The season's first three weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye. Week 3 was a turning point for many teams around the league since 2-1 sounds a lot different than 1-2. Plus, some teams we never expected to be 1-2 have dug themselves a hole very early into the season.
However, it’s too early to panic for most teams (except if you’re the Bengals?). Let’s look back at the biggest things that happened in Week 3 before getting into our Week 4 preview with our expert’s best bets.
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Week 3 Biggest Stories
Week 3 was a rollercoaster. It started with domination in the Meadowlands as Aaron Rodgers finally got his first win in MetLife Stadium with a victory over the Patriots and closed with two very eye-opening Monday Night Football games. There was plenty of excitement in between those primetime games because Sunday was full of divisional rivalries, high-scoring games, and more.
Let’s dive into the three biggest takeaways from Week 3.
What’s wrong with the Bengals?
Is it time to hit the panic button in Cincinnati? The Bengals surprised everyone with a loss to the Patriots in Week 1 and followed it up with a much more respectable 1-point loss to the Chiefs in Week 2. However, Cincy fell to the Commanders 38-33 on Monday Night Football in Week 3.
The Bengals are just one of three teams that have started 0-3, but with the amount of talent on Cincinnati’s roster, it’s hard to explain the slow start. Giving up 38 points to a Washington offense that failed to score a touchdown in Week 2 against the Giants is the most concerning part.
Is Bryce Young the problem in Carolina?
Bryce Young is the future of Carolina. Well, maybe he used to be. Young was benched in Week 3 following a pitiful start to the season that saw the Panthers score just 13 points in two weeks. The move was slightly surprising since the season just started, but it gave Andy Dalton a chance to prove himself.
The Red Rocket took full advantage of his opportunity, as he led the Panthers to a 36-22 win over the Raiders. Dalton threw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Chuba Hubbard had over 100 yards on the ground. So, is Young the problem in Carolina? Is it too early to say… bust?
Injuries, injuries, and more injuries
Five teams walked out of Week 3 with a perfect record. The Buffalo Bills are one of the five teams, and Josh Allen is the primary reason for that. Allen led the Bills over the Cardinals in Week 1 and then dominated the Dolphins in Week 2, but the best was yet to come.
The Wyoming alum was nearly perfect in Week 3 as the Bills dismantled the Jaguars 47-10. Allen finished 23/30 for 263 yards and 4 touchdowns while rushing 6 times for 44 yards. He was doing everything right and probably could have scored even more if the game wasn’t already a blowout by halftime.
Looking ahead to Week 4
Week 4 is an opportunity for the 0-3 and 1-2 teams to start turning things around. If not, the hole gets even harder to get out of. Several intriguing matchups are on the slate this week, which bring up some important storylines, so let’s get right into what to watch for in Week 4.
Joe Burrow against Andy Dalton in Carolina
Andy Dalton spent nine years in Cincinnati and earned 3 Pro Bowl trips as the franchise QB. But his time in Cincy ended after the 2019 season when the Bengals drafted Joe Burrow in the 2020 NFL Draft. Now, it’s a battle between Dalton and Burrow in Week 4.
Dalton has taken over the starting role for the Panthers and has Carolina looking reenergized, while Burrow is desperate to get his first win of the season. Is this a must-win or can’t-lose game for Burrow and the Bengals?
NFC Playoffs rematch between Eagles and Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers stunned everyone by dominating the Eagles in the NFC Wild Card round last season. Mayfield has picked up right where he left off as he’s led the Bucs to a 2-1 start and has the Eagles next up on the schedule. Philadelphia is 2-1 but is lucky to have the wins that they do.
Jalen Hurts will look for revenge, but it might not be as easy as he thinks. Philly could be in for another upset if their defense can’t step up.
Are the 49ers in trouble… against the Patriots?
It feels weird to say this, but the 49ers could be in serious trouble this Sunday against the Patriots. The Patriots and 49ers are both 1-2, and neither team has been impressive thus far. We expected this from New England, but the 49ers have been a disaster. Christian McCaffrey is in Germany trying to figure out his Achilles, Deebo Samuel is dealing with a calf injury that could sideline him for a second straight week, and George Kittle could also miss Week 4 because of a hamstring injury.
If that’s not bad enough, Brock Purdy is dealing with a back injury, and they just lost Javon Hargrave for the season. Yet, the Niners are still 10-point favorites over the Patriots.
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NFL Week 4 Best Bets
Here are our expert’s Week 4 picks, which include a pick for Thursday Night Football and Sunday Night Football.
Dallas Cowboys -5.5 (-110)
This is a buy-low spot for the Cowboys, who are 1-2 entering Week 4. Dallas got picked apart in Week 2 by the Saints and then nearly completed the 22-point comeback in Week 3 against the Ravens but came up just short. Their next opponent is the Giants, who have lost to the Vikings and Commanders but picked up a win against the Browns.
It’s been a tough start for the Cowboys, but there’s no reason the spread should be below a touchdown. The Cowboys are much more talented on the offensive side of the ball, and this should be a statement win in a much-needed spot for Dallas.
Buffalo Bills +2.5 (-110)
The Bills will put their perfect record on the line in Week 4 as they visit the Ravens for Sunday Night Football. Baltimore is a 2.5-point favorite on their home turf, but we think the wrong team is favored. The Ravens lost to the Chiefs and Raiders before picking up their first win in Week 3 against Dallas, but it wasn’t all that impressive.
They allowed 19 unanswered points in the 4th quarter and nearly blew a 22-point lead. Meanwhile, the Bills look unstoppable with Josh Allen. Even without an obvious WR1, the Bills have been incredibly successful through the air. We also expect James Cook and Josh Allen to be very productive on the ground when needed in Week 4, so we'll happily take the points with Buffalo.
