Week 4 Disappointments and Surprises @ The Fan Hub

by Terry Long October 3rd, 2011 9:01 AM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin fumbles the ball as San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith (94) attempts to tackle during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

In yet another incredible week in the NFL, there were plenty of games on Sunday that showed big leads in the second half, only to see those leads wash away in the end. With a quarter of the season complete, there have already been four instances of teams overcoming 20-point deficits at halftime to win, tying an NFL record. Now on to the biggest letdowns and surprises on Sunday…

Biggest disappointments

The Philadelphia Eagles blow 20 point lead, lose to Niners 24-23.

Playing with a right hand contusion, Eagles' QB Michael Vick was on a roll, leading the Eagles to a 20-point lead as the second half started, but that's where everything started to go wrong. 49ers QB Alex Smith started to air it out, hitting WR Josh Morgan and TE Vernon Davis for touchdowns in the third quarter. RB Frank Gore topped it off with the game winner, a 12-yard scamper with three minutes left in regulation. The game-winning point? A kick by former Eagles great, David Akers. Meanwhile, the man who replaced him in Philly, fourth-round draft pick Alex Henery, missed two field goals of under 40 yards. Ironic, huh?

The "Dream Team" has failed miserably to meet expectations so far this season, and face a tough test in Buffalo next week.

The Dallas Cowboys blow 24-point lead in second half, Lions move to 4-0.

Now I understand why Cowboys' fans have a love/hate relationship with their quarterback, Tony Romo. Romo looked spectacular in the first half, throwing for two scores and giving the Cowboys a huge lead heading into the third quarter. A third TD pass from Romo to TE Jason Witten gave the Cowboys an even bigger lead in as the second half began, but it went all downhill from there. The Lions came roaring back, picking off Romo twice, and both going for scores. Then it was the Calvin Johnson show in the fourth, as he snagged two touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford, with the last being the game winner. This was the biggest blown lead in Cowboys' history, and one that is going to be tough to swallow in the weeks ahead. Major props go to the Detroit Lions remaining undefeated through the first quarter of the season. They are indeed for real.

Texans defense comes up big to defeat the Steelers 17-10.

The Texans defense, most notably their secondary, was the laughing stock of the league in 2010, but the off-season pick up of CB Jonathan Joseph has paid huge dividends for the Texans defense run by new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. The Steelers have plenty of weapons on the offensive side of the ball, but were all held in check on Sunday afternoon in Houston. Ben Roethlisberger struggled once again, throwing for only 206 yards with one interception. The Texans welcomed back star running back Arian Foster, who went for 155 yards and the game winning score. The Steelers, now 2-2 are in some deep trouble in the AFC North. It also doesn't help that Roethlisberger boarded the plane in Houston wearing a walking boot after a hit in the fourth quarter.

Biggest surprises

Cam Newton shines again, but loses to Bears 34-29.

Panthers QB Cam Newton showed us once again in Week 4 that he is the real deal. Even though the Panthers haven't been winning, Newton is indeed a superstar in the making. He faced a very good Chicago Bears defense on Sunday, but was able to throw for 374 yards and a touchdown pass, while also rushing for two scores. The Panthers don't have a lot of talent surrounding Newton, but with some good additions via the draft and free agency in the years to come, they could be building something great here. I have to note that Bears' RB Matt Forte and his 205 yards and Devin Hester's historic punt return were noteworthy as well.

Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans roll again to go 3-1.

Boy, do you think the Seahawks are missing Matt Hasselbeck? Since his arrival in Tennessee, Hasselbeck has taken the leadership role for this young team and is quietly turning them into contenders. Hasselbeck threw for three touchdown passes in Cleveland, as the Titans blew out the Browns 31-13. Browns QB Colt McCoy had a career day, throwing for 350 yards and a whopping 61 attempts. It wasn't enough though, as the Titans rolled to a 3-1 record, tying with the Texans for the lead in the AFC South division. Just when Houston realized they didn't have the Colts to worry about anymore without Peyton Manning, but now the Titans are making some noise as well.

Bengals knock off the unbeaten Bills, 23-20.

The Bills had won two games in a row with big comebacks in the second half, but on Sunday they got a taste of their own medicine. The Bills led the Bengals 17-3 at halftime, and then were outscored 20-3 in the second half as they suffered their first loss of the season. Buffalo looked to have the game wrapped up with minutes left to play, but an incomplete call on a 3rd and 1 forced the Bills to punt the ball. The replay showed that Bills WR Stevie Johnson made the catch, but it was not overturned. With that being said, the Bengals deserve credit for finding a way to pull it out. This was the first time the Bengals have beaten the Bills in their past 10 tries, and it propels them to a 2-2 record, tying them with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns for second place in the AFC North. QB Andy Dalton struggled mightily in the first half, but put it all together in the second half, calling his own number late in the fourth to tie the game with a QB draw for the touchdown. This AFC North is shaping up to be one of the more competitive divisions in the entire league, which is great news for the fans of the NFL.