Everything you need to know as kickoff approaches...
Key game-time decisions
All players questionable unless noted
Harrison: Power Rankings, Week 4
After three weeks, three teams stand alone at 3-0 -- but only one can take the top spot in Elliot Harrison's Power Rankings. **READ**
Arian Foster (hamstring) RB, Houston Texans
Foster was limited all week after missing last Sunday's game. Coach Bill O'Brien said the running back will test out the hamstring prior to the game before any decision is made. UPDATE: NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported on NFL GameDay First that Foster is expected to play today.
Eric Decker (hamstring) WR, New York Jets
Geno Smith's No. 1 target said he felt better this week after returning to practice Friday on a limited basis.
Vernon Davis (ankle, knee) TE; Vance McDonald (knee) TE; Antoine Bethea (ankle) S, San Francisco 49ers
Calvin Johnson (ankle) WR, Detroit Lions
Megatron missed two practices this week and is listed as questionable. This schedule is nothing new for Johnson. UPDATE: Johnson is expected to play, Rapoport reported.
Thomas Davis (hip) LB; Jonathan Stewart (knee), RB, Carolina Panthers
Coach Ron Rivera sounded optimistic about Davis and less so about Stewart. DeAngelo Williams (thigh) is listed as probable, which should help mitigate the running back troubles if Stewart can't go.
Jake Locker (right wrist) QB; Delanie Walker (shoulder) TE, Tennessee Titans
Locker threw some passes on Saturday, coach Ken Whisenhunt told SiriusXM NFL Radio. The quarterback will work out before the game to see if he can play. His favorite target, Walker was limited Thursday and Friday. UPDATE: Barring a surprise improvement, it looks like Charlie Whitehurst will start over Locker, Rapoport reported.
Brandon Marshall (ankle) WR; Jared Allen (illness) DE, Chicago Bears
Marshall didn't practice all week, again. He is listed as questionable for the third straight week but has yet to miss a game. Allen missed all week with an illness. UPDATE: Marshall is expected to play, per Rapoport.
Jarrett Boykin (knee, groin) WR, Green Bay Packers
The wideout missed practice Friday. If he can't go we could get our first glimpse of the speedy rookie Jeff Janis.
Ladarius Green (hamstring) TE, San Diego Chargers
The athletic tight end was limited Thursday and did not practice Friday -- that's the wrong sort of progression.
Rolando McClain (groin) LB, Dallas Cowboys
The linebacker returned to practice Friday on a limited basis. The Cowboys' defense needs all the help it can get against Drew Brees and the Saints.
MNF
Jamaal Charles (ankle) -- PROBABLE -- RB; De'Anthony Thomas (hamstring) RB, Kansas City Chiefs
We'll see Charles on the field Monday night. The speedy Thomas is 50/50.
Weather Tracking*
*Mother Nature has smiled on the NFL landscape for Week 4. All of this week's games are slated for beautiful football weather. (Fantasy footballers bust out a wide grin.)
*Forecasts courtesy of Weather Underground *
Three matchups to watch
Brooks: Key matchups to watch
What are the most intriguing Week 4 battles in games across the NFL? Bucky Brooks provides his scouting eye. **READ**
We can't play up this matchup enough. Not only is the feisty, talkative Smith going against his former team, it's a genuinely great matchup. The Carolina Panthers' defense is coming off a home thrashing in Week 3, so we know they'll be motivated to bounce back. The Panthershave heard all Smith's talk leading up to the game and will be amped to slow him down. However, Joe Flacco's new favorite target should have a big role in the short and intermediate passing game. If he can exploit the Carolina's secondary, Smith could get his revenge.
The Bears' rookie cornerback gets his toughest test so far this season. Fuller leads the league in interceptions and has looked fantastic in the Bears' system early in the season -- where would they be without him? However, he'll face a massive test in Nelson, who can get open against the NFL's best CBs. Aaron Rodgers is coming off a frustrating outing and will look to his favorite receiver often once again. If Fuller can slow Nelson it could disrupt a Packers' offense that has yet to get on track in 2014. This matchup will go along way in deciding the NFC North outlook after Sunday.
49ers DL Justin Smith vs. Eagles C David Molk
In reality it's the entire 49ers' defensive line verses the Eagles' mash unit up front. But let's highlight two key players. Smith continues his dominating ways (three sacks, 12 tackles and ranks No. 5 on Pro Football Focus' 3-4 defensive ends list). Meanwhile, Molk, an undersized seventh-round pick in 2012, will get his first start for the Eagles. Philly likes Molk's athleticism, but how he holds up against power attacks like Smith and others the 49ers will send remains to be seen. If the 49ers can pester Nick Foles with interior pressure, it could disrupt Chip Kelly's entire operation. If not, Foles could pick apart a banged-up Niners' secondary.
Did You Know?
For the first time since 1982, each of the first three weeks of a season has seen at least one 17-plus point comeback win.
Steve Smith has 18 receptions, 290 yards and one TD, with two 100-yard games this season for Baltimore. Playing with the Panthers in 2013, Smith did not have more than 69 yards in any game (15 games played).
The last time these two teams met (Week 11, 2010), Baltimore won handily, 37-13. The Panthers' starting QB in that game? Brian St. Pierre. (And you thought we couldn't get a Brian St. Pierre reference in.)
The Panthers have lost seven consecutive games against the AFC North by a combined score of 199-82. Carolina's last win versus an AFC North team came in Week 6, 2006 (over Baltimore).
Harbinger of bad tidings? The last two times the Bills started 2-0 or better, they finished the season below .500: 2008: 7-9; 2011: 6-10.
Note to Ryan Fitzpatrick: Bills cornerback Corey Graham, is allowing a 28.5 passer rating, thirrd-best in the NFL. Meanwhile fellow cornerback Stephon Gilmore is allowing opposing QBs a 147.9 passer rating, tied for third-worst in the NFL (min. 25 percent of snaps). Choose your targets wisely, Mr. Fitzmagic.
Andrew Luck is 4-0 versus the Titans in his career, but his stats haven't been great with just two touchdowns and four interceptions. Last season Luck did not throw a touchdown pass in either game against Tennessee. (If Pep Hamilton reads this we could be in for more Trent Richardson. Sigh.)
A positive trend for Titans receiver Kendall Wright: In his two games versus the Colts last season, Wright went for nine receptions, 80 yards in Week 11 and six receptions, 77 yards in Week 13. He has yet to record 50 receiving yards this season.
For the third straight season, the Packers start 1-2. The previous two seasons they've gone on to win the NFC North with an 11-5 record (2012) and 8-7-1 record (2013). However, history indicates Green Bay's luck is about to run out. No team in NFL history has been under .500 in three straight seasons -- after three games -- and made the playoffs in all three seasons.
Kyle Fuller has 18 tackles, two forced fumbles and leads the NFL in interceptions with three. The last rookie to lead NFL in interceptions was Jairus Byrd, who tied for the most with nine in 2009. (Clearly, this means Fuller will get 14 in 2014.)
The Lions have had the ball with third-and-4-plus-yards to go 36 times this season. Only one of those plays has been a designed run. (Joique Bell ran once / Matthew Stafford has scrambled twice and kneeled down once.) On third-down-and-6-plus-yards, the Lions are the only team to pass 100 percent of the time (excluding kneels). With the Jets' stiff run D and wobbly secondary, don't expect these stats to change.
Geno Smith has never lost back-to-back home games as starting quarterback. Despite being 7-3 as a starter at home, Smith has thrown nine touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Side note: Geno is also the worst QB in the NFL throwing on first down (zero TDs, four INTs).
Since 1997, the only Raiders coach to defeat the Dolphins is (trumpet noise) Lane Kiffin. For Kiffin, only three more NFL wins would follow.
Ryan Tannehill must reverse this trend: The Dolphins' quarterback is averaging 5.03 pass yards per attempt this season, which is the fewest in the NFL. Over the last 30 years, only Philadelphia's Bobby Hoying (4.29 yards per attempt in 1998), Cincinnati's Akili Smith (4.69 yards per attempt in 2000) and Washington's Mark Rypien (4.75 yards per attempt in 1993) have completed a season with fewer yards per attempt than Tannehill is currently at. In the seasons that followed, Hoying, Smith and Rypien would go on to start a combined eight NFL games.
Unnerving stat for Bucs fans: If the defense continues at this pace, their opposing passer rating of 117.2 would be the worst in NFL history, more than six points higher than the 2008 Lions (only 0-16 team in NFL history).
For the fifth time since drafting Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, the Steelers started 2-1. They have made playoffs each previous occasion, including two Super Bowl wins: 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2011.
Toby Gerhart has 34 rushes and 82 yards this season, averaging 2.41 yards per rush -- second worst in the NFL (min. 20 attempts). Only two of those 34 rushes have been for 10-plus yards. Last season in Minnesota, Gerhart had 36 rushing attempts, 11 of which went for 10-plus yards.
Last weekDonald Brown had 31 rushes for 62 yards (2.0 yards per rush). The running back had never previously rushed the ball more than 18 times. He became the third player in NFL history to have more than 30 rushes in a game and average 2-or-fewer yards per rush (Edgerrin James, Cardinals, 1.5 YPC 2006; Eddie Prince, Giants, 1.5 YPC 1951).
Nick Foles is the only player in NFL with 300-plus passing yards in all three games this season. Four quarterbacks have started a season with four 300-yard games (five total seasons): Drew Brees, 2013; Peyton Manning, 2009 and 2013; Kurt Warner, 2000; and Steve Young, 1998. Each quarterback took his team to the playoffs in those seasons, and Manning took his team to the Super Bowl each of those two seasons.
In 2014 the 49ers are rushing on 44.8 percent of plays (10th in NFL). Last season San Francisco rushed on 52.5 percent of plays (most in NFL). Frank Gore has just 35 rushes for 139 rushing yards (4.0 yards per carry) and a touchdown in 2014. He has earned 100-plus yards rushing in three of the last four meetings against Philadelphia.
The Falcons scored 93 points (46.5 PPG) in their two wins (NO and TB), but scored just 10 points in the loss at Cincinnati. That loss came to the former defense of now-Vikings coach Mike Zimmer.
Last week Minnesota's rookie linebacker Anthony Barr compiled five tackles, a sack, two QB hits and a pass defensed. Neither of the two pass rushers selected ahead of Barr -- Jadeveon Clowney (No. 1 overall pick, injured) or Khalil Mack (No. 5 overall pick) -- have a sack this season.
Tony Romo is completing 67.4 percent of his passes this season, which is on pace to be the second highest of his career (69.5 percent in 2010). Yet his passer rating is 86.1, which would be a career worst.
The Saints have lost five straight road games (seven of last eight). New Orleans has not lost more than six in a row since losing 14 straight from 1998-2000.
The Patriots' defense is allowing 272.7 yards per game (third in NFL). The last time the Patriots had a top-five defense was 2007, when they lost in the Super Bowl to the Giants, 17-14. Since 2003, the Patriots have had a top-nine defense (total yards) four times and have gone to the Super Bowl three of those years and the AFC Championship the other season.
*We preview and pick every Week 4 game in the latest Around The NFL Podcast. *
