NFL Predictions Week 4: Tom Brady and 4 Players Primed for Big Afternoons

This afternoon features games with a glut of offensive talent, but three games and four players look like they are set to have monster afternoons.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady travels with his team to Oakland to battle the surging Raiders in a must-watch late-game contest; this could turn into the team's fourth shootout in as many weeks.

Brady has 1,327 passing yards so far this season, and has thrown 11 touchdowns and five interceptions (four of which came in last week's loss against the Buffalo Bills). He's primed for yet another high-yardage, multiple-touchdown game without matching those dismal turnover statistics from Week 3.

Another perennial playmaker is Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley. Finley, who has 15 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns, will be facing a Broncos defense that ranks 29th in the league against the pass.

Though Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a plethora of offensive weapons to whom he can get the ball, Finley remains a go-to option in short and deep routes alike. Against the struggling Denver defense, Finley should be a major target this afternoon with the yards and scores to prove it.

In terms of the run game, the New York Giants' Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are top-20 rushers, and they are facing the Arizona Cardinals' 24th-ranked rush defense.

Both backs will have a good day against a defense that isn't difficult to either run or pass against. Surely once the Giants establish a lead this afternoon—a likely prospect—the running game should serve to maintain it.

While Bradshaw is the starter, Jacobs does more than spell him during breaks; he is just as effective and powerful a runner, and his usefulness in the short passing game makes him a significant threat. If the Giants put up major yardage today, look for the run, not the pass, to be the culprit.