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NFL Week 4 game previews: Seven inter-conference matchups and battles of the undefeated

NFL Week 4 game previews
NFL Week 4 game previews Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Week 4 of the NFL season will be host to seven inter-conference matchups, including a couple of battles of undefeated teams as this weekend is shaping up to be another exciting one!

Let's not waste any time here and get into the matchup previews.

And be sure to check out who are experts picked this week. 

Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The NFL is heading to Dublin, Ireland, for its second international game of the season. Both 2-1 teams are coming off wins heading into the new week.

Minnesota will be riding with quarterback Carson Wentz for the second straight week while J.J. McCarthy still recovers from an ankle injury. Linebacker Alex Highsmith is the only key player for the Steelers who has been ruled out for the game.

Pittsburgh is rolling into the game with a bottom-five offence and defence. The Vikings' offence is no better, also placing in the bottom five.

But their No. 6 defence that has recorded the eighth-most sacks (9) this season will be key if they want to go 3-1. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's 28th-ranked defence will have to rely on their veterans to come up with some big stops like they've done this season. 

Washington Commanders @ Atlanta Falcons (-1.5)

The Commanders (2-1) will be without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels for the second straight week as they'll rely on backup Marcus Mariota, who led the team to a 41-24 win last week. 

Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin and Falcons No. 1 cornerback A.J. Terrell are both out for the game as well.

The Falcons are back home after coming off a brutal 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers. However, they still boast the No. 2 defence that'll be facing a No. 9 Commanders offence.

Los Angeles Chargers (-6.5) @ New York Giants

The Giants are rolling with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart this week for his NFL debut - and what a choice against the undefeated Chargers. 

New York is coming off a 22-9 loss and the Chargers a 23-20 win. Los Angeles will be without guard Mekhei Becton due to a concussion while starting center Bradley Bozeman is questionable with a back injury.

The Chargers are bringing the No. 6 offence and No. 8 defence against the Giants' No. 12 offence and No. 31 defence.

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans (-7.5)

Both AFC South teams enter Week 4 without a single win this season, but the Texans remain the heavy favourites.

Tennessee are coming off brutal back-to-back losses where they were outscored 74-39, while Houston's three losses were all decided by seven points or less. 

Both teams are relatively healthy for the matchup, with Tennessee's starting right tackle JC Latham being out as the only major injury.

Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In a battle of the undefeated, Tampa Bay has won four of the last five meetings against Philly. 

The Eagles have the 18th-ranked defence and 27th-ranked offence after all their wins were decided by seven points or less - but it's not much different on Tampa's side. 

After leading the Bucs to three-straight game-winning drives, Baker Mayfield's offence ranks 16th while their defence ranks 13th - all of their games being decided by three points or less. 

Tampa will be without star wide receiver Mike Evans, but three-time All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs will make his season debut.

Carolina Panthers @ New England Patriots (-5.5)

Both teams are 1-2 heading into Week 4, with Carolina coming off a 30-0 win and New England off a 21-14 loss. The last time these two teams faced each other was in 2021 - which led to a 24-6 Patriots win.

The Pats will be without starting left guard Jared Wilson, but will be getting back their top corner in Christian Gonzalez. 

As for the Panthers, they'll be without starting tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders and starting wide receiver Xavier Legette. On the defensive side, linebackers Patrick Jones II and D.J. Wonnum have both been ruled out for the game. 

The Pats' offence ranks 11th heading into Week 4, but their defence ranks 17th. Despite last week's shutout win, the Panthers' offence still places 24th and their defence 21st. 

New Orleans Saints @ Buffalo Bills (-14.5)

To nobody's surprise, the undefeated Bills hold the highest point spread of any matchup this week going against the winless Saints. Buffalo has the No. 1 offence and No. 9 defence to the Saints' 20th-ranked offence and 15th-ranked defence. 

The Bills have scored the fifth-most points (102) and the Saints the fourth-fewest (47). Last time these two teams met was in 2021 when the Bills roughed up the Saints 31-6. 

Matt Milano (LB) and Ed Oliver (DE) are out for another week for Buffalo. Saints will be without tackle Dillon Radunz and Chase Young (DE).

Cleveland Browns @ Detroit Lions (-9.5)

The No. 1 defence (CLE) against the No. 3 offence (DET) could prove to be the game of the week when all is said and done. Detroit (2-1) is coming off a crucial 38-30 win over Baltimore while the Browns (1-2) are coming off what might be the biggest upset of the season in their win over the Green Bay Packers

Lions starting left tackle Taylor Decker hasn't practiced all week and is questionable, but linebacker Zach Cunningham has been ruled out. 

Outside of tackle Jack Conklin being questionable after being a limited participant in practice all week, the Browns are healthy and ready to try and play spoiler for a second straight week. 

The Ravens beat the Browns. The Browns beat the Packers. The Packers beat the Lions. The Lions beat the Ravens. And this is all within the first three weeks of the season. 

Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Francisco 49ers (-3.5)

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy returns from his turf toe injury this week to lead their No. 7 offence.

Jacksonville's No. 10 offence is nothing to scoff at, but they'll be lining up across from a 49ers defence that ranks No. 4 this season. 

There's no point in going down the entire 49ers injury list, but Jauan Jennings is expected to play while defensive lineman Nick Bosa will remain sidelined. Jacksonville, on the other hand, will have all of their starters healthy.

The Jaguars have lost five straight matchups against the Niners, with the most recent in 2021. 

Indianapolis Colts @ Los Angeles Rams (-3.5)

The Los Angeles Rams (2-1) are looking to spoil the Colts' current undefeated run this week. 

With both offences ranking in the top five and both defences in the top seven, this could be the game of the week when it's all said and done. 

Wide receiver Davante Adams will be good to go for the Rams as the team has a clean bill of health. But the Colts will be without right guard Matt Goncalves, cornerback Kenny Moore II, and wide receiver Alec Pierce. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is questionable after not practicing on Friday. 

Chicago Bears @ Las Vegas Raiders (-1.5)

A matchup that made its debut on December 17, 1972, these 1-2 teams will look to hit .500 on the season.

Chicago is coming off a major 31-14 win against Dallas while the Raiders are coming off a bad 41-24 loss to a Commanders team without Jayden Daniels at quarterback.

Vegas has been outscored 61-33 in the past two weeks as their offensive line continues to fail for rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who has yet to average over 4.0 yards per carry in a game this season. 

Chicago will be without right tackle Darnell Wright and tight end Colston Loveland along with defensive starters Grady Jarrett (DT) and T.J. Edwards (LB). 

Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) @ Kansas City Chiefs 

Both 1-2 teams are looking to avoid their first 1-3 start since the 2015 season. The last time Baltimore beat the Chiefs in Kansas City was in 2012 when Joe Flacco (BAL) and Matt Cassell (KC) were the team's quarterbacks, Ray Rice (BAL) and Jamaal Charles (KC) were the running backs, and Anquan Boldin (BAL) and Dwayne Bowe (KC) were the leading receivers. 

That game ended 9-6 - safe to say the score will be a little higher this time around. 

The Ravens are rocking the No. 1 scoring offence in the NFL heading into Week 4, opposite of their 32nd-ranked defence. Meanwhile, Kansas City have yet to find their stride on offence. 

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has yet to throw for 300 yards this season, while running back Isaih Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have yet to rush for more than 50 yards in a game. Odd to say their 11th-ranked defence might be the key factor for them today.

Baltimore will be without defensive tackles Nnamdi Madubuike and Broderick Washington after placing them on injured reserve. But the team will be getting back tight end Isaiah Likely and linebacker Kyle Van Noy this week, while Kansas City's No. 1 receiver Xavier Worthy is back in action as well.

Click here for an in-depth breakdown of our 'Spotlight Game of the Week' between the Ravens and Chiefs.

Green Bay Packers (-6.5) @ Dallas Cowboys

Sunday night's action is between two teams that have been going at each other since 1960. Green Bay has won five straight against Dallas and 10 of the last 11 games dating back to 2009. 

It'll be a good clash against Dallas' No. 4 offence and Green Bay's No. 3 defence. But it's the opposite when they're flipped. The Cowboys have the 30th-ranked defence and the Packers are 21st in offence.

And the biggest headline of all - Green Bay's superstar EDGE rusher Micah Parsons' first matchup against the team that traded him before the start of the season. 

The Packers will be without their starting offensive linemen Aaron Banks (LG) and Zach Tom (RT), along with backup tackle Anthony Belton. Meanwhile, Dallas will be without starting wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and starting right guard Tyler Booker.

New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins 

A battle of winless AFC East teams will be the first of two primetime games on Monday night. Both teams have bottom 10 offences and bottom 10 defences. 

The Jets were one point away last week from joining the Dolphins in letting up at least 30 points in each of their first three games this season. 

New York's starting quarterback Justin Fields makes his return this week. Last time (2022) he faced the Dolphins, Fields put up 301 total yards (178 rushing) with four total touchdowns. 

Miami will be without cornerbacks Storm Duck and Jason Marshall Jr.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Denver Broncos (-8.5)

Denver will look to break their losing streak on Monday night after losing back-to-back games on game-ending field goals. 

Cinci heads into the game with the 32nd-ranked offence and 25th-ranked defence, coming off a brutal 48-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They'll also be without starting tight end Noah Fant this week. 

Denver won their matchup against the Bengals last year with a 30-24 win in overtime, and that was when Cinci had Joe Burrow at quarterback.