NFL Picks Week 4: Projecting Sunday's Scores

Here's  something we never thought we would hear: The Detroit Lions have won two straight road games.

The undefeated Lions will be on the road again today when they head into Arlington to take on the Cowboys.

Detroit's first two road wins, against Tampa Bay and Minnesota, were close contests, winning by seven and three points, respectively. But, this isn't a lucky football team.

The Lions used both of those games to showcase just how talented they actually are. No stage is a better chance for Detroit to flex their muscle than Cowboys Stadium. Who would have thought this would be the game everyone would pay attention to in week four of the season?

We are going to learn a lot about this young, but very talented Lions team today. Will they score more than the Cowboys?

Maybe not. But, a competitive game from the Lions will render them "for real" throughout the nation.

Other marquee match ups include the Steelers vs. Texans, Patriots vs. Raiders, and Jets vs. Ravens.

Houston is another team that's trying to finally break through the mold. They will have an equally great opportunity to showcase themselves as they host Pittsburgh.

The return of Arian Foster should serve Houston well, but they're going to need more than a running game to put down the Steelers.

Oakland, led by the explosive Darren McFadden, hosts a New England team that is facing rare adversity after losing a 21-0 lead in Buffalo last weekend.

For the past two weeks I've doubted the Raiders offense because of injuries at receiver. I've been fooled twice and I'm not falling for it again. The Raiders are for real, and should be potent enough to give the reeling Patriots a run for their money.

The Jets are heading into another road environment after losing to the Raiders. Oakland executed and physically pushed around a vaunted Jets defense last weekend. The Ravens should feel like they've caught the Jets at a good time. Expect a close home win for Baltimore.

Overall, this is the second weekend in a row where there are a lot of opportunities for power shifts. A lot of teams other than Detroit and Buffalo, such as Tennessee, Washington, and Cleveland, have chances to get a head up in their respective divisions.

Here's predictions for this weekend's slate:

Panthers 13, Bears 28

Bills 33, Bengals 24

Titans 21, Browns 23

Lions 27, Cowboys 31

Vikings 20, Chiefs 17

Redskins 26, Rams 28

49'ers 14, Eagles 24

Saints 31, Jaguars 17

Steelers 23, Texans 21

Giants 20, Cardinals 24

Falcons 33, Seahawks 14

Broncos 7, Packers 30

Patriots 35, Raiders 28

Dolphins 17, Chargers 27

Jets 23, Ravens 24