Top 50 Most Important Things We Learned from the NFL's Week 4

Each and every week, the NFL continues to get better and better. I have been saying this every single week now—could the current week top the previous week in excitement? Of course, Week 4 was one of the most entertaining weeks in recent memory.

How can I sum this up? The Lions keep winning, Tony Romo continues to be a choke artist, the Steelers look like frauds, but not as much as the Eagles do, and so much more!

Allow me to kick off your work week the best that I can: Here are the 50 most important things we learned from the NFL's Week 4.

The Detroit Lions Are a Legitimate Playoff Contender

No matter how the game starts off for the Detroit Lions, they continue to find ways to win the game.

The Lions now sit at 4-0, atop the NFC North, and look to be a legitimate playoff contender and possibly a Super Bowl contender—believe it.

Two of Detroit's wins, the two most recent games, came in the act of a second-half comeback, and this week's rally against the Dallas Cowboys was simply amazing.

The Lions were down 24 points but knocked off Tony Romo and the Cowboys 34-31.

Tony Romo Is a Choke Artist

Well, Tony Romo is the ultimate choker. He has all the talent in the world and performs well most of the time, but when his team needs him the most, he tends to crumble under pressure.

Romo completed 34 of his 47 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns; however, Romo was picked off three times with two of them resulting in a pick-six.

Calvin Johnson Is the Best Wide Receiver in the NFL

Is there anyone better than Calvin Johnson? Go ahead, try naming some wide receivers. I guarantee that I can convince you if you disagree.

Megatron now has caught two touchdowns in each of the first four games for the Lions, as he's on pace to reel in 32 touchdowns this season. His most significant touchdown came against the Cowboys with 1:39 left in the game and Detroit trailing by three, as Megatron made a spectacular reception in a jump-ball situation in the end zone.

Calvin Johnson is simply amazing. The guy is phenomenal.

Detroit's Offensive Line Is Better Than Many Had Predicted

Entering 2011, many believed Detroit's offensive line would be the death of the Lions, as they had performed so poorly in the previous years.

However, the Lions protected Matthew Stafford as if they were the best offensive line in football. The Lions were able to prevent Rob Ryan's defense from recording a single sack on Stafford.

Pretty impressive, right?

Matthew Stafford Is a Winner

Let's set the stats aside and understand that Matthew Stafford is a winner.

During today's game against Dallas, Stafford was the anti-Romo. Romo put up solid numbers but failed when it mattered most, while Stafford flourished in the team's 24-point come-from-behind victory.

The Houston Texans Are for Real

After losing a heartbreaker against the New Orleans Saints last week, the Houston Texans rebounded like a true playoff team with an impressive 17-10 victory over the reigning AFC champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger Is Not Himself

2011 has not been a good year for Ben Roethlisberger.

Big Ben entered Sunday's game against the Houston Texans with three touchdowns thrown and four interceptions on the year, and he was consistently bad Sunday. Roethlisberger completed 53.3 percent of his passes for only 206 yards and one interception.

Roethlisberger now has five interceptions on the year compared to his three touchdowns thrown.

The Pittsburgh Steelers Appear to Be in Big Trouble

What is wrong with the reigning AFC champions? Well, for starters, the Pittsburgh Steelers are minus-10 in the turnover department and simply have not been a good football team.

The defense has been consistent, while the offense has been anything but great.

Pittsburgh will enter Week 5 with a 2-2 record.

Andre Johnson Injury Is Uncertain

A scary scene unfolded for Houston Texans fans Sunday, as Andre Johnson was helped off the field with an apparent hamstring injury and did not return.

According to sources, Johnson will have an MRI Monday on his hamstring to see the severity of the injury.

Johnson left Sunday's game with four receptions for 36 yards.

Matt Forte Should Be Considered an Elite Running Back

There is no reason why Matt Forte should not be recognized as an elite running back in the NFL. There is nothing that he cannot do.

Forte ran for a phenomenal 205 yards on 25 carries for a touchdown and also caught four passes for 23 yards.

Forte is an extremely well rounded running back.

Devin Hester Sets an NFL Record

Devin Hester is now the NFL record holder for punts returned for a touchdown, as he scored his 11th career punt return touchdown Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

There's no reason why Hester should not be returning punts for the Chicago Bears—he's an all-time great.

Cam Newton Continues to Impress

Cam Newton now has thrown for 300-plus yards in three of his first four games in the NFL.

Newton completed 27 of his 46 passes for 374 yards while tossing one touchdown and being intercepted once. He also ran for 35 yards on eight carries and punched in two scores.

The 2011 first overall pick is the real deal.

Steve Smith Is Playing Like He's in the Prime of His Career

Despite being 32 years old, Steve Smith is playing like he's 28 years old.

His career has been resurrected with the emergence of Cam Newton, as Smith caught eight balls for a total of 181 yards.

Minnesota Is a Bad Football Team

Despite having a talented defense and arguably the NFL's best running back in Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings are 0-4 after their 22-17 loss to the now 1-3 Kansas City Chiefs.

The Vikings are a very bad football team. Do I really need to say more?

The Kansas City Chiefs Running Game Is Nothing Without Jamaal Charles

The Kansas City Chiefs may have won Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, but they're going nowhere in the AFC West—especially without Jamaal Charles.

Without Charles in the backfield Sunday against the Vikings, KC ran for a total of 103 yards and averaged only 3.7 yards per carry.

The Buffalo Bills Aren't an NFL Powerhouse Quite Yet

If the Buffalo Bills were an elite football team, they would have come out Sunday and laid a beatdown on the Cincinnati Bengals. They obviously did not do that.

The Bills blew a 14-point lead as the Bengals rallied to kick a game-winning field goal with time expiring to knock off the undefeated Bills, 23-20.

Andy Dalton Is Playing Like a Winner

Andy Dalton's stats may have been a bit ugly in the team's victory over the Buffalo Bills Sunday, but he performed well when it mattered most.

Dalton threw for 298 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while completing only 50 percent of his passes.

Despite the ugly stats, Dalton's Bengals are now 2-2 in the AFC North.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Needs to Play Better for the Bills to Win

Ryan Fitzpatrick may not have been the sole reason why the Buffalo Bills lost Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, but he simply didn't play great.

You can argue that Fitzpatrick played well, but does 20-of-34, 199 yards and zero touchdowns and interceptions impress you? I hope not.

It almost seems like Fitzpatrick does not want to make a mistake and be the reason why Buffalo loses.

Cedric Benson Is Cincinnati's Workhorse

Cedric Benson was simply a workhorse for the Cincinnati Bengals against the Buffalo Bills this past weekend.

Benson was one of the reasons the Bengals were able to walk away with a victory, as he ran for 104 yards on 19 attempts.

A.J. Green Is the Next Great Wide Receiver

You can argue that we've known this for weeks now, but A.J. Green is just an amazing wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Green caught only four passes in Sunday's victory over the Bills but managed to accumulate an incredible 118 yards.

The Tennessee Titans Are Playoff Contenders

Watch out for the Tennessee Titans—they're a team that can win a handful of games this season.

The Titans are now 3-1 on the season after their impressive 31-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Tennessee may have allowed 416 yards but did have one turnover and managed to force Cleveland to kick two field goals.

Matt Hasselbeck Is the Key to Tennessee's Success

So far, so good for Matt Hasselbeck, as he's led the Tennessee Titans to a solid 3-1 start in the AFC South.

Hasselbeck threw for 220 yards on 10-of-20 passing while throwing three touchdowns and being intercepted once.

Chris Johnson Finally Ran for 100 Yards

Chris Johnson finally played like Chris Johnson Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

CJ2K ran for 101 yards on 23 carries for a solid 4.4 yards per carry.

All the Titans need to do is feed Johnson the ball and he'll be fine.

Colt McCoy Can Throw the Ball Effectively in the NFL

The Cleveland Browns may have lost 31-13, but Colt McCoy looked sharp. 

McCoy threw only one interception and one touchdown, but he threw an incredible 61 passes, completing 40 of them for 350 yards.

Washington Rebounds Nicely Against the Rams

After suffering a heartbreaking loss against their divisional rival the Dallas Cowboys last Monday night, the Washington Redskins rebounded nicely with a 17-10 win over the lowly St. Louis Rams.

Rex Grossman Returned to His Old Ways

Rex Grossman simply did not play well in the team's victory over the Rams. In fact, Grossman played pretty awfully, as he looked like the typical Rex Grossman.

Grossman threw for only 143 yards while completing 15 of 29 passes for just one touchdown and two interceptions.

The Washington Redskins Can Run the Ball at Will

There's only one reason why the Washington Redskins are 3-1, and that's because they can run the football.

Quarterback Rex Grossman played terribly Sunday against the Rams, but Washington's run game was unstoppable.

Ryan Torain led the 'Skins for 135 yards and one touchdown, as the entire team ran for 196 yards on 40 attempts for a solid 4.9 yards per carry.

The St. Louis Rams Will Not Be Making the Playoffs in 2011

The St. Louis Rams are going nowhere in 2011, as the team is now 0-4. It will take a miracle for the Rams to make the playoffs this season.

The Rams will enter next week with a bye, but after that the Rams will have to play Green Bay and Dallas and then host the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 30.

There's a real good chance St. Louis will enter Week 9 at 0-7.

The Philadelphia Eagles Are Frauds

So much for being the "Dream Team," right, Vince Young?

The Philadelphia Eagles appear to be the frauds of the NFL, as they're now a laughable 1-3 on the season after their 24-23 loss against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Eagles held a 20-3 lead at halftime but simply fell apart in the second half.

For a team that is so talented, there are no excuses why it's 1-3.

Alex Smith Is a Legitimate Starting Quarterback in the NFL

Alex Smith finally played like guy that's worthy of being selected first overall in the NFL draft, as he posted a phenomenal 112.1 quarterback rating in the 49ers' 24-23 victory over the Eagles.

Smith had the game of his life, as he threw for 291 yards on 21-of-33 passing while throwing two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Frank Gore Is Finally out of His Slump

Frank Gore entered Sunday's matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles averaging 2.5 yards per carry on the ground and simply turned it around.

Gore ran the ball down Philly's throat, as he ran for 127 yards on 15 carries while scoring one touchdown.

If LeSean McCoy Does Not Produce, the Eagles Cannot Win

So much for Michael Vick being the Eagles' team MVP—it's clearly LeSean McCoy.

McCoy may have scored a touchdown against the 49ers, but he ran for only 18 yards while catching six passes for 34 yards.

If you shut down McCoy, you can beat the Philadelphia Eagles.

DeSean Jackson Tore It Up but Did Not Score a Touchdown

DeSean Jackson was practically unstoppable Sunday against San Francisco but was unable to score a single touchdown.

Jackson caught six balls for a phenomenal 171 receiving yards.

Blaine Gabbert Is Not Ready to Start in the NFL

Blaine Gabbert may be a rookie, but he was putrid in the Jaguars' 23-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Gabbert completed 16 of his 42 passes, an awful 38.1 completion percentage, for 196 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Darren Sproles Is Electric in New Orleans' Offensive Attack

Darren Sproles is New Orleans' playmaker—there is no question about that.

Sproles ran for 75 yards on seven attempts for a solid 10.7 yards per carry while catching five passes for 56 yards in the team's victory over the Jags.

Jimmy Graham Is Emerging as One of the League's Best Tight Ends

Jimmy Graham played out of his mind against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Drew Brees found Graham 10 times for a solid 132 yards and one touchdown.

Fantasy owners, take note.

Atlanta Does Not Look Impressive

What's wrong with the Atlanta Falcons? This is a team that posted a 13-3 record a year ago but looks dreadful so far this season.

The Falcons may have beat the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, but they won by only two points, 30-28.

Atlanta is now 2-2 on the young season.

Tarvaris Jackson Finally Performed Like a Solid Starting Quarterback

All season I have been extremely critical of the play of Tarvaris Jackson, but in Sunday's loss against the Falcons, he impressed me.

T-Jax completed 25 of his 38 passes for a whopping 319 yards and three touchdowns—but he was picked off twice.

The Giants Are the Team to Beat in the NFC East

Forget the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles—the NFC East is the New York Giants' to lose.

The Giants beat a solid Arizona Cardinals football team Sunday, 31-27.

New York was trailing 27-17 with around five minutes left in the game and found a way to score 14 points and win the game.

Beanie Wells Was Extremely Effective Against the Giants

Beanie Wells finally broke out and played to his potential.

Wells got the ball an incredible 27 times and accumulated 138 yards while scoring three touchdowns.

The New England Patriots Rebounded with a Huge Victory in Oakland

After blowing a huge lead last weekend against the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots came out and made a statement Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Tom Brady threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, as the Patriots ran for a solid 183 yards on the ground in the team's 31-19 victory.

Jason Campbell Is Not a Championship-Caliber Quarterback

Jason Campbell failed in arguably his biggest start as an Oakland Raider Sunday against the New England Patriots.

Campbell completed 25 of his 39 passes for an incredible 344 yards while throwing one touchdown; however, he was intercepted two times.

Both interceptions were costly and terrible decisions, as one was thrown right to Patrick Chung in the back of the end zone and the other was somehow intercepted by the 325-lb Vince Wilfork.

Stevan Ridley Is New England's Third Option out of the Backfield

Stevan Ridley was an absolute beast in New England's victory over Oakland.

Danny Woodhead limped off the field in the second quarter with an apparent left ankle injury, and Ridley filled in rather nicely.

The rookie out of LSU ran for 97 yards on only 10 carries while scoring one touchdown.

Tom Brady Doesn't Need to Throw for 300 Yards for the Patriots to Win

Tom Brady entered Sunday's game against the Raiders with an incredible 1,327 total passing yards, as he had thrown for at least 300 yards in each of his three games. However, he failed to throw for 300 against Oakland.

Brady was efficient, though, as he completed 16 of his 30 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns.

Aaron Rodgers Is the League's MVP So Far This Season

2011 has been an unbelievable season so far for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Rodgers came into Sunday's matchup with the Denver Broncos with 917 total passing yards and eight touchdowns with one interception, and he was just as incredible against the Broncos.

The reigning Super Bowl MVP completed 29 of his 38 passes for 408 yards while throwing four touchdowns and being intercepted only once.

Kyle Orton Is Not the Answer in Denver

I think that it's about time to give up on Kyle Orton and the Denver Broncos. They're now 1-3 on the year and should finish last in the AFC West, well behind the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers with the Kansas City Chiefs keeping them company.

Orton threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted three times.

Tony Sparano and the Miami Dolphins Are All but Done

The Miami Dolphins are now 0-4 after losing against the San Diego Chargers, 26-16. Let's put it this way: The Dolphins are not a very good football team, and Tony Sparano's time in Miami is limited.

Who wants to make a bet? I'm going to say that Sparano will be fired sometime this week—what do you think?

On a side note, Chad Henne did leave Sunday's game with a shoulder injury.

Ryan Mathews Continues to Be Productive for the Chargers

Ryan Mathews is finally playing like the running back that he should be playing like.

Mathews averaged 5.1 yards per carry Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, as he ran for a total of 81 yards while catching five passes for 68 yards.

Mark Sanchez's Performance Against the Ravens Was Laughable

How bad was Mark Sanchez? Well, he completed 11 of his 35 passes, a pitiful 31.4 percent, for only 119 yards while throwing one interception, which was returned for a touchdown.

All in all, Sanchez was laughable.

Baltimore's Defense Is Overwhelming

The Baltimore Ravens simply dominated the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football with their 34-17 victory.

Baltimore held the Jets to only 150 total yards of offense and only 38 rushing yards.

The Ravens got to Sanchez on nearly every play and brought him down for a total of two sacks while forcing him to throw an interception that resulted in an touchdown.

Let's put it this way: Baltimore's defense is incredible.