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NFL contenders and pretenders after Week 4

By Rucker Haringey

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 8, 2019: Running back Nick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball in the third quarter of a game against the Tennessee Titans on September 8, 2019 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Tennessee won 43-13. (Photo by: 2019 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 8, 2019: Running back Nick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball in the third quarter of a game against the Tennessee Titans on September 8, 2019 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Tennessee won 43-13. (Photo by: 2019 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) warms up on the field before the NFL game between the Oakland Raiders and the Indianapolis Colts on September 29, 2019 at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) warms up on the field before the NFL game between the Oakland Raiders and the Indianapolis Colts on September 29, 2019 at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Pretenders

Oakland Raiders

Don’t buy into the Derek Carr hype. He’s played better this season but he’s not the sort of quarterback who’s going to elevate the Raiders to legitimate Super Bowl contenders. This team still has a much better chance at finishing 6-10 than 10-6.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers won comfortably against the Dolphins in Week 4 which is the closest thing the NFL has to a bye week where players actually have to show up. Philip Rivers will keep this team in a lot of games, but the defense is really going to miss Derwin James as the season chugs along. The lack of home field advantage firmly pushes Los Angeles down to the pretenders group.

Houston Texans

The Texans lost a tough home game to the Panthers on Sunday. No, Cam Newton didn’t start the game for Carolina. Instead, this game followed the usual script for Houston. Deshaun Watson may have grounds for a lawsuit against his coaching staff for malpractice. He takes more hits than any quarterback in the NFL. That’s why you can’t push the Texans into the contenders group.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are a fun team to pull for as they try to contend for the playoffs without Andrew Luck. Unfortunately, losing to the Raiders on Sunday shows just how small Indianapolis’ margin for error really is. They might squeak into the postseason, but they aren’t going to trouble anyone.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gardner Minshew is a cool story, but he’s not ready to lead this team to a Super Bowl. That means the Jaguars would need one of the top three defensive units in the NFL to overcome their lack of potency on offense. Without Jalen Ramsey, that’s not happening for the Jags.

Tennessee Titans

Beating the Falcons by two touchdowns sounds a lot better than it actually is in 2019. Dan Quinn could easily end up being the first coach fired this season. The Titans continue to be the very definition of mediocre. Look for Marcus Mariota to drag this squad to another boring 9-7 record this season. That might get them into the playoffs but they won’t do any significant damage if they get there.

New York Giants

Giants fans need to pump the brakes on the Daniel Jones hype. He doesn’t get any meaningful credit for a decisive win over the Redskins. If not for the Dolphins, they’d easily be considered the worst team in the NFL. This team still doesn’t have the roster talent to contend for a playoff berth in 2019.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are sitting just one game behind the Saints for the lead in the NFC South after a surprising 55-40 victory over the Rams. If you just look at the final score you miss the portion of the game where Jared Goff gifts Tampa Bay a big lead by throwing multiple interceptions. Jameis Winston has been better under Bruce Arians, but let’s not get carried away.

Next. Kyle Allen has brought the Panthers back from the dead. dark

Carolina Panthers

Kyle Allen may be 2-0 as the starting quarterback of the Panthers this season, but he turned the football over three times against the Texans on Sunday. Until he can secure the football in the pocket, the Carolina offense is going to be operating on thin ice. They have a chance to climb to contenders status if his sharp passing continues, but Ron Rivera has a lot of work to do.

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