Best NFL Week 4 Performances: MMQB Awards Game Balls

Saquon Barkley overtakes Nick Chubb for the rushing lead. Plus, a rookie corner gets his first pick-six against Aaron Rodgers and a Lions tight end goes off against the Seahawks.

Week 4 on the NFL schedule is almost in the books (we still have Monday Night Football) and the best performances deserve to be recognized by our MMQB staff. Even if you’re feeling down because your team didn’t win, maybe one of your favorite players or coaches gets awarded a game ball by our staff. Let’s go!

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Mitch Goldich: Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants. Barkley entered Week 4 second in the NFL in rushing and then overtook Nick Chubb with Sunday’s 31 carries for 146 yards. He did everything, even taking snaps out of the wildcat after injuries to both Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor. He opened New York’s second touchdown drive with a 29-yard carry, then caught a pass to convert a third-and-9. That was all the scoring needed against the Bears, leaving the Giants now sitting improbably at 3–1. Plenty has already been written about Barkley’s season, and he looked like his 2018 Rookie of the Year self again today.

Gary Gramling: Jack Jones, CB, Patriots. The fourth-round rookie has been thrust into a significant sub-package role for the Patriots, perhaps a little earlier than expected. He made the lowlight reel when he was caught flat-footed and posterized by Tyreek Hill in his NFL debut, but other than that, he’s held his own. And on Sunday, with the New England defense carrying a heavy playmaking burden in Green Bay, it was Jones who jumped an Allen Lazard out route and joined Tanard Jackson, William Jackson and Jamel Dean as the fourth man with a pick-six against Rodgers in an NFL game. Now, regardless of how his career plays out, Jones has a story to tell his grandkids. Though his grandkids won’t hear him—they’ll be busy playing Minecraft… WITH THEIR MINDS!

John Pluym: Greg Joseph, K, Vikings. He was a perfect 5-of-5 on field goals, making kicks of 28, 36, 24 and 46 yards, plus what would prove to be the eventual game-winner from 47 yards. Joseph missed two 56-yard attempts vs. the Lions in Week 3 but has been solid since taking over kicking duties last year. Former coach Mike Zimmer went through numerous kickers during his eight-year tenure before being fired after the 2021-22 season. Coach Kevin O’Connell inherited Joseph and could be in much better shape than his predecessor.

Conor Orr: Dean Pees, defensive coordinator, Falcons. How do you beat a superior team with no 100-yard rusher, a quarterback who completes seven total passes and Kyle Pitts and Drake London have three total catches? You play good defense. The Falcons held the Browns to a QB rating under 70, logged seven QB hits, four pass breakups and a critical, game-ending interception. Don’t look now, but the Falcons are 2-2, and could be good enough to make a play for the No. 7 seed.

Michael Fabiano: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions. The Lions came into this week down D’Andre Swift, Amon-Ra St. Brown and D.J. Chark, so we knew Hockenson would be a huge part of the offense. However, no one saw this coming. The veteran went off for eight catches (12 targets), 179 yards, two touchdowns and a career-high 39.9 fantasy points against Seattle. He almost scored a third touchdown late in the game, too. This might not be a sign of things to come, especially with all the offensive injuries, so fantasy managers might want to sell high on Hockenson.

• SEE ALSO: Fabiano’s Top 10 Week 4 Fantasy Takeaways

Claire Kuwana: Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders. The Raiders desperately needed a win in Las Vegas on Sunday, and Jacobs (28 carries, 144 yards) was able to make up for an inaccurate Derek Carr (21-of-34, 189 yards, 0 TDs) and an underwhelming performance from the entire offensive unit with two touchdown carries—one of which came when the Raiders needed it most, in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to put to bed any hopes of the Broncos tying it up.

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