Week 4

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2-1) vs. ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-1)

Thursday September 25 @ 8:15 PM E.T. on Amazon Prime

This Thursday night matchup is not as predictable as the one we watched last week, and in fact, the winner of this game has a stronger chance of pushing for a Wild Card spot. However, while the Cardinals might have the home field advantage, they do not exactly have the edge over one of their more hated division rivals.

Kyler Murray is 2-8 against Seattle and has currently lost seven straight, regardless of location. If there is anybody under the most pressure on Thursday night, it is him to lead his team to victory. What will make this even more difficult is that James Conner will miss the rest of the season due to an ankle injury, so if Arizona cannot run the ball effectively, then this passing game really needs to step it up a notch. Over the first few weeks, they have shown flashes of promise, but there still leaves a lot to be desired. So far, the Cardinals are the fifth worst passing team in the league, only averaging 165 yards per game. The Seahawks defense has not performed particularly well in that category, but they are still the second best scoring unit in the league behind the Green Bay Packers. The bottom line is simple: Murray needs to put on a show and keep his foot on the gas or else Seattle is going to turn this into an ugly night.

The only thing I have to say about Sam Darnold is that he needs to pick up where he left off. Since the second half of the Steelers game, he has played extremely well for this football team. Right now, he is seventh in completion percentage with the eighth highest passer rating in the league, so he will need to play well just as much as Kyler Murray does on Thursday night. Through three games, the Cardinals defense has gone through its ups and downs. On one hand, they are the fifth best scoring group and they only allow 76 rush yards per game, which is the fourth fewest. On the other, they are the third worst passing defense, so Darnold can exploit a couple mismatches. No matter what the record is for the Seahawks, their quarterback is always going to be the X factor towards success. As long as he stays patient and does not put the ball in harm’s way, this team should play well enough to win.

FINAL LOCK: Besides the quarterbacks playing extremely well, one area that I want to pay close attention to is each of the pass rushes. The Seahawks have only totaled six sacks this season while the Cardinals are just below them at five, which is unacceptable because head coaches Mike MacDonald and Jonathan Gannon deeply emphasize their commitments to swarming the pocket. Kyler Murray and Sam Darnold have not been sacked a lot this year, which is great, but this game will come down to poise and timing. Right now, I have more faith in Seattle to play more connected on both sides of the ball, especially since Arizona will not have Conner in their backfield. However, as I said before, the only way for this outcome to change is for Kyler Murray to remind everybody why the front office trusted him to be the face of the franchise.

FINAL SCORE: SEA 30-17

LUCKY TO BE IN DUBLIN:

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-1) vs. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (2-1)

Sunday September 28 @ 9:30 AM E.T. on NFL NETWORK

The last time that Aaron Rodgers played an international game against the Vikings was not one to remember. Last year when he was on the Jets, he threw three interceptions in a 23-17 defeat, so he knows that this is not going to be an easy Sunday. However, Carson Wentz is now the opposing quarterback instead of Sam Darnold or JJ McCarthy, so Minnesota has just as much to prove to as Pittsburgh. 

The Vikings are coming off a dominating victory over the Cincinnati Bengals 48-10 and the best part was that Wentz did not even have to do too much to win. The positives are that he did not put the ball in harm’s way and did a solid job of just managing the game. The offense was incredibly balanced and they let the defense shut down Jake Browning, while forcing turnover after turnover. There is no question that they can match up well against an up-and-down Steelers team, but if they cough up the ball the way New England did last week, then Minnesota is going to fall hopelessly behind and I do not believe they can recover. 

While Pittsburgh is dealing with a few significant injuries on the defensive side of the ball, including to Joey Porter Jr. and Alex Highsmith, that should not be an excuse if they somehow lose this football game. Last week, that defense forced five turnovers on the road against the Patriots and yet they only won by seven points. Right now, the Steelers are a decent team, but not a great one. They might be second in the red zone, but are also the second worst rushing offense and ninth worst passing team, which is surprising considering the way they looked against the Jets on opening week. Against a Brian Flores led defense, there is no room for error and Rodgers knows that. 

FINAL LOCK: This is really going to come down to which quarterback can hold onto the ball and keep it out of harm’s way. The only problem is that I used the same logic when I picked the Steelers to beat the Seahawks and I was clearly wrong. I do not expect the Vikings to force as many turnovers on Sunday the way they did the week before, but at the same time, this is one of the more aggressive units in the league that knows how to take advantage of sloppy football. That one momentum swinging play is going to decide who wins the game in the end, so let’s see which defense will be able to do that in Dublin.

FINAL SCORE: PIT 23-16

THE 1:00 SLATE:

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (3-0) vs. NEW YORK GIANTS (0-3)

The Jaxson Dart era is officially going to begin on Sunday afternoon. After three games, Russell Wilson is officially benched and the pressure is truly on for the Big Blue as their first round pick is slated to make his first career start in the NFL. However, if there is anybody under the most pressure, it is the two men on top.

What this move tells me is that both Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are just hanging onto their jobs for as long as possible. They knew that this offense was going to disintegrate with Wilson under center and if this decision was not made, then all three of them would be gone in the next week or two. Even if the Giants should have waited an extra week to make the decision, the owner John Mara has just about run out of patience with the head coach/general manager tandem, so wasted time was not affordable. This offense needs a spark badly with a younger face under center but his first start is going to be against a really strong Chargers defense. Dart is going to be thrown into a pretty bad fire and it is not going to get better from here, so all I can ask is that he shows improvement and progress, rather than throw three or four interceptions that ruin the day.

If the Giants offense does not have a decent game, then their defense is going to get eaten up by Justin Herbert, who is arguably a leading MVP candidate. Through three weeks, he is leading the league in passing yards, but he has also been sacked 10 times. While New York’s defense has a ton of flaws on all three levels, they still have a scary front four that is not one to underestimate. As long as Herbert has a clean pocket the entire afternoon, the Chargers will be in good shape offensively and their defense will not have so much pressure riding on their shoulders.

FINAL LOCK: It is going to take a near perfect performance for the Giants to have any chance of winning and I just do not believe it will happen this week. The Chargers are better coached, they have a more stable quarterback situation, their offense is more explosive, and the defense is a sturdier group. This is just a simple mismatch from top to bottom and I do not believe that this will be close.

FINAL SCORE: LA 34-13

TENNESSEE TITANS (0-3) vs. HOUSTON TEXANS (0-3)

One of these two teams at the end of the week is going to be 0-4, and from the Texans perspective, they better make sure they do not fall into that hole. Both of these teams have two of the worst offenses in the league for different reasons. One is not well coached while the other just does not have enough talent to be successful. As a result, this is going to come down to defense, but the Titans are not exactly the strongest unit to go up against.

Through three games, Tennessee has allowed the third most points in the NFL and recently gave up 41 to Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts. However, if there is any week for them to bounce back, it is against a Texans offense that is just so sad to watch. They can barely run the ball, their offensive line is atrocious, and the only legitimate receiver they have is Nico Collins. More importantly, their quarterback CJ Stroud is absolutely falling off a cliff right now and the longer this progresses, the more likely it is that he loses his starting job at some point. However, the Titans are also second in penalties, so the last thing they can do is lose their composure. Otherwise, if this game does come down to the very end, then Stroud might have a little bit of juice left to get the first win under his belt. 

If you thought Cam Ward struggled through the first three games, then do not expect much to change against a lethal Texans defense. The first overall pick has been sacked 15 times now, an average of five per game! That is absolutely awful. Brian Callahan looks lost as a head coach with his skittish decision making, which is not something that should be happening in year two. Ward has an even worse offensive line than Stroud, which is saying a lot, and his skill position cast is just as mediocre. One slip-up and that can already determine the flow of the game, which tends to get pretty ugly in a hurry.

FINAL LOCK: Last year, the Texans failed to beat Will Levis at home. If they cannot find a way to beat Cam Ward, then something is seriously wrong with this football team. However, in a game where both offenses are expected to be atrocious, the defenses will take center stage. I have faith that Houston will fly around faster and make more plays than a Titans group that has failed to live up to expectations over the last few seasons.

FINAL SCORE: HOU 20-10

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (2-1) vs. ATLANTA FALCONS (1-2)

This will be Dan Quinn’s first game in Atlanta since being fired as the head coach in the middle of the 2020 season. Even though he might not have Jayden Daniels for a second  consecutive week due to a knee injury, there is no question that Washington is going to have extra motivation to win on the road. Entering this game, both teams are heading in different directions. The Commanders are coming off an outstanding complimentary victory at home while the Falcons are reeling off a 30-0 shutout to the Carolina Panthers. Either both teams are going to be even at the end of the week or the balance between them is going to shift dramatically.

Marcus Mariota did not look too bad against the Raiders last week, but more importantly, he did not have to be the hero to win. The special teams performed tremendously, their defense came up with five sacks, and the offense ran for over 200 yards! I doubt that the exact same will happen against the Falcons, but after getting manhandled by the Packers in week two, the Commanders showed tremendous improvement and it looks like they are heading on the right track. Now that Mariota is expected to make his second start, the challenge is a little bigger. The Falcons have only allowed 131 passing yards per game, the fewest in football. Even though they got shut out last week, the biggest reason why they surrendered 30 points was because one team turned the ball over frequently while the other did not. That is all that will take for the Commanders offense to stay ahead and it is going to put less pressure on their defense to carry them to victory.

Through the first three weeks, Atlanta has done well running the football. That is expected when you have a legitimate running back tandem of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. However, their passing game has looked suspect over the last two games and it cost the wide receivers coach his job. To score the second fewest points behind the Houston Texans with that much talent is unacceptable and at some point in time, Michael Penix has to be held accountable. He has only completed 59 percent of his passes with just one touchdown pass and two interceptions! If they cannot find any sort of success against an average Washington defense, then this team is going to be in serious trouble. The reason why they gave Penix the starting job was because they believed he could be the biggest difference maker in leading them to the playoffs, but the optics do not look good at all. 

FINAL LOCK: When I look at this game, the one thing I am going to pay attention to is how both defenses are going to handle the rushing attacks. If it gets taken away on either side, which of these quarterbacks between Marcus Mariota and Michael Penix will step up? Washington might not have Terry McLaurin because of a quad injury, so without their focal point of the passing game, it might be more complicated for them to get a rhythm than a Falcons group that is more talented to wear the opposition out towards the final stretch.

FINAL SCORE: ATL 27-19

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-3) vs. BUFFALO BILLS (3-0)

In the back of my mind, this could potentially be a trap game for the Bills. First off, look at what happened between the Packers and Browns last week. The other fact to take into consideration is they have not won a home game against the Saints since 1983, so there is an outside chance that this streak could continue. However, I feel like that will end inevitably and the time is now because this looks like a bad mismatch on paper. 

What else is there to say when it comes to the Bills offense? Josh Allen is phenomenal, James Cook is still one of the best running backs in football, and they have so many strengths that New Orleans cannot slow down. One team leads the league in penalties while the other has committed the fewest. Joe Brady has been an outstanding offensive coordinator since getting promoted in 2023 while Brandon Staley has regressed on the defensive side since 2021. It is going to take a miracle for the Saints to flip the script and pull off a miracle upset and I just do not see it happening whatsoever.

Who would you rather trust more? A Saints offense quarterbacked by Spencer Rattler or a Bills defense that has allowed the second fewest passing yards in the league through three games? I thought the latter too. New Orleans already has enough trouble scoring, and now that they have to go up against Buffalo, there is a realistic chance that they might not even score more than ten points on Sunday. Even if everybody is healthy, the Saints are going to have a long afternoon ahead of them.

FINAL LOCK: This was not too difficult of a decision to make, despite the history books saying otherwise. Unless Buffalo does what Green Bay did last week and utterly implode in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, then I predict that this is a blowout from start to finish.

FINAL SCORE: BUF 40-10

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-0) vs. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-0)

The Buccaneers have not been the friendliest team to the Philadelphia Eagles as of late. With both teams undefeated, neither is going to let this game turn into a walk in the park. Each of their offenses have proven to show up in the clutch and their defenses have made promising strides, but one of them is going to lose their first game of the season after the week.

The Eagles were down 26-7 through the first minutes of the third quarter as their offense was shut down and the defense kept giving up points. However, they refused to give up and ended up scoring 26 unanswered points to win the game by seven. The defense tightened up, their passing game finally showed up, and two blocked field goals turned out to be the biggest plays of the afternoon. This victory gave Philly fans a lot of hope that they finally hit the switch, but how long will it be before the power goes out again? Entering Raymond James Stadium, their offense needs to pick up where they left off. Saquon Barkley is going to draw a lot of attention, which is validated, so their ability to throw the football will play a huge role in the outcome of the game. If this offense gives Baker Mayfield a fourth straight opportunity for a game winning drive, then the Eagles better pray that their defense comes up with a big play of their own.

The Buccaneers were in somewhat of a different situation last week. Just when we thought they were going to blow the Jets out with a 23-6 lead, everything started to disintegrate at the worst time. Their offense stalled out, the defense let up two huge touchdown drives, and the special teams unit blocked a field goal for a scoop-and-score with the lead! However, for the third week in a row, Mayfield persevered through the adversity and set up an easy game winning field goal for Chase McLaughlin, keeping the undefeated season intact. With the Eagles coming to town, there is a high possibility that Tampa might have to pull through in the final minutes again, but this will be their toughest test so far.

FINAL LOCK: The only reason why I am picking the Eagles to just pull through with the win is because the Buccaneers are banged up right now. They will not have Mike Evans, two of their starting offensive linemen, and one of their starting defensive tackles Calijah Kancey. The silver lining is that Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs might return but you cannot guarantee that they are going to quickly turn the game around. I think this will be a very close finish, but I believe Philadelphia’s defense is going to throw a few wrinkles that will be hard for Tampa to solve.

FINAL SCORE: PHI 27-24 

CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-2) vs. DETROIT LIONS (1-2)

If the Browns can beat the Packers, then there is some hope that they can pull off another upset when they play the Lions, right? Well, unfortunately this game is not going to be played in Cleveland. Instead, both teams will meet in Ford Field and Detroit is not exactly a team that will get fooled into the trap.

The Lions just beat Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on the road on Monday Night Football, dominating them on both sides of the ball. Despite it being a 38-30 final score, Detroit totaled over 220 yards on the ground and sacked the two time MVP seven times, swinging the game around by forcing Derrick Henry to fumble the ball for the second time in three weeks. There is no question that the Lions defense will play extremely well, but I hope that their offense does not fizzle out on Sunday. They manhandled Baltimore from start to finish, but the Browns defense is a lot stronger. Through three weeks, Cleveland is ranked number one in total yards and against the run. If David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs get taken out of the gameplan, then Jared Goff is going to need to step up big time. Otherwise, this might turn into another stunning upset.

FINAL LOCK: Now that the Browns beat the Packers, this should let the Lions know that this is not going to be a walk in the park at home. As a result, I know that Dan Campbell will have his guys locked in and not overlook what is ahead of them. They will struggle early on, but eventually this team will get into a rhythm and wear the opposition out.

FINAL SCORE: DET 27-10

CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-2) vs. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1-2)

I should have known that this would be one of the more boring matchups of the week between two subpar teams in the NFL. The Patriots are hoping to win their first home game of the season, while the Panthers are looking to finally win on the road, so only one of these teams will get that victory under their belt. 

For either side to win, the goal is simple: do not turn the ball over! This especially goes for the Patriots, who coughed it up five times in a seven point loss to the Steelers at home. Carolina is in a better situation because they beat the Falcons 30-0, but Bryce Young barely threw for 120 yards. To his credit, however, he managed the game well and did not put the ball in harm’s way. He let the defense take over from start to finish and it was Atlanta’s mistakes that really swung everything around. In this game, the first turnover might not be the one who decides everything, but the second or third. I find it hard to believe for Drake Maye or Bryce Young to have outstanding performances on Sunday, but they cannot be the biggest reasons why they lose. Their team’s seasons depend on them playing well.

FINAL LOCK: If New England loses, this will be the fifth straight year where they start 1-3 and Mike Vrabel will be the third different head coach in that time span. That is unacceptable for this organization so if they want to truly prove that things will change, they need to win. Every time I pick the Patriots to win, they lose, and vice versa. However, Carolina’s offense has dealt with a lot of attrition to start the year and New England’s defense is getting their best player Christian Gonzalez. It is not going to be pretty, but it is hard for me to believe that the Patriots puts themselves in a bad position at home again.

FINAL SCORE: NE 17-10

THE 4:05/4:25 SLATE:

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-1) vs. SAN FRANCISCO 49ers (3-0)

This game turned out to be a lot better than I thought at the beginning of the season, and to be honest, I do not see this being a blowout. The biggest reason why is because the 49ers offense is still dealing with a ton of injuries.

Brock Purdy is working his way back to playing, but is still dealing with a turf toe injury. Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings did not practice on Wednesday, while George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk are still on injured reserve. At least Christian McCaffrey is still healthy for the time being, but the last player that San Francisco could lose is him. Until everybody gets back onto the field in time, their defense is going to be the biggest reason why they win football games, but they just lost Nick Bosa with a torn ACL. This team might be undefeated for now, yet it is looking like deja vu from last year. Surprisingly, this Jaguars defense has been pretty good to start the season. They are ranked in the top ten in many statistical categories, they lead the league in takeaways, and they can match up well against a frail 49ers offense. If Purdy is cleared to play, then all of the attention is going to be focused on him and his physical state because one wrong move could lead to disastrous consequences.

However, if Jacksonville is actually going to win on the road, then Trevor Lawrence needs to have a big game against a really good defense. While San Francisco will be without Bosa, they still have Robert Saleh as their defensive coordinator and a ton of playmakers on all three levels. Fred Warner is still playing at an All Pro level and their secondary has only allowed 162 passing yards per game. Yes, generating pressure is a key tenet that needs to be accomplished, but forcing turnovers is what will keep San Francisco ahead. If Lawrence can hold onto the ball and play well enough down the stretch, then his team has a chance. However, if he cannot make the most out of his opportunities, then the Jaguars are going to come up just short.

FINAL LOCK: As much as I am concerned about the state of the health of the 49ers, I think that they can do enough to win at home. The Jaguars have not faced too many tests throughout the first three weeks, so this game is going to determine what type of team they will be the rest of the season. I believe it will be close and it will come down to the final drive, but if I have to choose between Brock Purdy and Trevor Lawrence, then I am siding with the former.

FINAL SCORE: SF 24-20

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-0) vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS (2-1)

This might not be the most exciting matchup of the late afternoon window, but it is still intriguing nonetheless. LA is reeling off a gut wrenching loss to the Eagles after leading 26-7, while the Colts are undefeated and are about to face their first true test of the season. At So-Fi Stadium, the Rams have the advantage, yet that might not matter if they pick up where they left off last week.

When LA was up by nineteen points early in the third quarter, their defense was shutting down the vaunted Eagles offense. Despite giving up an early touchdown thanks to an interception thrown by Matthew Stafford, the Rams shut down the passing attack and more importantly took Saquon Barkley out of the gameplan. However, outside of a deep touchdown pass to Davante Adams, their offense was okay but not great. They settled for four field goals throughout the rest of the first half and the only reason why they scored in the beginning of the second was because of a strip sack by Jared Verse. All it took was a 38 yard shot to AJ Brown for Philadelphia to get their spark back and they went on a 26-0 tear that featured two blocked field goals. The Rams are hoping that this is the week for them to bounce back and remind the league what type of threats they can be in the postseason, but the Colts are a different team this season.

Their offense has only punted the ball one time on 26 drives. Daniel Jones is playing the best football of his career, while Jonathan Taylor is leading the league in rushing. However, the Rams know that if they can take out the running game, then they can force Jones to beat them by himself. That is why I say that this will be the biggest test of the season for the Colts, because Sean McVay knows that shutting down Taylor will force them to play one-dimensional. However, that Indianapolis defense under Lou Anarumo has vastly improved in every statistical category and is regarded as a top ten unit. The best one that I will bring up is that they lead the NFL in turnover differential, which is absolutely remarkable. Los Angeles knows that they have a big test ahead of them, so they cannot underestimate the opposition and expect to win easily. 

FINAL LOCK: I think that the Rams will hand the Colts their first loss of the season. This game is going to come down to coaching and which team will have the better strategy. As I said earlier, they have to shut down Taylor to make Jones win the game on his own. If the defense can do that, then it is hard for me to believe that Indianapolis will have a surefire plan B.

FINAL SCORE: LA 30-17

BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-2) vs. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-2)

Everybody talks about the Patrick Mahomes-Lamar Jackson rivalry as one of the best quarterback matchups in all of sports, but let’s be honest. This is as one-sided of a contest as there could ever be in the NFL. Mahomes is 5-1 against the Ravens and has not lost a game at home. Sure, the Chiefs are flawed and will be underdogs, but I will believe they will lose when I actually see it myself, especially since Baltimore is just as concerning themselves.

When I think of the 2025 Baltimore Ravens, I think of how the Bengals looked last year. Their defense was horrible, the offense self-destructed at the worst possible time, and it usually resulted in heartbreaking losses. The Ravens did not just lose on Monday Night Football, they got absolutely outplayed in every facet. Their “vaunted run defense” gave up over 220 yards to David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions sacked Lamar Jackson seven times on Monday and it was a lost fumble from Derrick Henry that swung the entire momentum around. Now that they are playing the Chiefs on the road, the only question I have is how will Baltimore get in their own way this time? They might have the more explosive offense, but we all know that Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will have something up his sleeve. Hopefully, the Ravens prove me wrong, but they do not have a lot of credibility left to me after all of these shortcomings and setbacks.

Kansas City finally won a game last week. Congratulations, you beat the Giants and proved you were not as bad as the Dallas Cowboys. However, any time they play the Ravens, Patrick Mahomes always puts on a show. With Xavier Worthy returning to practice, his presence might be the boost that this offense needs to open up the rest of the field. Yet, the one facet that the Chiefs need to improve upon is their ability to run the football. So far through three games, the tandem of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt has been an utter disappointment. After letting up 200 yards on the ground last week, we know that this Ravens defense is going to swarm every rushing lane and gap they could find. Yet there might be only so much they can do without Nnamdi Madubuike or Kyle Van Noy, especially with their pass rush. I find it hard to believe that Baltimore is going to shut Mahomes down for 60 straight minutes, but then again, anything is possible.

FINAL LOCK: It is going to take perfection for the Ravens to finally win a game in Arrowhead Stadium against Patrick Mahomes and right now, I do not have a lot of confidence in them to get that done. Like I said earlier, I’ll believe it when I see it myself.

FINAL SCORE: KC 27-24

CHICAGO BEARS (1-2) vs. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (1-2)

Any time I picked the winner of this game since 2019, I was proven to be wrong afterwards, so I apologize in advance. However, this is an interesting game because we really do not know what to expect from either side. The Bears offense finally managed to show up while the Raiders began slipping through the cracks. Only one of them is going to get back to having a 500 record and the goal for each team is simple: the offenses needs to step up. 

Even if it was against a Matt Eberflus coached Cowboys defense, Caleb Williams still managed to throw for close to 300 yards with four touchdown passes! It was the best performance of his career so far and the rest of the team picked up that energy as well. The defense forced four turnovers, Luther Burden III scored his first career touchdown, and some hope was returned to the Windy City. The Raiders defense that Chicago is going up against is not as bad, but they are still a flawed unit nonetheless. There is only one player you have to keep in check and that is Maxx Crosby. He is an instant game wrecker and a guy that can be an absolute nightmare for that Bears offensive line, so if Williams has a clean pocket for the majority of the afternoon, then their offense can continue to shine unless they revert back to what they were through the first two weeks.

I hate to say this but Geno Smith has not been playing good football lately. Despite what the final box score says against Washington, he did not put up any meaningful statistics until garbage time. All I am seeing is a carbon copy of how he played last year: tons of passing yards but underwhelming everywhere else. If he cannot do anything substantial against a Bears defense that has allowed the fifth most points in the NFL so far, then the Raiders do not deserve to be labeled a playoff contender. Smith needs to have a big game just as much as Williams, so whomever can shine the brightest will do enough to lead their team to victory.

FINAL LOCK: This can really go either way but I like the Bears better in this game. Both teams are going to struggle and I believe it will come down to the very end, but at the end of the day, I think Chicago has a few more playmakers that can really hold things down in the final few minutes. Watch me be wrong about this game again.

FINAL SCORE: CHI 20-17