Sunday Rundown: Instant takeaways from Week 4's early slate
Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.
Early kickoffs
Dart helps Giants stun Chargers
Jaxson Dart certainly wasn't perfect in his first NFL start, throwing for just 111 yards and taking five sacks. But perfection was never the expectation. The Giants were looking for a spark against one of the NFL's best defenses, and that's exactly what they got. The first-round rookie was a breath of fresh air for an offense that had little-to-no juice with Russell Wilson. His ability to make things happen with his legs (54 yards, 1 TD) was crucial in complementing an outstanding effort from the defense and pulling off a shocking win over the Chargers. Dart's development as a passer will be fascinating to monitor in the weeks and months ahead. Unfortunately, he'll have to set out on that journey without the benefit of an elite receiver. Malik Nabers is reportedly believed to have suffered a torn ACL in the win.
Chargers OL falling apart
Rashawn Slater going down with a season-ending knee injury in training camp was a massive blow to the Chargers' plans on the offensive line. Joe Alt exiting Sunday's game with a reported high ankle sprain complicated matters even further. The early prognosis suggests the star sophomore avoided any sort of long-term injury, but he'll almost certainly miss some time in the coming weeks. As we saw against the Giants, that could present some significant problems for the Chargers' offensive line in the coming weeks. Justin Herbert was under constant pressure in Sunday's upset defeat.
Penix bounces back
It wasn't looking good for Michael Penix Jr. this time last week. His performance in a 30-0 loss to the Panthers seemed like a bad sign for his chances of a sophomore breakout, but he responded in the best way possible. The former first-rounder played the best game of his young career in Sunday's win over the Commanders, completing 20 of 26 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns. He did have another bad interception, but the Falcons will live with the occasional turnover when he's making this many plays downfield. The unique arm talent is what makes him a potential difference-maker.
Tomlin gets away with it
There were several positives to take away from the Steelers' win over the Vikings in Dublin. DK Metcalf finally got involved in a big way (5 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD), Kenneth Gainwell spearheaded a shockingly efficient day on the ground, and the defense managed to get on track (6 sacks, 2 INTs) after a rough start to the year. But Pittsburgh allowed Minnesota to hang around and Mike Tomlin's decision-making nearly gave the game away at the end. Punting the ball instead of trying to put the game away with a 4th-and-1 play on the Vikings' 40-yard line is inexcusable. The Steelers might make some noise this year, and this was a big win to that end, but they aren't good enough to consistently overcome outdated game management.
Vikings needed that one
It may not seem like a Week 4 loss to the Steelers is that big of a deal - the Vikings are sitting at a respectable 2-2 after the opening month of the season. Take a look at the upcoming schedule, though, and it becomes clear that this game was a major missed opportunity. Wins over the Steelers and the Browns next week would've given the Vikings a 4-1 start to the season, and that could've gone a long way toward their chances of surviving the gauntlet stretch that lies ahead. After the Browns and their bye, the Vikings get the Eagles, Chargers, Lions, Ravens, Bears, Packers, and Seahawks. There could be plenty of losses over that stretch if the quarterback play isn't better than what we've seen from J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz.
Patriots trending up?
We'll have to take this week's result with a grain of salt, as the Panthers aren't exactly the most daunting opponent. But that doesn't mean it can't still be an important sign of progress for this Patriots team. Sunday's 42-13 victory was easily New England's most complete effort of the year. Drake Maye was nearly perfect on his limited attempts, the defense gave up all of six points until a garbage-time score, and Marcus Jones ripped off an 87-yard punt return touchdown. Most importantly, after last week's five-turnover debacle, the offense took care of the ball. Next week's Sunday night game in Buffalo will be a really interesting test for a team that should only continue to round into form as the season moves forward.
Callahan on thin ice?
We officially have a front-runner in the race for the first head coach to be fired. With all due respect to Mike McDaniel, there may not be anyone even close to Brian Callahan right now. The hot seat was already getting warm after a blunder-filled 0-3 start. While the Texans may be a more formidable opponent than their record suggests, a 26-0 loss this week should crank up the pressure even more. Cam Ward has the talent to me a productive starter at this level. While it's possible that the Titans simply don't have the roster talent to set him up for success as a rookie, it's beyond clear that the head coach isn't elevating the situation, either. Maybe a midseason change doesn't help, but we're talking about the development of a No. 1 overall pick here. The stakes are high enough that it's probably worth finding out.
Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.