Week 4 of the NFL season is upon us, which means we are starting to get a feel for who the real contenders are and what teams are going to struggle to make the postseason. There’s obviously still time to turn things around, but teams can’t afford to dig themselves too deep a hole in the first quarter of the season. As such, desperation is already in the air for some teams and there are fans (and owners) with hands hovering over the panic button already. Teams like Dallas, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, and Cleveland have some dreadful vibes already, and without a win this week, we’ll start getting some serious hot seat talk.
Primetime Game of the Week: Seahawks at Lions (Monday 9/30, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC)
There are a pair of big games on the primetime slate this week, as Bills-Ravens will square off on Sunday Night, but with Baltimore at 1-2 still trying to re-establish themselves as a contender, we’re going to look at the 3-0 Seahawks visiting the 2-1 Lions on Monday Night Football. The Lions entered the year hoping their defense would take a step forward and they’ll face a challenge from the third most prolific passing offense in the NFL this season with Geno Smith and Seattle coming into town. On the other side of the ball, Detroit’s been rolling themselves and this should be a highly entertaining game that could see the scoreboard get lit up.
Sunday Funday Game of the Week: Vikings at Packers (Sunday 9/29, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
The two best coaching jobs in the league this year are on display in this game. Kevin O’Connell has breathed new life into Sam Darnold’s career, as the Vikings offense has been able to put up points in bunches in support of an absolutely ridiculous defense that has left opposing teams flummoxed under new DC Brian Flores. Green Bay, meanwhile, has responded to Jordan Love getting hurt by having Matt LaFleur build an offense around Malik Willis, who the Titans gave up on earlier this offseason.
Under the Radar Banger: Browns at Raiders (Sunday 9/29, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
This game is going to stink, but it’s going to stink in a way that I want to watch. Both of these offense are absolutely horrible at something — Cleveland throwing the ball is an adventure, Las Vegas just flat out cannot run the ball. Antonio Pierce is already calling out his players despite being the full-time head coach for three games, Deshaun Watson has no interest in using his legs and made that very clear, it’s all a mess. I love a good nihilism-off, and baby, we’re gonna get one in Sin City on Sunday afternoon.
Who Won The MVP Last Week: Jayden Daniels
The No. 2 overall pick was nearly perfect in a stunning Commanders win over the Bengals, as he out-dueled Joe Burrow in a shootout, where Burrow and the Cincy offense were spectacular themselves. Daniels set a rookie record for completion percentage in a game going 21-of-23, and his dagger TD pass to Terry McLaurin while getting lit up by a blitzer was perhaps the throw of the year in the NFL. Andy Dalton certainly has a case for for this spot after leading the Panthers to their first win and turning one of the NFL’s worst offenses into one of the best, but Daniels’ performance has people on TV talking about the Commanders as a threat in the NFC East.
Best Bet (1-2): Colts (+1.5) vs. Steelers
We got back on track last week thanks to Mike Tomlin’s generosity putting knees on it inside the 10, and as a thank you we’re going to take the other side against Pittsburgh. The Steelers have gone 3-0 in spite of an offense that’s averaging 17 points per game. The defense has been spectacular, and I admit I’m a bit afraid of what they can do to pressure Anthony Richardson into making mistakes — he threw arguably the worst pick of the year last week. However, Tomlin’s Steelers have historically been bad in this kind of spot as a road favorite against a bad team. No one over-performs like the Steelers, but they also routinely play down to competition as well and I think the Colts get a W at home this week.