NFL Week 4 Picks: Predicting the Winner of All 13 Matchups

NFL fans can say goodbye to full 16-game weekend slates for the time being with bye weeks starting in Week 4, but there's no shortage of enticing matchups on tap.

Spectacularly, there will only be one team (the Eagles) vying for the chance to go a perfect 4-0, with the other undefeated squads on a bye. That means the vast majority of the league is stuck with 2-1 or 1-2 records, making this weekend's showdowns huge for the early landscape of each divisional race.

Six teams will be on a bye, and it's safe to say many more could use a week off with injuries taking their toll across the league. In almost every matchup lies a team looking to replace one of its most important players.

Let's take a look at the entire Week 4 schedule, along with early predictions.

Matchup	Time (ET)	Prediction
New York Giants at Washington Redskins	8:25 p.m. (Thu.)	WAS 24-21
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts	1 p.m.	IND 28-16
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears	1 p.m.	GB 24-17
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans	1 p.m.	HOU 20-16
Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens	1 p.m.	BAL 20-19
Detroit Lions at New York Jets	1 p.m.	DET 30-14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers	1 p.m.	PIT 28-14
Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland Raiders (in London)	1 p.m.	MIA 20-17
Jacksonville Jaguars at San Diego Chargers	4:05 p.m.	SD 33-14
Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings	4:25 p.m.	ATL 28-20
Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers	4:25 p.m.	SF 30-24
New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys	8:30 p.m.	DAL 28-27
New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs	8:30 p.m. (Mon.)	NE 24-20

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

With the Texans and Jaguars separating themselves early (and early is the key word) as the first- and last-place teams in the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts will host the Tennessee Titans Sunday in a clash to decide the division's hierarchy through a quarter of the season.

The Titans turned heads with a resounding Week 1 win in Kansas City, but they quickly crashed thereafter. In the past two weekends, Tennessee has been outscored a combined total of 59-17 by the Cowboys and Bengals as Jake Locker's struggles have returned and the defense has come back down to Earth.

Preseason expectations were quite different for the Colts, but those preaching Indianapolis' anticipated AFC reign were quieted after the Colts' 0-2 start. Andrew Luck and Co. were able to turn things around with a morale-boosting 44-17 win over Jacksonville last weekend.

The Colts have struggled mightily against the pass with a 28th-ranked secondary through three games, but the Titans' passing game is in shambles and an injury to Locker leaves his status in question, per The Tennessean's Jim Wyatt:

It's hard to envision a Charlie Whitehurst-led offense making the Colts' defensive backs pay like Nick Foles and Peyton Manning were able to. While the Titans will want to establish Shonn Greene on the ground, that will be easier said than done if they come out flat for a third straight week.

On top of that, Tennessee's secondary is struggling to hold up its end of the bargain, and Luck will certainly look to take advantage of that.

These teams have identical records, but they are headed in different directions, and that will show in Week 4.

Prediction: Colts 28, Titans 16

Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Two teams with aspirations of a division title look to continue keeping pace with their rivals in Sunday's matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens.

Both teams enter with 2-1 records, which is good enough for the Panthers to hold a tie atop the NFC South with the surging Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, the Ravens hope to stay close behind the 3-0 Bengals with another win to boost their AFC North hopes. 

Things didn't end so well the last time the Panthers faced an AFC North foe. They were drubbed by the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, 37-19, on Sunday Night Football. As for the Ravens, they squeaked out a second straight win over the Cleveland Browns, 23-21, on Sunday. Baltimore's unknown cast of running backs rushed for 160 yards on the day.

Sunday's game will not only feature big implications in the standings, but it will be a defining moment for Steve Smith Sr., the former Panther, as Brian Bower of Russell Street Report notes:

"

Harbaugh on @89SteveSmith vs. #Panthers: "He’s going to be fired up, but he knows how to focus it the right way.” #Ravens

— Brian Bower (@sportguyRSR) September 23, 2014"

The Panthers looked like geniuses in nursing Cam Newton's injury through two weeks, but he was battered and beaten against the Steelers. What's more, the defense failed to contain Pittsburgh's run game and that doesn't bode well with a confident Baltimore rushing attack coming in.

Carolina could be without Mike Tolbert and Jonathan Stewart in Week 4, and DeAngelo Williams missed last weekend's game with an injury. The Panthers will be unable to establish the run game, and that is critical to their success.

It will be a close one with two strong defenses on either side, but the Ravens will continue winning the tight affairs.

Prediction: Ravens 20, Panthers 19

Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Philadelphia Eagles head west with their eyes gazed toward a 4-0 start, but they'll first have to go through a San Francisco 49ers team in a mood you don't want to face them in—at home and desperate beyond belief for a win.

The Niners got off to a strong start by beating the Cowboys in Week 1, but they have since lost two straight. They were unable to bounce back from a catastrophic collapse against the Bears, falling 23-14 to Arizona in Week 3.

On the other side of things, the Eagles keep finding ways to win, and it has given them an early lead in the NFC East. 

Philadelphia has looked strong in its 3-0 start, but it's undoubtedly vulnerable. There's been no real improvement on the defensive side, and Colin Kaepernick will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing a secondary still failing to figure things out.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports thinks the 49ers' desperation will work in their favor:

Nick Foles has worked his magic on a couple of occasions already this season, but it's hard to see the chips falling in the Eagles' favor to where he can replicate Jay Cutler's performance in the Levi's Stadium debut. San Francisco will be able to get out to an early lead, and the Eagles defense won't be able to make the plays necessary to pull Philadelphia back into it.

Expect the 49ers defense to bounce back strong and make a statement against one of the NFL's best offenses.

Prediction: 49ers 30, Eagles 24

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