Buffalo (2-2) at Detroit (3-1)
Through one-quarter of the schedule, the Chargers' Philip Rivers has been the NFL's best quarterback. He has a 114.5 rating built on nine TD passes, one interception and a 70.1 completion percentage rate.
Prove it!
Pittsburgh (2-2) at Jacksonville (0-4)
Now Rivers faces a secondary filled with holes. Unless New York's pass rush overwhelms San Diego's blockers, the Jets will need a lot of points Sunday.
The Bengals have been abysmal in nationally televised night games, including 3-12 on Sunday night. They've been told about it as they head to Foxborough for the prime-time matchup with the struggling Patriots.
Arizona gets a similar opportunity and against, what is right now, a much stronger opponent. The Broncos fell at Seattle in their last game before a bye, and beat Indianapolis and Kansas City before that.
The Bengals have been all about defense — 33 points allowed — and protecting the ball. Dalton has thrown one interception, they haven't fumbled, and they have a plus-six turnover differential.
Something has gone terribly wrong with Carolina's defense, which looked strong for the first two games, but has plummeted to 23rd overall. The fearsome pass rush isn't so fearsome without Greg Hardy.
"Some of the people keep saying we haven't played well in night games, prime time, whatever it is," quarterback Andy Dalton says.
The Week 4 action began Thursday night with Green Bay's 42-10 rout of Minnesota. The game never was close. Julius Peppers returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown, and Aaron Rodgers threw for three scores. Green Bay is 3-2,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, Minnesota 2-3.
Contrast that with what's going on with the Patriots, who come off a 41-14 defeat at Kansas City, can't protect Tom Brady (10 sacks) and rank 30th in passing.
Detroit's defense has been much sharper than expected, ranking first overall and second against the pass. Its offense has been functional with Calvin Johnson hobbled; Matthew Stafford has found another favorite target in free agent signee Golden Tate.
Even when relatively healthy, the Falcons were awful on the road. Now that their offensive line has been jumbled by injuries — they lost starting left tackle Sam Baker and backup Mike Johnson in the preseason, the team on Tuesday placed right tackle Lamar Holmes (foot) and center Joe Hawley (right knee) on IR. So that's three starters lost off the offensive line. Another starter, left guard Justin Blalock, also left last Sunday's game with a back injury and didn't return.
Cincinnati (3-0) at New England (2-2)
New York has forced nine turnovers in the past two games, both wins. Larry Donnell has become a force with a career-high three touchdowns catches against Washington, the first Giants tight end to do that since Joe Walton in 1962.
Atlanta (2-2) at New York Giants (2-2)
For the Lone Star state title, but more importantly, the winner solidifies its standing in its division. The Texans lead the AFC South and the Cowboys are tied atop the NFC East, both surprising developments, although it is early.
"It's a good barometer for us on the road. ... We didn't play any slouches so far. There are no slouches in this league. This is a really good ballclub with an outstanding defense and kicking game, and a crowd. All the factors that go into playing at Denver are a huge advantage (for them)."
Both teams are rested coming off byes, but the Cardinals have quarterback concerns with Carson Palmer's shoulder issues. Then again, Drew Stanton has stepped in and won his two starts.
Now that Brian Hoyer has given the Browns life and hope at quarterback, maybe he can help fix a horrendous road record: 3-22 over the past three seasons. Hoyer is 4-2 in six career starts and has pushed Johnny Football backstage. He's also getting help from Terrance West, who leads NFL rookies with 204 yards rushing.
Tampa Bay (1-3) at New Orleans (1-3)
Baltimore (3-1) at Indianapolis (2-2)
Tampa got off the schneid with a last-second win at Pittsburgh. It's given away the ball 10 times, tied for most in the league.
Colts coach Chuck Pagano spent four seasons coaching defense on Baltimore's staff under John Harbaugh. But it's Indy's offense, led by Andrew Luck, which has been the mainstay. The Colts lead the NFL in points with 136 and yards passing with 1,304.
Each team comes off an impressive win, and the spotlight surely will be on Chiefs QB Alex Smith's return to the Bay Area. The top overall draft pick in 2005 by the 49ers got his career on track under Jim Harbaugh in 2011, then lost the job to Colin Kaepernick after Smith sustained a concussion. He landed in Kansas City and guided the Chiefs to the playoffs
