NFL Picks, Week 4

Last week sure was crazy, wasn't it?  Not only were there upsets, so many games were decided on interceptions or special teams plays in the last second.  There's always a week like that, and it's usually early in the season.  How will Week 4 compare?  Will it be anywhere as crazy?  Or will it go back to normal and more closely resemble Weeks 1 & 2?

Thursday Night: Arizona (Loss)

Vikings (2-1) vs Steelers (2-1): Pittsburgh-The NFL's first-ever visit to Ireland, and the first of back-to-back games across the pond for the Vikings.  That could either be really great for them or make for a really long trip home next Sunday.  Then you have the Steelers, who are only playing this one game overseas, but it still annoys Aaron Rodgers, who thinks they should've left earlier.  It wouldn't surprise me if that negative attitude carries over into how the team plays, but I'm picking Pittsburgh anyway.

Commanders (2-1) at Falcons (1-2): Washington-Atlanta goes from completely dominating Minnesota to getting shut out by Carolina.  Am I the only one who's utterly confused by this team?  I don't even think they know who's gonna show up each week!  They've changed offensive play callers and switched from Michael Penix to Kirk Cousins.  Will that make any difference at all against Washington?  Honestly, probably not.

Saints (0-3) at Bills (3-0): Buffalo-New Orleans is one of the worst teams in the league.  Arguably THE worst.  Buffalo is one of the best teams in the league.  Arguably THE best.  Seems pretty straightforward what should happen in this game.  But, then again, Cleveland beat Green Bay last week, which is all the proof you need that anybody can beat anybody.

Browns (1-2) at Lions (2-1): Detroit-Getting that win in Baltimore on Monday night could end up being a big result for the Lions.  There's a big difference between 2-1 and 1-2, especially since the Packers lost, creating a three-way tie at the top.  Green Bay's loss last week was to Cleveland, which is in the middle of an NFC North swing.  The Lions, meanwhile, are in the midst of an AFC string.  They'll get to 2-0 on it heading into their matchup with Cincinnati.

Panthers (1-2) at Patriots (1-2): New England-Was last week's shutout a turning point or a result of playing the Falcons?  Either way, this is a great chance for Carolina to gain some momentum and post back-to-back wins for the first time in a while.   The Patriots had a chance to do that last week, but they lost to Pittsburgh.  This is a good chance for them to bounce back.  If they can be 2-2 going into their Sunday night game in Buffalo, they'll feel really good about their September.

Chargers (3-0) at Giants (0-3): Chargers-Russell Wilson's out and Jaxson Dart's in.  Which, frankly, probably won't make much of a difference.  The schedule isn't doing the Giants any favors regardless of who their quarterback is.  The Chargers are 3-0 with three division wins under their belts.  That'll soon be 0-4 as the questions about Brian Daboll's job security get even louder.

Eagles (3-0) at Buccaneers (3-0): Philadelphia-There are six 3-0 teams in the NFL.  Two of those teams are Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, who square off this weekend.  This is a real litmus test for the Bucs.  The Eagles have already survived two tough tests against the Chiefs and Rams.  Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has played Atlanta, Houston and the Jets.  So, they haven't exactly run the gauntlet.

Titans (0-3) at Texans (0-3): Houston-Both the AFC East and AFC South have two 0-3 teams.  Both of those divisions see their 0-3 teams facing each other this week.  In the AFC South, it's to determine who's less bad between the Titans and Texans.  Tennessee was competitive against Denver before getting outplayed in its last two games.  Houston has been in all three, but gotten some bad luck.  The Texans finally get their first win of the season.

Colts (3-0) at Rams (2-1): Rams-Is there any story in the NFL better than Daniel Jones in the first month of the season?  He's found the Fountain of Youth in what's typically the Indianapolis QB Retirement Home.  Instead, Jones is the early leader for Comeback Player of the Year.  The Colts could get snapped back into reality this week, though.  Because the Rams are loaded.  And playing at home.

Jaguars (2-1) at 49ers (3-0): San Francisco-Jacksonville being 2-1 may be a bit of a surprise for some people.  Considering who they've played, their record doesn't really shock me too much.  How they've played certainly has, though.  Meanwhile, the 49ers being 3-0 isn't a surprise to anybody.  This is what they normally do when they're healthy.  That 3-0 is about to be 4-0.

Ravens (1-2) at Chiefs (1-2): Kansas City-One of these teams will end September at 1-3.  I don't think anyone saw that coming.  Although, when you consider who the Ravens and Chiefs have played this season, maybe it shouldn't be overly shocking.  The fact that one of them will be 1-3 doesn't change the fact that these are two of the best teams in football.  Yes, it was the Giants.  But last week was also the first time the Chiefs played like the Chiefs all season.  As for the Ravens, they'll be fine.  Even at 1-3.

Bears (1-2) at Raiders (1-2): Las Vegas-While either the Ravens or Chiefs will enter October at 1-3, either the Bears or Raiders will enter October at 2-2.  Which, again, shows that your early-season record is sometimes a sign of who you've played rather than how good you are.  Although, I must say, Chicago's win over Dallas last week was impressive.  Can they follow it up against the Raiders?  I don't think so.  At least not enough to leave Las Vegas with a win.

Packers (2-1) at Cowboys (1-2): Green Bay-This Sunday night matchup already had plenty of intrigue before the Micah Parsons trade.  Now you add that layer to it, too, and it becomes a must-watch.  Dallas clearly misses Parsons.  And could definitely use him.  You know Parsons will want to make a statement in his return to Jerry World.  Translation: Look Out Dak!  Expect him to be in the Cowboys' backfield all night and the Packers to rebound from that shocking loss last week in Cleveland.

Jets (0-3) at Dolphins (0-3): Miami-When they made this Part I of the Monday night doubleheader, I don't think the NFL expected both the Jets and Dolphins to be 0-3.  And, frankly, neither one has been worth watching at all.  The Jets' offense was good in Week 1, but has disappeared since.  Miami, meanwhile, has notched back-to-back division losses.  If they have any chance of giving Buffalo a race, they can't fall to 0-3 in the division.

Bengals (2-1) at Broncos (1-2): Denver-Part II of the Monday night doubleheader isn't much better.  Cincinnati's first game without Joe Burrow went about as well as you might've expected.  A 48-10 shellacking in Minnesota!  As for the Broncos, they may be 1-2, but their two losses came in road games to strong opponents by a combined four points.  At home against the Bengals, it should be a different story.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 11-5
Overall: 35-14