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Week 4 Detox: Suh Shady, Philbin Fired, Gurley Goin’ Off!

Plenty to get out of the system this week  but we’ll start with Joe Philbin. We know the the firing of Philbin by the Dolphins (1-3) is a hot topic but the writing was on the wall.

The Dolphins clearly possess too talented of a roster to not have been more competitive and successful through the first four weeks. When the talent is obviously  there but the results are not then the crosshairs fall squarely on the coach. Philbin, after four years and a 24-28 record, simply failed to meet the team’s expectations.

That being said, let’s dive into some other topics that caught our eye in Week 4…

Redskins Ground Eagles In A DC Thriller
We admittedly slept on this game which should’ve been pre-selected as our BES Game of Week 4 from this week’s slate of matchups. The Eagles (1-3) and Redskins (2-2), ranked 21st and 20th respectively in BES Overall, clashed in a brutal slugfest for the upper hand in an embattled NFC East.

The Redskins were up 13-0 at halftime but the Eagles fought their way back into the game via a trio of touchdown passes from quarterback Sam Bradford. However, with the score tied 20-20 and 26 seconds remaining in regulation, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins connected with receiver Pierre Garcon for an epic four-yard touchdown to seal the win.

This was the type of victory that can alter a team’s season, giving it a huge boost in momentum and confidence going forward. The Redskins will definitely need all the help they can get as their next two games are on the road against the Falcons (4-0) and Jets (3-1).

Suh Making More Headlines Than Impact
Last offseason, Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh  inked a six-year contract worth $114 million which included $60 million in guaranteed money.

It was a monstrous deal that matched his beastly performance over his previous five years with the Lions. As a Lion, Suh registered 180 tackles and 36 sacks over that five-year span despite being the weekly focus of opposing offensive lines and coordinators.

However, since joining the Dolphins Suh has yet to notch a single sack and is in the headlines once again for his questionable conduct on the field.


It’s hard to concretely discern whether or not the kick to Fitzpatrick’s head was intentional or not but Suh’s reputation for such antics has afforded him zero benefit of the doubt. Considering the league’s growing emphasis on player safety, specifically that of the quarterback, a heavy fine and possible suspension against Suh would come as no surprise.

Todd Gurley Is Legit
And the Cardinals (3-1) found that out in the worse way in 24-22 loss to the Rams (2-2). Gurley trampled the Cardinals defense for 146 yards on 19 carries, averaging a beastly 7.7 yards per carry.

Kudos to the Rams for taking every necessary precaution with Gurley’s recovery from a torn ACL suffered nearly a year ago during his junior season at Georgia. Avoiding any potential setbacks, the Rams didn’t activate Gurley until Week 3 when he still saw very little action with six carries for nine yards against the Steelers.

Week 4 was a completely different story and apparently the Cardinals didn’t have on their reading glasses:

Falcons Cared None About Arian Foster’s Return
The Texans (1-3), ranked 28th in BES Overall, were no doubt hoping that a similar comeback performance for halfback Arian Foster (groin) to the lineup would ignite a unit ranked 27th in BES Offense. But that spark never occurred.

Instead, Foster carried the ball just eight times for a dismal 10 yards with his longest rush being for five yards. That’s a deflating stat line against the backdrop of a 42-21 blowout by the Falcons (4-0) who rank third in BES Overall. Perhaps too much was expected from Foster who, though still considered one of the league’s best backs, was only two months removed from groin surgery.

Perhaps Foster came back too soon but still this was another reminder that football is team sport and though elite players are expected to be Superman, they can’t do it alone.

About Desmond Bailey

Desmond Bailey is the Creator of the Bailey Efficiency Score (BES) and Chief Editor of BESReport.com. To reach him, use the contact page or find him on twitter: @DezBailey45

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