What a massive weekend in the NFL! Not only do we get to see history made in Dublin with the first regular season game on the island of Ireland, we also get a battle of the unbeatens in Tampa and a classic wounded animal game among two giants of the AFC who truly have their backs to the wall.
Those are the three games I'll be keeping a close eye on in Week 4, although, as this league has shown us time and again in the first month of this campaign, there will be plenty of drama and headlines across the NFL.
HISTORY BECKONS IN DUBLIN…
It should be quite the occasion in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams are 2-1, both teams have fascinating quarterback stories to tell and both will be backed by large travelling armies of fans, if the streets of Dublin and the arrivals hall at Dublin Airport are anything to go by.
Any time Aaron Rodgers steps onto an NFL field, he tends to be the headline act as a future Hall of Famer. And he has made a good start to life in Pittsburgh, throwing seven touchdown passes in three games and leading the Steelers to a 2-1 start. But now comes a huge challenge because the last time he faced Minnesota's defense – guided by expert coordinator Brian Flores – Rodgers was sacked three times and intercepted three times in a loss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2024.
On the other sideline, the bigger QB story might centre around what Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell can coax out of Pro Bowl veteran Carson Wentz, who has not been a full-time starter since 2022 and who is on his sixth team in six seasons. O'Connell guided Sam Darnold to a career year in 2024 while JJ McCarthy was out injured. He couldn't do it again, could he?
BATTLE OF THE UNDEFEATEDS
Two of the NFL's form teams will meet in Florida on Sunday as the 3-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles. Both clubs have won nine of their last 10 regular season games and both have shown a penchant for late drama. Buckle up because this one could be a wild ride!
All three Philadelphia wins – against Dallas, Kansas City and the Los Angeles Rams – have come by a single score. And it's been the same for the Bucs against Atlanta, Houston and the New York Jets. Tampa have scored their game-winning points inside the final minute to secure each of those victories.
And that speaks to the gutsy, never-say-die attitude of quarterback Baker Mayfield. It's the same on the other team as Jalen Hurts never believes he is beaten. He always seems to find a way. Given the quality of the opponents they have beaten so far this season – and given that Mayfield will be without star wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring), I'm giving the edge to the Super Bowl champion Eagles. They just know how to get the job done.
HIGH STAKES AT ARROWHEAD
I think this Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs is even bigger now that both teams have started with 1-2 records. Sure, there would have been a lot of positivity and excitement around two teams going head-to-head with 3-0 marks, but the air will now be thick with desperation in Missouri in Week 4.
Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes? The Ravens or the Chiefs? Somebody is going to be 1-3 by the end of the NFL's first month and wondering how they find their way back from such a hole. It's hard to imagine that of Baltimore and Kansas City, who always find themselves in the AFC Super Bowl conversation.
The Ravens have the better offensive talent, providing Derrick Henry can hang on to the football. There might not be anyone playing better than Lamar in the entire NFL right now. But in Monday's loss to Detroit, he was sacked seven times. And you can bet your last pound that Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was watching.
The Chiefs have the better defense, but Mahomes is devoid of weapons around him and is flying solo in attack. Kansas City will have the psychological edge given their history and the fact that Baltimore have lost a lot of big games in recent years.
I fancy the Ravens to have too much for Kansas City, but they'd better pull away from the Chiefs. They don't want to be messing around with any Mahomes magic in another close affair.
