5 must-watch games that should make for a fun Sunday in the NFL

With Week 4 in the NFL here, much of what we thought entering the season has been debunked. This week’s matchups should offer more of a glimpse into which teams are actually contenders. Or maybe we’ll get another crazy week that just further messes with the ideas we had about the NFL in 2018.

Is Deshaun Watson hitting a sophomore slump after a strong (but shortened) rookie season? Is Andrew Luck just a dink and dunk quarterback following his shoulder surgery? Is a questionable offensive line all that’s standing in the way of Eli Manning and the Giants’ success? Are the Saints going to use Alvin Kamara more as a receiver than running back after he recorded more receiving yards than rushing yards in all three games so far this season? Are the Dolphins actually good? And are the Patriots actually bad?

Those questions will be answered — or at least partially answered — in many of the same games this weekend as the Texans travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts, the Saints head north to play the Giants, and the Dolphins visit the Patriots in New England. We’re in for a big weekend of games, but also the first week with byes in the NFL as Carolina and Washington sit back and watch the action from home.

Here are five games we’ll be paying close attention to this weekend.

Who predicted the Dolphins would go 3-0 before the start of the season? Probably only really optimistic fans in Miami. Now, they have a two game lead in the AFC East as they travel to New England to take on the underperforming Patriots. The Patriots started 2-2 last year and 2-2 in 2014 (we’re on to Cincinnati, anyone?) but haven’t started a season 1-2 since 2012. They only lost two more games in the entire 2012 season. So, there’s no reason for fans in New England to panic just yet, but if Miami can pull off this win it’s going to be huge.

Injured rookies aren’t the only reason (or the biggest reason) the Patriots are having trouble winning, but take a look at this.

That is not what you want to see from your rookie class.

The Bengals and Falcons both enter this matchup with star players injured. Running backs Joe Mixon and Devonta Freeman are both dealing with knee injuries while wide receivers A.J. Green (pelvis) and Julio Jones (calf) are on the mend as well. Green will surely be pushing through to play in his first appearance back in Georgia since college. Plus, watching Green and Jones, two 2011 top six draft picks, should be fun.

The Falcons’ offense has been thriving on the ground even without Freeman, ranking sixth in the league in rushing marginal explosiveness. They’re also doing well with Matt Ryan throwing the ball, ranking seventh in passing downs marginal explosiveness. The Bengals’ offense is no joke either, ranking first in the league in third-and-short success, second in points per scoring opportunity, fifth in standard downs marginal efficiency and sixth in passing downs marginal explosiveness.

Neither defense has been all that impressive, so this should be a high-scoring affair even if some of each teams’ best players are missing.

The Browns just won their first game in 635 days and the Raiders haven’t won a game since December 3, 2017. Either the Browns will win back-to-back games for the first time since November 2014 or the Raiders will get their first win of the season. Oh, or maybe they’ll tie; the Browns have already done that once this year. This will be Baker Mayfield’s first NFL start after the rookie took over right before halftime in the Browns’ win over the Jets last Thursday. Mayfield is proving he’s a playmaker worthy of the No. 1 overall pick and it will be interesting to see how the Raiders’ (just about) average defense does against the first-time starter. The Raiders have been faltering in the second half of games, after leading in the first half in all three of their games so far. We’ll be watching to see if that trend continue this afternoon.

This game could be great, or it could be really boring. The Jets looked dominant in Week 1 before falling flat in Weeks 2 and 3. The Jaguars looked dominant in Weeks 1 and 2 before a shockingly bad loss to the Titans in Week 3. So, what will we see from these teams in Week 4? Sam Darnold is a reason to watch this game alone as the rookie quarterback is looking to make his mark on the NFL. But he knows he’s facing a tough test against a staunch Jaguars defense, and that includes Jacksonville cornerback and constant trash talker Jalen Ramsey.

“He’s a great player,” Darnold said of Ramsey this week. “He’s great in zone coverage and great in man coverage as well. Him and (A.J.) Bouye do a great job on the outside and they’re great players. They play in a great defense, but I think it all starts up front for them. Their defensive front is amazing and we’re going to have to get after them in certain ways.”

With head coach Todd Bowles potentially on the hot seat, the Jets will be looking to get to 2-2 and knock the Jaguars to that same record.

This AFC North battle in primetime is sure to be a good one as the Ravens’ defense is on fire (and the offense isn’t too shabby either, ranking fifth in points per game) while the Steelers are looking to rebound from a 1-1-1 start (despite quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ranking second in the league in passing yards). Anytime these teams play, you know there are going to be some can’t-miss moments; that’s probably why this game marks the 12th-consecutive season in which the Ravens and Steelers play in primetime. The Steelers are looking for their fourth straight win against the Ravens in the regular-season series, and third in a row in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are also particularly great on Sunday Night Football, having won each of their previous 10 games, dating back to December 15, 2013 against the Bengals.

Bills at Packers (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
Bengals at Falcons (1:00 . p.m. ET, CBS)
Lions at Cowboys (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
Texans at Colts (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
Dolphins at Patriots (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
Jets at Jaguars (1:00 p.m. ET, Fox)
Eagles at Titans (1:00 p.m. ET, Fox)
Buccaneers at Bears (1:00 p.m. ET, Fox)
Browns at Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox)
Seahawks at Cardinals (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox)
Saints at Giants (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
49ers at Chargers (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
Ravens at Steelers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)