NFL Schedule Week 4: Highlighting Biggest Matchups of Epic Weekend

Remember when the NFL season started, how excited we were to see games that mattered and focus on who was going to go to the Super Bowl? Needless to say, the whole debacle involving the replacement referees has taken the shine off of everything else. 

How nice it would be to just talk about the games again, right? That is what we are going to try to do here. This is one of the most important weekends of the year, as several teams are trying to get their season back on track after letdowns last week. 

As you anxiously await the start of another weekend of games, here are the biggest matchups to pay close attention to. 

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

If you recall, it was this game last year where everyone hopped on the Bills bandwagon. They had started the season 3-0 and were averaging more than 37 points per game. Everything fell apart after that game, as they went just 3-10 the rest of the way. 

Now, things are just a bit different. The Bills are 2-1 after defeating Kansas City and Cleveland in consecutive weeks, which isn't exactly a huge feather in the cap, though you can only beat the teams you play. 

The Patriots have had a much more difficult road and have a 1-2 mark, though their two losses have come by a combined three points. 

With some people calling into question (via ESPN Insider) how good the Patriots really are, they need to make a statement at some point. The Bills gave up 48 points to the Jets, so this game could get ugly in a hurry. 

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers

This is easily the most anticipated game on the schedule for this week, though the storyline certainly is different now than what anyone could have predicted before the season began. 

The Saints have to figure out how to make it through a game without completely falling apart. Their defense is a disaster right now, as they are giving up more than 477 yards per game. 

Even Drew Brees, the rock of the franchise, is only completing 54.7 percent of his passes and has a 7-5 TD-Int ratio. 

On the other side of the coin, the Packers are coming off that crushing defeat at Seattle, with a little help from the referees. They need to get their mind right, or else they could fall behind the eight-ball. 

For all the talk about the last play of Monday's game, Green Bay's offensive line was dreadful. It allowed eight sacks, and Aaron Rodgers had not time to do anything. 

It is time for one of these teams to take a step forward and be the team that their talent suggests they should be. 

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

Is it possible for a team in New York to actually fly under the radar? I don't think the Giants are getting under-covered, but there is not as much discussion surrounding the defending champions as you would expect. 

Granted, there are a lot of holes that can be exploited with this Giants team, like in the secondary, but they are not exactly vulnerable. 

The Eagles, meanwhile, might be the least impressive 2-1 team in the NFL. They have turned the ball over 12 times in three games, which is three more than the second-worst team (Kansas City). 

Michael Vick has no idea what he wants to do. He drops back in the pocket, tries to scramble, then he either gets hit or throws the ball into the arms of a waiting defender. 

The fact that LeSean McCoy, arguably the best running back in the NFL, has only 58 carries while Vick has thrown the ball 125 times is a problem that must be rectified. 

Speaking of McCoy, he has added another wrinkle to this rivalry by calling Giants defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora "a ballerina."

These games are always intense, but the verbal jousting makes this game an absolute can't-miss. 

NFL WEEK 4 SCHEDULE
Cleveland at Baltimore (Thursday Night)
Carolina at Atlanta
New England at Buffalo
Minnesota at Detroit
San Diego at Kansas City
Seattle at St. Louis
San Francisco at New York Jets
Tennessee at Houston
Cincinnati at Jacksonville
Miami at Arizona
Oakland at Denver
New Orleans at Green Bay
Washington at Tampa Bay
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
Chicago at Dallas

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