Heller’s Week 4 predictions

After another sub-par week of barely breaking .500 with my picks (9-7), I’m going to give it another shot. Here are my picks for Week 4.

Eagles 13, Packers 27

If Sunday had panned out differently for the Eagles, I might have picked them in this game. But their receiving corp is battered. Aaron Rodgers is executing coach Matt LaFleur’s playbook, which could be scary for opposing teams in the weeks ahead.

Raiders 24, Colts 21

I had both team’s games wrong last week. I think the Raiders, behind Derek Carr, will do just enough to edge out a victory against Jacoby Brissett and Co.

Chargers 24, Dolphins 10

The Dolphins have been dismal on offense no matter who’s in at quarterback. Philip Rivers and the Chargers will win this one easily.

Titans 21, Falcons 17

The Titans’ offensive line apparently forgot how to block anyone last week, leading to nine sacks from the Jacksonville defense. Thankfully for their sake, this is the last week before offensive tackle Taylor Lewan returns from suspension. Matt Ryan has struggled to start off the season. I think the Titans will hurry to get the ball out and will be successful against the Falcons’ defense.

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Jaguars 13, Broncos 20

The storybook start to Gardner Minshew’s career will get a reality check in Denver. Quarterback Joe Flacco and head coach Vic Fangio will get their long-awaited first win with the Broncos.

Patriots 23, Bills 27

I can’t remember the last time these two teams were playing a game for sole possession of first place in the AFC East. While both teams come into this game at 3-0, the teams they have faced are a combined 1-17. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been his usual Tom Terrific, Bills signal-caller Josh Allen has also been impressive in the first three games. I think Allen will surprise many and lead his team to a 4-0 start.

Chiefs 34, Lions 30

The Lions, coming off a stunning win against the Eagles, host the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs. The Lions will score points but will come up just short of the win.

Redskins 17, Giants 28

Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones was impressive in his debut against the Buccaneers. The Redskins are 0-3 after losing to the Bears on Monday night. While Saquon Barkley being injured will hurt this offense, this week they will survive without him.

Browns 17, Ravens 34

Old versus new? Last year’s two biggest rookie quarterback sensations square off in this one. Baker Mayfield is trying to figure out his offense while Lamar Jackson already has figured his out. He will be back to being the talk of the league after this game.

Panthers 27, Texans 24

The Panthers were impressive on Sunday. Kyle Allen, with the aid of a typical Christian McCaffrey performance, was victorious. That combination will be successful for a second straight week. Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson will make a costly mistake late in this game.

Buccaneers 14, Rams 38

Jared Goff will have a big day against the secondary of the Bucs. The Bucs will struggle against all of Goff’s shiny weapons. This game will get out of hand early.

Seahawks 27, Cardinals 24

This is a perfect teacher vs. student matchup. Cardinals rookie quarterback Kyler Murray, whose skill set is similar to that of the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, will fall short yet again.

Vikings 10, Bears 21

Chicago will succeed where other teams have failed so far this season: slowing down Dalvin Cook. With this happening, the Vikings and Kirk Cousins will have a tough time on Sunday.

Cowboys 42, Saints 17

Without Drew Brees, the Saints won’t be able to keep up on the scoreboard. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will yet again break the 30-point mark. This time, I expect a near 200-yard rushing game from Ezekiel Elliot to add to a three passing touchdown performance from Prescott.

Bengals 17, Steelers 20

While this game can easily go either way, Mason Rudolph will do just enough in his first home start to lead the Steelers to a victory against the Bengals. Head coach Zac Taylor will have to wait yet another week for the elusive first NFL victory.

For some reason, I have a good feeling about the Bills this week, which will mean there will still be five undefeated teams after Week 4 (Bills, Packers, Chiefs, Cowboys, and 49ers) while four teams remain winless (Bengals, Dolphins, Redskins, and Jets).

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