NFL Week 4: What's at Stake for Teams, Players This Weekend?

The NFL landscape is evolving on a weekly basis. How teams are viewed is directly tied to the previous week. That puts a big emphasis on what’s at stake for teams and players every game.

Some games are decided by particular matchups. The better, more talented team doesn’t always win, whether because of its playing style or an inability to adjust. But that is often overlooked, because winning is all that really matters in the big picture.

After the first three weeks, teams should be hitting their strides. The kinks should have been worked out, to an extent, and it’s time for them to establish what they will be on a weekly basis. Teams that have struggled through the first three weeks must not dig themselves too deep of a hole.

We’ve highlighted eight key storylines in the following slides that will determine whether or not these teams are successful in Week 4.

Several critical divisional matchups could put certain franchises at great risk of being eliminated from the playoffs earlier than imagined. That doesn’t mean Week 4’s results will end any team's season, but it could set a few teams up with big hills to climb. 

Miami Dolphins: Can This Team Overcome Adversity?

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

The Joe Philbin era has led to late-season heartbreak for Dolphins fans in each of the last two seasons.

Miami’s rough 1-2 start is not what the franchise expected after a ballyhooed offseason. Their showdown with the New York Jets could be the breaking point if the Dolphins lose.

Miami has continued to underperform under Philbin’s watch, which has left the franchise in a weird position. According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, quarterback Ryan Tannehill said this game marks a “critical point” in the team’s season. This early-season drama certainly wasn’t in the plans.

Miami is facing a team to the one by which it was just dismantled. The New York Jets will challenge the porous Dolphins offensive line. They’ll also bring their smashmouth style, which could exploit Miami’s lackadaisical run defense.

Can Miami step up and save its season? If the Dolphins lose, it could be a very long season.

Kirk Cousins: It Is Time to Show Signs of Development

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Coming off of arguably his worst game of the season, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins is starting to feel the heat from the nation’s capital. The team has seemingly moved on from Robert Griffin III as its starting quarterback, but that move may be temporary if Cousins continues to struggle. According to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, the Redskins could turn back to Griffin very soon.

Cousins has been reckless with the football throughout his NFL career. His career touchdown-to-interception ratio is in the negatives, as he has two more interceptions (23) than touchdowns (21). His upside just isn’t there as a long-term starter.

On the contrary, Griffin at least had one season where he was a true difference-maker. Washington may want to kick those tires one last time before moving on from him completely. It is up to Cousins to step up and show some signs of development as a decision-maker.

So far, the choice to start Cousins has had underwhelming results. Things must change quickly, or he’ll find himself the backup once again.

Chicago Bears: The Race for the No. 1 Pick Is On

John Froschauer/Associated Press

After trading and releasing several veterans to gain additional draft pieces to work with, it seems the Chicago Bears are tanking for a high draft pick.

This is a rare move to see in the NFL, but you should respect it. The Bears are clearly going nowhere and must find a new direction.

Fortunately for them, a potential franchise quarterback could be the payoff for a bad 2015 season. California quarterback Jared Goff has looked excellent this season and would fit well with offensive coordinator Adam Gase. But the Bears must now execute their plan.

As good as the Oakland Raiders have looked over the past few games, they really haven’t played a decent team. That means the Bears could put in a solid performance and come away with a win.

The Bears shouldn’t need to go winless to secure the top pick, but this is not a game they’ll want to win if tanking is their goal.

Alex Smith: Can He Withstand the Mounting Pressure?

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

Despite starting the season with a solid outing in which he threw for three touchdowns, Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith is now facing huge pressure to perform.

Smith has amassed impressive statistics the past two years under Andy Reid, but his lack of playmaking and aggressiveness as a passer are now holding the team back. Is it time to move to Chase Daniel?

With the Chiefs’ massive financial commitment to Smith, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. His contract would cost the Chiefs $7.1 million in dead money if he is released next year, according to Over the Cap, which just won’t happen. His contract is one of the worst in the NFL.

It’s unlikely the Chiefs will move to Daniel, but they should. We know Smith is not good enough to win in the playoffs with this team. But that is saying something, as the Chiefs have a solid roster filled with stars.

Maybe Daniel can bring more of a spark to this loaded offense.

San Francisco 49ers: Are They Who We Thought They Were?

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

This season is shaping up to be just like the last one for the San Francisco 49ers. A blowout win in Week 1 was just fool's gold last season. The 49ers must prove that is not the case again in 2015.

The issue is that Green Bay is walking into Levi’s Stadium this Sunday. At 1-2 and coming off of two bad losses, San Francisco is facing a critical juncture in its season. If the 49ers can pull off this upset victory against a top NFC contender, they may be for real.

For the 49ers to win, the defense must step up to a very tall task. Their young cornerbacks have been leaky this year, which will likely cost them against Aaron Rodgers.

It’s a lot to ask of this young roster, but the 49ers’ outlook will be bleak with another blowout loss.

St. Louis Rams: Can This Young Team Step Up to the Challenge?

Billy Hurst/Associated Press

The St. Louis Rams once again have the youngest team in the NFL. This creates consistency issues as these young players continue to find their path to success. It also means that some of their budding stars haven’t quite mastered their crafts on a weekly basis.

A painful loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers left a bitter taste in their mouths after Week 3. The Arizona Cardinals host the Rams in Week 4, offering St. Louis a chance for redemption. The familiar divisional foe is playing at a high level right now, though.

The Rams are a tough matchup because of their physical nature. Opponents likely walk away from every battle feeling like they were hit by a truck. But they don’t seem like a legitimate threat to win anything this season because of their lack of offensive punch.

To beat the Cardinals, quarterback Nick Foles must play well. In addition to that, at least one of their running back combo of Todd Gurley and Tre Mason will need to take the game over. Otherwise, the Cardinals offense will be too much for the Rams to handle.

Detroit Lions: Does This Team Have Any Fight Left?

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

A tough 0-3 start to the season has the Detroit Lions reeling and scrambling to salvage the season. Faced with the task of playing the Seattle Seahawks on the road on Monday Night Football, Detroit could easily slide to 0-4. If that happens, the season is basically already over.

A round of injuries to the offensive line have neutered this offense. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is playing the worst football we’ve seen in years, and it’s becoming clear that he’s just not good enough to overcome a limited supporting cast. He’ll have to rise above a tough situation and help deliver a win this week.

Losing DeAndre Levy has been a critical blow to the defense. But someone on the Lions must step up when it matters most. Who will show his leadership skills and help save Detroit's season? If they can't prove they have some fight left, the Lions are in for a painful 2015 season.

Julio Jones: Will He Dominate His Toughest Competition Yet?

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

It is safe to say the Atlanta Falcons are enjoying their success under first-year offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

Shanahan is one of the best coordinators in the NFL because of his ability to design a creative offense that heavily features his most talented receiver. He’s also helped transform a once-woeful offensive line into a great unit.

The primary benefactor of Shanahan’s offense has been Julio Jones. The uber-talented receiver would surely produce great numbers without Shanahan present, but Jones has been targeted no fewer than 11 times in each of his three games this year. That number swelled to 20 targets in Week 3 against Dallas.

With 440 yards and four touchdowns through three games, the sky is the limit for Jones’ production. He’ll face a deeply talented Texans secondary that features three solid cornerbacks.

If he can once again dominate on Sunday, the Falcons could very well be looking at a 4-0 start to their season.

All stats used are courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.

Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @NFLFilmStudy