NFL Week 4 Predictions!!

Week 4 of the NFL!

Ok, I was wrong about The Rams, but right about The Niners winning the game. I gotta say, I thought The Rams were gonna be at least decent this year. They have the talent and an ok defense, but they're still The Rams. I wanna give Bradford the benefit of the doubt here, but I'm starting to lose faith in him myself. Niners dominated them 35-11. Looking back on what they used to be, The Rams are sad. 

Time to get into Week 4 with my picks! Got some very interesting games on the schedule.

Baltimore @ Buffalo 

- The Ravens have struggled to consistently score points and produce in the passing game. Last week, they had a spark putting up 30 against The Texans. The Ravens sorely miss the presence of Jacoby Jones. Flacco pretty much just throws in the direction of Torrey Smith as his other receivers aren't a sure thing. I see them trying to get Dallas Clark more involved. Clark has a habit of dropping passes, but I believe he should be involved a little more to provide some stability to that passing game. The Bills looked good in their showing against The Jets. E.J. Manuel is solid young QB, but their team is a liability defensively. Playing in Buffalo will be a challenge because that crowd can get rowdy. I fully believe The Ravens will go into Buffalo and get the job done. Won't be surprised if the Bills don't go down without a fight. 

Prediction: Ravens defeat Bills

Cincy @ Cleveland

UPSET ALERT!

- This game is gonna be a lot closer than people think. Cleveland actually beat Cincy by 10 in Cleveland last season. The Brows always play their divisional foes tough and this in-state rivalry is always fun to watch. At Home, Cleveland's defense gets a much needed boost and plays well. Their pass rush and ability in the secondary can be underrated at times. Nothing special, but a bend, don't break type of defense. The Browns have found bonafide weapons in Bess, Little, and Jordan Cameron. Cameron is gonna be huge for them in this game. Hoyer is gonna throw a lot of passes his way. Cameron might be a difficult match up, even for Cincy's great defensive players. 

We already know how good the Bengals defense is. Hoyer is gonna struggle early on trying to pass on this team, or even get the pass off because of Cincy's Front 7, but it's all about adjustments. I think The Browns, coming off a last second win in Minnesota, are feeling good right now and are ready to take that next step with Hoyer. I'm not saying they'll win the division or anything, but I'll take them to win this game over Cincy. Dalton will get his points throwing to his weapons like Sanu and of course AJ, but in Cleveland, I think this one goes to The Browns. That's my upset pick of the week. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. The Bengals will definitely get theirs back in Cincinnati. 

Prediction: Browns defeat Bengals

Chicago @ Detroit

- Another interesting one. The Bears are 3 years removed from being in the NFC Championship and finishing off Jay Cutler's nice reign as the Bears QB. They haven't even been back in the playoffs since. Now, here they sit at 3-0, heading to 2-1 Detroit, a team that also wants to get back to the playoffs. Most of the Lions receivers are injured. Stafford's primary weapons will be Megatron and Ryan Broyles, who had a good showing last week. I think The Lions will be able to adjust and produce points in the passing game. Cutler has shown that he can produce points and effectively throw the ball down field if he has time in the pocket. I think this game will come down to the battle of turnover. Which team can cause that fumble, or make that interception to put the other team away. The Bears scored 23 points off turnovers against Pittsburgh. I want to give this game to Detroit because they're at home, but I don't believe they can get it done. Chicago has just a better team, and their defense will be the key to this one. If they can stop Megatron, which is HARD to do, they've got this one. I have Chicago going 4-0.

Prediction: Bears defeat Lions

Seattle @ Houston

- Seattle is DOMINANT at Home, but this a true test to see if they can play the same on the road. We've got two hard hitting teams that like to force turnovers, really bring the pressure and close some gaps to bottle up the running game. Matt Schaub will have a hard time against this #1 ranked Seattle defense. They can really rush the passer and their hard hitting secondary is so lethal. The Houston secondary on the other hand is also pretty good. Wilson will get his. He's got the receivers to do so. This is the same Houston team that let Christian Ponder and AP torch them last season. I predict Wilson be rattled at first, but once he adjust to their defense, he'll get his. He can also hand it off to Lynch and let him do this thing if anything. Houston is good home team, but I like the Seahawks in this game. 

Prediction: Seahawks defeat Texans

Indy @ JAX

- The Colts just came off a dominating win on the road against a formidable opponent, The San Francisco 49ers, blowing them out 27-7. They're looking good and Andrew Luck is showing no signs of a sophomore slump. The Jaguars maybe one of the worst teams, but they do play Divisional foes tough. But it's always a safe bet to take the team playing against Jacksonville. The Colts win this one and move to 3-1. I'm really intrigued to see Indy play Houston in Week 9 to really test how far they've come. They need this win because they're next three games are a doozie: Hosting Seattle, on the road against San Diego, and then the BIG one, Week 7 hosting Peyton Manning and The Denver Broncos. A win here could prepare them for the tough stretch and at least keep their record strong.

Prediction: Colts defeat Jaguars

NYG @ KC

-  The Giants have been playing badly. No better way to put it than that. Eli already leads the league in turnovers, and their defensive gives up a ton of points. This resulted in them being 0-3. And now they go to 3-0 Kansas City. The reason I don't fully believe in The Chiefs is because Alex Smith doesn't take a lot of chances. Alex Smith is Mr. Checkdown. He throws those slants, bootlegs, and intermediate passes, he never attempts any passes down the field even though he has a receiver like Dwayne Bowe on his team. He took some chances with The Niners, but not so much with KC. What if The Giants take away those short passes? Smith will have to throw down the field and sometimes he can do it effectively, and sometimes he can't. If Smith just throws 5 yard pass after 5 yard pass and moves down the field, Giants won't be able to win because Smith is efficient in this kind of offense. This is why it works for him. 

It's hard to choose, but if The Giants can't beat a team like Carolina, who probably isn't going anywhere this season, how can they beat a team that's tactical offensively and aggressive defensively like The Chiefs? I'm gonna make a bold prediction and pick The Giants. The Chiefs are a good team, but The Giants are gonna want this game a little more and play with some fire. At least, I think they will. They very well could lay an egg like last week. But I can't see them starting off 0-4. I'll take The G-Men in a close one. 

Prediction: Giants defeat Chiefs

Pittsburgh @ Minnesota

- Oh yes, The London Game. Two teams that haven't played up to their expectations. The Vikings offense runs through Adrian Peterson which makes them one-dimensional because The Vikings passing game isn't as good as it was last season with Percy Harvin opening up more opportunities. The Steelers, on the other hand, haven't looked at least decent. They've had poor showings in all their games so far. You could say Ben has no weapons, or because his lost his Center, he doesn't get the protection he needs. This is a weird game, there's no clear cut one-sided winner in this one. Vikings have an Ace with A.P. but Pittsburgh won't start off the season 0-4. I'll take The Steelers. Ben finds some rhythm in the passing game and he makes enough plays to lead his team to the W.

Prediction: Steelers defeat Vikings

Arizona @ Tampa Bay

- Poor Josh Freeman. Getting benched and a rookie starting over him. I don't really watch College Football anymore so I can't comment on whether or not this kid is good. He'll have his hands full. Arizona definitely has a solid defense and rattle the young guy. The battle between Fitz and Revis will interesting to watch. The kid's got some weapons in Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, but how will he fare against this Arizona defense? I think it'll be a rough outing for this young guy and Carson Palmer's team gets the win. The Cardinals are just a better Football team than Tampa Bay. The struggles will continue for The Bucs.

Prediction: Cardinals defeat Buccaneers

NYJ @ Tennessee

- This is gonna be an interesting one. Both teams are 2-1, both young QB's have been playing well so far this season. The Jets have played well against the run, but they haven't faced a running back like Chris Johnson yet. I believe they'll limit his runs and the game will be in Locker's hands. Locker's receiving core has been inconsistent. Kenny Britt hasn't played like Kenny Britt we've seen in the past, but Nate Washington has come on as a go to guy. Either him, or Kendall Wright. Locker is a young stud of a QB and definitely opened some eyes leading the offense in that comeback win against San Diego. I think Geno has found another weapon besides Holmes, in Hill. 

I see a nice defensive struggle in the early going as it should be. The Titans defense do a great job of rushing the passer and disrupting the QB's rhythm. If The Jets offensive line can give Geno some time, he can expose The Titans soft spot in the defense and make some plays over the middle and produce some points. Can Locker put up points against this team? He'll struggle to put up points because of his inconsistent receivers, but if he can get into a rhythm and make some plays down the field and his guys show up, they can pull this one out. 

Both defenses will be the key in this game. When you have two young QB's, it's all about who makes the first mistake and who makes that one big play. I like the way Geno's been playing, his poise in the pocket, and his arm. I like Locker's ability and efficiency. This is gonna be a good one. But in Tennessee, I gotta give the edge to The Titans. 

Prediction: Titans defeat Jets

Philly @ Denver

- Philadelphia is an inconsistent team that can't play defense. Their offense is fast, they've got a great running attack with Lesean McCoy, and can move down the field. But again, they can't play defense. The Broncos pass rush can also be inconsistent, so Vick may find some lanes to run in and make some plays in the passing game. Denver, on the other hand, looks like they're gonna go Undefeated. They are an offensive juggernaut with Peyton Manning at the helm and that defense is lethal now and they're still missing some pieces. Imagine how dangerous they'll be once everybody's back and healthy. In Denver, Peyton will have his way with this defense. Sure Philly will make some plays and get off the field and rattle Manning in a little, but once all is said and done, it'll come down to whether or not The Eagles defense can stop Peyton Manning. Something no team has been able to do yet. I got Denver going 4-0. Too much offense, too much Manning, and don't underestimate that defense. It's Philly's #1 rushing offense vs Denver's #1 rushing defense. Something's gotta give here. 

Prediction: Broncos defeat Eagles

Washington @ Oakland

- Both these teams have looked bad so far this season. I think it's worse for Washington because their expectations were so high coming off last season's success. But look at them. RG3 looks like he's scared to run and scared to re-injure that leg again and without his running, he can't properly succeed in the passing game like he did last season. Then, right across the field, you have a guy in Terrelle Pryor who's proven to be a QB that can maybe lead Oakland into the future if he becomes more polished and the front office makes the right moves. I'm gonna go ahead and take Washington to finally get a win and beat The Raiders.

Prediction: Washington defeats Oaklan

Dallas @ San Diego

- I remember years ago, people were picking these teams to compete in The Super Bowl. They always fall just short of their expectations. With Washington, Philly, and New York reeling, the Cowboys have a chance to put a little strangehold on this division. Tony Romo is playing well like he has been every year. I don't know why people underestimate this guy. His playmaking ability is up there and he can throw the ball down the field. It also helps that he's got Dez Bryant and Demarco Murray on his side to help balance out the offense. The Chargers are all sorts of messed up. They have such a choke factor. Houston, then Tennessee. San Diego is a good team that just can't seem to close out games when it counts. 

Philip Rivers is also a decent playmaker when he has to. He's got his money receivers and a decent runner in the backfield. This will be a battle of the QB's. Romo vs Rivers. I have faith that Romo will make and extend plays and produce points on this defense. The Chargers are just a weird team whose inconsistency is why I can't really take them seriously going forward. The Cowboys are smelling blood in the NFC East and want to gain a little breathing room. Even on the road in San Diego, I got those Cowboys.

Prediction: Cowboys defeat Chargers

New England @ Atlanta

- Brady is still without Gronk and still without Amendola. But he looks he found a little chemistry with his rookie receivers, Dobson and Thompkins. But he still has Julian Edleman out there making plays as well. But The Patriots are still lucky to be 3-0. They should be 1-2. They narrowly escaped Buffalo, winning on a last second FG and The Jets were one big play away from beating them in Foxboro. They're going on the road against an offensively disciplined team like The Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons haven't looked like The Falcons of last season, but they're still a good Football team. 

Let's be real, The Patriots haven't faced an offense like Atlanta yet. Julio Jones is still a beast on the outside and they have a dangerous tandem set in the backfield with Snelling and Rodgers. Playing Atlanta is one thing, but playing them on their home turf, a place where they almost never lose is something else. The Falcons defense will play them tight, give their receivers no space, jam them at the line and throw off Brady's composure. I don't think the Patriots can consistently move the ball on this offense, but Matt Ryan can surely move the ball on their defense. I'll take The Falcons to get the W. Don't be surprised if it's an easy W as well. 

Prediction: Falcons defeat Patriots

3-0 Miami @ 3-0 New Orleans 

- This one right here. Undefeated Miami vs Undefeated New Orleans. I gotta admit, I was surprised The Dolphins were able to beat Atlanta. The Dolphins are really playing some good Football. Their offense can really move the ball man. Ryan Tannehill has emerged as a stud, with poise in the pocket, and making plays. He's got Wallace/Hartline duo to thank as well. They don't open eyes with the running game, but they're efficient when they run the ball. Lamar Miller will see a lot of time if Tannehill can't get it going early. Watch their defense too. Cameron Wake and the pass rush love to swarm the QB and disrupt the momentum.

With Sean Payton back and running things, The Saints are once again offensively disciplined and their defense is playing well so far. We already know that with Drew Brees at the helm, The Saints will score points. That's a foregone conclusion. Their offense is hard to stop and Brees has got so many weapons to throw to and they've got a three headed running attack. Their defense is ranked #4 right now. Their pass rush is a tad shaky, but still effective and their secondary has improved. 

I think Miami is for real. If they pull this off, then I fully believe they can take the division as well. Bold prediction, I know. But playing New Orleans in the Super Dome on Monday Night Football is quite a feat. I like the way The Dolphins are playing right now. They'll be a hard team to stop going forward, but in THIS game, I gotta give it to The Saints. I don't know if Miami can make enough plays to contend with New Orleans at Home in this one. It'll be a close one, but with Drew Brees at Home, it's hard to pick against them. The party has to end for one of them.

Prediction: Saints defeat Dolphins

Got a lot of good games this week. Gonna be interested to see the outcome of some of them, especially that Monday Nighter in New Orleans. 

Enjoy the games!

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