Four storylines no one saw coming after four weeks in NFL season

Though the 2026 NFL season is just four weeks old, it's produced plenty of narratives no one saw coming. 

The phrase "any given Sunday" is being put to the test this year, as once-favored contenders haven't found a win and perennial basement dwellers are finding a way out. Here are the four most surprising stories to keep an eye on.

The Houston Texans are 0-4

Houston, there's a problem with your football team. The winless Texans are in danger of missing the postseason, as only one team in NFL history has bounced back from a 0-4 start to make the postseason. That team was the 1992 San Diego Chargers, whose current team is also winless. 

The team's play is certainly strange, as last season the Texans defense allowed an average of 17.2 points per game, the second-best in the league. Through four weeks this year, that same unit, mostly unchanged, has allowed an average of 27.7 points per game. There was also hope that quarterback C.J. Stroud would bounce back, and he seems on track, with no interceptions and 1,141 passing yards (5th overall). But Stroud's play doesn't matter if the Texans continue to underachieve.

John Harbaugh has the New York Giants atop the NFC East

If the Giants were to be a surprise playoff team, their stars would need to stay healthy, and quarterback Jaxson Dart would need to take a major developmental stride in his second season. A Week 1 victory over the Dallas Cowboys signaled it was possible, but those hopes were seemingly dashed in Week 2 when Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury, followed by outside linebacker and defensive captain Brian Burns the following week.

But Harbaugh has instilled a sense of belief in the locker room, and the Giants are 3-1 alone at the top of the division while relying on the Jameis Winston experience at quarterback. On Sunday, Winston completed 18-of-29 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns, along with two baffling interceptions, in a 36-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The team remains fully behind Winston under center, and if their defense keeps finishing games, they could be surprise division contenders.

Mike McDaniel is not helping QB Justin Herbert get better

It was supposed to be a match made in football heaven. McDaniel might have failed as the head coach for the Miami Dolphins (35-33), but his offensive mind was valued around the league. He was supposed to help Herbert elevate the offense, which would be his sole focus as the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator. Instead, it's been a failure. 

Through four weeks, the Chargers offense has scored 67 points, the fifth-lowest in the league, and Herbert has thrown more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (4). Now, the Chargers are 0-4, and despite head coach Jim Harbaugh's optimism that McDaniel will improve, it's hard to see a path to the postseason.

QB Bryce Young is the franchise man the Carolina Panthers need

Hiring David Canales might be the best thing for Young's career. Once deemed another No. 1 overall draft bust, Canales has rehabbed Young's play after benching him for a stretch of games last season. This season, Young has the most passing yards among quarterbacks (1,268 yards), the third-most touchdowns (9), and the fifth-best quarterback rating (74.6) so far. 

On "Sunday Night Football," Young delivered a commanding performance in a 32-26 win over the once-feared Detroit Lions. For Young, it's now about giving the Panthers a full season of this kind of play, proving they were right to trust the franchise with him.