NFL Week 4 Picks: Projecting Home Teams That Will Roll on Sunday

In the NFL, like virtually every other major professional sport, playing at home is an advantage for any team, and it provides visiting squads with an additional obstacle to overcome. 

According to ESPN, between 2002 and 2012, more than 57 percent of the NFL games held during that span ended with the host team walking away with a win, so not only is the term "home-field advantage" a psychological tool used by coaches to motivate their players, it's factually also an added weapon for squads playing in their own barns. 

With that in mind, here's a look at which teams will roll to victories in front of their hometown fans.

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	Kansas City	Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Sept. 29	Pittsburgh Steelers	Minnesota	Minnesota Vikings
Sunday, Sept. 29	New York Jets	Tennessee	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

New York Giants at Kansas City

Three weeks into their 2013 schedule, the Giants appear to be in complete disarray, as Tom Coughlin's boys have lost by a combined 56 points during their past two games. 

Last weekend's 38-0 loss to Carolina was particularly troubling, especially when considering how little Eli Manning and the G-men generated offensively, and things won't get easier in Week 4 when New York heads to Kansas City to take on the surging Chiefs. 

So far, Andy Reid and Alex Smith have the Chiefs looking like one of the NFL's most complete teams, as KC has landed quality victories over Dallas and Philadelphia. 

Furthermore, while Smith's presence has solidified the Chiefs' attack through the air, this Kansas City defense has been arguably the biggest factor behind the team's surprising 3-0 start. 

And while the Giants are less than 24 months removed from a Super Bowl, it will be very tough for Coughlin and company to take one away from the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. 

Jamaal Charles and Smith have KC's offense firing on all cylinders on the ground, and against New York's 27th-ranked run defense, they'll grind out enough points to put this one out of reach. 

Heading into Week 4, the Chiefs lead the league with 15 sacks, and with Manning going up against an elite pass-rushing unit without much of a running game at his disposal, this won't end well for the Giants. 

Prediction: Chiefs 24, Giants 14 

Philadelphia at Denver

In what should be the most entertaining tilt of Week 4, Chip Kelly's new-look Eagles will head to Sports Authority Field to take on the undefeated Broncos. 

This clash will feature the league's two most productive offenses, but at least on paper, I have a hard time believing that Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy will be able to keep pace with Peyton Manning and Denver's passing juggernaut. 

That's because Manning's looked as good as ever, with 12 touchdowns through three games, and now he'll be going up against the league's 29th-ranked defense as far as passing yards go. After seeing how he feasted on the Ravens, Raiders and Giants, one has to think he'll do the same at home against Philly. 

In addition, Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Eric Decker have been dynamite at Mile High this season, and against a very average Eagles secondary, that trend will continue. 

No, the Broncos haven't been anything to write home about defensively so far this year, but they do lead the NFL in interceptions, and in fairness, every single one of their games has been decided well before the end of the fourth quarter. 

They may not score another blowout this Sunday, but Manning and the Broncos will outgun the Eagles in a shootout. 

Prediction: Broncos 41, Eagles 33

New York Jets at Tennessee

Going into their Week 4 clash, both the Titans and Jets have gone 2-1, but neither have defeated a truly marquee opponent to date, so this will be an important test for both teams. 

Thus far, the Jets have managed to grind out two victories despite a rather anemic passing offense led by a rookie quarterback in Geno Smith, who has tossed six picks and lost a fumble, though he's managed to come up with a big play or two in clutch moments. 

In addition, for the Jets to win, they'll need another huge game out of former second-stringer Bilal Powell, who exploded for 149 yards in Week 3. 

But the Titans' more balanced offense will give Rex Ryan's impressively stingy defensive unit problems, especially after Jake Locker's breakout 299-yard passing, 68-yard rushing performance. 

It will be close, but even if Chris Johnson fails to hit 100 yards on the ground again, the Titans' superior passing game will be the difference at home. 

Prediction: Titans 23, Jets 20