Week 3 of the NFL season saw some more eye-popping upsets while also featuring some nail-biters to keep football fans on the edge of their seats. With all the games in the books, it’s time to look at the Week 4 NFL games being played today.
Week 4’s NFL TV Schedule
Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers
- Time and Channel: 1:00 PM ET (CBS)
- Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
The week starts with an NFC North battle between the Vikings and Packers, who face off in Lambeau Field after their Week 3 wins. Injuries were a concern for both squads after hits to the QB room. The Vikings are rolling with Sam Darnold playing lights out through the first three weeks of the season. With solid wins over the 49ers and Texans, are the Vikings a serious NFC contender?
The Vikings have a +55 point differential this season. That’s the 2nd-best through 3 games in franchise history, trailing the 1975 season (+67 – finished 12-2, lost in the Divisional Round).
Denver Broncos at New York Jets
- Time and Channel: 1:00 PM ET (CBS)
- Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
After two rough outings, Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix finally kept the ball out of harm’s way and helped lead Denver to its first win of the season. While the offense looked better, the defense was firing on all cylinders, holding Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers to just seven points. Denver scored 2.60 points per drive on Sunday, more than triple their rate from the first two weeks (0.85).
The Broncos’ defense sacked Mayfield seven times while forcing two turnovers. If they can replicate that level of execution this week, they could wreak havoc on the Jets. However, New York looks much improved, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues to settle in after his Achilles injury. Breece Hall and rookie Braelon Allen are providing a quality one-two punch out of the backfield while New York’s investment in the offensive line is paying off.
Week 4: pic.twitter.com/asP7FhPsz7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 29, 2024
After losing the season opener to the 49ers, the Jets’ defense has vastly improved its performance. Last week, it shut down New England and took advantage of Titans QB Will Levis’ blunders. If the Jets can keep Rodgers clean, getting Nix to commit turnovers and unforced errors will help them cruise to a 3-1 start.
Rodgers was a perfect 6-6 for 88 yards last week when throwing from outside of the pocket, his most such completions in a game since Week 3, 2020.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts
- Time and Channel 1:00 PM ET (CBS)
- Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Don’t look now, but the Steelers are undefeated and have yet to have Russell Wilson start a game. However, given Justin Fields’ play so far this season, why change what’s working? Pittsburgh isn’t blowing anyone out, but Fields’ ability to move the ball down the field while avoiding mistakes has been massive for Pittsburgh.
With sustained drives, the defense is able to rest between outings and continue to be a suffocating force around the league. The Steelers’ defense has held opponents to 10 points or less in all three wins. Even more astonishing was holding a red-hot Chargers offense to just 168 yards.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans
- Time and Channel: 1:00 PM ET (CBS)
- Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
The final CBS early game features an AFC South showdown between the Jaguars and Texans. Houston had quite a time with Brian Flores’ defensive scheme in Minnesota, only mustering seven points in the Week 3 loss. While RB Joe Mixon was out, the added offensive weapons haven’t meshed as well as hoped, as the Texans’ offense struggles to maintain consistency.
Houston has the talent and the roster to make a quality postseason push but has to come together as one cohesive unit to make those postseason dreams a reality. Staying undefeated in the division would go a long way to making those dreams come true.
Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears
- Time and Channel: 1:00 PM ET (FOX)
- Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
What an impressive win from the Rams in Week 3. After losing WR Cooper Kupp to an ankle injury in Week 2 and already being down WR Puka Nacua, the odds didn’t look favorable against the 49ers. Nevertheless, Matthew Stafford and Co. fought back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to down San Francisco 27-24 on a late field goal to grab their first win of the season.
The Rams will be down Nacua and Kupp for some time, but having guys like Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington step up in their absence is massive for Stafford and Los Angeles’ overall success.
On the other hand, while Chicago saw some positives from the Week 3 matchup, some head-scratching decisions definitely contributed to the loss. The Colts had given up almost 500 yards in the first two weeks of the season. The Bears would attempt 52 passes, choosing not to test the Colts’ shady rushing defense, and would struggle offensively for most of the game.
Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Time and Channel: 1:00 PM ET (FOX)
- Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Week 3 was almost disastrous for the Eagles, but even with squeaking out a win against the Saints, head coach Nick Sirianni’s seat is red hot for the rest of the season. Up until the fourth quarter, the Eagles were shut out with little to no offensive success all day, constantly shooting themselves in the foot. However, once the fourth quarter hit, Saquon Barkley saved the day with two touchdowns as the Eagles outlasted the Saints 15-12.
Sirianni’s decision-making has been confusing, and it cost Philadelphia a week ago and almost cost them the win against New Orleans. While the win was important, Sirianni is not instilling much confidence in his ability to be the leader of this team. Jalen Hurts has thrown an interception in seven straight regular-season games, the longest streak by a NFC QB since former Eagle hero Nick Foles across three seasons (2018-20).
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
- Time and Channel: 1:00 PM ET (FOX)
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
The Saints’ incredible start to the season finally cooled against the Eagles’ defense after they were held to just 12 points in Week 3. Derek Carr looked more akin to last year’s version of the quarterback as the offense struggled to move after losing center Erik McCoy.
However, this loss came from late mistakes. After dominating the whole game, New Orleans’ defense gave up an unforgivable 61-yard completion to Dallas Goedert on 3rd-and-16.
They’ll have a divisional battle against a Falcons team that also, despite pushing the Chiefs to the limit, came up just short in their Week 3 battle. The offense looks leagues better, with Kirk Cousins running play-action two weeks in a row. However, that might not matter if Atlanta can’t find a way to effectively run the ball.
Cincinnati Bengals at Carolina Panthers
- Time and Channel: 1:00 PM ET (FOX)
- Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
After all the discussion about benching Panthers QB Bryce Young following two horrible outings to start the season, Andy Dalton started under center in Week 3 for Carolina and showed just how bad things really were in Young’s time as QB1.
The veteran QB led the team to 36 points as the Panthers took down the Raiders for their first win of the season. Can he lead another winning effort against his former franchise?
New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers
- Time and Channel: 4:05 PM ET (FOX)
- Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
After two weeks of solid outings, the Patriots from the past few seasons reared their heads in the 24-3 Thursday night loss. The offense struggled to do anything as the defense slowly gave way to the Jets’ offensive production. However, while Jacoby Brissett is struggling to get much going offensively for New England, watching what happened in Carolina should be a sign that, outside of injury, rookie QB Drake Maye should not start this season.
Not the greatest sign when the team is headed across the country to take on a 49ers team who will be motivated to get a win after their fourth-quarter collapse to the Rams in Week 3. However, they need to make massive improvements on defense and special teams if they want to make a postseason run. Through three weeks, San Francisco has struggled a fair bit more than fans are used to seeing.
Washington Commanders at Arizona Cardinals
- Time and Channel: 4:05 PM ET (FOX)
- Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
The final game in FOX’s early coverage sees the Commanders heading to State Farm Stadium to take on the Cardinals. After being an explosive unit the first two weeks, the Cardinals’ offense slowed down quite a bit in Week 3, scoring only 13 points. While not the greatest unit in the league, the Lions’ defense put together the performance of their lives, shutting down Arizona’s offense in the second half.
Cleveland Browns (1-2) at Las Vegas Raiders (1-2)
- Time and Channel: 4:25 PM ET (CBS)
- Location: Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, NV
The final game in CBS’ Week 4 coverage sees the Raiders hosting the Browns at Allegiant Stadium. Both franchises wish that Week 3’s losses were a nightmare. Unfortunately, they were real. The Browns are in crisis mode as injuries to the offensive line have hampered one of the strongest units on the roster. Through three weeks, the Browns have scored just 50 points (their fewest since 2019) and own a -17 point differential (their worst since 2017).
However, the Browns could get a break depending on the health of the Raiders’ defense. Despite playing last week, Maxx Crosby’s ankle injury was serious enough to hamper his performance. Without his elite pass-rushing ability, Vegas’ defense folded to the Panthers in an embarrassing outing. If Crosby is healthy, the Raiders should feast on the Browns’ less-than-ideal OL coverage.
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
- Time and Channel: 4:25 PM ET (CBS)
- Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Another divisional matchup in the late-afternoon window features an AFC West showdown between the Chiefs and Chargers in SoFi Stadium. The Chiefs remain undefeated after three close games to start the season. Isiah Pacheco’s leg injury hampers the offense a bit, but undrafted rookie RB Carson Steele performed well in his stead.
The bigger question surrounding the Chiefs is what is going on with the passing game and Travis Kelce? He has just six receptions for 69 yards, being outgained by WRs Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, and has not found the end zone yet this season.
The Chargers host the Chiefs after their first stumble of the season. The first two weeks looked great, but the suffocating Steelers offense shut down RB J.K. Dobbins and the Chargers’ offense. The Chiefs haven’t been as dominating as T.J. Watt’s crew, but they are no slouch. Los Angeles’ chances for an early divisional win rely on how well Justin Herbert’s high ankle sprain feels ahead of game time.
Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens
- Time and Channel: 8:20 PM ET (NBC)
- Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
The Ravens almost let a 22-point fourth-quarter lead evaporate in Dallas, but they escaped with a 28-25 victory. As the near-collapse in Dallas showed, closing games has been a problem. Baltimore ranks seventh in defensive EPA per play over the first three quarters (0.13) but 31st in the fourth quarter (-0.40).
Josh Allen has accounted for nine touchdowns, thrown zero interceptions, and completed 75% of his passes through three weeks, landing him atop the MVP betting market and putting him on a promising trajectory if history holds.
The Bills have a +64 point differential (outscoring opponents 112-48), the largest number through three weeks since the 2019 Patriots (+89).
This is a massive game in the AFC.