NFL Weekly Wonder, Edition #4

By Peyton Schultze

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers looked dominant in Week 3 on the road in the tough conditions of Denver (via Bucs Report).

If Week 2 was the week of the serious injuries, then Week 3 was the week of big-time games ending in rather disappointing fashion.

From the late pass-interference call that gave the Bills a close win over the Rams to the Chiefs’ dominating win on the road over the favored Ravens, there were plenty of questionable action around the league. With Week 4 quickly approaching our radar, and with sudden controversy surrounding two games on this week’s slate of games, there should be plenty of drama this weekend.

So what will we see in Week 4? Who will come out on top in a rematch of the 2018 AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Patriots? Will the Bears keep shocking the world and stay undefeated? Will Dallas or Cleveland come out on top in a battle of two of the most controversial teams in the league? And will the Eagles get a huge road win on the road this week in San Francisco? Let’s look ahead at an interesting Week 4 slate featuring some epic matchups.

Game-By-Game Looks

Nick Foles insertion into the starting lineup could prove to be a major spark for a Bears’ team trying to get back into the NFC playoffs (via Philadelphia Inquirer).

Thursday: Denver (-2.0) @ New York J., 5:20 PM PT, NFL Network

The second straight week of uneventful Thursday night games opens the fourth week of the young season in a battle of winless teams in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Considering Denver is starting a third string quarterback with injuries across the board on both sides of the ball, the Broncos enter the road contest with their backs pinned against the wall and the seat quickly getting warmer for head coach Vic Fangio. The Jets may be one of the biggest punchlines in the league right now, but they’re the healthier team facing a depleted group.

Denver: 14 New York: 17

Sunday: Indianapolis (-3.0) @ Chicago, 10:00 AM PT, CBS

Two very similar teams face off in an early-slate matchup that could get ugly. Both of these teams will want to grind each other out, and both defenses are playing at an extremely high level with playmakers all around. The Colts certainly have the better quarterback and running back duo, but the Bears have all the momentum they need to get on a run here and starting beating some solid competition. That journey begins now, and quarterback Nick Foles does it again for the Bears in his first career start at Soldier Field.

Indianapolis: 20 Chicago: 21

Sunday: New Orleans (-4.0) @ Detroit, 10:00 AM PT, FOX

A potential turning point in the season for New Orleans, the Saints head on the road to Detroit in somewhat of a must-win matchup early in the season. But the Lions are no slouch either; they pulled off the upset over a playoff hopeful in Arizona last week and face a potential scheduling break in getting the Saints at home fresh off back-to-back losses. Matthew Stafford and the Detroit offense will give the Saints some problems in the secondary, but New Orleans will leave The Motor City with their second win of the season on the back of Alvin Kamara.

Detroit: 24 New Orleans: 26

Sunday: Arizona (-3.5) @ Carolina, 10:00 AM PT, FOX

The scary nature of a West Coast team traveling across the country for an early day game is always a frightening pick, but Arizona appears like they are set to make a run toward the playoffs this year. Although Carolina has played surprisingly well in each of their three games so far, their defense will have to attempt to slow down a high-flying offense in the Cardinals with Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins playing at such a high level. If the Cardinals want to make the playoffs this year, this game is an absolute must-win.

Carolina: 27 Arizona: 33

Sunday: Baltimore (-13.5) @ Washington, 10:00 AM PT, CBS

A major mismatch considering personnel on both sides of the ball, the Ravens enter Week 4 with revenge on their mind after their horrible performance on Monday Night Football. Washington has been off-and-on to start the season as well, with some encouraging play on defense, but it is hard to see them as a solid team until quarterback Dwayne Haskins proves that he can challenge opposing defenses each and every week. With that being said, this game could be a blowout from the start. Expect a huge performance from Baltimore on both sides of the ball in an angry road win.

Washington: 9 Baltimore: 35

Sunday: Jacksonville @ Cincinnati (-3.0), 10:00 AM PT, CBS

One week after a bad performance on Thursday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins, the Jaguars enter Week 4 with a winnable game against a similar opponent. But don’t throw their opponent under the bus just yet; Cincinnati appears to be improving each and every game with Joe Burrow off to an encouraging start to his young career. Neither of these teams deploys a very good defense, so expect some offensive fireworks in an entertaining quarterback matchup between two young gunslingers.

Jacksonville: 30 Cincinnati: 31

Sunday: Seattle (-6.5) @ Miami, 10:00 AM PT, FOX

One of the few teams that is trustworthy enough to put up numbers against any defense in any part of the country, Seattle enters the fourth week of the season with an undefeated record in three narrow wins. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense is firing on all cylinders right now, and it appears he’ll have another favorable matchup against a Dolphins’ defense that is still gelling early in the year. People might overthink this one a bit after Ryan Fitzpatrick’s big game and Miami’s nice win in Week 3, but do not get fooled here: Seattle is a real Super Bowl contender.

Miami: 24 Seattle: 42

Sunday: Cleveland @ Dallas (-5.0), 10:00 AM PT, FOX

Certainly one of the marquee matchups of Week 4 considering the potential stakes at hand, Cleveland and Dallas figure to duke it out for the right to walk away with a statement win. Like many others around the league, both of these teams have struggling defenses that have been getting lit up by opposing offenses each week. But if ball control is the name of this game and Dak Prescott doesn’t have the ball in his hands all game long, this is the Browns’ to lose. Cleveland appears to have found their identity behind Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb, and they’ll ride it again to a big win on the road in Dallas.

Dallas: 28 Cleveland: 31

All eyes are on the Eagles this Sunday night in a must-win game against the reigning NFC champions in San Francisco (via PhillyVoice).

Sunday: Minnesota @ Houston (Spread N/A), 10:00 AM PT, FOX

With the threat of a potential delay or postponement hovering over this matchup between two teams in need of a huge win to save their season, the drama has only grown even greater in this game. Minnesota is not a bad team, but their defensive play to start the season has been discouraging to say the least. Throw in the fact that the Texans still have Deshaun Watson and have played the toughest schedule in the NFL, and maybe this is the game where Houston finds their footing once again in the AFC South.

Minnesota: 23 Houston: 31

Sunday: Los Angeles C. @ Tampa Bay (-7.5), 10:00 AM PT, CBS

Tampa Bay’s Week 3 performance at Denver was their most impressive to date, and a Week 4 bout with a young Chargers’ roster should be a positive sign for a team. The battle between an elite core of receivers and an awesome secondary in Los Angeles should be an interesting story to watch, but Tom Brady’s protection on the offensive line will be a real key to this game. But the Bucs’ ability to stop the run and force Justin Herbert to air it out will be what determines this game, which will end in another smooth win for Tampa Bay.

Los Angeles C.: 20 Tampa Bay: 31

Sunday: New York G. @ Los Angeles R. (-12.5), 1:05 PM PT, FOX

The Rams have been one of the most surprising teams of the young season despite a crushing loss last week in Buffalo, so a matchup with the struggling Giants appears to be a good sign after last week’s nail biter. The Giants have faced the injury bug early on, and the pressure is all on quarterback Daniel Jones to step up and put together a string of big games to inspire the New York fan base. Luckily for them, a date in the backfield with Aaron Donald could be just the opposite of what they need. The Rams cruise to 3-1 in this one, including another big game from quarterback Jared Goff.

New York: 23 Los Angeles R.: 38

Sunday: New England @ Kansas City (-7.0), 1:25 PM PT, CBS

Kansas City is coming off a gigantic win over an AFC challenger in Baltimore, but it will be interesting to see how they respond to a dangerous New England team that looks as dangerous as ever. The Patriots have everything a team needs to beat the Chiefs: a dominant run game, a timely pass rush, and the ability to create turnovers in the secondary. But will they be able to use that formula to beat the champions? That relies on Cam Newton and the New England offense, who will have their best showing of the season against an elite contender.

Kansas City: 24 New England: 27

Sunday: Buffalo (-3.0) @ Las Vegas, 1:25 PM PT, CBS

Buffalo’s hard-fought win against Los Angeles didn’t come without a close scare, but a 3-0 record to start the year is something Bills Mafia can hold their heads high about. Nevertheless, heading across the country to battle with a tough Raiders’ squad will not be an easy feat, especially considering Las Vegas’ improving offense. The Bills’ defense has not been quite as good as you would expect to start the year, and they’ll need to start that turnaround quickly if they want to beat a team on the verge of the AFC playoff picture.

Buffalo: 27 Las Vegas: 31

Sunday: Philadelphia @ San Francisco (-7.0), 5:20 PM PT, NBC

This is about as close to an early season do-or-die situation as any team has faced in recent memory, as the Eagles head on the road to face off with a battered 49ers unit. Philadelphia has been the most disappointing team in the league to start the year, especially with Carson Wentz and the Eagles’ offense struggling to hold onto the ball and generate big plays. But if the Eagles are going to turn their fortunes around, this is their chance: on Sunday Night Football against the reigning NFC champions. They’ll do it by using Miles Sanders early and often and by putting pressure on quarterback Nick Mullens, and the Eagles will capture their first win of the year in a thriller.

San Francisco: 21 Philadelphia: 24

Monday: Atlanta @ Green Bay (-7.5), 5:15 PM PT, ESPN

After two devastating 4th quarter collapses at the hands of inferior teams in comparison to their upcoming opponent, the Falcons enter this week’s Monday Night Football matchup with a ton of pressure on their hands. Atlanta’s season is nearly over if they lose this game, but it’s going to be difficult to stop a Packers’ offense that is lighting up the scoreboard each week. Atlanta will start off fast, but Green Bay will roll late to an easy win on Monday night.

Atlanta: 27 Green Bay: 38

Monday or Tuesday: Pittsburgh @ Tennessee (Spread N/A), TBD, TBD

The other game of the week currently facing postponement, Pittsburgh and Tennessee enter Week 4 with a massive matchup of their own in a battle of Super Bowl hopefuls. Both of these teams sit right outside the league’s power rankings in the AFC, so a win in this spot could go a long way toward their run to de-throning the defending champions in Kansas City. The Titans are still one of the best teams in the AFC and figure to be players later in the year, but the Steelers are clicking right now and will be the beneficiaries of having a full week of practice to prepare for one of the most unique teams in the league.

Tennessee: 20 Pittsburgh: 23

Daily Fantasy Targets

Allen Lazard’s Week 3 showing could be a great sign for the future of the Green Bay passing game with an injured Davante Adams still out of the lineup (via Forbes).

Quarterbacks: Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) and Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams)

This year’s number one overall pick has blossomed in his first year with the Bengals, helping to once again make the team competitive despite a limited roster. With Cincinnati scheduled for a winnable game against Jacksonville and their porous defense this week, this could purely be Joe Burrow’s coming-out party as an emerging star in the league. Don’t expect much defense on either side of the ball (which could also bode well for Jaguars’ quarterback Gardner Minshew), so look for the former Heisman winner to have his best game as a pro thus far. As for Jared Goff, expectations were rather low entering the season after LA’s disappointing year in 2019. But the young quarterback has quickly found a nice rhythm early on in the season with his loaded group of offensive weapons, and he continues to find a ton of success in the Rams’ play-action passing game with the team’s running backs playing at a high level. And although the Giants have done a decent job against the run through three weeks this year, their secondary has struggled mightily to contain wide receivers on the outside. That should be an outstanding sign for Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods this weekend, as Goff should be able to find them several times for some easy scores.

Running Backs: Dalvin Cook (Minnesota Vikings) and Melvin Gordon III (Denver Broncos)

Minnesota appears to be desperate for a win already after a terrible 0-3 start, so what is their formula toward winning a big game against the similarly winless Houston Texans? That would giving the ball to their best individual player early and often, which should be a great sign for superstar back Dalvin Cook. Cook ran wild last weekend against the Titans, and with a bad Houston defense incoming, the star running back should have plenty of attempts on the ground. If Cook can get a few of those carries into the endzone, he could easily be the best player in terms of fantasy in Week 4. Over in Denver, Melvin Gordon appears to be the only healthy Bronco capable of making any sort of noise on offense. With third-stringer Brett Rypien now starting for Denver in a must-win game against the struggling New York Jets, the Broncos’ best path toward a win seems to be dependent on the play of their star running back in Gordon. If Denver can get the former Pro Bowler involved on the ground and in the passing game early and often against a mediocre Jets’ defense, Denver may just be able to pull off their first win of the season on Thursday Night Football.

Wide Receivers: Will Fuller V (Houston Texans) and Allen Lazard (Green Bay Packers)

Will Fuller V is always one of the riskiest picks in the league when it comes to fantasy football due to his boom-or-bust stock, but his encouraging target share could bode well for him in his matchup against an atrocious Minnesota secondary. Deshaun Watson should have much more time to throw this week after facing three straight solid defenses in the AFC, so look for the quarterback to aim down the field more often to Fuller this week for big plays to put points on the board. There’s always the risk of Fuller getting injured or failing to make an impact in the passing game all of a sudden, but this appears to be a shining opportunity for him and the Houston offense. Meanwhile, this week’s Monday Night Football game between the Packers and Falcons has a chance of being a very high scoring affair between two very good offenses. Considering the fact that Davante Adams has a serious chance of missing Week 4’s action once again, Allen Lazard could receive plenty of deep targets from quarterback Aaron Rodgers once again after a breakout game against the Saints. If Lazard continues to earn Rodgers’ trust in the passing game in big moments for Green Bay, the young reciever has a chance for another career game against an Atlanta defense that has been torched through the air through three games.

Tight Ends: TJ Hockenson (Detroit Lions) and Darren Waller (Las Vegas Raiders)

A building block for the Lions’ offense, tight end TJ Hockenson saw plenty of targets come his way in Detroit’s nice Week 3 win over Arizona. The Lions seemed to find an efficient formula in their gameplan last week, but they’ll be tested this week by a Saints’ defense that is not bad, but has been terribly inconsistent to start the year. The Saints have also allowed plenty of big plays through the air to start the season, as well as two breakout games from tight ends, so Hockenson’s value for this week appears to be on the rise at home this week. For the Raiders, it appears they quickly realized what happens when Darren Waller is completely taken out of their passing game. In eliminating Waller from having a big day through the air in Week 3, the Patriots made life difficult for the Raiders’ offense and took them out of sync from the get-go. Now, even though the Bills are a very good defense, the Raiders may have a chance back at home against a defense that has underwhelmed in the passing game so far. If head coach Jon Gruden can find a creative way to get Waller involved in the passing game, this is a winnable game for Las Vegas that could give them momentum all year long.

Defenses: Baltimore Ravens (vs Washington Football Team) and Tampa Bay (vs Los Angeles Chargers)

The Ravens completely disappointed last week against the defending Super Bowl champions, but it would be truly shocking if they dropped two consecutive clunkers after massive preseason expectations. With a loaded group of players in the secondary and in their front seven, Baltimore really has everything that they need to thrive on weaker opponents and take control of games early on the defensive end. Expect that to be the case early on in Week 4, as the Ravens should be able to cause chaos for quarterback Dwayne Haskins and the Washington offense all day long. And it the Ravens are able to shut down the Washington running attack and force their offense into deep passing situations, this game could get ugly very quickly. And even though Tom Brady has stolen a ton of headlines early in his Tampa Bay tenure so far, the Buccaneers’ defense has truly been a surprise. With a dominant front seven that is shutting down rushing attacks with ease right now, the Bucs have a real chance this week to force a rookie quarterback to try to single-handedly win a game through the air. That appears to be a tough ask for Justin Hebert right now despite his massive potential, so expect Tampa’s defense to continue to ride their blistering start to the 2020 season this weekend.

Fanatical Focus

Steelers’ Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger’s impressive start to the year could be an outstanding sign for Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl hopes (via USA Today).

From Sandy Koufax to Bo Jackson to Brandon Roy, injuries have long played an unfortunate role in the illustrious careers of many Hall of Fame athletes. Often out of their control and left with a hopeless feeling in the end, injuries to things like elbows, knees, hips, and Achilles can often cut promising careers short and send certain star athletes on their way home all too quickly.

But for longtime Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, maybe the end is not really as close as it once appeared to be. Before an elbow injury that quickly ended his 2019 season and caused the Steelers to miss out on the playoffs once again, the strong-armed signal caller appeared to be just a few big hits away from being closer to Canton than anywhere near the Steelers’ offensive huddle. But with a 3-0 start that has Big Ben once again playing at an extremely high level among some of the best quarterbacks in the league, there’s hope in Pittsburgh that the two-time champion may have one last ride in him before his Hall of Fame career comes to a close.

Everyone in the league already knows just how great the 2020 version of the Steelers’ defense is right now, especially after almost carrying a putrid offense to a playoff appearance last season. But what many people have questions about is the previous inconsistency of their offense with Roethlisberger at the helm. With often-injured running back James Conner and an exciting wide receiver duo of Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster standing out as Ben’s best weapons on offense, the Steelers have a chance at greatness in the 2020 season if they can stay on the field and get some game reps together. Pittsburgh’s offensive line also ranks as one of the best in all of football in pass protection and on the ground once again, which should be an encouraging sign for Roethlisberger’s season outlook in the starting lineup. But what exactly is the identity of this offense? Is it a power-running team? Is this a spread offense where Ben can quickly get the ball into the hands of his receivers? Or is it a ball-control offense that can feed of the positive field position from their defense week in and week out?

That remains up for debate at this point in time, but you would have to imagine that the Steelers once again have some trust in a passing game that has already seen seven passing touchdowns and only one interception thus far. Roethlisberger isn’t being asked to be the hero for the Steelers this year in order for the team to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender; he’s just being asked to help guide this young offense in the early part of the season until they finally discover what type of offense they’ll become when they match up with the likes of fellow AFC giants like the Ravens, Bills, and potentially even Chiefs in the playoffs. There will certainly be a point in time this year where Big Ben will likely be asked to go out and win the Steelers a game through the air, and it might even be sooner rather than later. But with what we know right now about Roethlisberger’s health and play on the field so far, things suddenly are beginning to look bright again in Pittsburgh for the future first-ballot Hall of Famer.