NFL week 4 predictions
So last week brought more shocks, both in results and refereeing performances, but Ed Hochuli and co. are back this week, so instead, we will be able to focus on the football, where the previously invincible looking 49’ers lost to the Vikings and the Seahawks consigned Green Bay’s offensive juggernaut to a 1-2 start, who’d have thought that would be the case by week 4? Not me, I’m currently 23-25 this year.
So how could week 4 pan out? Here are my predictions…
[BYES: Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts]
Friday 1:20am
Cleveland Browns 13-37 Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens were slightly fortunate to beat the Patriots on Sunday night, but the game was out of control most of the time, so there’s not much we can take from it apart from that we were obviously watching two good football teams who will be there or there abouts come the end of the year. The Browns are a work in progress, and won’t be ready for a well drilled unit like Baltimore.
Sunday 6:00pm
Carolina Panthers 20-41 Atlanta Falcons
I have said since the start of the season that the Falcons would be a team to watch, and after last week’s defensive performance where they limited Philip Rivers and the Chargers to just 3 points, they are really looking like a complete team. The Panthers haven’t taken the step up that I expected, and are allowing the Falcons to dominate the NFC South as a result. Cam Newton needs to wake up from the dreaded sophomore slump to give Carolina a chance in this one, as the defense will get passed all over by the on-fire Matty Ice.
New England Patriots 23-16 Buffalo Bills
The Patriots will be seething after the past two weeks and two losses that could have been avoided. But there won’t be any panic at Foxboro’, and their trip to Buffalo will be seen as an opportunity to reassert their domination of the AFC East. The Bills have got to 2-1 under the steam of CJ Spiller, but he will probably miss this game, while Fred Jackson may not be 100% fit to return, so their run game will rest on Tashard ‘the people’s’ Choice, not exactly the best option around. If the Pats can slow down Ryan Fitzpatrick, they should win this game, but you never know what to expect from the Buffalo defense, they could cause Tom Brady issues, even if his offensive line does seem to be improving. But I’ll side with the current AFC champs on this one.
Minnesota Vikings 24-40 Detroit Lions
I don’t think even the most dedicated Vikings fans expected their team to beat San Francisco last week, but win they did. So does this make them a good team? Not really. The Lions will steamroller Minnesota’s porous secondary, even if they struggle to deal with Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and Christian Ponder on the defensive side of the ball. Expect a large day for Calvin Johnson, even if Shaun Hill is at QB, and watch out for Mikel Leshoure, who had a breakout game last week and looks a talented running back.
Tennessee Titans 17-30 Houston Texans
The Titans finally clicked on offense last week, even if it was against a banged-up Detroit secondary, and they will need to be at that level at least again to stand a chance in this game. Houston looks the best team in the AFC right now, and are showing, game-by-game, that they can do everything a team needs to do on a football field. Look for Arian Foster to have a huge statistical day in a game that could send the Titans crashing back down to earth.
San Diego Chargers 27-23 Kansas City
The AFC West is looking more and more like it could be an 8-8 four way tiebreaker division, so these divisional matchups are important. Every team in the division is inconsistent and could be anything on any given day. The Chargers and the Broncos look the candidates to win it right now, but who knows. San Diego will take advantage of a poor-looking Kansas City defense in this one, and the game will hinge on the Chargers’ defensive play. If they have a decent game, I would back Philip Rivers to take care of this one, but they could find themselves in a battle if Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe are allowed to become important parts of this game.
San Francisco 49’ers 30-10 New York Jets
The 49’ers will consign last week’s defeat to the trash can and start again where they left off in week 2, so watch out Jets, this defense will be out to get you. I could feasibly see Mark Sanchez and the Jets being shut out here, but I’m not that bold to predict it. I am bold enough however to say that the Jets without all-universe CB Darelle Revis are a shell of what they were, and could slide to a very poor record, beginning here. Expect calls for TebowTime after this beat down.
Seattle Seahawks 20-6 St Louis Rams
The NFC West is now an intriguing division, with tough defenses and talented offenses, a big change from last year’s teams. The Seahawks were on the end of one of the worst calls in NFL history against the Packers, and were handed a win because of it, however we shouldn’t take away the fact that their defense only allowed the Green Bay offense one TD and two field goals, while sacking Aaron Rodgers EIGHT times in the first half alone! Now if they can hold the Pack to 12, they can surely give rookie QB Russell Wilson and RB Marshawn Lynch a chance to win this game against a St Louis Rams team that is in transition, and not yet a force in the division.
Sunday 9:05pm
Miami Dolphins 9-23 Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are 3-0, and they look good. Even with Kevin Kolb at QB. But it is the Arizona defense that is causing a stir in the league, by limiting the Patriots and hammering Michael Vick and the Eagles in successive weeks, so surely the Dolphins should feel the pain as well, especially without their main offensive weapon Reggie Bush, who could be out for a few weeks with injury. With the Cards at home, this one seems a no brainer to me.
Oakland Raiders 17-27 Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning’s Broncos are a difficult team to place at the moment. They show promise in their pass rush and on offense, but just as it looks good, Willis McGahee goes down with an injury again. Their secondary is a little vulnerable and compromises the good work Manning and his offense does. The Raiders’ surprise win against the Steelers last week was more about Pittsburgh’s ageing defense than anything else, but Oakland does have an explosive offense that can cause problems with its speed and athleticism. However, I don’t think it will be enough to keep up with Manning in Denver this week.
Cincinnati Bengals 30-19 Jacksonville Jaguars
This is a tale of two defenses, one in the Bengals that has shown weakness, but could end up strong with the return of players from injury, and another in the Jaguars’ D that has been playing at a decent level, but simply doesn’t have the talent to keep that up. If the Jags allow AJ Green and home run hitter Andrew Hawkins to become big parts of this game, then they could lose by a margin. If the Bengals are clever, they will put all their eggs into the ‘stop MJD’ basket and take their chances with QB Blaine Gabbert, because he simply can’t compete with Andy Dalton in a shootout.
Sunday 9:25pm
New Orleans Saints 17-44 Green Bay Packers
The Pack were absolutely fuming about what happened in Seattle, not just the call at the end of the game, but with their offensive play especially. Pass protection, route running and QB decision making were not what we would expect from Green Bay, and I would count on a reaction from them this weekend. So where else to show your strength than at the worst defense in the league right now: in New Orleans. It seems that no matter what Drew Brees does, he cannot keep pace with anyone because of that D. There is potential for this one to get out of hand if Rodgers and co. hit stride early.
Washington Redskins 16-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
RG3’s monster start to the season is beginning to hit a rough patch, in part due to his offensive line struggles, in part due to his receivers getting hurt and in part down to an injury hit defense not being able to get him back out on the field. This trend could get a whole lot worse in Tampa on Sunday. This is a terrible matchup for the Skins, as the Bucs’ run D is currently the best in the league, so Washington’s rookie QB will have to throw a lot, but with no time in the pocket, expect a few mistakes that could cost the Redskins the game. Josh Freeman and Vincent Jackson could have a good statistical game, while rookie running back Doug Martin is making a quietly impressive start to his NFL career. I like what Greg Schiano has done in Tampa Bay, going back to an old-school philosophy, and I think the Bucs take this game quite easily.
Monday 1:20am
New York Giants 31-23 Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday night’s game is a very tough one to call simply because a different Philadelphia Eagles team turns up every week. Michael Vick can’t be trusted at the moment, even though the return of Jeremy Maclin will help, and their previously impressive looking defense seemed out of sorts against Arizona. The Giants on the other hand, were impressive in their rout of the Panthers, and coming off a long week, will be prepared for this one. Martellus Bennett is a real X-factor in that offense, while the return of Ahmad Bradshaw will create a threatening one-two punch with Andre Brown who exploded in his absence. Eli really does have a wealth of targets to work with on offense, but this game will inevitably be decided by the pass rush of the G-men, if they can get to Vick early and often, it will be another bad night for the Eagles, and right now, Philadelphia’s O-line isn’t doing enough to convince me that won’t happen.
Tuesday 1:30am
Chicago Bears 16-20 Dallas Cowboys
Monday night football throws up a very interesting matchup in Dallas between two teams that have huge potential on both sides of the ball. Dallas’ credentials rest on the shoulders of Tony Romo, and how well he stands up behind a below-average offensive line, while their defense is a gradually improving unit, with talent all the way through it. Chicago’s chances have always traditionally rested with their defense, and CB Tim Jennings is having a monster season up till now, but the Bears could now have the best crop of offensive weapons they have possessed in at least a decade and are praying that QB Jay Cutler steps up to be the pro-bowl signal caller many believe him to have the talent for. This is a very tight game, but I was impressed with the toughness Dallas showed in defeating the Bucs, and DeMarcus Ware could go home with a few sacks to his name if J’Marcus Webb starts at left tackle again, so at home I’ll stick with the Cowboys.