Week four is in a few days, and boy, are there some crazy matchups. The defending champs take on the team that has had their number the last few years. A couple of MVPs will battle it out to…avoid a 1-3 start?
This is by far the best game in the morning slot. The Philadelphia Eagles will head on the road to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that has had the Eagles’ number over the last few years.
It’s a well-known stat that Jalen Hurts is 18-0 in his last 18 starts, where he both started and finished. The last time he lost a game was against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay in Week 4, exactly one year ago. Philadelphia lost that game 33-16.
Earlier in that calendar year, the two teams faced off in the postseason, with Tampa Bay beating the Eagles 32-9. It’s such a weird dynamic because Philadelphia has been so dominant in that time frame, but can’t seem to beat the Buccaneers. In fact, the games haven’t been close.
We’ll see how it plays out Sunday, though, as Tampa Bay hasn’t faced the Eagles since Philly became that juggernaut we see today. If the Buccaneers beat them for a third straight time, though, we are going to have to change the way we look at them.
Tampa Bay will have to start being viewed as a serious NFL contender rather than a good team with a nice comeback story at quarterback. As for the Eagles, a loss for them would put them in a weird spot.
For the rest of the year, Philadelphia could dominate the rest of its opponents on its schedule. The thought, however, of whether they can beat the Buccaneers will still linger in their mind.
A win, on the other hand, for the Eagles will confirm that they are the gold standard of the league, and the previous two matchups meant nothing because that wasn’t the same team. A Super Bowl champ rarely has an important game in week four, especially after starting 3-0, but that’s for them it is. They need to beat the Buccaneers, or there will be some mental gymnastics that they’re gonna have to exercise the rest of the year.
It’s always fun to see the schedule and see these two teams ready for battle. The Kansas City Chiefs vs the Baltimore Ravens, on the field, though, has not really been a rivalry. The Chiefs have outplayed their contemporaries in nearly every game and hold a 5-1 record.
That is why it is paramount that the Ravens get this win on Sunday. Not only do they need to avoid going 1-3, but they need to exercise some demons when it comes to the Chiefs. If they can’t beat Kansas City this year, then when will they?
The Chiefs have not looked impressive at all this year. Their offense has been stuck in the mud in the first two games, and they played an ugly game to beat the New York Giants last week to get their first win. This is the most opportune time to put Kansas City in a real hole to begin the season.
With a loss, the Chiefs would also begin the season 1-3. The reason, however, I think the game means more to Baltimore because Kansas City has a body of work that shows they can climb out of tough situations. Being a three-time Super Bowl winner and going to five will earn you that benefit of doubt.
The Ravens, on the other hand, do not have the accolades or history to earn that same benefit. This matchup in particular is a tale of two teams.
Kansas City has struggled on offense, but has been good on defense for the most part. For Baltimore, the offense has been dynamite while the defense has been awful. Something will have to give in this game.
The Ravens have also not beaten an elite team in the last two years. Against the big three of the Buffalo Bills, Chiefs, and Eagles, Baltimore is 0-4 against them since the start of the 2024 season. They are 0-5 if we weren’t to count the playoff game in early 2024.
Can the Ravens pull off the victory in Arrowhead?
This is why the NFL is amazing. Week four features two matchups with similar story lines. It features two teams that are attempting to break a trend against a familiar foe that has had their number.
Despite the similarities, the outcomes of each game are going to have very different feels. The Eagles and Bucs are 3-0, so the loser of this game is not going to be on any spectrum of the panic meter. The Ravens and Chiefs are both 1-2, and the loser of this game will feel like the margin of error is razor-thin the rest of the way.
It’s going to be a fun week!
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