The NFL Roundup 2017 - Week 4

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Week 4 in the NFL is a wonderful time for teams and fans to take inventory when it comes to how their season is going. Some teams will of course will feel great about where their season is headed as the wins continue to mount and other teams, well they're focusing hard on what changes to make to see some form of success and the comfortability and determination that comes about from those two scenarios can make for an interesting week of football. After all, overconfidence can lead to a trap game and teams with their backs against the wall, uncover strengths they never knew they had. Which means we should be in for some interesting games and some interesting stories this weekend and with that in mind here's the top stories from the field we will be keeping an eye upon in Week 4.

Will the Buffalo Bills surprise the Atlanta Falcons?
There are a lot of people, myself included, who thought that Denver had found their swagger and would walk out of Buffalo last week with a win under the belt. But the Bills showed everyone, they're a different team this year, one that studies their opponents in detail in order to beat them and now I'm left wondering...will Buffalo stun the Falcons with their first loss of the season as well? In all honesty, it's quite possible. If the Bills can do what they did to Denver on defense, and shut down Matt Ryan's passing routes and do just enough to get them to abandon the run game, then the Buffalo offense can work on wearing down the Falcons' D and score some points. However, the Falcons have clearly done their homework this season as well and will likely be prepared for what Buffalo throws their way, so there is a chance, this could be a close one and it will be interesting to see which team emerges as the victor.

Who gets their first win of the season, Cincinnati or Cleveland?
Normally, I tend to not pay attention when a pair of winless teams take the field but when it comes to the NFL Ohio Bowl this year, my interest is piqued. After all, the Bengals on paper are a great team that have struggled all season long and for the first time in a long time, the Browns suddenly have a decent quarterback at the helm which means, this game could get interesting. After all, both of these teams are at the point where they are desperate for a win, which means we should get some extra effort on the field come game time. But in my humble opinion, this is Cincinnati's game to lose. They showed real grit against the Green Bay Packers last week and since they were finally able to put some points on the board, I get the feeling they walk out of this game with their first 'W' of the season. 

Are the Los Angeles Rams good enough to beat the Dallas Cowboys?
The best teams find a way to rise up when they are challenged and the Cowboys did just that last week with a rebound win over Arizona, but this week, Dallas hosts the Rams and honestly, I'm not sure what to expect from this game. I say that, simply because the Rams have been a fickle team. Sometimes they're dominant, sometimes they're bad and last week they were an offensive powerhouse that couldn't do a thing defensively, so really...is it possible for them to beat the Cowboys? Absolutely, provided they can play some solid defense, since that's truly their Achilles' heel this season. If they can take a page from the Broncos playbook and shut down Ezekiel Elliott, they've got a shot at this, but if they get into a shootout like they did last week, there's a fair chance Dallas enjoys their third win of the season. 

Will the Denver Broncos bounce back against the Raiders this week?
The more I think about the loss the Denver Broncos suffered last week, the more I realize, they were outright embarrassed by the Buffalo Bills. The Bills offense turned the No Fly Zone into the Friendly Skies and their defense turned Trevor Siemian into the second coming of Tim Tebow. It was bad football for Denver any way you slice it and well, they need to dominate their next opponent and that will be no easy task because they're facing off against the Oakland Raiders, and really, my concern for the Broncos when it comes to this game isn't the defense, because they're a proud unit that will no doubt step up this week, it's the offensive line that scares me. Think back to a year ago, when these two teams met up and Kahlil Mack blew past former RT Michael Schofield to the tune of five sacks, and I bring up that painful memory because once again, the RT spot is a problem for the Broncos since Menelik Watson (oddly enough, a former Raider) has been quite the liability in pass protection. So really, this game may come down to his performance and if he can finally play at a high level and shut down his former team mate, Denver has a chance at bouncing back and winning this game.

Is this the week where the New York Giants win?
Make no mistake about it, the New York Giants are a bad football team. They've struggled in every phase of the game through three weeks and at this point, their fans and the football world have to be wondering, can the Giants win a game or is their season over already? Well the good news is, the Giants have an opportunity at last to potentially take home a 'W' since they face off against Tampa Bay this week. Because thus far, the Bucs have shown themselves to be a so-so squad early on in the season. So if the offense can move the ball down the field, and the defense can stay fresh and force a few turnovers from Jameis Winston, they'll enjoy that all important first victory of the season. But, they need to be careful, since the Bucs are looking to improve their standings as well, and since they are fully aware that the Giants are a beatable team, don't expect to them to back down in the slightest...

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