Three wild weeks are done in the NFL, and this is the first week in which bye weeks are in place. While a couple teams get to sit at home and rest, a number are back in action, including the Browns as they head out west to take on the Chargers. Here’s our staff picks for all the NFL games for week number four.
Matt Williamson
Last Week 12-4
Season 29-19
Ravens over Steelers
Jets over Dolphins
Colts over Jaguars
Giants over Bills
Panthers over Buccaneers
Eagles over Redskins
Raiders over Bears
Falcons over Texans
Bengals over Chiefs
Packers over 9ers
Cardinals over Rams
Broncos over Vikings
Saints over Cowboys
Seahawks over Lions
Chargers over Browns – This is the game that gets McCown yanked as the starter.
Ryan Kaczmarski
Last Week 14-2/strong
Season 30-18
Baltimore over Pittsburgh
NYJ over Miami
Indy over Jacksonville
Buffalo over NJG
Tampa Bay over Carolina
Oakland over Chicago
Cincinnati over Kansas City
Atlanta over Houston
Philly over Washington
Minnesota over Denver
Green Bay over San Francisco
Arizona over St. Louis
New Orleans over Dallas
Seattle over Detroit
Cleveland 17 San Diego 14 – The Browns defense – still embarrassed by last week’s showing – finally looks like the unit that they have thought they were all preseason.
They will finally stop the run game of Chargers’ RB Melvin Gordon, because of a brutally-injured San Dieago offensive line, and will keep Gordon without a TD on the season. The Crow will be fed, with the Chargers’ defense giving up 4.9 yards per rushing attempt, he along with Duke Johnson Jr. will combine for over 100 yards.
As for the QB situation, it’s a good thing the Browns are playing on the road this weekend. Johnny chants won’t be heard at Qualcomm Stadium Sunday, and the San Diego secondary is playing the second and third string because of injuries to CB’s Brandon Flowers and Jason Verrett, so it could be a good day to throw it down field to Travis Benjamin.
Philip Rivers is still one of the top-tier QB’s in the league, but Joe Haden has a game plan to keep his top WR Keenan Allen from accomplishing what he does well, come back to the ball on hard stop and go routes. The Browns will hopefully come out of San Diego, leaving the circus behind on the west coast.
Matt Loede
Last Week 11-5
Season 29-19/strong
Steelers over Ravens
NY Jets over Miami
Falcons over Texans
Bills over NY Giants
Raiders over Bears
Chiefs over Bengals
Colts over Jaguars
Eagles over Redskins
Panthers over Buccaneers
Broncos over Vikings
Cardinals over Rams
Packers over 49ers
Saints over Cowboys
Seahawks over Lions
San Diego 29 Cleveland 14 – Until this Browns team proves to me they can stop the run and pass, no team is going to take their foot off the gas. Josh McCown needs to have a huge game and the D needs to step up, and on the west coast I don’t see either happening.
Scott Piker
Last week 12-4
Season 30-18
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh
New York Jets @ Miami – Miami
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis – Indianapolis
New York Giants @ Buffalo – Buffalo
Carolina @ Tampa Bay – Carolina
Philadelphia @ Washington – Philadelphia
Oakland @ Chicago – Oakland
Houston @ Atlanta – Atlanta
Kansas City @ Cincinnati – Cincinnati
Green Bay @ San Francisco – Green Bay
St. Louis @ Arizona – Arizona
Minnesota @ Denver – Denver
Dallas @ New Orleans – Dallas
Detroit @ Seattle – Seattle
San Diego 31 Browns 13 – San Diego. Going on the road could be what the Browns need with everything swirling around the team. However going to the west coast has not resulted in many wins and it won’t against Philip Rivers and the Chargers.
Eddy Jensen
Last Week 11-5
Season 28-20
Ravens over Steelers
Jets over Dolphins
Falcons over Texans
Bills over NYGiants
Bears over Raiders
Bengals over Chiefs
Colts over Jaguars
Panthers over Tampa Bay
Redskins over Eagles
Bronocos over Vikings
Rams over Cardinals
Packers over 49ers
Cowboys over Saints
Seahawks over Lions
Chargers 33 Browns 24 – Phillip Rivers could outscore the Browns himself by halftime
Steve Dimatteo
Last Week 12-4
Season 24-24
Ravens over Steelers
Jets over Miami
Atlanta over Houston
Buffalo over Giants
Oakland over Chicago
Cinci over Kansas City
Indy over Jacksonville
Carolina over Tampa Bay
Philly over Washington
Minnesota over Denver
Arizona over St. Louis
Green Bay over 49ers
New Orleans over Dallas
Seattle over Detroit
San Diego over Cleveland
Adrienne Goehler
Last Week 12-4
Season 31-17
BAL over PIT
NYJ over MIA
IND over JAX
BUF over NYG
CAR over TB
PHI over WAS
OAK over CHI
ATL over HOU
KC over CIN
GB over SF
ARI over STL
DEN over MIN
DAL over NO
SEA over DET
SD over CLE 27-17 – Unless the Browns can get their defense together, it’ll be another L in the books for the Brown and Orange. It was a grueling process to try to move the ball offensively last week, and I don’t see it changing much this Sunday.
Spencer Davies
Last Week 14-2
Season 29-19
BAL > PIT
NYJ > MIA
ATL > HOU
BUF > NYG
OAK > CHI
KC > CIN
JAX > IND
CAR > TB
PHI > WAS
ARI > STL
DEN > MIN
GB > SF
DAL > NO
SEA > DET
Browns 17 Chargers 13 – This is how it goes in Cleveland. One week, they’re the bottom feeder of the NFL. The next, they actually resemble a professional football team.
Rookie Melvin Gordon III still goes for about 100 yards and a score, but the Browns remain stout in holding Phillip Rivers in check with no touchdown passes and two interceptions.
As he did in week two, Isaiah Crowell bounces back with 75 yards or so on 12 carries–but as I mis-predicted last week, I’m going with rookie back Duke Johnson getting into the end zone for his first NFL touchdown.
Also, for Cleveland’s other touchdown: expect a Josh McCown-Brian Hartline hookup in the red zone, just like we saw in the preseason.
Vince Miller
Last Week 10-6
Season 29-19
Jets over Dolphins
Falcons over Texans
Bills over Giants
Raiders over Bears
Bengals over Chiefs
Colts over Jaguars
Panthers over Bucs
Eagles over Redskins
Vikings over Broncos
Cardinals over Rams
Packers over 49ers
Cowboys over Saints
Seahawks over Lions
Chargers 31 Browns 17 – The Browns will be worried about what the in-flight movie will be well before the start of the 4th quarter this week in San Diego. However, if the Browns would like to stay relevant in this game the secondary needs to step up. Getting torched by the young nucleus being set in Oakland last week has to be a wake-up call to this defense. If not — look for Philip Rivers to command the field and allow Melvin Gordon to have his first break-out game of his rookie season.
Mike Perry
Last Week 10-6
Season 10-6
Steelers over Ravens
Jets over Dolphins
Colts over Jaguars
Bills over Giants
Panthers over Buccaneers
Redskins over Eagles
Bears over Raiders
Falcons over Texans
Bengals over Chiefs
Packers over 49ers
Cardinals over Rams
Broncos over Vikings
Cowboys over Saints
Seahawks over Lions
Chargers 34 over Browns 6 – As long as Josh McCown is the starting quarterback the Browns will not lose another game. Head coach Mike Petine blew it when he went back to the career journeyman over Johnny Manziel who was A – coming off a win and B – playing well. Don’t just believe me, Mike Evans, who played with Manziel in college and McCown in the NFL, summed it up best: “I think the world of Josh, but as far as a starting job goes now, Manziel just came off a win. You know, the city’s buzzing about him. Everybody’s buzzing about him, won at home. I don’t know, man. I think they probably should have gave him one more chance [to start]. I mean, he won.”
I have given Pettine the benefit of the doubt until now…at this point he can follow Ray Farmer and his 36 year-old quarterback out of town for all I care. The decision not to start Manziel robbed the team of whatever momentum it had and made the team’s veterans wonder if their coach knows what he is doing. You will get the company line in press conference situations, but I guarantee you the majority of players on the roster DID NOT agree with the decision to start McCown against the Raiders. Is Manziel the long-term answer? No one knows. What we do know is that McCown isn’t.
Brandon Urasek
Last Week 13-3
Season 13-3
BAL over PIT
MIA over NYJ
HOU over ATL
BUF over NYG
OAK over CHI
CIN over KC
IND over JAC
PHI over WAS
CAR over TB
DEN over MIN
GB over SF
ARI over STL
DAL over NO
SEA over DET
San Diego 23 Cleveland 20 – The Chargers have had their fair share of struggles this year as well as the Browns. I think this game will be closer than most people think and could be a breakout game for Melvin Gordon.
Dan Gilles
Last Week 11-5
Season 11-5
Baltimore over Pittsburgh
Jets over Miami
Carolina over Tampa Bay
Atlanta over Houston
Indianapolis over Jacksonville
Cincinnati over Kansas City
Giants over Buffalo
Oakland over Chicago
Philadelphia over Washington
Green Bay over San Francisco
Denver over Minnesota
Arizona over St. Louis
New Orleans over Dallas
Seattle over Detroit
San Diego 28, Cleveland 14 – If Joe Haden plays as poorly as he has in the past three weeks, Phillip Rivers will throw for 3 touchdowns. The Chargers have offensive weapons and the Browns defense can’t stop the run or pressure the quarterback. I’m not optimistic.
Matt Medley
Last Week 13-3
Season 13-3
Ravens over Steelers
Dolphins over Jets
Colts over Jaguars
Bills over Giants
Panthers over Bucs
Eagles over Redskins
Bears over Raiders
Falcons over Texans
Chiefs over Bengals
Packers over 49ers
Cardinals over Rams
Broncos over Vikings
Cowboys over Saints
Seahawks over Lions
Browns over Chargers – Last week’s wake up call reinvigorates Cleveland’s defense letting them know they can’t afford to sleep walk for one minute, regardless of the opponent. Browns offense builds off of a strong finish to week 3 and salvage the season with a 24-17 win at San Diego.
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