Week 4 finds a changing of the guard at the top of the NFC South and another team firmly entrenching themselves at the bottom.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (2-1) vs. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (1-2)
Sunday | Noon | CBS
Has Tom Brady found his groove with his new teammates? He certainly has with top receiver Mike Evans, at least when it comes to finding the end zone.
Evans has just 10 catches for 108 yards through three games, but four of those grabs have gone for six, including two last week in the Bucs’ Week 3 win over Denver.
This week, Tampa Bay sits on top of the division and welcomes the Chargers into Raymond James Stadium. The Bolts have lost two straight since a season-opening win against the still-winless Bengals and will likely start rookie Justin Herbert under center again this week with Tyrod Taylor still recovering from a punctured lung and broken ribs.
Herbert has gone over 300 yards passing in each of his first two NFL starts, but hasn’t delivered as of yet in the win column. Could the rook notch his first victory as a pro over one of the greatest of all time?
CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-2) vs. ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-1)
Sunday | Noon | FOX
Just two years ago, both Matt Rhule and Kliff Kingsbury were plying their trades in the Big 12, with Rhule leading Baylor and Kingsbury in charge at Texas Tech.
Those stints led to a 1-1 record between the two in the college ranks, and this week, they’ll match wits for the first time in the NFL.
Rhule’s Panthers are coming off of their first win of the season, ironically in their first game with their best player on the shelf.
With Mike Davis replacing Christian McCaffrey in the backfield, Carolina bested the Chargers 21-16.
McCaffrey is expected to miss at least three more weeks, but the schedule isn’t particularly arduous over that stretch.
Arizona conversely picked up their first loss of 2020 when they got stunned by the Lions last week, but at 2-1, they’re still very much in the thick of the NFC West, perhaps the league’s toughest division this year.
The Cardinals’ biggest issue is injuries at the safety position. Their top three will be watching from the sideline, giving Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater the opportunity to pick them apart down the middle of the field if he can take advantage.
ATLANTA FALCONS (0-3) @ GREEN BAY PACKERS (3-0)
Monday | 7:15PM | ESPN
And then there’s Atlanta…
One week after watching a 15-point lead against Dallas evaporate in the game’s final five minutes, the Falcons gave back a 16-point lead and got stunned once more, this time by the Chicago Bears.
One would have to imagine the clock is ticking on the Dan Quinn era, and don’t expect to see any time added this week as they head north for a Monday night showdown with a Packers team that has rediscovered its mojo.
Green Bay has scored at least 35 points in each of its first three games and has yet to turn the ball over. That’s a first in NFL history through a team’s opening three-game stretch.
The question in this one is whether the Falcons’ increasing desperation can overcome the precision Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have been inflicting on their opponents.
And if they can’t, how much longer will sixth-year coach Quinn remain on the Atlanta sideline?
WWL Radio’s pregame coverage of Saints-Lions starts Sunday morning at 8AM.