NFL Teams Desperate for Wins in Week 4

Mission accomplished for the Dallas Cowboys. They were near the top of the list of teams that needed a win in Week 4 if they were still going to be serious Super Bowl contenders. It wasn’t the prettiest of wins on Thursday night at the New York Giants, but the 20-15 victory did end the Cowboys’ two-game slide. It also got them a win inside the NFC East, and they now have 10 days to prepare for their Week 5 game at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

San Francisco 49ers (1-2)

One injury can alter a season. But in the case of the San Francisco 49ers, it’s been multiple injuries. Christian McCaffrey could be gone for the long haul. The team says they’ll know more in two weeks. In the meantime, they are also missing Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, and they have lost two straight games with their short-handed lineup.

Seemingly, they have an easy game this week against the New England Patriots. The Niners are 10.5-point favorites to get back to .500 and get back on track in the NFC. But the Pats did win in Week 1 at Cincinnati, and aren’t the pushover many thought they’d be.

Atlanta Falcons (1-2)

The Atlanta Falcons almost came away with a win last week against the Kansas City Chiefs. But for a team with a huge investment at quarterback and a limited window with that quarterback, the time to win is now. Moral victories are still losses, and they are now 1-2 in the NFC South and tied with the Carolina Panthers at the bottom.

Atlanta is at home this weekend against the New Orleans Saints. The Falcons are favored by 2.5 points, and they really have to win. A loss to the Saints would put Atlanta behind New Orleans effectively by three games, falling behind in the tie-breaker with the loss at home.

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)

The Jaguars began the season with odds of winning the AFC South at +275. After three losses to begin the season, and the embarrassment while at the Buffalo Bills on Monday, those odds are now +600. A loss this weekend to the Houston Texans and they will fall even further.

Jacksonville is a 6.5-point underdog at Houston, and even that might be generous, considering the way they have played. They have scored a total of 40 points in three games, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence ranks 25th in ESPN’s QBR. That puts him behind Gardner Minshew, who makes $42.5 million less than Lawrence per season.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)

Monday night’s game against the Washington Commanders was supposed to be the rebound game for the Cincinnati Bengals. After a tough loss at Kansas City, a home win against an overmatched rookie quarterback was going to right the ship.

Instead, it raises all kinds of questions about the Bengals defense, and if this team really can be considered one of the best in the AFC. At the moment, they are not.

At the Carolina Panthers, it is nearly inconceivable that the point spread is down to 4.5 points. But that is the power of the Bengals struggles, and a national television audience saw them give up 38 points to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. It’s also the power of former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who looked great in his first start last week for Carolina.

Baltimore Ravens (1-2)

The Baltimore Ravens do have a win, so their situation isn’t quite as dire as what the Bengals are facing. But with a loss already at Kansas City, a loss to the Buffalo Bills this week would put Baltimore on the short side of a potential tie-breaker with two of their biggest competitors in the AFC.

The Ravens are at home and favored by 2.5 points, but the Bills have looked like the best team in the NFL through three weeks. However, last week, the addition of Derek Henry finally clicked on all cylinders for the Ravens, so look for them to lean heavily on their future Hall of Fame running back again in Week 4.

Miami Dolphins (1-2)

Tua Tagovailoa wants to come back and play this year, and the Miami Dolphins want that, too. They are unlikely to make any trades for a new quarterback, and instead will hope to keep the season afloat until Tagovailoa is ready. The earliest he can return is Week 7.

Keeping their season alive begins this Monday against the Tennessee Titans, a team that should be beatable. However, even though the Titans are 0-3 and the Dolphins are at home, Miami is only favored by one point.

If you saw the combination of Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle last week against the Seattle Seahawks, you know the deck is stacked against Miami. The team has signed Tyler Huntley. But he has been with them less than 10 days, and he was available to be signed for a reason. He has big limitations.

The schedule is favorable for the Dolphins, with New England and Indianapolis coming up after Tennessee. But without a win this week, it’s hard to see how Miami can salvage the season.