NFL Picks Week 4: Which Favorites Could Fall?

The Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles are all on upset alert.  Each of these teams are the favorites heading into their Week 4 matchup.  Surprisingly, both the Bills and Patriots are favored despite being on the road.  Philadelphia's favored status could have changed if Michael Vick was unable to play.

Buffalo is heading to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.  The Bengals have shown some positive signs, but are inconsistent.  Offensively they are led by a young core.  Andy Dalton is a rookie starting quarterback, who will have his share of ups and downs.  However, he has developed a good bond with fellow-rookie AJ Green.  Offensively, they have the talent to make plays and hurt a defense.

The Bengals defense is very underrated, as they feature a bunch of young talent.  They are capable of creating enough pressure to disrupt the Bills offense.

It is going to be a challenge for the Bills to avoid the let down.  They are coming off of their emotional victory vs. the New England Patriots.  This Bills team is not use to winning, which could make handling the success a struggle.  It is also important to remember that the Bills had to orchestrate major comebacks to beat both the Raiders and Patriots.

The Oakland Raiders have been a pleasant surprise, and if not for a Bills comeback, they would be undefeated.  They have done a great job finding offensive balance, while featuring Darren McFadden.  Their ability to hurt teams with both the pass and run have kept defenses on their toes.  McFadden has been virtually unstoppable.

Oakland's success will make it tough for the New England Patriots to get a road victory.  The strategy to stop the Patriots is keeping the ball out of Tom Brady's hands.  This is best accomplished by controlling the clock and running the football, both strengths of this Raiders team.

Michael Vick has been cleared to play and will start against the San Francisco 49ers.  His presence makes the Eagles strong favorites.  However, they have not been a very impressive team, struggling on both offense and defense.  They are lacking confidence, which makes them primed for an upset.

The 49ers are going to slow the game down, while trying to establish a running game.  The Eagles have not done a good job shutting down the run.  If the 49ers are able to run the ball, expect them to then work the ball to Vernon Davis.  Davis has a favorable matchup, as the Eagles linebackers are not capable of covering him.  If San Francisco can get their offense going it will be a long day for the Eagles.

Jon Dove is a featured  columnist at Bleacher Report, covering the NFL and NFL draft. Check him out on Twitter @Jon_Dove42.