The Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs are among the NFL teams that should be on upset alert in Week 4 of the season.
Week 3 was a humbling one for NFL teams and experts, who quickly learned that we don’t actually know anything about the sport of football. There were plenty of dramatic upsets around the NFL in Week 3, including the Kansas City Chiefs getting tripped up thanks to some untimely mistakes in Indianapolis.
The season is set to move into October after Thursday night’s game so we are closing in on the conclusion of the first quarter of the year. Let’s take a look at three teams who need to be careful this week to avoid getting upset, a lesson that the Buffalo Bills did not heed last week.
3. NFL Teams That Should Be On Upset Alert In Week 4 – Kansas City Chiefs
It’s hard to believe a kicker can be incredibly valuable in the NFL but the Chiefs have missed Harrison Butker dearly. Kansas City’s replacement for the injured Butker, Matt Ammendola, missed a key extra point and field goal in the loss to the Colts and was released earlier this week.
The good news for Kansas City is that they are still 2-1 as they head to Tampa Bay for a Super Bowl LV rematch against the Buccaneers. The Chiefs enter the matchup as 1.5-point road favorites, which is a dangerous place to be against a team quarterbacked by Tom Brady.
Tampa Bay has also been ferocious defensively all season long, limiting their opponents to a combined 27 points in their first three games against the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers. That is a problematic recipe against a Chiefs’ team trying to find its new identity without Tyreek Hill and could lead to an upset if Kansas City isn’t ready to deal with Tampa Bay’s defensive scheme.
2. NFL Teams That Should Be On Upset Alert In Week 4 – Cleveland Browns
The Jacoby Brissett era has gone about as well as one could expect in Cleveland, which is still two months away from getting Deshaun Watson back under center. Apart from a late collapse against the Jets in Week 2, the Browns have played winning football and have the mini-bye to recharge after their victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday night in Week 3.
There is some uncertainty around Cleveland this week in regards to the status of defensive end Myles Garrett, who was briefly hospitalized after getting into a single-car accident. While Garrett’s injuries were not life-threatening, the odds of him being ready to go in Week 4 are highly unlikely.
The Browns hit the road as 1.5-point favorites against the Atlanta Falcons, who have played very competitive football despite a lack of talent in the early going of the season. The Falcons are also coming off a road win in Seattle and should have a ton of confidence entering this game with Cleveland.
There is also trap game potential for the Browns, who have a big home game against the Los Angeles Chargers coming up in Week 5. Don’t be shocked if the Falcons trip up Cleveland in a game that the sports books believe will be far closer than the talent level of these two teams would indicate.
1. NFL Teams That Should Be On Upset Alert In Week 4 – Los Angeles Chargers
Perhaps the most stunning result of Week 3 was seeing the Jacksonville Jaguars fly across the country and blow out the Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Jacksonville has been a notoriously bad road team and they dominated Los Angeles in a game where star quarterback Justin Herbert was clearly impacted by a severe rib injury.
Herbert was given a painkilling injection prior to the game but was clearly bothered by the rib issue throughout the day. Team officials have also urged Herbert to consider the long view with his injury, which will need rest to heal, and is a take Herbert could take more seriously if his performance continues to suffer.
The Chargers are on the road this week and are favored by 4.5 points over the Houston Texans, who are one of just two winless teams remaining in the NFL. Houston has been highly competitive over its first three games, however, tying the Colts in Week 1 before taking the Broncos to the wire in a Week 2 loss.
A banged-up Herbert should be in better shape after another week of rest but this game isn’t a guarantee for a Chargers team in desperate need of a win. Don’t be shocked if Houston gets in the win column here at the expense of the Chargers, who haven’t been a very good road team in the recent past and now have to try winning a game with an injured quarterback.