Five worst NFL Week 4 performances: Dismal start should be final straw for veteran AFC North QB

Jones added a 61-yarder in the second, setting the Patriots up at the Panthers' 14-yard line, and a 19-yarder in the third that gave New England possession at the Carolina 45. The Patriots cashed in both for touchdowns.

Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald also missed a 55-yarder, and the Patriots turned that short field into seven points, too. Carolina took a step backward after Week 3's 30-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons, and nowhere was the regression felt harder than on special teams.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco

It's time to let the rookies play. Week 4 should be the last time we see Flacco start this season. The veteran finished a 34-10 loss to the Detroit Lions 16-of-34 for 184 yards, two interceptions and a lost fumble.

His first interception was comically bad and what we can only hope was the result of miscommunication, with Flacco heaving the ball deep down the sideline to no one and Lions safety Kerby Joseph hauling in what could be the easiest interception of his career.

We don't have a preference for whether Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders should start when the Browns travel to London to play the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday, but please, Kevin Stefanski, do the right thing and don't make an international audience sit through another Flacco start. 

Minnesota Vikings offensive line

The Vikings have a major problem, and it has nothing to do with the quarterback. While the team monitors first-year starter J.J. McCarthy's health, the offensive line's injuries could be more debilitating. Center Ryan Kelly left Sunday's 24-21 loss in Ireland to the Pittsburgh Steelers with a concussion, leaving Minnesota with three backups on the line blocking for second-string quarterback Carson Wentz, and the results were about as disastrous as one might expect.

The Vikings gave up six sacks, which cost the team 48 yards. The rushing offense was a non-factor, too, with the team gaining 70 yards on 20 carries (3.5 yards per attempt). Minnesota was also without starting left guard Donovan Jackson and starting right tackle Brian O'Neill, who left with a knee injury, and the makeshift line couldn't hold up. It won't matter who lines up at quarterback if the Vikings' offensive line struggles like it did on Sunday. It's up to head coach Kevin O'Connell to develop a plan that plays to his available players' strengths.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell

How, in the year 2025, is this still happening?

Mitchell wiped out a touchdown early in the third quarter of a 27-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams with a boneheaded play we've seen far too often. The 2024 second-rounder caught a deep pass from quarterback Daniel Jones, and he lost the football while beginning to celebrate at the goal line, resulting in a fumble out of the end zone for a Rams touchback.

Those kinds of plays have happened way more than they should, and it's inexplicable every time. It's especially egregious for Mitchell, considering just last season, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor missed out on a touchdown with a similar miscue against the Denver Broncos.

Making matters worse for Mitchell, he was also flagged for holding late in the fourth quarter, nullifying a 53-yard Taylor touchdown run. The Colts were off to a perfect start before Sunday, and without Mitchell's bad game, they might be 4-0.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward

It's not unusual for a rookie to struggle like Ward did against the Houston Texans in a 26-0 defeat, but that hardly makes it any easier to take. The 2024 Heisman finalist couldn't muster much offense in the battle of 0-3 teams, going 10-of-26 for 108 yards and an interception. He was also sacked twice, losing 15 yards, leaving the Titans with 93 net passing yards.

Instead of getting better as the season progresses, Ward had his worst game of 2025 in Week 4, posting a season-low 35.4 passer rating. The season has already gotten away from the Titans, one of two 0-4 teams (New Orleans Saints) entering Monday, and unless the 2025 No. 1 overall pick shows immense growth over the next 13 games, the future will be just as bleak.