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Five things to watch during Week 4 of the NFL Season

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Max Wagers

09-28-2022

  1. Allen vs. Lamar

The Bills travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens in one of the most important games of the day and a potential AFC Championship game preview. This game features two of the NFL's biggest stars, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. Allen and Jackson were both drafted in the same draft class in 2018, with Allen going 7th and Lamar going 32nd. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold were selected with the first two picks by the Browns and Jets, respectively. Both Allen and Jackson were regarded as project quarterbacks, but they have risen to become two of the NFL's top five quarterbacks.

The last time these two teams met was in the 2020 playoffs, when the Bills shut down Lamar and the Ravens' running game and limited them to three points. For the first time this season, the Ravens will be underdogs. Both the Ravens and the Bills are now 2-1 and have championship aspirations. Allen and Jackson have both stuffed the stat sheet this season. Allen leads the league in yards and has 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, while Jackson has 10 touchdowns and has been destroying the blitz on the ground. Jackson ranks fifth in the league in rushing. The Bills, who have lost Micah Hyde for the season and Dane Jackson to a scary neck injury, play a zone defense. This has previously caused problems for Lamar Jackson, so it will be interesting to see how these two teams match up on Sunday. We like the Over 52 in this game because there should be a lot of scoring.

  1. Can Tyreek get his revenge on Eli Apple?

In an intriguing Thursday Night Football matchup, the 3-0 Dolphins travel to Cincinnati to face a Bengals team that may have saved their season with a win over the Jets.

Tyreek Hill addressed Eli Apple during a press conference following their emotional Bills victory, saying, "I owe you, boy." Hill is referring to Apple's TD-saving tackle that helped the Bengals beat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game last year. Hill was sacked by Eli Apple on a screen pass near the end of the first half, keeping the Bengals in the game; they eventually won in the second half. Hill will seek vengeance on Thursday night, but he may have to do so without his quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, who is questionable with a back and ankle injury. But anyone who saw the hit he took on Sunday knows he should be in concussion protocol.

The spread on this game appears suspicious; the Bengals opened at -1 and have since moved up to -4. A 3-0 team traveling to Cincinnati to face a 1-2 Bengals team doesn't make sense. Will we also see some more overs on primetime games? Unders in primetime have only occurred twice (Buffalo vs. Tennessee and New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys). The projections don't look promising, with their team totals hovering just above 21 and 24 points, respectively. We like the Bengals in this one because the majority of money is favoring Miami and the spread is moving in the opposite direction.

  1. Myles Garrett is tougher than a Porsche

On Monday, Myles Garrett was involved in a single car accident after he swerved to avoid an animal in the road. His Porsche 911 Turbo flipped multiple times, resulting in only strained muscles and cuts. What a terrifying incident for Garrett, and we're so grateful he's okay. It could have been a lot worse.

Seeing his life and career potentially flash before his eyes must be mentally taxing for Garrett as well. To compare the pictures of the car to Garrett's appearance in a video released by the Medina Sheriff's office. If you see an animal in the middle of the road, do not swerve. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20, but everyone in the Garrett family and the Browns organization is relieved that he is safe. What's even more bizarre is that he could play against the Falcons on Sunday. He SHOULD sit out, and I'm sure he's still in shock, but one thing is certain: the NFL will test him for steroids. After posting photos on social media and seeing pictures of the Porsche compared to how Garrett walked away from the crash, I am sure the league office was right there to test him last year.

  1. QB controversy in Dallas?

In Week 2, Jerry Jones stated that he would welcome a quarterback controversy between Cooper Rush and Dak Prescott. His thought process emphasized that even if there is that controversy, the Cowboys continued to win after their star quarterback was injured.

Rush has performed admirably since replacing Prescott. The team is now 2-0 when he is at the helm, and he has completed 62% of his passes for 500 yards and two touchdowns. They're defending the football and letting the defense win games. Dallas can potentially hold down the fort, stay in the NFC East race, and be in a great position when Prescott returns.

This weekend, they host the Washington Commanders, who are only a 3.5-point favorite. This line stinks like hell. So if the game were in Washington, it would be a penalty kick? This Commanders team that has been annihilated in all three games? This Carson Wentz-led Commanders squad? We're avoiding this game, but don't be surprised if the Commanders pull it out.

  1. Super Bowl 55 Sunday Night Football rematch.

The Chiefs travel to Tampa to face the Buccaneers, hoping to avenge their Super Bowl 55 thrashing. Tampa Bay dominated the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, knocking Mahomes off his feet all night. Tampa's defense will try to do the same again on Sunday night. Tampa Bay has looked out of sorts this season, sitting atop the NFC South with a 2-1 record despite having played Dallas and the Saints. Their first true test came last week when they were outplayed by the Packers. It doesn't get any easier with the Chiefs visiting, who will be enraged after their loss to the 0-2 Colts. With Mike Evans returning from suspension and Chris Godwin potentially returning, the Bucs should be able to stretch the field more effectively.

Mahomes has been doing Mahomes things, throwing for 857 yards and eight touchdowns to one interception. Their offense is clearly lacking a deep threat. Tyreek Hill was such a weapon for the Chiefs that he could take the top of the defense and leave Travis Kelce to chunk yards underneath. Then, if the defense doubled Kelce, Hill would beat you downfield. If they can find a Smith-Schuster or Hardman to fill that deep threat role, the offense should improve.

The Chiefs are favored by -2 points in this game. Given how the Buccaneers performed against the Packers, it's no surprise that the public is betting heavily on the Chiefs. Andy Reid hasn't lost two games in a row as Chiefs Head Coach very often, so we expect the Chiefs to exact Super Bowl revenge and win.