I don't think there's a movie trope I enjoy more than a good revenge story. Give me Beatrix Kiddo or John Wick and a parade of baddies for them to take down in increasingly cinematic ways, and the only other thing I need for a great time is a big bucket of popcorn.
Showing forgiveness to the team of assassins who once tried to kill you on your wedding day or to the Russian mafia failson who killed your dog may make someone a bigger person, but it's surely less entertaining. As spectators, we gravitate towards revenge stories because of their karmic satisfaction. You wronged me, now I deliver justice in return. Black and white simplicity.
Though the NFL is a violent sport, the action this week should be decidedly less bloody than what takes place in Kill Bill and John Wick. It could be just as satisfying though if certain teams, players and coaches are able to exact a bit of vengeance. These are four games we're watching simply for their revenge potential.
Dan Quinn and Marcus Mariota can deliver a double dose of vengeance to the Falcons
Frank Sinatra once said, "The best revenge is massive success." If that's true, then Dan Quinn has a chance to really stick it to his former employer. Quinn took the Falcons to the Super Bowl back in 2017, the infamous 28-3 game which cemented Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback of all time.
The Falcons fired Quinn in 2020 after one more playoff appearance, two 7-9 seasons and an 0-5 start, but while the Dirty Birds haven't been above .500 since, Quinn landed on his feet as the Cowboys defensive coordinator before taking the Commanders head coaching job and immediately guiding them to the NFC title game in his first season.
Quinn got revenge in Week 17 last year by beating his old squad to clinch a playoff berth. That game was in Washington, though. On Sunday he'll have the chance to march into his old stomping grounds and show the Falcons what they're missing.
Offensive Rookie of the Year winner Jayden Daniels missed last week's game, and he's considered day-to-day as he recovers from a knee sprain. That might keep him out of this one, which would give Marcus Mariota a chance for some revenge of his own. Mariota was released by the Falcons in 2023, but he played well in an easy win over the Raiders last week and could do so again against a Falcons defense that gave up 30 to the lowly Panthers in Week 3.
The Bucs have had the Eagles' number. Will the defending champs get some payback on Sunday?
In scary news for the rest of the NFL, the defending Super Bowl champs are 3-0, and they haven't even played particularly well yet. The Eagles have mostly scuffled through their first three games, only really coming alive once they fell behind the Rams by 19 on Sunday.
Including last season's playoff run, the Eagles have now won nine straight games. Going farther back, they've won 19 of the last 20 games they've played, with the lone loss coming at the hands of the Commanders in Week 16 when Jalen Hurts went out early with a concussion.
The last time the Eagles lost with Hurts playing from start to finish was over 360 days ago when they got crushed 33-16 by the Bucs in Tampa. Baker Mayfield threw for 347 yards in that one, and the Bucs defense sacked Hurts six times.
That game was no fluke, because the Bucs also knocked the Eagles out of the playoffs the previous year in another lopsided affair, 32-9.
People have been picking the Eagles apart all season already, but that's what happens when you're the champs. Drew Brees said they have "the most boring offense." Negative sentiment around the Tush Push is at a fever pitch due to a few uncalled false starts and the infuriating effectiveness of the play.
It seems nobody is on board with the Eagles right now, but that could change if they finally show that they can beat the Bucs this week. Todd Bowles' team hasn't just beaten the Eagles, they've smoked them, and they'll get to play them in Raymond James Stadium. Let's see if the Eagles can figure out the one team that's had their number.
The Ravens will be motivated to exorcise their Chiefs demons in a matchup of surprise 1-2 teams
The AFC has been top-heavy for quite awhile, but for as good as teams like the Ravens and Bills have been, the road to the Super Bowl has long gone through Kansas City. Even last year when the Chiefs were rarely impressive, they still found myriad ways to come out on top, and though they did get trounced in the Super Bowl, the fact that they even gave themselves a chance to complete their three-peat was impressive enough.
Since Lamar Jackson became the Ravens starter midway through the 2018 season, he's put up a record of 71-26 in the regular season. That's better than a 73 percent winning percentage, but against the Chiefs, he's only 1-4, plus he and the Ravens lost the 2024 AFC Championship in Arrowhead while scoring only 10 points. For those keeping score at home, that means that Jackson has more MVPs than wins against the Chiefs.
This is the most vulnerable the Chiefs have ever been during the Patrick Mahomes era. The defense is still stout, but the offense is a mess, with no running game to speak of and a real lack of explosiveness in the passing game. The Chiefs were handled by the Chargers in Brazil to open the season, then lost an ugly Super Bowl rematch at home against the Eagles. Their only win thus far has come against the winless Giants, who just benched their quarterback.
If the Ravens are ever going to get the monkey off their back, now is the time. They have a more talented roster than Kansas City, and you can count on them pulling out all the stops after blowing a big lead against the Bills in Week 1 and suffering a rare primetime home loss to the Lions on Monday night. The best kind of revenge not only helps you, it inflicts maximum damage on your enemies. The Ravens can do both by getting their season back on track and dropping the Chiefs to 1-3.
Everyone is waiting to see what Micah Parsons will do in his Dallas homecoming
The preceding three games are all fascinating in their own right, but they're really just the undercard to the Sunday Night Football main event. Micah Parsons is returning to Dallas exactly a month after being traded to the Packers, which means that the wound is still fresh for both he and Cowboys fans, who by and large have sided with the star pass rusher and turned on Jerry Jones.
This will be the second emotional Dallas homecoming this year, and the second time a Dallas front office has alienated their fanbase by trading a popular superstar, following in the footsteps of the shocking deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers back in February. Dallas sports fans have been through the ringer, and this game will be full of emotion.
It's Parsons who'll be out for revenge, especially after Jones tried to rationalize the trade in the immediate aftermath by suggesting that the Cowboys would be better on defense without him. It's a laughable statement to make about someone who has been named an All-Pro three times in his first four seasons, and it should only motivate Parsons to put on a show even more.
The Cowboys are in big trouble here, because even before the Parsons trade, the Packers have owned them by winning 10 of the last 11 regular season meetings and dominating them in the 2024 playoffs. Now Parsons will be chasing his old friend Dak Prescott, something he admitted would be "painful" because of their close relationship. That doesn't mean he's going to hold back, though.
The Bears and their depleted defense held the Cowboys in check on Sunday, while Caleb Williams had a career day by throwing for four touchdowns. The Packers offense had a rough time against the Browns in their upset loss, but this is the perfect get-right matchup for Jordan Love. Dallas will likely be without Ceedee Lamb, which could really make it a long day for the home team.