NFL Week 4 Shootout Sunday

Scoring was up to more than 46 points per game through the opening 3 weeks of the season, but NFL Week 4 saw a Sunday explosion. Following Thursday’s 38-31 shootout and exceptional play by quarterbacks Jared Goff of the Rams in victory and Kirk Cousins of the Vikings, more  continued Sunday in a record day of scoring in 2018.

Seven of the 13 games Sunday saw the posted totals rise, and just one had a drop from the opening number. Including the Thursday game, totals went over in 9 of the 14 games, and Monday’s game features the highest-scoring team in the league. Kansas City plays Denver with the highest posted total of the week with 55 points in the altitude of mile high.

Scoring surged to 53.6 points per game in Week 4, and three of the games went to overtime. That’s a full 9 points higher than the 44.5 points per game average from Week 4. Two of those Week 5 games were big shootouts with the Texans winning 37-34 on a last-second field goal over the Colts, and the Raiders final minute touchdown and 2-point conversion in regulation and then a winning field goal late in overtime to beat the Browns 45-42. The other overtime game was another closing seconds field goal in regulation and game-winning touchdown to close overtime for Tennessee in the Titans 26-23 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. Tennessee converted three 4th downs including one that was from 15 yards out during its final winning drive in overtime.

The aerial show was in full flight in Week 4, as five quarterbacks passed for at least 400 yards to lead the scoring surge. All five of those quarterbacks games went over the total: Goff 465 yards (Rams), Luck 464 (Colts), Carr 437 (Raiders), Cousins 432 (Vikings) and Ryan 419 (Falcons). Ten quarterbacks in total passed for at least 348 yards including Mitch Trubisky (Bears), who passed for 6 touchdowns with a QB rating of 154.6. Jared Goff of the Rams had 5 TD passes and a perfect QB rating of 158.3.

A total of 5 games had posted totals of at least 50+ points in NFL Week 4, and looking ahead, we already see 5 games with a least a posted total of 50+ points in Week 5. That doesn’t include the Steelers and Falcons game, which has yet to post a line or total, but will be the 6^th game with a higher total posted above 50+ points. You can bet on it.

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Fairway Jay is a professional handicapper based out of Las Vegas. He focuses primarily on NFL, NCAAF, horse racing, and MLB. You can follow him on Twitter @FairwayJay.