2024 NFL Week 4: The best Sunday games and the standout storylines

CNN
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Week 4 is the last slate of games in months to feature all 32 teams, as four teams have a bye starting next week.

With injuries mounting, it will be a relief for teams that players placed on injured reserve before the season will be available to return in Week 5.

Week 4 began on Thursday with the Dallas Cowboys’ narrow 20-15 victory over the New York Giants, but the majority of the action will take place over the weekend.

Here are the three most important matchups in Sunday’s Week 4 games:

This NFC North rivalry has a little more spice in 2024.

The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers are two of the most intriguing teams in the league and Sunday’s clash is must-watch TV.

The Vikings are on the rise thanks to the inspired quarterback play of Sam Darnold and a swarming defense; Brian Flores’ team has allowed the third-fewest rushing yards and had the second-most interceptions and sacks in three weeks.

There’s additional motivation for Minnesota’s new running back Aaron Jones, who joined in the offseason after leaving Green Bay at the end of last season.

Jones scored 63 touchdowns in his seven seasons with the Packers, and in his first return to Lambeau Field since switching from green to purple, he says he will “definitely” do the famous “Lambeau jump” if he scores on Sunday. During the “Lambeau Leap,” players who score touchdowns in the Packers’ home game jump into the stands and celebrate with the fans.

“Of course. “If you’re not thinking about the end zone, you’re thinking about the wrong thing,” Jones told reporters Wednesday.

The Packers are also riding high after two impressive wins, which is even more positive considering they were without starting signalman Jordan Love in the lineup.

Love has missed the last two games after suffering a knee injury in the final seconds of Green Bay’s Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

In Love’s absence, Malik Willis has performed dutifully. Paired with a creative offensive concept under head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers lead the league in rushing attempts and yards on the ground.

It’s uncertain whether Love will start against the Vikings on Sunday, but even if he doesn’t, Willis and the rest of Green Bay’s offensive talent could provide an intriguing matchup against Flores’ defense.

“They give you a lot of different looks, and similar to how we talk about the illusion of complexity, where we like to give looks that are difficult for the defense but easy for us, I feel like they do just that,” Packers head coach LaFleur said on Wednesday. “They have a system in place that makes it easier or easier for their players to go out there and execute. But it makes it extremely difficult to counter the attacks they are up against.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the surprise packages of the NFL season so far, having won all three games despite the offense not yet hitting its stride.

The group — led by quarterback Justin Fields, who was forced into the starting lineup after an injury to offseason newcomer Russell Wilson — has scored three offensive touchdowns in three weeks, the fewest in the NFL.

However, Pittsburgh was able to earn victories thanks to its defense and special teams. Kicker Chris Boswell has made 10 field goals in three weeks – including six in Week 1, when he scored all 18 points in the Steelers’ 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

And the Steelers defense has also grown, allowing the second-fewest rushing yards and conceding zero rushing touchdowns.

Pittsburgh faces an Indianapolis Colts team searching for its identity after three up-and-down performances so far.

The Colts got their first win of the season last time out, but quarterback Anthony Richardson wasn’t pretty. The second-year signal caller will make some excellent throws and then some head-scratching interceptions that will put his team on the defensive.

Positive for Indianapolis in Week 3 is the outstanding performance of running back Jonathan Taylor, who finished the game with 23 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

Heading into Sunday, Taylor talked about how the Colts are starting to come to terms with their young core of players.

“I feel like we definitely managed to play a role. We finally got one, but it’s a week-to-week league,” he told reporters on Thursday. “We definitely have to earn it again this week. (Steelers head coach) Mike Tomlin, he always has his guys ready to play – a tough team.

“But it’s another great opportunity at home. We will harness that energy at Lucas Oil (Stadium) and we just have to fight hard to get another win.”

Sunday Night Football pits two of the AFC’s supposed superpowers against each other, with one flying high and the other fighting to save their season.

The Buffalo Bills have been arguably the hottest team in the NFL so far this season, staging a stellar 14-point comeback in Week 1, defeating the Arizona Cardinals before sweeping the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bills QB Josh Allen was the league’s best passer in Week 3 despite losing two of his top targets in the offseason – Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. He has thrown seven touchdowns and no interceptions so far, with the combination of Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman and James Cook becoming stars with Allen at the helm.

Buffalo’s explosive start to the season makes them one of the early favorites to reach the Super Bowl. And normally you would expect the Baltimore Ravens to be among those contenders, but it has been difficult for the Maryland-based team to start the 2024 season.

They came within a whisker of going to overtime in their season opener against the Chiefs, and then they were beaten at home by the Las Vegas Raiders before finally getting their first win of the season – just – by overtaking the Dallas Cowboys.

Baltimore’s defense underwent significant upheaval in the offseason – coordinator Mike Macdonald was named head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and both defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver were given coordinator roles at Tennessee and Miami, respectively.

Therefore, the group is still in its infancy, but shows promise and has the best run defense in the league, but also the worst pass defense. And it will be a lot of work for them against the Bills and Allen, who has the second-highest pass completion rate (75%) of all 32 starting quarterbacks.

Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy was effusive in his praise for Allen when asked what makes him such a dangerous opponent.

“I mean, we could be here all day talking about this,” Van Noy told reporters with a smile. “(Allen is) just an incredible player who plays at such an extremely high level. I think that (he) and (Bills offensive coordinator Joe) Brady, when they’re calling the plays, they’re in sync right now, their offense and their identity is well in sync and they’re doing an extremely good job of just getting everyone involved.”

In response, Allen spoke nothing but good things about Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“I think he’s an inspiration to a lot of people in this country,” Allen told reporters. “The way he plays the game, the doubters he’s found out … and then him showing the resilience and the work ethic and the attitude to go forward and win two MVPs, people all over the league , that’s what you see.”

“He’s really changed the way guys play the game in my opinion, but make no mistake, he can kick the snot out of football and (I) have a lot of respect for him, a lot of love for him.”

Away at home

New Orleans Saints (2-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (1-2) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Cincinnati Bengals (0-3) @ Carolina Panthers (1-2) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Rams (1-2) @ Chicago Bears (1-2) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Minnesota Vikings (3-0) @ Green Bay Packers (2-1) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3) @ Houston Texans (2-1) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) @ Indianapolis Colts (1-2) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Denver Broncos (1-2) @ New York Jets (2-1) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Washington Commanders (2-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (1-2) – 4:05 p.m. ET

New England Patriots (1-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (1-2) – 4:05 p.m. ET

Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) @ Los Angeles Chargers (2-1) – 4:25 p.m. ET

Cleveland Browns (1-2) @ Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) – 4:25 p.m. ET

Buffalo Bills (3-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-2) – 8:20 p.m. ET