if it had a good quarterback to pair with this historic defense.

Mike Tanier: B

Daniel is perfectly capable of being a latter-day Mike Tomczak, handing off and throwing micro-passes while the Bears defense smothers the world. Please oh please, don't read this as me comparing Trubisky to Jim McMahon.

Brent Sobleski: B

At times, Daniel looked more confident and attempted the type of throws Trubisky tends to shy away from. That doesn't necessarily make the veteran a better alternative. The Bears managed only 269 yards, and Daniel averaged 6.5 yards per attempt: the same number as Kirk Cousins in a six-point effort. Does that say more about Daniel or Cousins? Hmmm. 

Brad Gagnon: A

He quite simply looked like an upgrade over Trubisky. He was making throws Trubisky has failed to make time and time again this year, and they beat a strong defensive team. A job well done.

Gary Davenport: B+

Given how much Trubisky has struggled to throw the ball at times this year, Daniel may well be an upgrade as a passer. The Bears will be fine, especially if Trubisky's absence doesn't stunt the offense.

Jaguars Centering Offense Around Leonard Fournette

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Leonard Fournette set a career high with 225 rushing yards Sunday in the Jacksonville Jaguars' last-second 26-24 victory over the winless Denver Broncos. Previously, the 2017 fourth overall pick had managed 179 combined rushing yards through the first three weeks of play.

Clearly, the Jaguars want to be a run-first team. But Jacksonville also experienced more quality play from rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II.

Is Jacksonville doing the right thing by building the offense around a running back instead of an emerging star at quarterback?

Ty Dunne: A+

The Wyoming training, the elimination of bad influences and the total restructuring of his life in every way paid off in a big, big way Sunday. Fournette was the running back he was always meant to be in Week 4 with a generational combo of power and speed. It's rare, and it gives the Jaguars a chance to win the AFC South.

Mike Freeman: A

If Fournette can continue this, and the team can combine his running with Minshew magic, the Jaguars can be a formidable team.

Mike Tanier: B-

Fournette was fantastic, but no NFL offense should have a power rusher as its focal point in 2019. It doesn't matter anyway, because we're all going to pretend Minshew was responsible for this win because he's Conversion Van Tebow.

Brent Sobleski: C+

Fournette posted a career game, yet the Jaguars were losing when it counted and needed the "Jock Strap King" to make the necessary plays to secure the victory. During the game-winning drive, Minshew worked his magic in the pocket and completed a pair of passes for 49 yards, while Fournette carried the ball four times for six yards. It's a quarterback-driven league.

Brad Gagnon: A-

I don't normally endorse a team making a running back the focal point on offense, but sometimes it pays off on a particular Sunday. The sports world might be caught up in Minshew Mania, but the Jags deserves credit for checking themselves and taking some pressure off a rookie sixth-round pick in a hostile environment against a talented defense.

Gary Davenport: A-

The Jags don't get an "A" here only because I don't understand why they didn't do this before. Run the ball, control tempo, play defense and keep scores relatively low. That's the recipe for Jacksonville wins.