The NFL just wrapped up its third week of action and teams are finally starting to get a better understanding of where their seasons are heading. With Week 4 on the horizon, we take a look at what could end up being the five best games of the week.
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams
The NFC West is going to be one tight division. This matchup is a battle of unbeaten teams between the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams. Kyler Murray has put up MVP-caliber numbers so far this season for the Cardinals, throwing for 1,005 yards and seven touchdowns while adding on 70 rushing yards and three more scores.
Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford has been equally as good for the Rams in his first year, throwing 942 yards and nine touchdowns. If the Rams and Cardinals continue winning at a high clip, Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray could be MVP favorites by the time these teams look swords again on December 13. Add on the fact that this is a division rivalry game and you can expect a high intensity grudge match to see who can remain undefeated.
Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos
The Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos make for an interesting matchup in Week 4. The Ravens miraculously pulled out back-to-back wins in games they were almost certain to lose. Meanwhile, Denver is undefeated but have played three teams with a combined 0-9 overall record to start the year off.
Lamar Jackson is always electric when he touches the field and it will be great to see how he fares against a very talented Denver squad led by Von Miller. The Broncos have the best defense of the teams the Ravens have faced, but the Ravens have the most grit of anyone Vic Fangio’s squad has faced.
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
The Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers make for yet another exciting divisional game. The Raiders are one of the few remaining undefeated teams and they have looked great, starting the season with three straight wins – albeit, two in overtime. Derek Carr seems poised and confident in the pocket and their defense has taken a serious step forward.
The Chargers look like they have finally turned a new leaf under Brandon Staley, their new head coach, as they could easily be 3-0. After the Chargers pulled off the upset in a Game of the Week candidate against the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend, this contest could end up going the same direction. It’s been a long time since a Raiders-Chargers matchup had so much flash, so this Week 4 contest should tell us which team is best prepared to challenge for the AFC West title.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots
The return of Tom Brady is the headline here. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lining up against the New England Patriots is surely to gain a ton of media attention. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will downplay the rivalry all week, but anyone who knows the competitive fire of the two men know this game has a special significance.
Brady has had a stellar year, throwing for 1,087 yards and ten touchdowns to just two interceptions on the year. On the other hand, the Patriots have had some success under the rookie Mac Jones, though they’re still just 1-2. It isn’t often that we see Brady in Gillette Stadium anymore, so Patriots fans have a chance to welcome home their Hall of Fame hero, while cheering the home team on to a much-needed win.
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
The Seattle Seahawks shockingly lost to the Minnesota Vikings last week, as their defense had no answer for a Dalvin Cook-less Vikings offense. The San Francisco 49ers also fell just short in an otherwise impressive comeback attempt against the Green Bay Packers.
Even though it’s early in the season, this is an important contest because the Cardinals and Rams are undefeated. With one of those teams set to go 4-0 this week, neither the Niners nor the Seahawks can afford to fall another game back. The Seahawks are an underdog here and are in danger of falling to 1-3, which would put them three games back already.