NFL Week 4: Most intriguing matchups, game picks, fantasy tips 🏈

NFL Week 4 is here … let’s hope the rest of the games are better than what transpired on “Thursday Night Football” at MetLife Stadium.
➤ About last night: Dallas Cowboys 20, New York Giants 15 — It was sloppy and penalty-riddled, as well as potentially painful, but the Cowboys grinded out a division win against the Giants and put a halt to a two-game losing streak. Maybe a team that had won 16 consecutive regular-season games at home before losing two straight at “Jerry World” is better off playing on the road. The Cowboys are 2-0 away from AT&T Stadium … granted those wins are against the Giants and Cleveland Browns, not exactly the cream of the crop in the NFL.
➤ Game of the week: Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens — After a concerning 0-2 start, the Ravens got right with a big win over the Dallas Cowboys last week. The Bills have looked like world-beaters so far this season, with their most recent exhibit being a 47-10 destruction of the Jacksonville Jaguars that was so decisive that some are pondering about Trevor Lawrence’s future as a starter. It’s early, and one team enters 3-0 while the other is 1-2, but this feels like a real tipping point for these two expected contenders’ seasons.
➤ Sneaky-good game of the week: Denver Broncos at New York Jets — It’s been 14 months, so some of the bad blood likely has simmered, but the beef between these two teams will be a talking point leading into, and during, Sunday’s game. In exclusive comments to USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell in July 2023, Broncos head coach Sean Payton blasted the job of his predecessor, Nathaniel Hackett, who is currently the Jets’ offensive coordinator. Aaron Rodgers, who has a long history with Hackett, defended his coach. Of course, Rodgers was injured and didn’t play in the two teams’ 2023 Week 5 game, but he will play in this one, and enters 321 passing yards from 60,000 for his career, a milestone reached by only eight other quarterbacks. Adding intrigue to this matchup is how well both teams played in Week 3: While the Jets clobbered the Patriots on “Thursday Night Football,” the Broncos came to life in a stunning win over the Buccaneers in Tampa.
➤ If NFL power rankings were like college football rankings game of the week: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers — This showdown pits two top-10 teams against each other, the No. 3-ranked Vikings vs. No. 6 Packers (according to Nate Davis’ latest power rankings), at legendary Lambeau Field. The availability of Jordan Love is the X-factor in this matchup. Malik Willis has been impressive while Love heals, going 2-0 as a starter despite joining the Packers on Aug. 26. Could Willis be a sub-package, dual-threat option even if Love returns? On the other sideline, vagabond quarterback Sam Darnold is in the early season MVP conversation, leading the league with eight touchdown passes (though Josh Allen is the MVP favorite at the moment). With a resurgent Darnold behind center and a stifling defense led by coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings look like the best team in the NFC (if not the entire NFL), boasting back-to-back eye-opening wins against the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans.
➤ Game I’m mildly interested in, and not just because I have Caleb Williams on my fantasy team: Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears — Despite a myriad of offseason additions that includes (but is not exclusive to) No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams, No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze, six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen and 2023 Pro Bowl running back D’Andre Swift, the Bears offense has been abysmal 😝. Check it out: The Bears rank 30th in total offense, 25th in passing offense, 31st in rushing offense and 22nd in points per game. The good news is that Allen, who has missed the last two games, is trending toward a return. Could this mean a breakout game for Williams? It would come a week after the player selected behind him in the 2024 draft, Jayden Daniels, had a show-stealing performance on “Monday Night Football.” The Rams, meanwhile, go to Soldier Field coming off a come-from-behind triumph in one of the season’s most exciting games.
➤ Just going to rank some games I’m mildly interested in watching without giving any context:
🚨 Public service announcement 🚨 If you’re still alive in USA TODAY Sports’ survivor pool (there are only 244 of 10,357 entries still alive, so well done!), please make sure to make your Week 4 pick!
📸: PHOTOS: Fans, mascots, cheerleaders and celebrities at NFL games
➤ Week 4 predictions: This is where USA TODAY Sports’ panel of experts has provided fans with the great public service of making prognostications for every game this weekend, both straight up and against the spread.
➤ Lorenzo’s best bets: Lorenzo Reyes is back with his favorite NFL bets for Week 4, including why he likes lines involving the Steelers, Commanders and Bills this weekend.
➤ NFL Week 4 betting odds: Which teams are favored this week?
➤ Power rankings: See how all 32 teams stack up after a wildly unpredictable Week 3. Do the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs retain the top spot despite not being overly impressive in their three wins?
➤ What is up with Travis Kelce? Kelce has just eight receptions for 69 yards and no touchdowns through the season’s first three games. What is going on? This is production unbecoming of a future Hall of Fame tight end. Chiefs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes don’t seem too concerned about it, though.
➤ Ranking the rookies: After some historic performances from first-year players in Week 3, USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis set out to rank the NFL’s top rookies. It may and/or may not surprise you that Caleb Williams is not among those rookies in the rankings.
➤ Checking in on the early season MVP race: The NFL season is only three weeks old, but there already are clear favorites for MVP. Let USA TODAY Sports’ Safid Deen break it down.
➤ Should the Steelers trade Russell Wilson? Justin Fields is getting in the way of a Wilson resurgence in Pittsburgh. However, a trade could help the veteran quarterback, who is in the twilight of his career, get back on the field soon. Here’s why, and where, it makes sense.
Whether your fantasy football team is off to a strong start, or you’re one of the unfortunate souls who has started the season 0-3, it’s important to optimize your roster. This also is the last week when all 32 teams will be playing before the bye weeks kick in during Week 5. Then you’ll really need to be paying attention!
➤ Fantasy rankings for Week 4: For your convenience, these position-by-position rankings were updated for this week’s games.
➤ Start ’em ⬆ and sit ’em ⬇ for Week 4: As is the case with the real NFL season, the fantasy football season has been wildly unpredictable. That’s why it’s imperative you pay attention to this list of eight players to start, and eight to sit this weekend.
➤ Start ’em 📈/sit ’em 📉 by position: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers | Defenses/special teams
➤ Risers and fallers: Find out why Caleb Williams, Chuba Hubbard and Marvin Harrison Jr. are looking up, and Patrick Mahomes, J.K. Dobbins and Michael Pittman Jr. are trending down.
➤ Fantasy trade value charts: These charts can be used as your very own fantasy football trade analyzer in standard, half-PPR (point per reception), and full PPR leagues. 📊
(All times Eastern)
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📅 Complete 2024 NFL schedule
Let’s revisit a classic game involving two teams who are facing off in NFL Week 4.
Back in the 1991 season, one of the most fun teams in league history, the Jerry Glanville/Deion Sanders Atlanta Falcons, squared off against the New Orleans Saints in the Louisiana Superdome in an NFC wild-card playoff game.
The Falcons won this somewhat forgotten gem of playoff encounter, 27-20. Come for the highlights, stay for what appeared to be a game-sealing pick-six that included two laterals, but was called back due to a penalty (still fun though!).
📸: PHOTOS: NFL teams wearing alternate or throwback uniforms
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