NFL Tales Of The Week – 2023 Week 4 Edition (The Last Of The Unbeatens) 10-3-23
Headline Photo Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
The last unbeaten teams that remain going into week five of this NFL season are the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers. These two teams are getting it done in the win column, however there is a tale of two for these teams. Yes, they both are winning, but they are winning in different ways. Despite being undefeated, it would be wise to be watchful of teams that are 3-1. Those teams include the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and the Kansas City Chiefs. But in the meantime, let’s take a closer look at the last of the unbeatens.
Philadelphia Eagles
Another week, and another victory for the Philadelphia Eagles. It never seems to be pretty when they win. In fact, every win for them this season was hard fought and earned. They really had to fight each game this season. One thing that is worth noting is they are winning differently each week. One week, Jalen Hurts may not look well. They may decide to lean upon RB DeAndre Swift or even Kenneth Gainwell. Other weeks, Jalen is playing solid and the Eagles are leaning upon him as they did in this past game vs. the Washington Commanders in Overtime. Sometimes within the defense, the defensive line may play well however the secondary is playing back and getting burned the entire game. It is a game by game basis for the Eagles and their coaching staff deserves a lot of credit here. These games are building character and offering experience for the Eagles and it will be fascinating to see how they put it all together if they qualify for the playoffs this season.
San Francisco 49ers
While the story of the league has been the Miami Dolphins and the 70 points scored this season against the Denver Broncos, the real story is the Sandy Francisco 49ers. This team has always been a QB away from being great. Sure, we loved Jimmy Gorrapolo. However, he just didn’t seem like the right man for the job. He is often hurt and the best ability is availability. Sure, Brock Purdy got knocked out of the playoffs where it mattered the most last season against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he has come back ahead of schedule and is playing lights out this season. The 49ers have done a great job putting him in position to be successful. Kyle Shanahan has provided some beautiful plays with all of those playmakers he has at his disposal. The cherry on top is the addition of Christian McCaffrey. He missed a lot of games during his tenure with the Carolina Panthers. When you know you’re not going to win, sometimes those “injuries” are a bit more serious than what they actually are. Now that McCaffrey knows he has a good chance to succeed, he is looking lights out with this team. The defense is always tough as well from up front, to the middle with their linebacking core, all the way to the secondary. The 49ers are just smacking any and everyone who gets in their way on their schedule this sesson and they seem to be the best and most complete team in the NFL this season.
