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NFL Week 4 Wrap: Unbeaten contenders and pretenders

Rob Woodfork | rwoodfork@wtop.com

October 6, 2015, 1:31 AM

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FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 28: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots dances with clinic participants during The Rob Gronkowski Football 101 Women's Clinic at Gillette Stadium on September 28, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The clinic aimed to teach women fundamental football skills and rules of the game. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The first quarter of the 2015 NFL season is in the books and we still have six teams without a loss. It’s way too early to say anything definitive but we have seen enough to get a sense of who’s real and who’s fake. So now seems like a good time to size up the NFL’s 4-win teams. Note I didn’t say “teams with a zero in the loss column.” I’m omitting New England from this exercise for three reasons: 1) I’m a grown man and I do what I want; 2) The Pats are contenders every year and it doesn’t make sense for me to spend time and energy reiterating that; 3) They’re on a bye, and thus aren’t 4-0 like the other undefeated teams. So let’s go team by team and separate the contenders from the pretenders. (Getty Images/Maddie Meyer)
Getty Images/Maddie Meyer
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 04: Nathan Stupar #54 of the Atlanta Falcons is introduced prior to the game against the Houston Texans at the Georgia Dome on October 4, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Atlanta: Contender I liked the Falcons a lot before the season but hedged on them in my NFL Preview because they have a rookie head coach and an enigma at quarterback. So far, Dan Quinn seems to be a legit leader and this aesthetically pleasing game of catch between Matt Ryan and Julio Jones is unreal. I had a feeling offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan would have the running game, um, running on all cylinders with an unknown commodity just like his old man did routinely in Denver and Washington, and that’s exactly what’s happened. If Devonta Freeman continues his historic pace and the defense stays in the top half of the league, Atlanta should get fat off their next four opponents (Redskins, Saints, Titans, Bucs) and amass a regular season record gaudy enough to put some distance between them and division-rival Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 04: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers runs across the field after the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 4, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
Carolina: Pretender The Panthers are off to their best start since their 2003 Super Bowl season despite an onslaught of injuries. Cam Newton has more than earned his Superman moniker and would be the cinch pick for MVP if the award was actually about player value instead of rewarding the most outstanding player. But Carolina has beaten up on bad opponents in the season’s first four weeks and their next four games (Seahawks, Eagles, Colts, Packers) will give us a more accurate depiction of just who the Panthers are. It’s hard to not like how well this team is overcoming adversity, but I seriously doubt they’re better than the other undefeated team in their division. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 4: Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals shakes hands with fans while running off of the field after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 36-21 at Paul Brown Stadium on October 4, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)
Cincinnati: Contender Again … I’m the worst person in the world at getting a read on this team. But they’ve won their first four games by an average of 11 points, leading to me believe that maybe — just maybe — these aren’t the same old Bengals. You can largely thank Andy Dalton; the Red Rifle threw for 321 yards against the Chiefs Sunday, racking up an amazing 13.4 yards per pass. Dalton’s 123.0 QB rating is the second only to Aaron Rodgers, and he’s actually an early (and legitimate) MVP candidate. Don’t let the defense’s ranking (19th) fool you. They only give up 19.2 points per game which is plenty adequate when paired with the league’s 2nd ranked offense. Cincy has depth, they’re balanced and they’re in a much easier division than expected. I’ll be disappointed if this team doesn’t win at least 12 games in the regular season and once in the playoffs. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)
Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 4: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos looks toward the sideline during a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 4, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Denver: Pretender I know this one comes as a surprise to many. Denver is off to their second 4-0 start in three years and it’s an NFL-record seventh such start for Peyton Manning. But old #18 just looks old, throwing only 6 TDs with 5 INTs (two of which have been returned for touchdowns) against mostly mediocre competition. He’s getting a lot of help in Denver’s undefeated start (the defense is first against the pass and first overall) but I can’t see a team coached by Gary Kubiak contending with New England or even Cincinnati. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 4, 2015 in Santa Clara, California.
Green Bay: Contender Do I really need to show my work on this? The offense is in the top 10. Ditto on defense. Aaron Rodgers is the best player on the planet and even superstars want to bear witness. The Packers are my Super Bowl pick and it’s one of the few predictions I still feel good about. Of course, I’ll feel that much better once you click here for the Week 4 Recap. (Getty Images/Thearon W. Henderson)
Getty Images/Thearon W. Henderson
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FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 28: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots dances with clinic participants during The Rob Gronkowski Football 101 Women's Clinic at Gillette Stadium on September 28, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The clinic aimed to teach women fundamental football skills and rules of the game. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 04: Nathan Stupar #54 of the Atlanta Falcons is introduced prior to the game against the Houston Texans at the Georgia Dome on October 4, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 04: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers runs across the field after the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 4, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 4: Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals shakes hands with fans while running off of the field after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 36-21 at Paul Brown Stadium on October 4, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 4: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos looks toward the sideline during a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 4, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 4, 2015 in Santa Clara, California.
Rob Woodfork

Rob Woodfork is WTOP's Senior Sports Content Producer, which includes duties as producer and host of the DC Sports Huddle, nightside sports anchor and sports columnist on WTOP.com.

rwoodfork@wtop.com

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