NFL Week 4 Predictions: Breaking Down Weekend's Marquee Clashes

We're entering the thick of the 2013 NFL schedule, which is generally the time when legitimate postseason contenders begin to separate themselves from the rest of the league. 

Heading into Week 4, we have six teams sitting on 0-3 records and another seven squads currently boasting unbeaten 3-0 records, which is indicative of the number of upsets we've seen so far this season. 

We have a very intriguing slate of games in Week 4, and for many teams, a loss iwould be a significant blow to their playoff hopes. 

With that in mind, here's a look at which teams will come out on top in this weekend's biggest games, as well as picks for all of Week 4. 

Week 4 Picks

Date	Visiting Team	Winner	Home Team
Thursday, Sept. 26	San Francisco 49ers	San Francisco	St. Louis Rams
Sunday, Sept. 29	Cincinnati Bengals	Cincinnati	Cleveland Browns
Sunday, Sept. 29	Baltimore Ravens	Baltimore	Buffalo Bills
Sunday, Sept. 29	Arizona Cardinals	Arizona	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, Sept. 29	Indianapolis Colts	Indianapolis	Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, Sept. 29	Seattle Seahawks	Seattle	Houston Texans
Sunday, Sept. 29	Chicago Bears	Chicago	Detroit Lions
Sunday, Sept. 29	New York Giants	New York	Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Sept. 29	Pittsburgh Steelers	Minnesota	Minnesota Vikings
Sunday, Sept. 29	New York Jets	New York	Tennessee Titans
Sunday, Sept. 29	Washington Redskins	Washington	Oakland Raiders
Sunday, Sept. 29	Dallas Cowboys	Dallas	San Diego Chargers
Sunday, Sept. 29	Philadelphia Eagles	Denver	Denver Broncos
Sunday, Sept. 29	New England Patriots	New England	Atlanta Falcons
Monday, Sept. 30	Miami Dolphins	Miami	New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia at Denver

So far, the Broncos arguably have been the league's most impressive squad, as Peyton Manning has Denver's offense firing on all cylinders early on. 

After three consecutive blowout victories over Oakland, New York and Baltimore, Denver has to be considered the team to beat. While Chip Kelly's Eagles have a pretty explosive offense of their own, it's difficult to see Philadelphia outgunning Manning, Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and the Denver passing game. 

Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson have done a good job of getting acclimatized to Kelly's fast-paced offense, but after consecutive disappointing losses, I've got to go with the Broncos. 

Manning's only going to get better as the year goes on, and given that the 37-year-old set an NFL record with 12 touchdown passes through the season's first three games, that's a scary thought for opposing teams. 

Prediction: Broncos 37, Eagles 24

New England at Atlanta

Two games into the season, the Atlanta Falcons have been wildly disappointing, as Matt Ryan and Co. have limped to 1-2 on the year thus far. 

After dropping their Week 3 showdown with the Dolphins, the Falcons don't look to be the juggernauts they've been in recent years, and against the Patriots, they'll have a tough time climbing back to .500. 

So far, Brady has managed to lead New England to a 3-0 start despite not having Rob Gronkowski at his disposal, which is a testament to the three-time Super Bowl champ's ability to lead his team to victory. 

And against the Falcons, Bill Belichick's boys will scratch and claw their way to a 4-0 start, though this one will likely go down to the wire. 

Prediction: Patriots 27, Falcons 23

Seattle at Houston 

In what should be a very entertaining game, the Texans will host Pete Carroll's Seahawks for a clash between two probable postseason contestants. 

To date, Seattle has been dominant, orchestrating convincing wins over the reigning NFC champs from San Francisco and a pair of less impressive opponents in the Jaguars and Panthers. 

Heading into Sunday's battle with Houston and its high-powered offense, the Seahawks should be considered favorites over basically any football team not named the Denver Broncos, so expect them to roll here. 

Even if Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and DeAndre Hopkins have big days, I can't picture Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and Co. losing this one. 

Prediction: Seahawks 33, Texans 27

Miami at New Orleans 

Heading into Week 4, Miami is without a doubt one of the early feel-good stories of the 2013 NFL campaign, as Ryan Tannehill has the previously mediocre Dolphins storming out of the gates to a 3-0 start. 

With wins over the Colts, Browns and Falcons, this Dolphins team has beaten two teams that qualified for the postseason last year, so it's not as if these victories have come easy. 

But Tannehill's chemistry with Brian Hartline and Charles Clay, coupled with the emergence of Lamar Miller, has Miami looking dangerous heading into Monday's tilt against the Saints. 

Yes, Drew Brees' Saints are undefeated as well, and there's no question New Orleans has looked impressive at times (save for the nail-biter over Tampa Bay), but I like the Miami defense's chances at neutralizing the Saints just enough to get Miami an all-important victory on the road. 

Prediction: Dolphins 24, Saints 20