NFL Week 4 Preview

Last week, I said that I expected Week 3 to be relatively uninteresting. As it turns out, I couldn't have been much more wrong. Last week brought a few major upsets, many close games, the first losses of 8 teams, and of course lots of drama surrounding the National Anthem. This week on paper should be better, although that seems almost impossible. There is no shortage of good games to look forward to. However, I want to highlight the big division games in the upcoming week

The Must See Games of the Week

#1: Steelers vs Ravens

Both Pittsburgh and Baltimore had games they would like to soon forget in Week 3. The Ravens got annihilated by the Jaguars in London, while the Steelers suffered an OT loss in Chicago. Don't let these two games fool you though. These are good football teams, and they seem to heighten their performances when they face each other. This is always a must watch regardless of how evenly matched they are.

Both teams have good defense. The Steelers' defense isn't what it used to be, but they do have a very good pass rush. They have also allowed very few points, but they haven't really been tested against a decent offense yet. The Ravens were incredible in the first two weeks, recording 10 turnovers and allowing just 10 points. This was against the Bengals and Browns, but still very impressive. Of course their last game was pretty awful, but I think it's safe to say that won't happen again any time soon.

Offense has been disappointing for these two. Many had high expectations for the Steelers, and for good reason. With all the weapons at their disposal, they should be tearing through opposing teams. They are doing nothing of the sort. However they are definitely in better shape than the Ravens. The Ravens weren't expected to do nearly as much, but their offensive performance thus far is unacceptable. The Ravens defense will keep them in this game, but it won't win it for them.

Outcome: Steelers win 20-16

#2: Raiders vs Broncos

The Chiefs seem to be the early favorites in the West, but Oakland and Denver are both Super Bowl contenders. Just like the Ravens and Steelers, these teams are coming off of surprising losses, but that doesn't mean much. It happens to the best of teams. What those games do mean is that the loser of this game will have a big hole to dig out of. It might not seem like much, but an early two-game losing streak in a division like this could be hard to recover from.

I think the Raiders will find themselves trying to dig out of the hole. The Raiders are good, but the Broncos seem to have the perfect team to beat them. Oakland is led by Derek Carr and the passing game, but the incredible secondary of the Broncos make them one of few teams that can stop them. The Broncos also shouldn't have a problem stopping the run as Marshawn Lynch appears to have lost his Skittles. Lynch has rushed for just 139 yards in 3 games. The Broncos offense, although not that good, is better than the Raiders defense. They should be able to put some points on the board, and use up enough clock to rest their defense and limit the Raiders' snaps. If they can slow down the game like this, the Broncos will take the win.

Outcome: Broncos win 17-24

#3: Lions vs Vikings

Here we have two teams with playoff aspirations, but they couldn't be a whole lot different. First, you have the Lions. The Lions possess one of the top QBs in the league in Matthew Stafford. Stafford isn't the single best in the NFL like his salary would suggest, but there is no doubt he is top 10. The problem is the lack of a proper supporting cast. Stafford is surrounded by mediocrity. No big name receivers, average at best running game, slightly above average defense, and an unproven coach. That's what Stafford has to work with. Now that could be a lot worse, but I'm sure he would like a little more help. In spite of this, he is winning games. The Lions could be 3-0 if it weren't for some questionable officiating at the end of their last game.

Next, you have the Vikings. I would say Minnesota has a better receiving corps, better running game, and certainly a better defense. However, two big problems face this team. The first is that they don't have a real QB. Bradford and Keenum have done the job so far, but you can't expect much from them against some the better defenses in the NFL. The second problem is consistency. We saw this Vikings team go 5-0 to start the 2016 season, and it didn't seem like anyone could stop them. However, those Vikings disappeared the rest of the year, going just 3-8 to finish the season. The Vikings showed up in Weeks 1 and 3 of 2017, but not in Week 2. I never really know when this good Vikings team will come and go. They failed to show up in either game against the Lions last year, and because of that, I wouldn't count on them being there this time.

Outcome: Lions win 23-14

#4: Bears vs Packers

There isn't any rivalry in the game older than this, dating back to 1921. Through all these years each have won 94 times with 6 ties, and if you combine all the scores from all 194 games, the Packers have scored just 4 more points. Although the two teams are about as even as you can't get in this historic series, the Packers have clearly dominated in recent history. This has led to a stale rivalry for quite a while. The Packers have won 12 of the last 14 meetings, including one playoff win in 2011. However, I think the Bears have real shot at reigniting this rivalry on Thursday night. I know that sounds crazy and maybe it is, but stick with me.

The Chicago Bears are not a better team than Green Bay, but they might be a little better than people think. The Bears did just beat the Steelers and should've beat the Falcons in Week 1. They have an improving defense that when healthy could be among the league's best, and have still had decent success with a bunch of injuries. The offense certainly needs work, but they do have a great running game. Howard and Cohen are a fantastic combo in the backfield with two completely different styles. With a duo like this, they may not need much from their QB, as long as they don't turnover the ball.

Now, the Packers are clearly the superior team, but they are really banged up right now. They are missing a couple O-Linemen, a bunch of defenders, and Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson are in but likely playing hurt. This puts the teams on much more even ground. The Bears' pass rush could give Rodgers a real hard time, especially with a depleted receiving corps. And the Injuries to an already lacking defense could make even Mike Glennon look good. Maybe this is just my Chicago bias showing, but I really think the Bears can win this. It won't be easy, but like everything in the NFL, it's not impossible

Outcome: Bears win 24-23

The Lesser Games of the Week

Dolphins over Saints

Falcons over Bills

Bengals over Browns

Cowboys over Rams

Patriots over Panthers

Jaguars over Jets

Titans over Texans

Cardinals over 49ers

Eagles over Chargers

Buccaneers over Giants

Seahawks over Colts

Chiefs over Redskins