ORCHARD PARK – (Wire Service Previews) – Week Four in the NFL begins the very important stretch of the schedule where the contenders separate themselves from the draftniks. There’s no better example than the New England at Buffalo game where – if the Patriots lose – will plummet them into a (1-3) hole a month into the 2026 season.
New England Patriots (1-2) at Buffalo Bills (3-0)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bills -6.5, Total 48.5
Series rewind: The AFC East rivals have split the season series during each of the past three campaigns, with all six of those meetings decided by seven or fewer points.
The Bills have a chance to start 4-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time 1991-92. Josh Allen is just the fourth player in NFL history — and first quarterback — with six or more rushing touchdowns in at least nine consecutive seasons, joining Marshall Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson and Jim Brown. Bills running back James Cook has two career 100-yard games against the Patriots, going for 107 yards and two TDs at New England in Week 15 last season. Buffalo linebacker Greg Rousseau is just the third player since 1982 with multiple sacks in each of the season’s first three games, along with Mark Gastineau (1984) and Kevin Greene (1998). Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has thrown six interceptions and only one touchdown pass for an offense that ranks next to last in scoring at 12.0 points per game. New England has scored only one TD on six trips to the red zone. Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez is looking for his third straight game against Buffalo with at least five tackles and a pass breakup.
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bengals -2.5, Total 51.5
Series rewind: The Bengals have won the last four games against the Jaguars to level the all-time series at 13 apiece. That includes their costly 31-27 win in Week 2 last season, when Joe Burrow sustained a turf toe injury that sidelined him for nine games.
Cincinnati and Jacksonville enter this week’s game off decidedly different results. The Bengals took their first loss after a costly Burrow fumble doomed them in a 30-27 setback to division rival Pittsburgh, while the Jaguars dominated the New England Patriots 35-6 to send a statement to the rest of the AFC. The Bengals enter this game with a depleted secondary as Ja’Sir Taylor and Jalen Davis are on injured reserve while Jordan Battle, Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger have all not practiced fully this week. That could be a problem against a Jacksonville offense helmed by Trevor Lawrence, who has thrown for seven touchdowns and two interceptions through three games. The Jaguars’ ground game also has been a strength, though, 10th in the league in rushing yards per game while rushing for 95-plus yards in every game so far this season. Cincinnati’s passing game also has been on point, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combining for 429 yards and four touchdown catches early this season.
Green Bay Packers (1-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Packers -3.5, Total 38.5
Series rewind: Green Bay leads the all-time series 34-24-1 but Tampa Bay has won three of the last four, including 31-26 in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 24, 2021.
Both the Packers and Buccaneers could badly lose in this game. The Packers, quickly buried in what again appears to be a very strong NFC North, were handily beaten 35-14 at home by the Atlanta Falcons. Green Bay’s ground game has not remotely helped quarterback Jordan Love, with the team’s 146 total rushing yards standing as its fewest through three games since 1933. The defense also isn’t helping, giving up 30.3 points per game — tied for third most in the NFL. To make matters worse, Love is completing just 52.4% of his passes. But Green Bay at least can enjoy having its starting quarterback available Sunday, with Tampa Bay unable to say the same after Baker Mayfield sustained a dislocated thumb late in last week’s loss to Minnesota. He’ll miss at least three weeks, leaving undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels to lead the offense after he beat out Jake Browning for the backup job. Daniels accounted for 90 total touchdowns (67 passing, 23 rushing) across 49 career games at Kansas, and now becomes the first un-drafted rookie to start a game in the first four weeks of the season since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.
Tennessee Titans (0-3) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Ravens -11.5, Total 42.5
Series rewind: The Ravens have won the last two games in the series to take a 14-13 lead. These teams have faced off twice in the playoffs this decade, with Baltimore winning a 2021 wild-card matchup while Tennessee came out on top in a 2020 AFC Divisional Round game.
Derrick Henry faces the team that drafted him for the first time on Sunday. The former second-round pick ran for 9,502 yards and 90 touchdowns over his first eight seasons in the league with Tennessee. He’s already up to 301 rushing yards (fifth in the NFL) and six rushing touchdowns (tied for the league lead this season) through three games this season for the Ravens. He could be in for another big day against a Tennessee defense which is allowing 126.3 yards per game. Luckily for Baltimore, quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to full practice on Thursday after he was limited with a back injury. Even though the Titans have surrounded last year’s No. 1 overall pick with a new coaching staff and wide receivers Calvin Ridley, Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson, Cam Ward’s 80.9 passer rating ranks 29th among 39 quarterbacks who have started at least one game this season, and his 168.0 passing yards per game rank 31st. Tennessee, still seeking its first win of the Robert Saleh era, has been close the last two weeks, losing 24-20 to the Eagles and 12-7 last week at the Giants.
Los Angeles Rams (1-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Eagles -3, Total 43.5
Series rewind: Including the postseason, the Eagles have swept the last four meetings with the Rams. That includes a 33-26 victory in Philadelphia in Week 3 last season.
The Eagles are the only NFL team that hasn’t scored a point in the first quarter or recorded a takeaway. When these teams met last September, Jalen Hurts outdueled eventual MVP Matthew Stafford. Hurts threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth while Stafford was held under 200 yards with two TDs and an interception. The Rams have outgained the Eagles by more than 300 yards through three games but only have six more points to show for it thanks to a mediocre performance in the red zone. Los Angeles should get a boost from the return of wideout Puka Nacua, a full participant in Thursday’s practice after missing two games with a hip injury. Davante Adams is just 9 yards away from 13,000 for his career and has six TDs in five career games vs. Philly. They will be facing an Eagles defense that began this week without top linebacker Zack Baun (concussion protocol). No. 1 wideout DeVonta Smith also missed Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury.
New York Jets (1-2) at Chicago Bears (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bears -3.5. Total 42.5.
Series rewind: The Bears beat the Jets 31-10 in their last meeting in November 2022. Chicago has won five of the past six in the series.
Maybe it’s time to believe Bears coach Ben Johnson when he asserts it doesn’t matter which of his quarterbacks start a game, trusting the collective offense to perform regardless of No. 1 QB Caleb Williams’ status. Williams (hamstring) won’t play for a second consecutive game but the Bears did just fine in demolishing the Eagles behind Case Keenum, the 38-year-old No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart. Tyson Bagent (concussion) was sidelined last week and could be in the picture Sunday. But Keenum passed for 247 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in a 27-7 victory over the Eagles after Bagent spent much of the previous week in concussion protocol. Taking care of the ball has kept the Jets in every game this season. Finishing has been another story. Geno Smith will be wary in this matchup after the Bears had three takeaways in a return to the aggressive, opportunistic style that helped the unit lead the NFL in that category last season. The Jets are coming in following back-to-back losses by a combined 10 points against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Revving up the running game remains an area of emphasis for the Jets. Breece Hall is week-to-week with a quad injury he suffered in last Sunday’s 31-24 loss at Detroit. He has rushed for just 61 yards on 29 carries after gaining 102 yards on 22 attempts in the season opener. Enter Braelon Allen, who figures to see an accelerated workload in the backfield. Smith sports a 75.5% completion rate. He was 31-of-37 passing for 321 yards with touchdown passes to Garrett Wilson, rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq and tight end Jeremy Ruckert against the Lions. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin) likely will face the Bears, providing a boost to a secondary bracing for a challenge.
Arizona Cardinals (1-2) at New York Giants (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Cardinals -2.5. Total 43.5.
Series rewind: The Cardinals have a four-game winning streak at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won the last meeting, 31-28, in Glendale, Ariz., in the 2023 season.
Jameis Winston remains the quarterback for a second consecutive week, despite the Giants trading with for J.J. McCarthy on Monday. McCarthy, acquired to provide insurance with starter Jaxson Dart out for the season with a knee injury that required surgery, will be the primary backup. The Giants came away with a 12-7 win over Tennessee despite failing to put the ball in the end zone last week. Winston is 25-of-49 for 229 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in two games this season. The Cardinals showed some resilience in keeping it close in a 36-30 loss at San Francisco last Sunday, a week after being dominated at home by the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Arizona’s offense has lacked the big plays, a few having been negated by penalties, but has been fairly efficient in moving the ball.