NFL Week 4 Preview: 3 Storylines to Watch
Week 4 of the NFL regular season kicked off on a Thursday, and there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding the other games.
SportsGrid looks into some storylines worth following.
NFL Week 3 Content: 5 Fantasy Football League Winners | AFC North Roundup | 3 Giants Week 3 Takeaways | 3 49ers Week 3 Takeaways | 3 Eagles Early Season Thoughts
1. Will the Dolphins or Bills Throw the First Punch in this AFC East Clash?
The Miami Dolphins are coming off a historic 70-20 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 3 and are set to visit the Buffalo Bills for a critical Week 4 AFC East battle. The Dolphins and Bills are dealing with significant injuries heading into this matchup. Miami will be without Jaelan Phillips, while the Bills are missing Jordan Poyer. Last season, the Bills won two of three matchups against the Dolphins, including a wild-card showdown. The Bills are listed as a three-point home favorite on Sunday, but to this point, the Dolphins have shown us more than Buffalo has. Will Buffalo’s defense be able to stop this ferocious Miami offense? A shootout is within the realm of possibility here, but we’re not ruling anything out.
2. Is the Browns’ Defense Really Elite?
It’s no secret that the AFC North is one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. We’re set to see an all-important divisional matchup in Week 4, with the Cleveland Browns hosting the Baltimore Ravens. Games in the AFC North are notoriously won in the trenches, and through three weeks, the Browns appear to have an edge in that department. Cleveland’s defense under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has been a revelation. The Browns have typically had a lot of talent on defense, but they’ve often underdelivered and haven’t lived up to their potential. That hasn’t been the case through three games, and they’re much more than just Myles Garrett on that side of the football. The Browns held the Ravens to 26 total points in two games last year. Do they have something similar for Lamar Jackson and company come Sunday?
3. Can the Cowboys Bounce Back Against the Patriots?
To say it was unexpected that the Dallas Cowboys dropped their Week 3 matchup on the road as double-digit favorites against the Arizona Cardinals would be an understatement. The Cowboys looked like one of the top teams to beat in the NFL through two games after dismantling the New York Giants and New York Jets. Is it possible that those two teams aren’t as good as we thought and that we’ve been slightly overrating the Cowboys? It’s certainly possible, but even with Trevon Diggs out for the year, this is still one of the top defenses in the league. The New England Patriots will see that firsthand on Sunday when they visit Dallas as a 6.5-point underdog. Offense hasn’t been a strong suit for the Patriots, and we’re projecting a rather defensive showdown between these clubs.
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