NFL Week 4 Preview and Predictions
By AJ Olona
Indianapolis (2-1) at Chicago (2-1)
1 p.m. ET
FOX
Point Spread: Colts, -3.0
There are going to be a lot of high tensions heading into this game. Bears defensive coordinator, Chuck Pagano, will be playing his former team for the first time since he was relieved of his head coaching duties after the 2017 season. On the other end of things, Nick Foles will make his season debut as the starter against his former offensive coordinator, Frank Reich. Reich and Foles were both in Philadelphia when the Eagles went on their impressive Super Bowl run and when Nick Foles was named Super Bowl MVP. Foles stepped in for Mitchell Trubisky in Week 3 against the Bears and played well, throwing 3 touchdowns. On Sunday he will face a very stingy Colts defense that ranks first in yards allowed through the air and first in takeaways. Foles will have his hand full in his first start of the year. If he fares well against this Colts defense, Bears fans should have a positive outlook on the rest of the year.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Colts 23 - 20
AJ’S PREDICTION: Colts 27 - 13
New Orleans (1-2) aT Detroit (1-2)
1 p.m. ET
FOX
Point Spread: Saints, -4.0
Both of these teams are coming off of two very different games. The Lions were able to get back their number one weapon on offense in Kenny Golladay and take down the red hot Arizona Cardinals to get their first win. It was a big day for the Detroit Lions as they were able to make Kyler Murray look human after his great start to the season. The Lions must rely more on their two young running backs in this one, however. Adrian Peterson carried the ball 22 times. While he was able to wear down the Cardinal’s defense, he cannot be the focal point of the offense. The Saints on the other hand are in the midst of a two-game skid. After being upset by the Raiders on Monday night, they were once again beat easily in prime time, this time by Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The Saints have not looked like themselves this season. The defense has taken a huge step backward as aging veterans such as Malcolm Jenkins and Cameron Jordan have started to look like their age. On the other side of the ball for the Saints, they have failed to get anything going offensively outside of Alvin Kamara. With them potentially getting Michael Thomas back this week, that should change.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Saints 27 - 21
AJ’S PREDICTION: Lions 24 - 20
Arizona (2-1) at Carolina (1-2)
1 p.m. ET
FOX
Point Spread: Cardinals, -3.5
After starting as one of the most exciting teams in the NFL, the Cardinals were upset by the winless Detroit Lions in Week 3. Kyler Murray came crashing down on Sunday and was one of the main reasons that the Cardinals lost. Kyler threw 3 interceptions in the game and was unable to find consistent success running the ball. The Panthers on the other end were able to find some success running the ball despite being out with their start rusher Christian McCaffery. Mike Davis was able to get it done both on the ground and threw the air in Week 3. For the Panthers to stand a chance in this game, they will need to establish even more of a run game. The Cardinals cannot afford to lose this game. The AFC West is the most competitive division in all of football.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Cardinals 28 - 17
AJ’S PREDICTION: Cardinals 34 - 17
Jacksonville (1-2) at Cincinnati (0-2-1)
1 p.m. ET
CBS
Point Spread: Bengals, -3.0
The Jacksonville Jaguars looked much more like what we expected from them heading into the year. Through the first few weeks of the season, the Jaguars were competitive, beating the Indianapolis Colts and losing a close one against the Tennessee Titans. But on Thursday night, the lost badly to the witness Dophins. In Week 3, the Jaguars allowed Ryan Fitzpatrick to completely take control of the game. Gardner Minshew struggled once again in this one and Jaguars fans were starting to look forward to the Draft in 2021. The Jaguars will need to rely heavily on James Robinson going into this one. They will need to control the pace again and they can not allow the Bengals to control the play clock like the Dolphins were able to. The Bengals on the other hand are coming off of a tie against the Eagles. Joe Burrow has looked good so far this season but he is already taking a huge beating through three games. The Eagles were able to hit Joe Burrow 18 times in that game and bring him down for a season-high 8 sacks. For the Bengals to have a chance in this one, or for the season going forward, they cannot allow their new franchise quarterback to take that kind of beating.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Jaguars 21 - 20
AJ’S PREDICTION: Bengals 27 - 23
Celveland (2-1) at Dallas (1-2)
1 p.m. ET
CBS
Point Spread: Cowboys, -5.0
In one of the most interesting matchups of the week, we are treated to Baker Mayfield vs. Dak Prescott. It may be surprising to see these teams sitting at the records that they have. This game will be a very good indicator of how these teams will really perform this year. Did the Browns finally find their groove three weeks into the season, and are they actually a contender? Are the Cowboys really going to be a team with a losing record in 2020? One thing is certain, the Browns are going to rely heavily on Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb. Those two have been the best running back tandem in the NFL. If they continue to have the success that they have had the past two weeks, they could find themselves on the winning end of things once again.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Cowboys 31 - 19
AJ’S PREDICTION: Browns 31 - 30
Minnesota (0-3) at Houston (0-3)
1 p.m. ET
FOX
Point Spread: Texans, -3.5
We move on to one of the most disappointing games this week. Heading into the season, both the Vikings and the Texans were potential favorites to win their respective divisions. However, three weeks in and both of these teams have yet to find a win. The Vikings looked much better in Week 3 on offense but it is seemingly their defense that is struggling. After losing several corners in the offseason, and star linebacker Anthony Barr for the season, coupled with the fact that edge rusher Danielle Hunter is still on IR, it is no surprise that the Vikings have been less than stellar defensively. The Texans offense on the other hand has been horrible. They have struggled heavily to find a true number one receiving threat, given that they traded away DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason. DeShaun Watson has no one really stepping up in the passing game and he is constantly running for his life every game. Both of these teams are falling deeper and deeper into obscurity early in the season. Both teams desperately need a win. With Justin Jefferson stepping up a week ago, look for him to try to repeat his success against this Texans team that has struggled big time.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Vikings 24 - 20
AJ’S PREDICTION: Vikings 24 - 17
Seattle (3-0) at Miami (0-3)
1 p.m. ET
CBS
Point Spread: Seahawks, -6.5
The Seattle Seahawks are red hot going into this matchup. Russell Wilson is currently the forerunner to win the MVP this season so far. He has been able to put up ridiculous numbers as both receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are both stepping up big time. While the Seahawks lost Chris Carson in last week's game, they will look towards Carlos Hyde to carry the load on the ground and he is more than capable. On the defensive side of the ball, the Seahawks are going to be without Jamal Adams. That does not bode well for the secondary as the Seahawks currently rank dead last in passing defense. They have already allowed close to 1,300 yards in just three games. Luckily, Ryan Fitzpatrick is not a threat to throw for 400 yards. Even in a game in which Fitzpatrick played great, he was still only able to put up less than 200 yards a week ago against the Jaguars. The Seahawks will win this one easily.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Seahawks 42 - 24
AJ’S PREDICTION: Seahawks 35 - 10
Los Angeles Chargers (1-2) at Tampa Bay (2-1)
1 p.m. ET
CBS
Point Spread: Buccaneers, -8.0
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are finding their groove more and more each week. They will be without Chris Godwin and Leonard Fournette for this game but that shouldn't matter. Scott Miller is stepping up big time in the passing game for Tom Brady as he is the team's leading receiver. With Rob Gronkowski finally getting more involved in the passing game, don't be surprised if the Bucs offense takes even more of a step further. The Chargers on the other hand will be starting Justin Herbert for the third week in a row. While Herbert is playing well, he is still a rookie and is still prone to making rookie mistakes. He is relying heavily on his number one receiver, Keenan Allen, targeting him 29 times in two games. Herbert will play well in this one but he will still have his rookie struggles.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Buccaneers 27 - 17
AJ’S PREDICTION: Buccaneers 27 - 20
Baltimore (2-0) at Washington (1-2)
11:00 a.m. ET
CBS
Point Spread: Ravens, -13.5
Both of these teams are coming off of disappointing losses. Despite starting off burning hot, the Ravens cooled down big time on Monday night. The game against the Chiefs clearly showed the NFL that the Ravens are simply not in the same category as the Chiefs. Lamar Jackson was not even able to reach 100 passing yards in the game. The Ravens offense was not able to get it going at all. Things don't get much better this week. Despite how poor the Washington Football Team has been this year, their defense has been great. They rank in the top five in terms of passing yards allowed, and their defensive front is full of former first-round picks. The Football Team ranks second in the NFL with 13 sacks on the year. While Dwayne Haskins and the Football Team has been less than stellar on offense, do not count on Lamar having an easy bounce-back week in this game.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Ravens 30 - 14
AJ’S PREDICTION: Ravens 17 - 13
New York Giants (0-3) at Los Angeles Rams (2-1)
4:05 p.m. ET
FOX
Point spread: Rams, -12.5
The Rams are coming off of a heartbreaking, and controversial, loss against the Buffalo Bills. The Rams have shown through three weeks that they are one of the best teams in the entire league. Darrell Henderson is stepping up as the go-to running back, with back to back solid weeks. With an assortment of options on offense and a very stingy defense, the Rams should have no problem in this game. The Giants have lost three games in a row and are coming off of a blowout loss against the 49ers, a game in which they were missing a handful of starters. The Giants couldn’t even have a semi-productive game against a bunch of backups. This should be another very ugly game for the Giants.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Rams 33 - 17
AJ’S PREDICTION: Rams 38 - 16
New England (2-1) at Kansas City (2-0)
4:25 p.m. ET
FOX
Point spread: Chiefs, -7.0
Both the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs are coming off decisive wins. The Patriots were able to easily handle the Raiders in Week 3. In that game, the Patriots did what they have been doing all year. The Patriots were able to establish a rushing attack that was not centered around Cam Newton. The Patriots were able to gain 250 rushing yards on the ground, lead by Rex Burkhead who was able to find the endzone three different times. The Chiefs on the other hand were able to completely stifle the Ravens offense. They held Lamar Jackson under 100 passing yards on the day and completely controlled the tone of the game. Patrick Mahomes was also able to gash the Ravens defense for 4 touchdowns, picking on Marcus Peters all night. For the Patriots to keep this one close, they are going to have to be able to repeat their success on the ground in this one. However, the Chiefs are so dangerous because they can beat any team in so many different ways. The Patriots are going to have to avoid a shoot out if they want to pull out a win here.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Chiefs 37 - 33
AJ’S PREDICTION: Patriots 24 - 20
Buffalo (3-0) at Las Vegas (2-1)
4:25 p.m. ET
FOX
Point Spread: Bills, -3.0
The Buffalo Bills are one of the hottest teams in the NFL at the moment. Josh Allen is playing like an MVP caliber player so far this season and the Bills defense is once again playing great. The Bills are coming off of a close win against the Los Angeles Rams where Josh Allen was able to come back from behind to secure the victory. The Raiders on the other side of things are coming off of a crushing defeat against the New England Patriots. In Week 3, the Raiders came out flat offensively. Playing without Henry Ruggs III, the Raiders had very little weapons to get the ball to. The Patriots were able to take star tight end, Darren Waller, out of the game completely and the Patriots defense was able to focus in heavily on the check-downs, which threw Derek Carr off for the entire game. If the Bills can follow the same game plan, the Raiders will once again struggle to push the ball down the field. If they become predictable and one dimensional again, they will struggle big time.
SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Bills 24 - 17
AJ’S PREDICTION: Bills 38 - 25
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