NFL Week 4: Which Teams are on Bye?
With bye weeks beginning in NFL Week 4, which two teams will be getting the week off after three weeks of the 2016 season
NFL Week 4 has arrived, meaning that teams will be on bye for the first time in the 2016 season. The two teams that earn the first byes of 2016 are the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles of the NFC East and the Green Bay Packers of the NFC North.
Next: Fantasy Football Week 3: Biggest Underperformers
The Eagles have been on quite a roll so far, winning their first three games. That includes victories over the Cleveland Browns, the Chicago Bears, and this most recently the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of those three wins, the most impressive has been the 31-point win over the Steelers. Many in the football world didn’t see that coming against the likes of Pittsburgh.
The question for the Eagles is this: Will the bye week hurt their momentum?
The second-overall pick in the draft, Carson Wentz, continued his excellent start to his NFL career. He went 23-of-31 for 301 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the win over the Steelers. He also had one rush for 10 yards and is steadily becoming a force in the league at the quarterback position as a rookie.
Pro Football Focus has Wentz as the No. 1 rated quarterback through the first three games of the season with a grade of 90.5. Compare him to fellow rookie quarterback Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, who is fourth (86.0). Former Eagles and current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford is ranked third (86.1).
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
The NFC East first-place Eagles are a surprise through the first three games of the season under first-year head coach Doug Pederson. With their new head coach, the Eagles are second in the league with 30.7 points per game offensively and 13th overall with 369.7 yards per game.
Defensively, the Eagles are fourth by allowing 274.3 yards per game, and first place by allowing just nine points per game as the teams they’ve faced are a combined 2-7 overall. When the Eagles take the field again in Week 5, they will be at the Detroit Lions.
Green Bay enters their bye week with a 2-1 record as they are second in the NFC North after their first three games. The Packers are currently 13th in the NFL with 25 points per game and 28th in the league with 293.7 yards per game.
Though the Packers are 2-1 to start the season, they are still looking to find more consistency. Aaron Rodgers has completed under 60 percent of his passes at 58.5. Compare that to all of last season when he completed 60.7 percent of his passes.
This season, Rodgers has thrown for seven touchdowns and one interception. Pro Football Focus has Rodgers 24th in their quarterback rankings (67.9), but we all know he’s going to eventually jump up mightily in those rankings as the season continues.
Defensively, the Packers are 13th in the league, as they are allowing 350 yards per game. Their run stop defense is excellent, though teams have only run the ball on them 128 times. Defending the pass has been a much weaker area for them.
Must Read: Week 4 NFL Predictions
Unlike the Eagles, the Packers may be blessed having their bye week so early in the season. It will give them a chance to really assess their passing defense and to get healthy. When Green Bay returns in Week 5, they will face the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football at Lambeau Field.