NFL Week 4 predictions

Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET (NFL Network)

This game has some intrigue surrounding it for a couple of reasons. First, it's a rivalry, and therefore there exists the possibility that something unusual might happen. More importantly, though, the Bears appear capable of running the football on anybody, as Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen led a ground attack that gashed the Steelers for 220 yards. Aaron Rodgers and the Pack didn't get going until late against Cincinnati, and have been reduced to a one-dimensional outfit offensively, with little running game to speak of. If Chicago keeps moving the ball consistently on the ground, and gets an early lead, this one could get very interesting.

Pick: Bears

Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET (Wembley Stadium, London) (FOX)

Week 4 might not have a pairing of teams with more disparate mental states than this one. Miami was beaten by a Jets team that some thought might go 0-16 this season. Not only were the Dolphins beaten, they were humiliated. New Orleans, after getting soundly thumped in their first two games, roared to life on the road in Charlotte, and used a balanced offensive attack coupled with a turnover-forcing defense to rip the Panthers. Can Drew Brees keep it going? Are the Dolphins really as bad as they appeared against New York? The guess here is that New Orleans' relative level of offensive consistency will win the day.

Pick: Saints

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 3 featured multiple surprising, if not outright stunning results. The Bills handling the Broncos was near the top of the heap. Buffalo certainly didn't dominate the statistical battle, and they were helped immensely by an absurd unsportsmanlike conduct call on Von Miller, but they did force two turnovers and got a mistake-free, sharp game from Tyrod Taylor. Unfortunately for Bills fans, their team will probably need to be even better if they want to pull off a second straight upset against the Falcons, the NFC's only remaining unbeaten team. Atlanta overcame a Matt Ryan pick-six, two other turnovers, and a hostile road crowd to beat Detroit, and it stands to reason that they'll be much sharper at home.

Pick: Falcons

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Both fan bases deserve a moment of quiet thought and some sympathy from fans of just about every other team in the league. Cincinnati either found some positives to latch onto in Green Bay, or completely bottomed out with their second half collapse. The Browns got another uneven, turnover-filled performance from DeShone Kizer, and more importantly, little help from the running game and a terrible outing from the defense--against Jacoby Brissett. This is a hard game to pick, primarily because both teams are objectively not good, and while the Bengals are clearly better on paper, they are on the road, and there is no reason to trust them to actually take care of business. The movable object gets the win over the resistible force.

Pick: Browns

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Are the Rams good? What about Jared Goff? These are questions Rams fans are probably thrilled to see people asking. Goff is off to an excellent start this year, playing relatively mistake-free football while Todd Gurley is starting to flash some of his rookie-year form, resulting in the Rams topping 40 points in two of its first three games. They'll face their stiffest test thus far when they travel to Dallas. The Cowboys won while running a total of three offensive plays in the first quarter against Arizona. Dak Prescott was great late, but he and Ezekiel Elliott will face a tougher test from the Rams' defensive front. Whichever side wins the battle between Los Angeles' defensive line and Dallas' offensive line probably wins this game. The Rams might not win, but it will be close.

Pick: Rams

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

An intriguing NFC North showdown, to say the least. Case Keenum did his best Sam Bradford impersonation, and then some, shredding the Bucs' defense for 369 yards and three touchdowns in Week 3. Matthew Stafford and the Lions came up just short against the Falcons, who may well be the class of the NFC again this season. Stafford, however, wasn't very good, even playing at home. He'll have a much tougher challenge going on the road and dealing with plenty of noise from the Minnesota crowd. If Stafford can't silence the crowd early, and Detroit can't take away Dalvin Cook and force the Vikings to be one-dimensional on offense, it might not matter who lines up under center for Minnesota.

Pick: Vikings

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

There are two ways to look unimpressive if you are a supposed upper-level team in the NFL. One is to be soundly beaten by a winless team in your own building, and the other is to barely escape a loss against a rookie quarterback in your own building. Obviously, one of these outcomes is better than the other. Either way, the Panthers and the Patriots both enter this game with something to prove. New England looked shockingly vulnerable at home against a rookie quarterback, and needed Tom Brady's brilliance to pull out a win. The Panthers simply looked wretched--so bad in fact, that Cam Newton simply promised better play after the game. The guess here is that Newton's mobility and all-around play-making ability keeps Carolina surprisingly close, but that the Panthers can't seal the deal in crunch time.

Pick: Panthers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

A game between two teams that delivered surprises in Week 3. Jacksonville stunned the Ravens by annihilating them in London, while the Jets shocked the football world by merely winning a game--and impressively, to boot. The Jags are 2-1, and suddenly Blake Bortles is looking serviceable, if not spectacular. Leonard Fournette is developing into a thumping battering ram, and the Jags are getting contributions from all over the field. Will New York have any answers for that? For that matter, will they be able to move the ball against a Jacksonville defense that has already notched 13 sacks, forced eight turnovers, and made life miserable for two out of three opponents? My crystal ball doesn't foresee it happening.

Pick: Jaguars

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

This latest renewal of AFC North hostilities matches two teams coming off head-scratching performances. The Steelers couldn't stop the run, couldn't take advantage of Vance McDonald's Don Beebe-esque hustle play, and fell to a moribund Chicago team that almost literally couldn't pass the ball. Ben Roethlisberger and the offense were sluggish yet again, and Le'Veon Bell looked like he was running in quicksand. On the other hand, they still looked worlds better than the Ravens, who suffered through the worst game of Joe Flacco's career on the way to a humiliating defeat against Jacksonville. Will the Steelers continue a lengthy trend of struggling offensively on the road? Will Flacco rebound after being benched with a command performance at home? The guess here is that the team with the best player--Antonio Brown--will carry the day, but not by much.

Pick: Steelers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Titans are coming off a big win at home against Seattle, while the Texans are coming off a  heartbreaking loss against New England, where Bill O'Brien's conservative choice to kick a field goal on a late-game fourth and 1 may have cost them what would have been a massive upset. Still, both teams have reasons for optimism. Marcus Mariota looked efficient and sharp against the Seahawks, and the tandem of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry sliced up Seattle's defense for 169 yards on 27 carries. Meanwhile, Houston out-gained the Pats, and Deshaun Watson made some big-time throws against New England's defense. Plus, the Texans got to Brady for five sacks, and only his late brilliance pulled out the win. The guess here is that Watson delivers another solid game, but that the Texans don't have as much luck harassing the nimble Mariota, or stopping Tennessee's potent running attack.

Pick: Titans

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)

The 49ers were one half of the most unexpectedly spectacular Thursday night game in ages, played the Seahawks tough in Week 2, and all they have to show for it is an 0-3 record and a season that seems destined for one of the top five spots in next year's draft. Arizona, though, might be vulnerable after getting rolled over in the fourth quarter by the Cowboys. The Cardinals were unimpressive in their only win, and have blown early leads in both of their losses. Can Brian Hoyer take advantage of that? It all depends on whether he can be as effective on the road against Arizona's ball-hawking secondary as he was at home versus a stout Los Angeles front seven. Something just seems off for Arizona, and San Francisco has had extra time to prepare.

Pick: 49ers

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)

Philip Rivers was putrid in a loss to the Chiefs last week, throwing three interceptions and turning in an anemic 37.2 quarterback rating. The Eagles won on the week's most thrilling finish, with rookie kicker Jake Elliott drilling a 61-yard field goal to cap a final-minute rally and beat the Giants at the gun. If Fletcher Cox is healthy enough to play on Sunday, it would go a long way towards making Rivers' life miserable. If he doesn't play, Carson Wentz might have to put up plenty of points, because it's hard to fathom Rivers being terrible two weeks in a row. To that end, Los Angeles hasn't held any of its three opponents under 100 yards rushing. The Eagles featured a balanced attack last week, with Wendell Smallwood and LeGarrette Blount combining for 138 yards on 24 carries. Advantage, Philadelphia.

Pick: Eagles

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)

Is there a more disappointing team in the league than the Giants? Sure, the Bengals, Browns, 49ers and Chargers are all 0-3 as well, but only the Bengals out of those four had high expectations entering the season. New York played its best 55 minutes of the season against the Eagles, then saw their work evaporate in the final 60 seconds, culminating in a gut-punch 61-yard field goal. Eli Manning and Odell Beckham, Jr. finally found some rhythm, but Manning turned the ball over twice, and the Giants still have no running game to speak of. Speaking of turnovers and no running game, the Buccaneers were a shining example of both against Minnesota last week, with Jameis Winston throwing three picks, and the team rushing for a whopping 26 yards. Both teams looked bad last week, yes, but we've at least seen Tampa Bay look good enough to win this year. The same can't be said for the G-Men.

Pick: Buccaneers

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

Plenty of intrigue in this one, as Denver is coming off a brutal loss in Buffalo, and the Raiders are picking up the pieces after an atrocious performance in against Washington. Neither team wants to fall too far behind the Chiefs, and Denver has the added advantage of playing at home. Normally in this situation, the better quarterback would be the safe pick, but as much as it is tempting to pick Derek Carr and Oakland to have a resounding bounce-back performance, it is hard to forget what the Broncos did to the Cowboys just two weeks ago in Denver. Home field, the home crowd, and a vicious Denver pass rush led by Von Miller wins the day here. Either way, what this game might well be is the most entertaining one of the entire weekend. 

Pick: Broncos

Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

It's quite certain that NBC expected a great head-to-head battle between Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson when this game was booked, but they'll have to settle for Jacoby Brissett instead. Wilson, for his part, was great against Tennessee, tossing four touchdowns and generally doing his part to get a win. Problem was, the usually stout Seahawks defense got shredded on the ground and through the air. The aerial worries should be lessened against Brissett, who was sharp but not statistically staggering against the Browns. It certainly is tough to picture the Colts' offense doing anything positive on a consistent basis, especially with the game in Seattle, but then again, the Seahawks weren't impressive in their one win this year, at home against a similarly challenged 49ers offense. Seattle will win, but whether or not they can win by more than a touchdown or ten points is another, much more interesting story.

Pick: Seahawks

Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The Chiefs have been the league's most impressive team through three weeks, and Kareem Hunt has been this season's breakout star. Suddenly, "game manager" Alex Smith has some electrifying weapons, and he too can do no wrong. A healthy Justin Houston has invigorated the pass rush, and Kansas City is forcing turnovers, to boot. There is no reason to expect those trends to suddenly reverse against Washington, even after they thumped Oakland in impressive fashion last week. Kirk Cousins has been very good thus far, but he lacks the kind of high-end weapons, outside of the versatile Chris Thompson, necessary to compete with the Chiefs. Plus, the game is at Arrowhead. Somehow, I think the going will be a bit rougher for Cousins in this one. Hunt, Smith and the Chiefs will roll.

Pick: Chiefs