NFL Week 4 Picks: Trying To Get On Track Before October
It’s been a tough NFL season, not just for the league but my picks. Honestly, they’ve been terrible, but in the same sense there always is a chance to bounce back.
With this in mind it’s time to make my picks for the week:
Green Bay Packers [1-2] @ Chicago Bears [2-1]– These are going to be quick suggestions. I normally would pick the Bears in this one but they have too many injuries. Safety Chris Conte and cornerback Charles Tillman are among the injuries with the latter out for the season. Also not yet participating in practice yet this week is all-pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall and big free agent defensive end Jared Allen. So far, the Bears have survived so far. The Packers offense has underachieved this season ranking 21st in passing yards per game and 27th in rushing yards per game. I sense that will change. Packers 24 Bears 20
Buffalo Bills [2-1] @ Houston Texans [2-1]– Both teams have performed above expectations thus far in the season. I expect .500 at best for the Texans, but I still like them better than the Bills. Arian Foster will be a game time decision, so that makes this game hard to choose. Texans 21 Bills 17
Tennessee Titans [1-2] @ Indianapolis Colts [1-2]– Don’t be fooled by the records, the Colts rank third in the NFL in points and yards per game and fourth in pass yards per game. There were injury concerns to wide receivers T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne but both are now fully participating in practice which is a good sign for Sunday. The Colts has two tough games against Denver and Philadelphia top open the season but the 44-17 win last week over the Jacksonville Jaguars should help. Colts 35 Titans 18
Carolina Panthers [2-1] @ Baltimore Ravens [2-1]– This one depends on which Ravens team shows up. It’s been tough all season both on and off the field for Baltimore this season and this would be a signature win. The Pittsburgh Steelers exposed Cam Newton a little bit, and it’s clear that he is not at full strength yet. What is unknown is the status of defensive leader Terrell Suggs which would be a huge loss, if he is unable to go. With Greg Hardy out of the picture, the Panthers defense is not as good as it can be. Ravens 20 Panthers 17
Detroit Lions [2-1] @ New York Jets [1-2]– Not a big Jets fan this season. Geno Smith is too hot and cold for me. What has been improved is the Lions defense. Even in the lone loss thus far to the Carolina Panthers, 24 points were allowed which is a vast improvement from past seasons. Calvin Johnson’s ankle injury seems to be worse than expected, but honestly the Jets have been mostly flat this season, so if he were to miss this game it likely would not be a game changer. Lions 30 Jets 7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers [0-3] @ Pittsburgh Steelers [2-1]– The Buccaneers just do not have the fire power to beat the Steelers. Mike Glennon is expected to get his second start of the season and does not have enough pieces to help him. Tampa Bay’s 15 points per game is 29th in the NFL and the 271 total yards per game is third worst in the league. The quarterback play itself has been a cause for concern as 163.3 passing yards per game is a league worst. Pittsburgh is banged up defensively with three starters out, however there will not be too much of a test here. This is a good opportunity for Cortez Allen to show why he deserved his extension and for William Gay and Shamarko Thomas to get accustomed to expanded roles. Steelers 24 Buccaneers 10
Miami Dolphins [1-2] @ Oakland Raiders [0-3]– It has been a rough year for the Raiders who have a league worst 12.3 points per game and 254.3 total yards per game. In addition, they are third worst in passing yards per game [190] and second worst in rush yards per game [61.3]. The rushing numbers surprise me since the tandem of Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew on paper appeared to be good. The Raiders will have a chance in this game. Miami tends to rely on the seventh most efficient running game in the league which averages 137.3 yards a game, however starter Knowshon Moreno will be out for this game. That will put more pressure on Lamar Miller and ultimately quarterback Ryan Tannehill to perform. Who am I kidding, I still don’t think the Raiders have a chance. Dolphins 31 Raiders 3
Jacksonville Jaguars [0-3] @ San Diego Chargers [2-1]– The Jaguars do not stand much of a chance here. The Chargers are on a two game winning streak which started when they beat the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. This will serve as the first start for Blake Bortles who had mixed success last week. This Jaguars team is near the bottom in most major statistics which will continue through this game. Chargers 45 Jaguars 15
Atlanta Falcons [2-1] @ Minnesota Vikings [1-2]– This is a difficult game to project with Teddy Bridgewater is now the Vikings quarterback after Matt Cassel was lost for the season due to a foot injury. The Vikings also have had to deal with the drama surrounding Adrian Peterson. The Falcons are back after a disappointing year last season. It is ranked first in points per game [34.3], passing yards per game [333.7] and total yards per game [455]. This should be no contest. Falcons 38 Vikings 13
Philadelphia Eagles [3-0] @ San Francisco 49ers [1-2]– A confusing one for sure. The Eagles have said they do not start well in the first quarter and blame head coach Chip Kelly for that. The 49ers have underachieved this year and blame is on their head coach Jim Harbaugh. Ownership is not a big fan of his and if the losses continue, they will have more than enough reason to fire him. The 49ers badly need a signature win. On paper they are an average team, and this should be a team competing for a Super Bowl berth. The Eagles have done well averaging 33.7 points per game and 310.3 passing yards per game, both second in the NFL. I’m going to go out on a limb here and take the upset. 49ers 27 Eagles 25
New Orleans Saints [1-2] @ Dallas Cowboys [1-2]– This could be a Sunday night shootout but again the Cowboys may have one of the worst defenses of all time. The Cowboys were expected to pass a lot with Romo, but DeMarco Murray is part of a rushing attack that averages 156.7 yards a game, third best in the NFL. The Saints have the four most total yards, fifth best passing attack and seventh best scoring average. All told, this should be a fun game. Saints 42 Cowboys 38
New England Patriots [2-1] @ Kansas City Chiefs [1-2]– After a breakout season last year, the Chiefs have fallen back to reality. They are below average in most categories. The good news is that Jamaal Charles could return after missing last week’s 34-15 win against the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots have had a down season statistically. It’s been below average in most statistics but won both games against inferior competition in the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders, holding the teams to 16 total points. I wanted to see more from the Patriots against Oakland than the 16-9 final score provided and that concerns me. This is a bigger test than the loss to Miami this season and New England will have to rise to the challenge. Patriots 20 Chiefs 17