NFL Week Four Predictions
Srikar Kalapala and Josh Xue
Week three featured a lot of big-time defensive battles, which ultimately led to fewer points on the scoreboard. Week four features a couple of key contender matchups. Here are our predictions for what it might entail.
Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) vs. Miami Dolphins (3-0)
Dolphins. Are the Dolphins actually legit? A hard-fought divisional matchup win has certainly boosted their case. The Bengals, on the same note, have started to find their rhythm after their comfortable win over the Jets. I do want to pick the Bengals purely because of the debut of those sick white tiger helmets, but it looks like they are starting 0-1 in them because I’M ON THE TUA TRAIN THIS WEEK. Dolphins win it with a late touchdown from Tua.
–Josh Xue
Dolphins. The Dolphins proved they are a serious contender in the AFC after a huge win against their rival Bills. I’m not sure how Tua was allowed to come back in that game that early with what looked like some sort of concussion, but I really like this team. The Bengals will keep this game close, and could even win with their home-field advantage, but I have no reason to not pick the Dolphins until they cool off.
–Srikar Kalapala
New Orleans Saints (1-2) vs. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)
Vikings. I think the Vikings can make a push this year to be a playoff team and I am not so sure what this Saints team is made of. Jameis Winston has struggled at best in these first 3 weeks, but I’m sure having a fractured back doesn’t help. The Vikings have been on the right side of history in this matchup for the past couple of meetings, but look out for a Dalvin Cook injury.
–Srikar Kalapala
Detroit Lions (1-2) vs. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)
Lions. Both of these teams are coming off games they could have won, and for the Lions, a game they should have won. Leading 24-14 late in the game proved to be not enough, as the Vikings came back to win it. I think the Lions have enough at home against the Seahawks.
–Srikar Kalapala
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) vs. New York Jets (1-2)
Steelers. Joe Flacco is actually one of the leading passers through three weeks, but I don’t think the Jets can withhold this Steelers pass rush, even without Watt. Throw in home-field and I think the Steelers can pull it off.
–Srikar Kalapala
Tie. Yes, you read that right, I’m predicting a tie. Prepare your eyes, ladies and gentlemen, this could get ugly in terms of the quality of football play. Both teams are just a couple of plays away from being 0-3. Unless you are a die-hard fan of either team, there should be no reason to expose yourself to this game. Trubisky vs Flacco, need I say more?
–Josh Xue
New York Giants (2-1) vs. Chicago Bears (2-1)
Bears. One of these teams is going to be 3-1 after week four. Daniel Jones was out there running for his life on Monday, and he got hit a lot. He might or not might not be a bust, but the Giants have been terrible at finding o-line talent. I like the Bears defense here, and this game might get a little sloppy.
–Srikar Kalapala
Giants. It’s funny how these 2 teams will face each other with winning records. Even though the Giants are 0-3 against the Bears since 2018, I have a sneaky feeling that they pull off the upset here even without Sterling Shepard who is out for the season with an ACL tear. Justin Fields looked really bad on Sunday against the Texans D. It looks like HC Matt Eberflus doesn’t completely trust Fields just yet as they will likely need to utilize the run game again. I might regret making this pick but I’m a certified Bears-hater.
–Josh Xue
Indianapolis Colts (1-1-1) vs. Tennessee Titans (1-2)
Titans. The Colts got their win gift wrapped to them by the Chiefs, but credit to the Colts for capitalizing on their opportunities. The Titans are coming off a win against the Raiders, and almost choked that one away too. These two teams were projected to be serious playoff contenders before the season, but both of them still look like they are in a funk. History shows the Titans have gotten the better of the Colts in the past couple of years, so that is my pick.
–Srikar Kalapala
Houston Texans (0-2-1) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2)
Chargers. I have no idea why Justin Herbert was cleared to play in the first place, but I am even more dumbfounded on why Brandon Staley didn’t take him out of the game once the score got run-up. Credit the Jaguars for coming in and taking advantage of a team that looked lost out there. Houston on the other hand is coming off a winnable game against the Bears, but it doesn’t help when your run defense is trash. I like the Chargers in this game with or without Herbert, as I think Austin Ekeler will prove to be too much.
–Srikar Kalapala
Atlanta Falcons (1-2) vs. Cleveland Browns (2-1)
Browns. It’s crazy that with the exception of a couple of plays, both of these teams could be 3-0 right now. Credit to the Browns for being able to win games with Jacoby Brissett at the helm, and I think the Browns run game will be the difference in this one.
–Srikar Kalapala
Falcons. I’m going to go with a pretty bold pick here, but I think the Falcons can pull this one off. With the emergence of Cordarrelle Patterson at RB and the young receiving core starting to gel this Falcons team is a dangerous matchup for any team in the league. The Browns will have to stay on their toes this game because the Falcons like to keep games close. Falcons win it with a late drive into field-goal range and Younghoe Koo gets it done.
–Josh Xue
Dallas Cowboys (2-1) vs. Washington Commanders (1-2)
Cowboys. Cooper Rush is 3-0 in his starts, and he looks amazing. Washington poses a threat with their pass rush, but Dallas’ defense has been absolutely ferocious through the first three weeks and will torment Carson Wentz again.
–Srikar Kalapala
Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)
Eagles. The Eagles actually look like the best team in football right now. Jalen Hurts has taken a huge step forward, and that defense is looking very good. The Jaguars could have a Cinderella story this year, but I don’t think they can pull this one off in Doug Pederson’s revenge game.
–Srikar Kalapala
Jaguars. Am I picking the Jaguars to upset the Eagles just because I am starting James Robinson this week? Yes. Hear me out people, the Jaguars MAY be 1-18 on the road in the past 2 years and the spread MAY be -6.5 favoring the Eagles… BUT I like my odds(said every gambler ever). Anyways, contrary to what Srikar said I am a firm revenge-game believer. Doug Pederson has instilled a new culture in Jacksonville and Trevor Lawrence has had a couple of pretty good games. If you have any doubts about my pick let me just say that the analysts at CBS Sports also have the Jaguars winning by a field goal. So, I may be somewhat of an expert myself. Hire me CBS.
–Josh Xue
Baltimore Ravens (2-1) vs. Buffalo Bills (2-1)
Ravens. Is this pick crazy? Yes. But I think this Baltimore team has a running game that can keep Josh Allen off the field, and I don’t think the Bills can cover Mark Andrews as Jordan Poyer might not play, and Micah Hyde is out for the season. Stefon Diggs struggled last week matched up on Xavien Howard, and the Ravens secondary is pretty good. If Poyer does play, I think the Bills could squeak out a win, but if he doesn’t, I like the Ravens at home.
–Srikar Kalapala
Carolina Panthers (1-2) vs. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
Cardinals. The Cardinals should probably be 0-3 right now, but even so, Kyler Murray is still Kyler Murray, and despite a new video game coming out in a couple of weeks, I will pick him to win a game against a Panthers team that doesn’t look good either.
–Srikar Kalapala
Panthers. The Cardinals barely snuck past the Raiders with an overtime win in Vegas. The Panthers meanwhile, put up a dominant display over the Saints by keeping them scoreless through 3 quarters. The key for the Panthers to win the game is to run the offense through Christian McCaffrey. Using advanced metrics from ESPN, the Cardinals are ranked 31st with a 26% run-stop win rate. The Panthers are 3rd in the league for run-block win rate. As a unit they win their battles 76% of the time. What does all this mean? McCaffrey is going to have loads of fantasy points this week.
–Josh Xue
Las Vegas Raiders (0-3) vs. Denver Broncos (2-1)
Raiders. If I could, I would just not pick this game, but here we are. I’m probably crazy for picking a team that is 0-3 right now, but Denver just doesn't look good right now despite their 2-1 record. Their defense was able to do enough to help Denver win with a whopping 11 points, but I don’t think it is sustainable, and I think this might be the week the Raiders finally get their offense going. With the exception of week 1, Davante Adams has been quiet, and they still almost came back against the Titans. I think the Raiders might regret not keeping Rich Bisaccia as their head coach by the end of this season, but we’ll see how everything plays out. By the way, their playoff chances have plummeted; since 1990, only 2.5% of 0-3 teams have made the playoffs. Until Denver shows me that their offense actually resembles an offense, I can’t pick them to win.
–Srikar Kalapala
Raiders. This is a pretty easy pick in my books. With arguably the worst Sunday Night Football game in recent memory, the Denver Broncos came out victorious with an 11-10 win over the 49ers. Surprisingly, the game wasn’t a scoregami (a scoregami is a scoring combination that has never happened in the history of the league). I totally agree with Srikar Kalapala. This Denver offense needs to get its stuff together because it is a mess. The Broncos fall victim to the winless Raiders in Vegas.
-Josh Xue
Green Bay Packers (2-1) vs. New England Patriots (1-2)
Packers. I’m worried about this Packers team. I know that sounds crazy to say after a big-time win against a team that has given us nightmares in the past, but in the Matt Lafleur era, the Packers offense has been non-existent after they get punched in the mouth. The game against the Bucs reminded me too much of the Niners game in the Divisional last year, and that wasn’t the only one. I still think they will have a great season (hopefully #14 is on the way), and I think they can cruise to a win against a Patriots team that will be without Mac Jones this week.
–Srikar Kalapala
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (2-1)
Chiefs. The Bucs offense has been MIA for the past three weeks, with or without Mike Evans. The good news for the Bucs is that they are still 2-1 on the season because their defense is playing lights out under HC Todd Bowles. I think the Chiefs can win this game after getting upset by the Colts last week in a game they should have won if not for special teams miscues.
–Srikar Kalapala
San Francisco 49ers (1-2) vs. Los Angeles Rams (2-1)
49ers. I might regret making this pick, but I’m big into the history of matchups like these, and history tells me that Kyle Shanahan’s Niners teams have gotten the better of Sean McVay’s Rams consistently in the regular season. Jimmy G could rebound this week and I think this Niners team can continue that trend against the team that came back to beat them in the NFC Championship Game.
–Srikar Kalapala
Rams. I’m picking the Rams because I don’t like the 49ers (non-biased Packer fan obviously).
