NFL: Week Four Storylines

5.) Buffalo Bills v Cincinnati Bengals- The Buffalo Bills are in sole possession of first place in the AFC East. Don’t believe it? Yeah, me neither. The Bills are 3-0, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is making himself look like the best quarterback to come through Buffalo since Jim Kelly (Sorry, Doug Flutie). If the Bills play as well in this week as they have all season, it will be a blowout. However, the Bengals defense is no pushover, and Andy Dalton is starting to look like a solid NFL quarterback. If the Bills win in Cincy, they will go 4-0 for the first time since 2008. 

4.) Pittsburgh Steelers v Houston Texans- At the start of the season, many people were predicting that this be the year that the Houston Texans make the leap from good team to playoff team. So far the Texans are 2-1 after losing a shootout to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. This week, the Texans face another test in the Steelers. It is said if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and last year the Steelers were the best in the AFC. If the Texans can knock a potential playoff team down a peg and beat Pittsburgh, it will send a message throughout the league that this year is the year for the Texans. 

3.) New England Patriots v Oakland Raiders- Last week gave us a four interception performance from Tom Brady and a 200+ rushing day for Darren McFadden. This week, the Patriots look to bounce back from a devastating loss to the Bills as the Raiders are riding high after beating the New York Jets and their “unstoppable” defense. Its never a good sign when a team flies across the country after a bad loss, so the Raiders are in prime position to capitalize and send a statement throughout the league that the silver and black is back. 

2.) Detroit Lions v Dallas Cowboys- The Lions are 3-0 for the first time in my lifetime. The Cowboys are coming off a tight win against Washington on Monday Night Football. Detroit has been the comeback kids of this young season, but their wins have come against Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Kansas City. The Cowboys represent the best team that Detroit has seen in the first four weeks, and a win in Dallas would be huge for the young Detroit team. 

1.) New York Jets v Baltimore Ravens- Rex Ryan makes his triumphant return to Baltimore, the place he was passed over for head coach three years ago. The Ravens went with John Harbaugh, and since then they’ve been in the playoffs every year. This season the Ravens and Jets have both had games where they look like Super Bowl contenders, and also games where they look like they won’t even sniff the playoffs. The Ravens demolished the Steelers in week one, only to lose a game to the below-average Tennessee Titans in week two. The Jets started off 2-0 before being run into the ground by the Raiders last week. Forecasts for Sunday night show 40 degrees and rain, and you know what that means; alot of defense, and alot of running the ball. Winner of this game will take a huge step forward towards the playoffs, while the loser will be left at .500 entering week five.