Top 25 Most Pressing NFL Questions Heading Into Week 4

After what we've seen in the first three weeks of the 2011 NFL season, there are numerous questions that observers have on what could be expected in the immediate future. This is no surprise, as inquiries are abound each week of every year. 

We'll all know the answers—at least temporarily—after this next slate of games is played.

That said, here's a look at 25 of the most significant questions heading into Week 4. 

How Will the Bills Handle Success?

That was the question head coach Chan Gailey posed during the postgame press conference following Buffalo's thrilling victory over the long-time kings of the AFC East—the New England Patriots.

It's been a while since the Bills were relevant. And now that they're no longer a sleeper, how will they play when opponents are aware of their talents?

This is arguably the best story in football's first month of the season, but things can go south in short order. The Bills must be able to deal with adversity properly if they want to remain at the top of the division.

Can Atlanta Get out of Their Funk?

For the most part, the Falcons offense hasn't shown much zip.

In getting off to a 1-2 start, Matt Ryan has been intercepted four times and his team had difficulty moving the ball against Chicago and Tampa Bay.

For a team that was expected to be a Super Bowl contender, they are supposed to be sharper than what they've shown so far.

Can the Raiders Beat Another AFC East Giant?

Darren McFadden and the Raiders opened some eyes with their win over the New York Jets on Sunday, one in which they bowled over Gang Green's vaunted run-stopping defense with 234 yards on the ground.

They will have everyone's attention if they can defeat the New England Patriots this Sunday.

The bad news: Oakland is facing a Pats team coming off a loss. Bill Belichick and company rarely lose two in a row.

The good news: The Raiders will have the home-field advantage and will be hosting a team traveling from the East Coast.

How Will the Eagles Offense Look?

What was thought on Sunday night to be a broken right hand on Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is now just a contusion.

With that, Vick may start for Philly when they host the 49ers this Sunday. However, there's a chance the reins could be handed to either Mike Kafka or Vince Young if the injury doesn't heal.

That means an Eagles offense that has already looked out of sync for the majority of their 1-2 start may have to get used to another guy behind center.

The Vikings Can't Blow It Again...Right?

For the third time in as many weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have lost after having a double-digit second-half lead. The most staggering note is that they have been outscored 67-6 after halftime this season.

Things are quickly starting to spiral downward, and they desperately need a win in order to right the ship.

Lucky for them, the equally winless Chiefs are the Vikes' next opponent. Fall to K.C. and the 2011 campaign could tumble out of control.

Pondering a Switch at QB?

The blame for the Vikes' nightmarish start certainly cannot be placed solely at the feet of newly-acquired quarterback Donovan McNabb.

That doesn't mean that Minnesota should start thinking about replacing him with rookie Christian Ponder—the team's first-round selection.

McNabb has been sub-par in his first three starts (159.3 yards per game, two passing TDs)—if the Vikings fall further out of contention, the likelihood of Ponder's insertion into the starting lineup becomes even greater.

How Will Tom Brady Respond?

In the close loss to the Bills, Tom Brady threw four interceptions. That is the same amount he threw in all of 2010.

History tells us that the three-time Super Bowl champion QB will respond in grand fashion in Oakland when the Pats take on the Raiders—a team that has allowed 290 yards per game through the air so far this season.

Who Wants Control of the NFC West?

We're singing the same tune in a division that is severely off-key.

Ever since last season, the crown in the NFC West has been a hot potato, as no one seems to want it.

The Rams appear to be hapless at 0-3. But they're not that much worse than the three teams above them in the standings.

Mediocre Seattle trumped Arizona at home to put both squads at 1-2. Leading this group is the San Francisco 49ers, who were less than impressive in beating the Cincinnati Bengals to gain their second victory of the year.

Is Mike Wallace an Elite Wide Receiver?

It's a small sample size, but Mike Wallace is tearing up secondaries with his speed and his pass-catching ability.

His 125.7 receiving yards per game is second-best in the NFL as he becomes Ben Roethlisberger's new favorite target. Wallace may be on his way to improving his efforts from 2010 (78.6 yards per game and 10 TDs) and could well be in the same class of wideouts as Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson.

Why No Love for the Bucs?

When discussing the elite teams in the NFL, most don't mention Josh Freeman and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Maybe they should.

After all, this is a young team (led by Raheem Morris) that finished 10-6 and narrowly missed out on the postseason in 2010.

To start 2011, the Bucs were edged by Detroit and then came back to beat the Vikings on the road. On Sunday, they took down a Falcons team widely expected to take the NFC South.

What's Wrong with the Pats' Defense?

With all the talk of Tom Brady and his historic passing performances, little has been made of the New England defense.

However, that group's struggles were made painfully clear in the 34-31 loss to Buffalo. The Patriots yielded 448 total yards. Most of that (369) came via the arm of Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Through three games, New England has given up 377 yards per contest—the worst in the league.

Is It the Same Old Texans?

The Houston Texans were on the verge of vaulting to their first 3-0 start before the defense faltered in the fourth period.

When all was said and done, it was the New Orleans Saints coming through with a 40-33 win in the Superdome and continuing the Texans' string of coming up short in games against quality opponents.

This is the year for Houston to break through and win the AFC South. In order to do that, they'll need to beat other playoff-worthy teams.

Next up: a home game with Pittsburgh.

What Should We Make of the Browns' Start?

Seeing an improvement in the Browns record isn't that much of a surprise.

Quarterback Colt McCoy hasn't been all that effective, yet he engineered a fine game-winning drive in the late moments to edge the Dolphins and improve Cleveland's mark to 2-1.

Those pair of victories, though, have come against winless clubs (Miami and Indianapolis).

Is Matt Hasselbeck Revived in Tennessee?

His career was pronounced dead after leaving Seattle. But the 36-year-old Hasselbeck is looking much like the days of old with his five touchdowns and 70 percent completion rate.

With Matt at the helm, the Titans rank seventh in passing yardage and have posted victories over Baltimore and Denver.

With the Colts in free-fall, the AFC South is up for grabs. And Tennessee has the advantage of having a steady veteran at quarterback. The challenge now is having to deal without top wideout Kenny Britt.

Is Torrey Smith for Real?

Talk about a break-out game.

Torrey Smith, a rookie out of the University of Maryland, became the first wide receiver to have his first three pass catches result in touchdowns. All of those scores came in the opening quarter of the Ravens' blowout win over St. Louis.

When the game was over, Smith had five catches for 152 yards and the three touchdowns.

Not to rain on his parade, but the Rams secondary is paltry. Let's see how he fares against the Jets' outstanding cover corners.

Can Rex Ryan's Defense Limit Ray Rice?

For the more than two years that Rex Ryan has been the head coach of the New York Jets, he doesn't have much of a problem boasting about his team.

But what happened in Oakland probably had him a bit speechless.

The Raiders simply dismantled the New York Jets defense with 383 total yards—234 of them came on the ground. That's the most rushing yards the Jets have given up under Ryan.

Baltimore's elite back Ray Rice—and his 5.4 yards per carry—will try to put an additional crack in the New York armor in a prime-time showdown.

What's Wrong with Chris Johnson?

It's clear that the most disappointing running back so far in 2011 has been the wealthy Chris Johnson.

The Titans' usually-potent ball-carrier has been anything but stellar. In the year's three contests, Johnson has has just 77 rushing yards.

The worst performance came on Sunday in a Titans win versus the Broncos. Johnson had little to do with the victory, as he carried the ball 13 times and accumulated a paltry 21 yards.

He seems fine catching passes out of the backfield (four catches, 54 yards versus Denver), but he was paid big bucks to gain big yardage on the ground.

What's Wrong with Matt Cassel?

The easy answer is the loss of tight end Tony Moeaki and running back Jamaal Charles to season-ending injuries. Another possible reason for the struggle is the departure of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, whose system he thrived with in New England.

Cassel is just one of many dealing with an avalanche of setbacks in Kansas City. However, his mistake at the end of the Chiefs' contest with San Diego can't be overlooked.

Down 20-17 with under a minute to play, Cassel had a shot to win it. But on screen pass, he inexplicably threw it right into the lap of Charger safety Eric Weddle.

Which Is the Best 3-0 Team?

The quick answer for this would be the team that hasn't lost since December 2010—the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers and the offense are as sharp as ever. That said, the defense still needs some work.

Staying in the same division, the Lions are a group that possesses imposing figures on defense as well as on offense. Yet it's still unknown if they can keep it up for the duration of the season.

Buffalo, and its top-ranked offense, shares similar qualities with the first two teams mentioned. Like Green Bay, they have yet to find stability in stopping opponents. Like Detroit, it has not fully proven its worth.

Which Is the Worst 0-3 Team?

The Rams and Chiefs are sluggishly fighting it out for the worst team in the state of Missouri with their equally inept offenses. 

Indianapolis nearly notched an upset over the Steelers on Sunday night, but it continued to show that Peyton Manning may be the most valuable player in the game.

Both Minnesota and Miami have narrowly missed out on chances to notch a "W."

Can the Giants Offense Keep It Going?

Despite being minus receivers Mario Manningham and Domenik Dixon, Eli Manning appeared to be an elite quarterback in a win over the rival Eagles.

Eli threw for four touchdowns—two of those going to the unheralded Victor Cruz. The run game was also effective, as Ahmad Bradshaw ran 15 times for 86 yards.

This performance by the Big Blue offense was an aberration from the lackluster effort seen in the season's first two contests.

So, what should we expect when the Giants travel to Arizona and face off with the Cardinals? Will New York reverse back to how it performed in the opening pair of games or has Manning established a rhythm with his new group of pass-catchers?

Fred Jackson: The Most Underrated Running Back?

The lack of love cast upon Fred Jackson's abilities as a rusher and pass receiver has changed for the better in recent weeks. A 3-0 start will do that. 

So far in 2011, the 30-year-old Jackson has averaged an impressive 6.4 yards a carry, five runs of 20 yards or more, and has been an integral part of Buffalo's top-rated offense.

The Beginning of the End for Ochocinco?

Sure, it should take some time for Chad Ochocinco to get used to his new offense, but he should be back to his normal self by now.

No. 85 has just five receptions for 87 yards. What's worse, he has made two unfathomable drops.

The first came in the Monday Night opener at Miami. The second, and most recent, showing of butterfingers came last Sunday in Buffalo. Tom Brady laid a perfect pass to Ochocinco that was ready to be a touchdown, except that it went off his hands.

Is Tony Sparano's Job on the Line?

Tony Sparano's Miami Dolphins were in position to win and, for the moment, silence the detractors who were calling for his head.

That would-be victory evaporated when Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy capped an 80-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi with 43 seconds remaining and dipped Miami to 0-3.

Losing to San Diego this week would only make chances of being fired that much greater.

Which Other Head Coaches Are on the Hot Seat?

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio's job has been in question ever since last season ended. He should be allowed to finish this season, especially considering the fact that they're trying to break in rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Despite making the postseason in 2010, Todd Haley isn't on steady ground in Kansas City. Yes, he has lost two key components to his team, but the loyal and passionate Chiefs fans apparently have short memories.

Outside the Pocket Podcast

Have a listen to the latest edition of the Outside the Pocket podcast, where Thomas Emerick and myself dissect the important games on the Week 4 docket.