NFL Analysts Admit Biggest Preseason Mistakes After Four Weeks
Four weeks into the 2026 NFL season, several of the league's preseason favorites are sitting winless while unexpected contenders have surged to the top of the standings. The Minnesota Vikings remain one of only three undefeated teams, Kenneth Walker III has emerged as an early favorite for Offensive Player of the Year, and the Los Angeles Rams have looked far less dominant than many predicted entering the year.
The Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans, two teams widely tipped as Super Bowl contenders, have each stumbled to 0-4 starts. In Los Angeles, quarterback Justin Herbert - long regarded as one of the league's most talented passers since entering the draft conversation in 2019 - has struggled behind an offense that analysts expected to flourish under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has faced questions about McDaniel's job security, while four of the team's five projected starting offensive linemen have already missed time with injuries. In Houston, the defense that anchored last season's playoff run has regressed sharply, ranking 20th in total yards allowed and 26th in points allowed through four games, with the pass defense ranking 28th in the league. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has since reclaimed defensive play-calling duties in response. floorball betting odds
Elsewhere, preseason assumptions have been upended in different directions. The Dallas Cowboys' defense, expected to take a step forward under new coordinator Christian Parker, has instead shown many of the same breakdowns - missed tackles, coverage lapses and blown assignments - that plagued the unit a year ago, including a lopsided rushing performance allowed in a loss to Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs, picked by some to miss the playoffs entirely, currently hold an 89% playoff probability and the best odds in the AFC for the No. 1 seed, powered by a resurgent Patrick Mahomes and the early impact of Walker in Kansas City's backfield. The New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns have also opened 3-1, each defying modest preseason expectations under first-year or newly empowered coaching staffs.
With the season approaching its first-quarter mark heading into Week 5, the gap between preseason projections and on-field results has already reshaped the divisional and conference pictures. Teams such as the Chargers and Texans face a narrowing margin for error if they hope to climb back into playoff contention, while surprise performers like the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns look positioned to sustain their early momentum as the schedule progresses.
