Fantasy Football Week 4: Matt Forte and the 8 Biggest Surprises in Week 4

Talk about some surprises in a Sunday of NFL football.

Week 4 in the NFL was an eventful one for fans across the league, as star players in the league that were off to slower starts helped people to remember just how talented they are. There were also plenty let-downs when considering some of the performances of top notch players in the league

Whether it was the breakout game for Chicago Bears star running back Matt Forte against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers or the poor play of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo down the stretch, there was plenty to be surprised about in Week 4 of the regular season.

Here are the eight biggest surprises of this week in the NFL regular season.

No. 8: Cam Newton Keeping Up the Pace

Cam Newton came up short today against the Chicago Bears, as his Panthers would lose 35-29 in what was a hard-fought finish. Yet despite the Panthers 1-3 start, Netwon's production only continues to surprise fans around the league.

In four games this season, Newton has thrown for 1,012 yards and four touchdowns, throwing for at least 374 yards in three of the four games.

After a sluggish week against a poor Jacksonville Jaguars team, Newton stepped it up against one of the league's top defenses and threw for 374 yards and a touchdown. His team's record is representative of a defense that lacks consistency and a run game that is nowhere to be found.

Make no mistake, Newton has been playing lights out in his first year in the league and came to play today against a tough Chicago Bears unit.

No. 7: Donovan McNabb and the Minnesota Vikings Starting 0-4

This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings brought in quarterback Donovan McNabb to win games, and they have done anything but that.

The winless start to the season puts the Vikings at the bottom of a tough NFC North division where the Chicago Bears, Detroits Lions and Green Bay Packers are going strong this season.

What makes these four losses all the worse is that the Vikings lead in each of the first three games at halftime, as this team has evident struggles closing out games on the defensive side of the football. Jared Allen seems to be the only player playing defense when the team take the field against opposing offenses.

Donovan McNabb has shown his struggles as well, as his 202 yards and two touchdowns are easily his best performance of the season. Considering it came against arguably the worst team in the NFL in the Kansas City Chiefs, this is the greatest of accomplishments for the veteran QB.

No. 6: Michael Vick Putting Up over 400 Yards in a Loss

If Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick throws for over 400 yards it's a guaranteed win, right?

Not on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.

Throughout the game Vick had dominated with his arm, throwing for a whopping 416 yards (dare I say putting up "Cam Newton-esque" numbers), two touchdowns and just one interception. Not to mention the guy had 75 yards on the ground to add to it. That makes for a grand total of 491 all-purpose yards.

Talk about a performance.

And still, when push came to shove, the Eagles were unable to hold the lead defensively late in the game. The 49ers would outscore the eagles 21-3 in the second half and 7-0 in the fourth quarter.

No. 5: Houston Texans Hold on Against the Pittsburgh Steelers

A blocked kick for a touchdown taken back and nine penalties for 64 yards didn't get into the head of this talented football team.

Arian Foster and the Houston Texans made mistake after mistake against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Week 4 matchup, and even still were able to hold on. The Texans are now 3-1 after the victory of the Steelers.

The Steelers are now 2-2 on the season, searching for answers left and right in the offense.

No. 4: Matt Forte Making a Statement

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte put on a clinic against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, putting up a whopping 202 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears victory.

The 202 yards made up nearly two-thirds of the total offensive production from the Bears, recording a total of 317 yards in the game. Forte also had four catches for 23 yards in the contest.

Talk about one heck a performance for a player who recorded a combined 51 yards in Week 2 and 3 of the season.

No. 3: Bengals Outlast the Undefeated Buffalo Bills

With no time remaining, the Cincinnati Bengals were able to knock off the Buffalo Bills in what was arguably the most exciting game of football in Week 4.

Big games from both quarterback Andy Dalton and running back Cedric Benson helped the Bengals outscored the undefeated Buffalo Bills 20-3 in the second half and are now 2-2 on the season. Benson recorded 104 yards while Dalton threw for 298 and a touchdown.

What makes this win all the more surprising, this win comes the week after the Bills came back to beat arguably the best team in the NFL in the New England Patriots.

No. 2: Tony Romo Loses the Composure

After Tony Romo was supposed to be the "hero" in Dallas, the "warrior" that helped defeat the Washington Redskins when he was in severe pain in his ribs, Romo had a game to forget in Week 4.

After starting the game up 17 at half, Romo and the Cowboys were outscored by 21 points and fell to the Detroit Lions 34-30. Two consecutive interceptions thrown for touchdowns would cost the Cowboys the game, and make people think twice about last week's performance against the Redskins.

Talk about a surprise.

No. 1: The 49ers Make a Comeback Against the Philadelphia Eagles

Who would have thought the inconsistent, slightly overrated San Francisco team that came into the game 2-1 was actually a team to take seriously?

The 49ers have proven their point, now moving to 3-1 on the season and showing no signs of looking back.

For the first three quarters of football, it seemed as if the Eagles had full control of the game, going into the fourth quarter up 23-17. Yet when it came down to the end, it was the 49ers that came up with the right plays and put together a drive that finished with a 12-yard Frank Gore touchdown for the win.

The "Dream Team" Philadelphia Eagles are now 1-3, as the panic alert is inevitably going off.