Arizona Cardinals

NFL Week 4: 5 Teams on Upset Alert

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With three weeks in the books, here’s a look at five more teams on upset alert heading into NFL Week 4.

After an exciting first month of football filled with plenty of surprises, it’s time to take a look at five teams on upset alert heading into NFL Week 4.

From the New England Patriots preventing the Houston Texans from scoring a single point to the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers by 31 points, Week 3 of the 2016 season was filled with plenty of surprise wins. But the award for biggest surprise win easily goes to the Buffalo Bills for earning their first victory of the season with a win over the visiting Arizona Cardinals.

Now that they have one win under their belt, the Bills find themselves on the list for the second-straight week as they head to Foxboro for a key matchup agains their division rivals in the Patriots. Of course, Buffalo isn’t the only team to keep an eye on in what should be another exciting weekend of football.

Just think of the Bills can manage a win on the road against the Patriots, they will be in great position when it comes to getting back in the AFC East race. Along with New England, here’s a look at the rest of the teams on upset alert for Week 4. of the 2016 NFL season.

Sep 25, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) scrambles out of the pocket against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

5. San Diego Chargers

Don’t be fooled by the record of the San Diego Chargers as this team could easily be undefeated heading into Week 4 if it wasn’t for blown leads in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs opening weekend, and the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3.

Sadly, this was an issue for the Chargers last year as well after nine of their 12 losses came by single digits. If San Diego doesn’t figure out a way to hold on to leads in the fourth quarter soon, 2016 is going to turn into another year of missing out on the postseason.

As if last weekend’s loss to the Colts wasn’t frustrating enough, the Chargers head into Sunday worrying about Drew Brees and the “revenge factor.” There’s nothing a player loves more than proving to a team they used to play for they made a big mistake by letting them go as Brees will do everything he can to make sure that happens.

Even if things did work out for the best with Brees when considering his lone Super Bowl came with the Saints, there’s definitely a chip on the quarterback’s shoulder for how things played out back in 2006. Plus, New Orleans is still searching for that first win of 2016 after coming off an embarrassing home loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

With all of the extra motivation on their side, be sure to keep an eye on the Saints in this one.

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant (88) dives for the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

4. Dallas Cowboys

Even though they’re coming off a disappointing loss to the Carolina Panthers, the first two games of the regular season are the perfect example of what the San Francisco 49ers are capable of as a team.

After shutting out the Los Angeles Rams opening weekend, the 49ers put up a dogfight against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2, but unfortunately came up on the losing end. The final score may have been 46-27, but there was a point in the fourth quarter where San Francisco found themselves only trailing 34-27. Not to mention, the 49ers nearly pulled off this win in Carolina, which is never an easy place for opponents to play.

Up next, San Francisco will host Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys at home, but Chip Kelly‘s squad will actually enter this game as underdogs. With the way this Cowboys’ offense looked against the Chicago Bears in Week 3, there’s every reason to believe they can do the same on the road in San Francisco.

With that being said, one of the deciding factors could end up being Dez Bryant—who could end up sitting for Sunday’s game due to a knee injury. While Prescott will have plenty of other weapons to work with, losing one of the league’s top wideouts in Bryant is never an easy task.

If anything, the loss of Bryant would give the 49ers a much better shot at pulling off the upset in this one.

Sep 25, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) scores a touchdown as Buffalo Bills strong safety Aaron Williams (23) tackles him during the first half at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

3. Arizona Cardinals

It’s only been three games, but 2016 is turning out to be a roller coaster for Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals.

During the offseason, the Cardinals were considered one of the favorites to represent the NFC in this year’s Super Bowl, and even after struggling in the preseason, everybody expected this team to turn things around once meaningful games got underway. While Arizona’s Week 2 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was certainly impressive, this team showed last weekend against the Buffalo Bills they still have a long way to go when it comes to proving they are in fact contenders.

Not only did the Cardinals end up on the losing end, but they lost to the Bills by 15 as LeSean McCoy had a field day against the run defense after finding the end zone twice on 110 rushing yards.

On paper, Arizona enters Sunday’s game against as strong favorites, but the Los Angeles Rams are the last ones any team should take lightly with the way their season has gone. After failing to find the end zone over the first two games, Los Angeles managed to put up 37 points against Tampa Bay last weekend to move up into first place in the division. If the Rams can play at the same high level as they did against the Buccaneers, the Cardinals could be in trouble.

Sep 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll reacts to a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated San Francisco, 37-18. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

2. Seattle Seahawks

Just because Russell Wilson is confident about his playing status for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets doesn’t mean the quarterback is going to be as effective as he usually is.

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Despite cruising through last weekend’s game against the 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks face a much tougher challenge in Week 4 as they hit the road to take on the New York Jets. After last weekend’s embarrassing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Ryan Fitzpatrick looks to recover from his six-interception performance as the quarterback looks to prove he’s still deserving of the starting job.

Obviously, a matchup against the Seahawks’ defense isn’t the best thing for a quarterback looking for a bounce-back performance, but it’s certainly possible. With weapons like Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker for Fitzpatrick to throw to, Seattle’s secondary will need to be on top of their game if they’re going to have any shot at leaving New York with a win.

Fitzpatrick may have been the biggest disappointment of Week 3, but that was only one game of a very young season. Plus, it’s never easy for a West Coast team to travel across the country for an early game—which the Jets need to use to their advantage.

Sep 22, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) celebrates with center David Andrews (60) after rushing for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

1. New England Patriots

If there were anything to take away from the first three weeks of the 2016 season, it would be the New England Patriots are capable of winning with any player at quarterback. And in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills, that will be the case once again for the Patriots.

With Jacoby Brissett (thumb) and Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder) dealing with injuries, New England could very well be forced to go with Julian Edelman at quarterback if necessary. While Edelman does have experience after playing the position in college, there’s no telling what to expect if the Patriots were forced to use the wide receiver as their quarterback against the Bills. Even if they don’t, the Bills showed last week they can compete with a top-tier team.

The great thing about this rivalry is there’s nothing Rex Ryan loves more than defeating the Patriots, and after his team’s impressive win against the Cardinals in Week 3, there’s no reason why they aren’t capable of pulling off another one on Sunday. At 1-2, Buffalo knows they still have a ton of work to do if they’re going to have any shot at competing for the AFC East, and Ryan has been waiting for this first meeting with New England since the schedule was released.

Not many teams are lucky enough to face the Patriots without Tom Brady, but expect the Bills to take full advantage of the opportunity.

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