Gabe’s Three Major Early Season Takeaways From The NFL’S First Four Weeks

The first four weeks of NFL football have been filled with jaw-dropping upsets, unfortunate injuries, and unlikely stars. I’ll be diving into some of the biggest stories in the 2026 season thus far.

Vintage Week Three Performances From Veteran Backups

Expectations were low for the Washington Commanders after quarterback Jayden Daniels was ruled out with a dislocated elbow sustained in Week 2. With backup quarterback Marcus Mariota taking Daniels’ role, the Commanders were well over 7.5 point underdogs against the defending Super Bowl champions: the Seattle Seahawks. However, Marcus Mariota and the Commanders quickly silenced their doubters in an astonishing 33–31 victory on Sunday, Sept. 27.

Mariota completed 19 out of 31 passes for 183 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. The highlight of the veteran’s day came on a 30-yard rocket to receiver Terry McLaurin in the endzone for his third score. McLaurin had six catches and received 77 of Mariota’s 183 yards through the air. Despite Mariota’s brilliance, the Seahawks weren’t going down without a fight, cutting the lead down to three points late in the fourth quarter. After receiving the ball, Mariota made a clutch run on third and seven, gaining the game-sealing first down for Washington. 

During Week 2, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams went down with a hamstring injury. Backup Tyson Bagent subbed in for Williams before suffering a concussion in the same game. With both Bagent and Williams banged up, third-string quarterback Case Keenum stepped up to face Jalen Hurts and the heavily favored Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. Keenum has proven himself to be a game changer in big moments, notably with his 61-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs in the Minneapolis miracle. 

Keenum successfully replicated that magic in a dominant 27–7 victory. The 38-year-old completed 24 out of 34 passes for 247 yards, two passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown. The veteran’s first rushing touchdown since 2019 came in the fourth quarter on a one-yard Mike Martz special. Keenum’s stellar execution of head coach Ben Johnson’s play call secured the upset victory for Chicago. 

A Fresh Face in New York

Second-year New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is out for remainder of the regular season after suffering a knee injury against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. During the Giants’ first drive in Los Angeles, Dart dropped back and lofted a pass to tight end Theo Johnson. Immediately after the throw, Dart was hit by outside linebackers Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young simultaneously, with Stewart awkwardly bending the quarterback’s left knee upon impact. 

John Harbaugh confirmed that Dart’s injury is severe and will require surgery. The operation will likely center on repairing his left meniscus and MCL. There are additional concerns about a damaged PCL, but the ACL luckily remains intact. Although Harbaugh did not explicitly rule out a potential playoff return, it remains highly unlikely for Dart to return at any point in the season. 

On Monday, Sept. 28, the Giants acquired J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick. John Harbaugh’s brother Jim Harbaugh previously coached McCarthy during his days at Michigan. Together, Jim Harbaugh and McCarthy led Michigan to an undefeated 15–0 record and a national championship in 2023. 

Since being drafted in the first round by the Vikings in 2024, McCarthy has shown flashes of his potential. However, a long list of injuries have largely kept McCarthy off the field early in his career. When healthy, McCarthy has also struggled with accuracy. McCarthy’s unpredictable ball placement has led to many easily preventable interceptions, especially on deep downfield throws. Despite his struggles, the Giants brought in the youngster in hopes that the familiar Harbaugh coaching style will refine McCarthy’s inconsistent play and mold him into a more reliable offensive weapon.

Harbaugh did confirm that McCarthy will not immediately act as the starter. Until then, veteran quarterback Jameis Winston will continue to fill in for Dart. In his three games as a starter, Winston has thrown for 479 yards, with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Winston has somehow led the Giants to a 3–1 record, but if Winston falters, McCarthy has a good chance of seeing the field at some point in the season. 

A Return To Form For The Patriots

The New England Patriots took the league by storm in 2025, making the Super Bowl coming off of a 3–14 record just a year prior. Led by MVP runner-up Drake Maye, the Patriots boasted a 14–3 record and earned first place in the AFC East. Maye threw for nearly 4,500 yards and 31 touchdowns with a pass completion rate of 72%, adding an additional 450 yards and four touchdowns rushing.

Although the Patriots made the Super Bowl, Maye noticeably struggled in the playoffs, racking up eight turnovers in comparison to just six touchdowns. New England’s injured offensive line—which had already been exploited in the previous three playoff games—fell apart against Seattle’s defensive line in the Super Bowl. Seattle generated a 52.8% pressure rate and sacked Maye six times in the big game. Maye was unable to get the ball downfield due to his chronically collapsing pocket. Maye would end up throwing two interceptions and adding a fumble in an ugly 29–13 loss.

In the offseason, the Patriots added star receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. Despite losing integral offensive threats in Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte, the Patriots looked ready to take the league by storm once again with their new additions and a fresh offensive line.

Unfortunately for New England, things immediately began to unravel as the season began. Maye’s struggles worsened, racking up seven turnovers in just three games. To make matters worse, Brown went down with a high ankle sprain, rendering him out of play for at least four to six weeks. Without Diggs, Boutte, and Brown, Maye’s confidence noticeably plummeted. Lacking his dependable stars, Maye began to second guess reads and force passes into non-existent windows, often ending in turnovers. The young star’s connection with Doubs looked lackluster at best, and Maye often misfired on passes he routinely converted last season. Maye’s regression contributed to breakdown losses in both Jacksonville and Seattle, bringing New England’s record to 1–2. With Week 4 against the undefeated Buffalo Bills looming ahead, New England’s hopes of recapturing last year’s magic looked as good as lost.

Nevertheless, Maye and the Patriots found their footing against Buffalo in Week 4. Maye looked like his former self, making decisive throws and using his legs to bail out of caving pockets. Unlike Week 1 against Seattle, Maye came up big in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Down 26–21 on a pivotal third and five, Maye orchestrated a clutch drive downfield, culminating in a 23-yard touchdown pass to Efton Chism III. After a successful two-point conversion, the defense came up big by intercepting Josh Allen and sealing the victory for New England.

Week 4 displayed how essential Maye’s success is for the Patriots. The quarterback completed 22 out of 37 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns through the air, adding an additional 54 yards rushing. Despite Maye’s heroics, his performance wasn’t entirely clean. Maye bobbled snaps early on, was strip sacked in field goal range, and threw another interception. 

However, the Patriots didn’t expect Maye to be perfect, they just needed him to rediscover the confidence that made him such an incredible team leader last season. Maye’s rebirth of confidence led him to make smart decisions, solidify chemistry with Doubs, come in clutch under pressure, and secure the win. In short, Maye finally played like his former self, which is everything New England has been hoping for.

Gabe Fredette can be reached at gfredette@wesleyan.edu.