Week 4 of the NFL season is upon us, and we’re finally starting to realize where most teams are headed this season. Most of the same dominant teams from last year remain, like Philadelphia, Detroit, Tampa Bay, but other teams like Indianapolis, Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Chargers have either risen or fallen for one reason or another. Many of these squads have high-octane matchups this week, which I’ll be breaking down in this article. For more similar NFL content, check out my profile here.
These matchups were highlighted by my peers for this week but I’ll give you my breakdown.
Biggest NFL Week 4 Showdowns
Eagles @ Buccaneers
One of the most intriguing games of not just the week, but the season will be played during tomorrow’s first slate. While the Eagles offense has been less explosive than ever to start the year, they showed some signs of life in week three against the Los Angeles Rams. Jalen Hurts had his best performance of the season, throwing for over 200 yards and three touchdowns, making a concerted effort to get the ball to playmakers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. They’ll need to keep pace with one of the best offenses in the league, in the Buccaneers, led by MVP candidate Baker Mayfield.
Through three games, Mayfield has three game-winning drives and has been a significant reason for their success. One of the biggest questions in this matchup will be how the Eagles can cover Tampa’s deep receiving room. While PFF has the Eagles ranked 15th in pass coverage, their individual matchups leave much to be desired after Darius Slay’s exit this offseason. Top corner Quinyon Mitchell has slightly regressed so far compared to his rookie season, and No. 2 corner Adoree’ Jackson should frankly not be near a starting lineup. With Chris Godwin now back and joining Emeka Egbuka (and eventually Mike Evans), Eagles fans should be concerned with how they’ll manage to keep the trio under wraps.
Ravens @ Chiefs
Not many would think that both the Ravens and Chiefs would be 1-2 heading into their week 4 matchup, yet here we are. One of the top reasons for that, defensively, has been a lack of pass rush. For the Chiefs, they’ve been unable to find a consistent edge presence around Chris Jones and George Karlaftis. While both can be relied upon to get consistent pressure, the Eagles have shown us recently that teams need to have at least four consistent pass rushers, each rotating in and out of the lineup, to have a real chance of winning the Super Bowl.
On the opposing side, none of Baltimore’s top pass rushers outside of Nnamdi Madibuke have yet to record a sack. For quarterbacks who thrive at avoiding pressure, both Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson should be more than comfortable doing just that.
There have been bright spots for both offenses, but neither likely feels like they’ve hit their stride so far. Whoever establishes the run better will likely win the game, giving them control of the clock and opening up their playbook.
Colts @ Rams
The NFL’s Cinderella team travels out west this week to face the Los Angeles Rams. Though they’re currently undefeated, that could easily end this week. The Rams have one of the most talented and well-rounded rosters in the entire league, with Jared Verse and Byron Young becoming one of the top pass-rushing duos in front of our very eyes. Thankfully for the Colts, they’ve had the second-best offensive line play in the league to date, according to PFF, even after losing Will Fries and Ryan Kelly to the Vikings. This individual position matchup will be the foundation of the game, as Daniel Jones has been a completely different quarterback when given solid protection.
The other looming question pertains to the Colts’ defense – just how will they cover the receiving duo of Puka Nakua and Davantae Adams? While they’ve held up well enough in coverage so far, none of the Titans, Broncos or Dolphins exactly have an elite receiving corps. This will be there first real test for the secondary. How well they hold up this week will be a huge determining factor in their ability to walk out of Los Angeles with a win.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
