Week 4 in the NFL brings fans many competitive matchups, and some teams will be looking to record their first win of the season. Other teams will be fighting to keep their perfect win records, which should be easily accomplished by a few particular teams.
However, due to their daunting matchups and terrible performances thus far, four teams appear to be already doomed in Week 4.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs defense is simply giving up too many points and yards to opposing offenses, which negates nearly everything that Jamaal Charles and Co. is accomplishing. This is why they are going to lose once again, this time on the road to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Over the first three weeks of the season, the Chiefs have allowed 89 total points—the fourth-most of all NFL teams. They have also surrendered an average of 307 passing yards per game and 10 total touchdowns through the air.
Anyone who witnessed what Andy Dalton and A.J. Green accomplished last week against the Baltimore Ravens should be worried for the Chiefs defense. Green racked up 227 yards and two touchdowns, and the duo will be no match for the Chiefs secondary that just gave up five scores to Aaron Rodgers, three of which went to Randall Cobb.
The Chiefs should find their ways to score. However, the Bengals defense that has only allowed 200 rushing yards and zero touchdowns to opposing running backs this season.
Cincinnati will be looking at a perfect 4-0 record, while the Chiefs drop to 1-3.
Detroit Lions
The Lions are looking to find their first win for the season, but it won’t come in a road game against the Seattle Seahawks. Last week, the Seahawks shut out the Chicago Bears, and Seattle will make it difficult for a struggling Lions offense that has only scored 56 total season points.
So far in 2015, the Lions haven’t been able to sustain drives, only tallying 4.9 yards per attempt on offensive plays. Matthew Stafford has completed 64.1 percent of his passes and thrown five touchdowns but has five interceptions.
While Detroit’s ground game has managed only 135 rushing yards at a miserable 2.6-yard average, the Seahawks defense only allowing an average of just 203 passing yards per game and zero rushing scores to running backs all season, it will create challenges for the Lions to attempt to score.
As for the Seattle offense, Russell Wilson and tight end Jimmy Graham are on the same page after connecting eight times. They face a Lions secondary that has allowed 881 passing yards and five touchdowns the past three weeks.
With so many variables stacked against the Lions, they’ll walk away from Sunday 0-4.
Chicago Bears
The Bears were dealt the franchise’s first shutout since 2002 when they lost 26-0 in Week 3 to Seattle. Now, they’ll post loss No. 4 against a suddenly hot Oakland Raiders offense that is churning like a well-oiled machine.
Chicago will likely again be playing with backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who recorded a putrid 63 total yards on nine completed passes. The team simply cannot rely on Matt Forte to score all the points. Granted, Chicago’s workhorse could manage a touchdown or two against a defense that has allowed three touchdowns to running backs this season.
Unfortunately, that won’t be enough to put up a fight against Oakland’s explosive offense that’s racked up 848 passing yards, 315 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in three weeks. The Bears defense has allowed 10 touchdowns and 105 points—the most in the NFL this season.
The Raiders will depart Chicago with their third win of the season, forcing the Bears to 0-4.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are off to a horrendous 1-2 start this season, and the latest headline is quarterback Colin Kaepernick is struggling with the team’s already simplified offense.
Kap and the 49ers offense are being picked apart because opposing defenses have claimed the embattled quarterback is predictable, as evidenced by his five turnovers to the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday.
In Week 4, San Francisco will host Green Bay Packers, who are guaranteed to dispatch the Niners. Jim Tomsula’s team has allowed a total of 93 points over the course of three weeks, which is the second-highest of all NFL teams. Now the 49ers team will face the NFL’s fourth-highest scoring team.
This game will easily turn into a blowout, and Aaron Rodgers could certainly churn out another five passing touchdowns just as he did Monday night. Look for the Packers to gain a massive lead and burn the clock while Kaepernick makes reckless decisions in attempt to save the game.