Week 4 is wrapped up and in the books

Through 4 weeks, the Washington Football Team, Houston Oilers, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams and... the Baltimore Colts are the remaining undefeated teams in the ANFL. Ok fine -- on a technicality, so are the Philadelphia Eagles. As it was with last week, numerous punt return touchdowns have changed the momentum of a number of games, and the first New York Bowl and Battle of the Bays conclude with exciting finishes. In a slightly different kind of video, you can check out the action here: ANFL Inaugural Season - Week 4 + 5.

Buffalo Bills @ Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team continues to keep in stride against the Buffalo Bills in this tight matchup. Washington K Ishmael Baker puts 2 chip-shot field goals through the uprights in the first half, but BUF QB Kurt Wood finds WR Nic Boyer for a 26-yard TD to bring to game to 7-6 at the half. Star WAS RB William Harvey finds the end zone on back-to-back drives to put Washington's lead at 21-7 in the top of the fourth quarter.

WR Nic Boyer scampers in for a 1-yard TD to bring it to 21-14 with 9:12 to go. QB Casey Jones, who is starting in place of the injured QB Pete Green, lobs a beautiful ball to WR Max Stevens for an 8-yard score to push the game just out of reach. The final TD of the game comes with 1:15 remaining - a BUF RB Adrian Carter "tush push" at the 1-yard line. Washington wins 28-21.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Houston Oilers

The Houston Oilers offense holds the fort against the fortuitous Kansas City Chiefs. After a RB Ben Blount 7-yard rushing TD, on the first play of the ensuing drive HOU CB Blake Martinez is able to pick off KC QB Christian Huff for a 39-yard pick-six! HOU QB Clay Thomas is able to find WR Claude Foster for a 56-yard TD and the first quarter ends at 21-3. With 3 minutes remaining, HOU RB Chaz Ryder chips in a 2-yard rushing TD and a KC K William Moore makes a 37-yard FG to bring the score to 28-6 at half, Oilers lead.

Houston's offense stalls in the 3rd quarter and Kansas City finds 11 points in the third quarter (a K William Moore FG, a RB Austin O'Leary RTD, and a 2 point conversion vis-a-vis Huff-to-WR Dominique Smith). At the top of the fourth quarter, RB Austin O'Leary scurries for another rushing TD to bring the game within 5 points. With 5:02 on the clock, QB Clay Thomas locates WR Jordan Broughton for 15-yards and a TD to put the game out of reach for Kansas City. Oilers win 35-23.

Minnesota Vikings @ Cleveland Browns

The Minnesota Vikings visit the shores of Lake Erie to attempt to extend their winning streak. Their foe? The Cleveland Browns.

The first quarter was scoreless, and with 1:18 remaining in the first half CLE WR Chad Wire finds his way into the end zone after a 4-yard jet sweep. The Browns lead 7-0 at the half. MIN QB Jonathan Washington is able to throw a pair of TD passes to put Minnesota up 14-7 at the end of the quarter (to WRs Brian Morais and Tommy Bonner). Minnesota stays in the lead until CLE QB Alec Garcia comes in clutch with a side-arm pass to TE Caleb Sweet to tie the game and send it into overtime.

The Vikings and Browns traded futile drives back and forth, back and forth. With 2:39 left in overtime and the game threatening to end in a tie, QB Jonathan Washington runs a a hurry-up three-man set. The ball is snapped, and TE Connor Kelleher provides a key block to give Washington enough time to find rarely utilized TE Marc Abel for a 9-yard TD to seal the game. Minnesota wins 20-14.

Chicago Bears @ Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos host the Chicago Bears in a matchup in the sky. The Bears start the scoring early. By the first play of the second quarter, CHI QB Dustin Malone finds WR Chase Jackson for a 9-yard TD, and with 3:19 remaining he finds WR Chase Zaleski for a 10-yard TD. The Bears keep the Broncos to a FG by the end of the half to lead 16-3. 

QB Dustin Malone slings a 15-yard TD to WR Joey Irons to extend Chicago's lead. A K Josh Brady 37-yard FG brings the score to 22-6 at the end of the 3rd. WR Chase Jackson finds space for a 48-yard rushing TD and, despite a pair of TD passes by DEN QB Lucian Osborne (who takes over for an injured QB Nate Torres), the game remains comfortably out of reach for Denver as the Bears win 29-19.

Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers

The Battle of the Bay finds the Oakland Raiders visiting the San Diego Chargers. An RPO to SD WR Jeffery Armstrong out of the backfield puts San Diego up early 7-0 in the first quarter. The second quarter is a back-to-back defensive onslaughts, but OAK RB Paris Shorter finds his way for a 2-yard rushing TD and K Mike Goddard makes the 39-yard FG  just before half. Oakland leads 10-7.

Near the top of the 3rd quarter, SD CB Trinity Allen has the smoothest glide across the field as he scores an 86-yard punt return to put the Chargers up 13-10. QB Khalil Collins tosses a 6-yard TD to WR Alim Keys to bring the score to 19-10. It's rather unfortunate that SD K Alvin Warren missed consecutive extra points. One more TD pass from QB Khalil Collins to WR Jeffery Armstrong keeps the game out of reach for Oakland, despite a late TD pass from QB Paris Shorter to WR Derrick Anderson. The Chargers hold off Oakland 29-21.

Los Angeles Rams @ Pittsburgh Steelers

In a tightly contested matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers host the upstart Los Angeles Rams. The first quarter goes off with a hitch, as both offenses fail to score early. With 1:52 left in the half, RB Keith Johnson puts the first points on the board and K Harry Murphy misses the extra point to put the Steelers lead at 6-0. 

LAR RB John Carter leaps over the offensive line for a 1-yard TD to put the Rams up 7-6 in the 3rd quarter. PIT QB Merrill Dreher has another forgettable day, taking 4 sacks and throwing 2 interceptions as the Steelers are unable to put up any points in the fourth quarter. In contrast, LAR QB John Pollard was able to find WR Eric Mason for a 4-yard TD and K Shaq Scott was able to contribute 4 more points to secure the Rams win 17-6.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Miami Dolphins

Man, are the Eagles a football team or what? They faced the Dolphins this week and while they didn't get the result they wanted, boy did they put on a show. The Miami Dolphins scored the first 3 touchdowns of the day - RB Nick Baltazar on a 1-yard RTD, QB Sipo Tago-to-WR James Tate for 2 yards in the air, and Nick Baltazar reprises his performance again for a 7-yard RTD. A last-second 52-yard FG by PHI K D'Juan Sullivan prevents a first half blanking. Dolphins lead 21-0 at the half.

Being down 18 points is not a great place to be, but the Eagles find ways to claw back. RB Johnson rushes it in for 6-yards to bring the score to 21-10 in the third, and a K D'Juan Sullivan 39-yard FG puts the game within a score and a 2-point conversion. Philadelphia holds Miami within their own red zone and forces them to punt the ball away. CB Joseph Manciel calls his shot and finds a way to score a 49-yard PR TD. PHI RB Jamar McGowan finds a way to score the 2 point conversion and the game is tied - OT! Neither team is able to find points in extra time, and the Eagles find themselves with 2 ties and 0 losses on the year so far. Game ends 21-21

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets

The Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Jets and play this game surprising close despite being 16 point underdogs. After NYJ K Sione Carr's early 39-yard FG, DAL QB Chris Triplett finds WR Reid Cain for a 40-yard score to start the game 7-3 through the first quarter. DAL K Marcel Mackey makes a 36-yard FG in the second to put the Dallas lead at 10-3 at the half.

NYJ K Sione Carr matches Mackey's earlier FG, but another Chris Triplett TD pass to WR Rion Bird finds Dallas at a 17-6 lead late in the third quarter in prime position to upset an ANFL heavyweight. The ANFL heavyweight promptly responds with 17 straight points (Carr makes a 43-yarder, and QB Leonard Smith finds WRs Theodore Mason and Warren Regan for TDs) to seal the game with 1:18 remaining. New York Jets secure the game 24-17.

San Fransisco 49ers @ Baltimore Colts

Say what you want about the on-paper strength of the Baltimore Colts, they find ways to stay competitive as the host the San Fransisco 49ers this week.

After a quiet first quarter, BAL QB Conrad Spence finds WRs Jelani White and Blake Boyd for a pair of passing TDs within a minute of each other and S Billy Howley finds himself a 71-yard PR TD to put the Colts at a strong 21-0. SF QB Bennie Banks is able to scamper in for a 5-yard rushing TD to bring the score to 21-6 to end the half. Banks is able to continue San Fransisco's scoring in the third quarter, courtesy of a 10-yard bullet to WR Matt Goodwyn. 

The fourth quarter featured both defenses standing tall, keeping scoring at bay but neither team able to force a game-changing turnover. With 2:15 left in the game, BAL K Kevin McNeal sinks a 40-yard FG to put the game out of reach for San Fransisco as the Colts win 24-13.

This game came at great cost to San Fransisco as RB Ryan Francis went down to injury this game. After the match, it was quickly determined that he had torn his ACL. RB Ryan Francis is expected to approximately miss the next 42 games. There is a slim chance he returns next season. The 24-year old Francis, who's contract lasts until 1968, will end the season with 26 carries for 123 yards and 1 RTD, as well as 11 receptions for 58 yards. He caught 91.7% of the passes thrown his way.