It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the end of the first month of professional football already, but Monday’s games will mark the last NFL contests for September. It’s been a wild ride thus far with teams that many thought would finish last in their division – Pittsburgh and Minnesota, we’re looking at you – among the remaining unbeaten teams.
Conversely, teams once thought to be Super Bowl contenders – that’s you, Jacksonville and Cincinnati – are still in search of their first win. Will the tide change and give those teams a solid footing this week? Here’s a sneak peek: oddsmakers are predicting the roles will be reversed during Week 4 contests.
Dallas Cowboys (-5.5) at New York Giants Thursday 8:15 p.m.
The Dallas Cowboys (1-2) take on the New York Giants (1-2) in a rare Thursday Night Football NFC East matchup, marking the first time the Cowboys have played on the road with only three days of rest in the team’s history. The Giants come into the matchup with momentum after securing their first win of the season last weekend against Cleveland.
Cincinnati Bengals (-4.5) at Carolina Panthers Sunday 1 p.m.
Who would have thought the winless team entering this matchup would be the Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)? The Panthers (1-2) won their first game of the season against Las Vegas last week after the team switched up quarterbacks. Can Andy Dalton work some magic against his former team?
Denver Broncos at New York Jets (-7.5) Sunday 1 p.m.
The Denver Broncos (1-2) will play their third road game this season when the team travels to New York for a midday matchup against the New York Jets (2-1). Denver looked like a competent team after squashing Tampa Bay in Week 3. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers has his squad playing well after decimating the New England Patriots last Sunday.
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (-1.5) Sunday 1 p.m.
The New Orleans Saints (2-1) came crashing back to Earth after their sky-high offense scorched the ground and both Dallas and Carolina to open the season. This week, they’ll face NFC South rival Atlanta (1-2), a team that upset Philadelphia at home before dropping close games to Pittsburgh and Kansas City – and both of those teams are still undefeated this season.
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (-2.5) Sunday 1 p.m.
The Minnesota Vikings (3-0) have dominated their competition and currently have outscored their three opponents 85-30 despite having rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy out this year. Up next is an NFC North rivalry game against the Green Bay Packers (2-1), a team that knows a thing or two about missing top-tier quarterback talent.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-6.5) Sunday 1 p.m.
The Jaguars (0-3) had aspirations of making a Super Bowl run with a healthy squad and their $55 million quarterback at full strength. Now, Jacksonville must beat the Houston Texans (2-1) to avoid dropping to a 0-4 record this season. Houston will be looking for its 11th win in 14 tries against the Jaguars.
Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5) at Indianapolis Colts Sunday 1 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) were an afterthought in the AFC North division when the team installed a “has-been” quarterback Justin Fields into the starting lineup. But Fields has made a believer out of his coaches and every opponent they’ve faced thus far. Next up is the Indianapolis Colts (1-2) and their quarterback Anthony Richardson to stop the Steelers' win streak.
Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears (-2.5) Sunday 1 p.m.
The Los Angeles Rams (1-2) were headed for their third-straight double-figure loss when San Francisco forgot how to play football. Now, the Rams are looking to make it two in a row when they travel to Chicago (1-2) and face No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams and better-than-you-think Bears defense.
Philadelphia Eagles (-2.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday 1 p.m.
This is a matchup of last season’s NFC Wild Card game, one the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) won convincingly. Can Philadelphia (2-1) repay the favor and beat the Buccaneers for a second straight time in the regular season? The Eagles also have feature running back Saquon Barkley this season to help lead them to victory.
New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers (-10) Sunday 4:05 p.m
The New England Patriots (1-2) have been a better team than most people have realized despite their ugly 24-3 loss to the New York Jets last Thursday. Now, they’ll travel across the country to face the San Francisco 49ers (1-2), a team that has only one win this season – against those same Jets players that just thumped the Patriots.
Washington Commanders at Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) Sunday 4:05 p.m.
Call it the Kliff Kingsbury Bowl. The Washington Commanders (2-1) hired him to tutor No. 2 overall draft pick Jayden Daniels, and the rookie has been sensational thus far. His next test lies in Arizona – where Kingsbury was the coach for several years – against a Cardinals (1-2) that has two close losses to Super Bowl contenders on their resume.
Cleveland Browns at Las Vegas Raiders (-1.5) Sunday 4:25 p.m.
The loser of the Cleveland Browns (1-2) and Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) may be switching quarterbacks the following week. Browns QB Deshaun Watson has the second-worst QBR score in the league (ahead of benched Bryce Young) while the Raiders have a reported short leash for Gardner Minshew.
Kansas City Chiefs (-8.5) at Los Angeles Chargers Sunday 4:25 p.m.
Somehow, Kansas City (3-0) continues to find a way to win games. They are a couple of bad bounces of the football away from a 0-3 record, and the Los Angeles Chargers (2-1) are up next. Can the Chargers take control of the AFC West division with a second win in four games over divisional rivals?
Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) Sunday 8:20 p.m.
Outside of their first game, Buffalo (3-0) on both sides of the football. The Bills will get a primetime matchup against the Baltimore Ravens (1-2) to prove this team is for real. Last week, Baltimore finally got into the win column with an impressive start against Dallas before holding on to a 28-25 victory.
Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins (-1.5) Monday 7:30 p.m.
There may have been worse games, but few matchups have sparked as little interest as the Tennessee Titans (0-3) going up against the Miami Dolphins (1-2) in this first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader. Without Tua, the Dolphins have no fins. Tennessee’s Will Levis has looked even worse than the Miami backups at times.
Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions (-3.5) Monday 8:15 p.m.
If the first game of the doubleheader is a snoozefest, the nightcap is a must-watch matchup. Seattle (3-0) is in the driver’s seat of the NFC West division by two games, and the Seahawks face the Detroit Lions (2-1) after gut-it-out victories over Arizona and Tampa Bay. Can the Lions continue to find their magic to tame the Seahawks on Monday?
