Cover 32: Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr. enjoy major bounce back, plus game balls, biggest gaffes from Week 4

Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr. found themselves in the crosshairs entering Week 4. Both of these 2024 first-rounders came into the weekend with their teams teetering a bit at 1-2. Not only that, but each of them had a role to play in their clubs falling under .500, which allowed an uneasy feeling to begin to fester about their status as “the guy” for their respective franchise. 

For instance, Maye’s Patriots were reeling after a Week 3 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, where the young quarterback threw an interception along with a back-breaking fourth-quarter fumble. Meanwhile, Penix’s showing was even worse. He also recorded two turnovers (both interceptions) and completed just half of his throws as the Falcons were shut out by the Carolina Panthers. Ugly. 

Those performances, coupled with their teams dipping below .500 and playoff aspirations drifting away as we wrap up the first month of the year, brought with them a simple question: How will these youngsters respond? 

Answer: Both Maye and Penix bounced back in Week 4 with not just serviceable showings, but the two former top-10 picks balled out as they moved their teams to 2-2. 

Beginning with Maye, he led the Patriots to a 42-13 thumping over the Panthers at Gillette Stadium. In the process, Maye completed 14 of his 17 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a rushing score along with 11 yards on the ground. Most importantly, he recorded zero turnovers. 

As for Penix, he was hyper-efficient as Atlanta outlasted the Washington Commanders, 34-27. After struggling to complete half of his throws a week ago, Penix connected on 20 of his 26 attempts for 313 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. This was Penix’s second career game with two or more passing touchdowns, and his 126.0 passer rating was a career-high. 

Both of these showings were callbacks to their clubs’ glory days. 

• Penix became the first Falcons quarterback to record at least a 75% completion percentage, 300 passing yards, and two passing touchdowns in a game since Matt Ryan in 2021 (Week 9 at Saints). 
• Maye’s 74% completion percentage on the season is the second-best in the first four games of a season in NFL history, and is only looking up to Tom Brady in 2007 (79.2%). Maye has now also completed at least 75% of his passes and thrown two touchdowns in each of his last three games. Only Brady (Week 1-4 in 2007) has a longer such streak within a season in NFL history. 

While that statistical output is impressive in itself, doing so in a situation where doubt started to creep in (at least a little) about their long-term prospects as leaders of the franchise is the most notable. 

For at least one week with their backs against the wall, the kids are alright. 

Nacua is making a serious push to be considered the best receiver in the NFL. The Rams wideout caught 13 of his 15 (!) targets for 170 yards and a touchdown in Los Angeles’ win over the Colts, handing Indy its first loss of the season. This was the third time Nacua has topped 100 yards receiving in a game this season. His 15 games with 100-plus receiving yards are the most of any Rams player in his first three seasons. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers moved to 3-1 with a win in Dublin, Ireland, on Sunday and did so thanks to an unexpected outburst from Kenneth Gainwell. With Jaylen Warren, the Steelers usual starting back, inactive, Gainwell sprang into the starting role and was lights out. On 19 carries, the veteran rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns, while adding six catches for 35 yards against the Vikings. 

Get ready to hear your favorite fantasy football analyst ramp up the Woody Marks talk as waiver claims lock in this week. Houston’s rookie back enjoyed a breakout game as the Texans notched their first win of the season. The USC product had a nose for the end zone, hitting paydirt twice (once as a rusher and once as a receiver). Along with those scores, he logged 69 yards rushing on 17 carries and caught four of his five targets for 50 yards in the winning effort. Marks’ 17 carries were a team-high, and his five targets were the second-most among pass catchers, so he appears to be taking over this backfield. 

New England’s punt return game was elite in Week 4 as Marcus Jones ran wild in the blowout win over Carolina. The Patriots first score of the afternoon came on an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown by Jones midway through the first quarter. Jones finished with 167 punt return yards, which is a new franchise record. It breaks Mike Haynes’ old record of 156 yards from 1976. 

Gaffes 

Saints failed Philly Special

New Orleans had the Buffalo Bills legitimately on upset alert for a minute in Week 4, but dissolved in part because they got too cute when they were on the goal-line in the closing minutes of the first half. Trailing 14-10 and the ball at the Buffalo 5-yard line, the Saints opted for their own version of the Philly Special on third-and-goal. Spoiler: It did not go well. After Chris Olave got the football and attempted to throw a touchdown to Spencer Rattler, Bills safety Cole Bishop hauled in the interception, and the scoring opportunity was eliminated entirely. 

Maybe we can call this the “New Orleans Not So Special.”

Adonai Mitchell’s miserable Week 4

Why does this always seem to happen? Hold onto the football until you cross the goal line! It seems like the simplest thing to do, but time and time again, we see players do exactly what Adonai Mitchell did at the beginning of the third quarter against the Rams. The Colts wideout had a runaway 75-yard touchdown, but let go of the football just before he crossed into the end zone. Instead of Indy scoring, it resulted in a fumble out of the end zone for a touchdown with Los Angeles gaining possession. Insanity. 

To make matters worse, Mitchell cost Indy even more points. 

With the game tied at 20 and just over two minutes to play in regulation, Jonathan Taylor ripped off a 53-yard touchdown to break the game open in the Colts favor. However, an offensive holding penalty called on Mitchell brought the scoring play back, and the offense ended up punting a few plays later. 

Two-minute drill

Here are some of my quick-hitting notes/takeaways from Week 4:

• The Cowboys-Packers tie is the first in the NFL since the Giant and Commanders in Week 13 during the 2022 season.
• The Packers don’t look as impenetrable as seemed over the first two weeks and nearly lost the game with poor clock management in the final seconds of overtime.
• Dallas didn’t lose to Micah Parsons, but still allowed 40 points at home. In two games, the Cowboys are allowing 38.5 points per game at AT&T Stadium. Their next home opponent is the Washington Commanders (Week 7). 
• As I cautioned last week, don’t count out the Chiefs. Ever. Patrick Mahomes was sensational in the blowout win over Baltimore, throwing for four touchdowns. Just wait until Rashee Rice returns from his suspension. 
• Patrick Mahomes is now 6-1 against Lamar Jackson. Those are the most wins by any quarterback against Jackson.
• The Ravens are giving the 49ers a run for their money as the most injury-plagued team in the league. 
• A potential Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore’s next three weeks: vs. Texans (Week 5), vs. Rams (Week 6), BYE (Week 7).
• Yes, Indy lost a game, but I don’t see this team turning into a pumpkin. 
• The Jaguars defense might be the most fun unit to watch in the NFL. Jacksonville’s 13 takeaways (four on Sunday) are the most in franchise history through the first four games of the season. 
• Rome Odunze is on pace for 1,258 yards receiving. 
• Geno Smith now has two three-interception games through four games this season. 
• Emeka Egbuka is my Offensive Rookie of the Year through the first month of the season. The Bucs rookie wideout had another stellar game, catching four balls for 101 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. 
• Jalen Hurts did not complete a pass in the second half (0-8), and the Eagles were still able to outlast the Buccaneers late surge. 
• Philly has blocked a field goal for a touchdown in two straight games. They are the only team in the Super Bowl Era to have back-to-back defensive drives end with a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. 
• Houston’s 26-0 win over the Titans is the latest shutout win in franchise history. However, this win doesn’t change my overall tune in thinking the Texans’ playoff hopes are toast.  
• Tennessee is 0-4 for the first time since 2009.
• Josh Allen’s 27-yard scramble on third-and-5 at the 8-minute mark of the fourth quarter was an MVP moment that’ll go unnoticed. That run led to the 28-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid that erased any thought of New Orleans pulling off the upset. 
• Spencer Rattler is now 0-10 as a starter 
• The Malik Nabers injury took some of the wind out of the sails of the Giants upset win over the Chargers. While this injury makes life more difficult for Jaxson Dart going forward, New York seems to have found a QB they can finally build around. 
• Dexter Lawrence’s 37-yard interception return is the longest by a 340-plus pound player since Shaun Rogers in 2007 (66-yard pick-6). 
• Justin Herbert completed just two passes in the fourth quarter vs. the Giants (three drives) 
• After all the worrying about the Lions offense, they’ve scored 137 points this season. That’s the second-most through four games of a season in franchise history. 
• Quinshon Judkins is the first Browns rookie with a rushing touchdown in back-to-back games since Nick Chubb. 
• Deebo Samuel has been an amazing addition for the Commanders. He’s scored a touchdown in three of his four games played this season, including Week 4, where he also caught six passes for 72 yards. 
• Bryce Young’s 1-15 road record as a starter is the second-worst by a QB since 1950. 
• Still undefeated (4-0): Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles