2022 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 4

Three weeks of the 2022 NFL season are in the books, and some are saying this could already be the best regular season yet. It almost doesn’t seem to matter which games you’re tuning into on a weekly basis, there have been exciting finishes, thrilling comebacks, and a lot of great performances from some of the league’s biggest stars. With Week 3 in the books, we’re onto our Week 4 NFL picks and predictions.

Making NFL picks is anything but an exact science. Sometimes you have to get out of the box regardless of what Vegas is saying, what the experts are saying, and what even previous games have led you to believe. But that’s part of the fun of it all, isn’t it? Last week’s NFL picks record proved just how crazy any given week of football can be as our prediction record was _-_.

Looking ahead to Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season, there are some huge matchups on the docket once again, starting with a really intriguing game on Thursday Night Football. Without further ado, let’s make our Week 4 picks. As always, if you use these to make any bets or wagers on your own, we wish you well, but assume no responsibility for the results.

Week 4 Byes: None

2022 NFL picks and predictions for Week 4

Miami Dolphins (3-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)

Thursday, September 29, 8:15PM ET

The Miami Dolphins are an absolute sensation at this point. Through three weeks of the 2022 NFL season, Mike McDaniel is running away with NFL Coach of the Year and the addition of Tyreek Hill is looking like one of the biggest pickups made by any team in the entire 2022 offseason. The Dolphins look legit on both sides of the ball and they proved themselves worthy of lofty distinction after their huge win on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, which seemed to beat all odds.

The Bills ran 90 plays against the Dolphins on Sunday and racked up over 500 yards of total offense, yet somehow only managed to score 17 points (they got two points on a butt punt resulting in a safety). The Dolphins, on the other hand, actually had one of their worse offensive outputs so far in this young 2022 NFL season, barely posting over 200 yards offensively and getting dominated in the time of possession category offensively.

But the 3-0 Dolphins are resilient, as they showed against the Bills. Unfortunately, it does feel a little bit like their luck will soon run out. The Dolphins are a good team, but their win in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens was of the epic come-from-behind variety. Their win in Week 3 required some significant luck.

In Week 4, the Dolphins head to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, who finally got their first win of the 2022 season in Week 3 against the New York Jets. It was a desperately needed win for the Bengals and could be the launching point for the reigning AFC Champions. Can they keep the momentum going against the upstart Dolphins in a prime time matchup on a short week?

Prediction:  Bengals win 24-20

Minnesota Vikings (2-1) at New Orleans Saints (1-2)

Sunday, October 2, 9:30AM ET

The NFL International series already kicks off in Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season as the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints travel to London to play a crucial neutral site game for both squads. The Vikings have shown some resilience early on in the Kevin O’Connell era. They absolutely blew out the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 of the season, which was arguably the most shocking aspect of a pretty shocking Week 1 overall.

They followed that up with a really bad loss on Monday Night Football in Week 2 against the Eagles, and then won a close game against the Detroit Lions this past week. The Vikings have more talent offensively than most teams. If Kirk Cousins is right, the Vikings are a really tough team to beat because they can score from anywhere on the field with guys like Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and even KJ Osborn.

The Saints have struggled since their close game against the Atlanta Falcons back in Week 1, which remains their only win so far this season. They have started off the 2022 campaign with three games against three divisional opponents, and they’re already in a 1-2 divisional hole. Jameis Winston has five interceptions in those two losses for the Saints and he’s taken 11 sacks to open the season in the first three games.

The Saints’ offense just isn’t moving the ball consistently. If this game were being played in New Orleans, I’d think better of their chances. For now, though, I’m taking the Vikings’ offensive weaponry on a neutral site over in London.

Prediction: Vikings win 27-21

Cleveland Browns (2-1) at Atlanta Falcons (1-2)

Sunday, October 2, 1PM ET

How long can the Cleveland Browns keep this up? Jacoby Brissett is playing some pretty good football to start the year in place of the suspended Deshaun Watson. Not only that, but the Browns are predictably running the ball really well right now as well, and Nick Chubb is the early MVP for this team.

Through the first three games of the season, Chubb is already at 341 rushing yards with four touchdowns, and he’s added a handful of catches in the passing game as well. The Browns are clearly leaning on this running game for sustained success offensively, and it’s working for Kevin Stefanski and company. Heading into this matchup against the Falcons, it’s hard to see Atlanta being able to keep up with Chubb and Kareem Hunt for four quarters unless their young receivers can really step up to the plate.

And by young receivers, I’m of course lumping both Drake London and Kyle Pitts together. Between Pitts and London, the Falcons have some really exciting things going offensively in the passing game if Marcus Mariota is on top of his game. What’s also shocking about this Falcons team — which just got itself a win in Week 3 against the Seahawks — is that Cordarrelle Patterson is averaging over 100 yards per game as a runner through three weeks.

Quietly, Arthur Smith has these Falcons in the top 10 of scoring early on this season and I think they’ll cause some havoc for Jacoby Brissett in an “upset” this week.

Prediction: Falcons win 27-23 

Buffalo Bills (2-1) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

Sunday, October 2, 1PM ET

It’s very clear at this point that MVP Lamar Jackson is back. So far this season, Jackson is up to 12 total touchdowns offensively (10 passing, two rushing) and he’s run for over 100 yards in consecutive games. He’s putting the Ravens on his back but he’s also got some good help around him with star tight end Mark Andrews and an emerging WR1 in Rashod Bateman.

The Ravens currently have the number one scoring offense in the NFL at 33 points per game. They are doing this while ranking just 26th in the league in pass attempts but first overall in total passing touchdowns. Back in Jackson’s MVP season in 2019, the Ravens ranked dead last in pass attempts but first overall in touchdowns as well. They won a lot of games that year, and if Jackson keeps up this pace, they’re going to win a lot of games this year, as well.

This game is not just a matchup of two former first-round picks and MVP candidates from the same draft class. This could be a preview of the AFC Championship game with two teams led by quarterbacks that can absolutely take over with both their arm and their legs.

Josh Allen and the Bills had 90 plays and over 500 yards of offense against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 go to waste as they were only able to put up 17 points with two more coming courtesy of the Dolphins’ butt punt. Can the Bills get back on track after looking like the NFL’s most unstoppable force in Weeks 1 and 2? Will Lamar Jackson and the Ravens prove to be too tough of a test?

This is the best game of the week and must-see TV for every football fan.

Prediction: Ravens win 34-30

Washington Commanders (1-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

Sunday, October 2, 1PM ET

Carson Wentz was absolutely embarrassed by his former team — the Philadelphia Eagles — on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles have made a habit of embarrassing a number of teams so far this season, but for Carson Wentz and the Commanders, there was really no shot in this one. Wentz was sacked a whopping nine times against the Eagles, bringing his season total all the way up to 15 already.

He’s been sacked 14 times in the last two games and the Commanders are about to go up against a defense featuring Micah Parsons, one of the best defensive players in the NFL and certainly one of the league’s best pass rushers. Hopefully, Wentz is able to sleep before this one. Despite their struggles offensively, Wentz does have seven touchdown passes already this season even without throwing one against the Eagles.

The Dallas Cowboys got themselves a rather shocking win in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals after Dak Prescott’s injury forced Cooper Rush into the starting lineup. Dallas has a playoff-caliber defense but how long can they endure without Prescott?

The Cowboys got another win on Monday Night Football without Prescott, improving to 2-1 on the season against the New York Giants.

Although everything in me wants to pick the Dallas Cowboys for this game, I think this will be a game in which Carson Wentz at QB over Cooper Rush for Dallas ends up making a big difference. We’ll see if the Commanders can find a way to truly feature big-money receiver Terry McLaurin and get a much-needed road win in the division.

Prediction:  Commanders win 23-17

Seattle Seahawks (1-2) at Detroit Lions (1-2)

Sunday, October 2, 1PM ET

Although the records show that both the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks are 1-2 this season, I think this is an example of two NFL teams on completely different trajectories right now. The Seahawks have been much tougher without Russell Wilson than anticipated so far. Especially given the fact they lost Jamal Adams so early in the season, the resilience and competitiveness they have shown with Geno Smith is admirable.

With that being said, the Seahawks have now dropped two straight games since beating the Broncos on Monday Night Football to open the season, and things aren’t getting any easier. The Detroit Lions, crazy enough, are one of the toughest teams in the NFL right now. They have been giving teams fits since Dan Campbell arrived, and although the Lions are also coming off of a loss, I think this is one of the safest bets of the week.

Detroit has some legitimate star power offensively, starting with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown is one of those offensive weapons you can trust in any situation and Jared Goff has certainly done that. Detroit’s scoring offense is just 1.3 points behind the Baltimore Ravens for best in the NFL through three weeks. They are seemingly moving the ball at will and there are some pieces on that defense as well.

With all due respect to the Seattle Seahawks, I think this is a game the Detroit Lions are going to run away with at home.

Prediction: Lions win 28-14

Los Angeles Chargers (1-2) at Houston Texans (0-2-1)

Sunday, October 2, 1PM ET

The Houston Texans will get a win at some point this season, but spoiler alert on this one — I think this is a very clear “get right” game for the Los Angeles Chargers. Head coach Brandon Staley should be on the hot seat for keeping his injured superstar QB on the field during a 28-point blowout this past weekend, but the Chargers have a chance to get back on track against a struggling Texans team this Sunday.

The biggest question marks here for the Chargers are injuries at this point. The Texans could very well come in and surprise Herbert and the Chargers — even though they’re the home team in this one — due to the fact that Herbert is going to be without his starting left tackle Rashawn Slater due to a biceps injury. The injury to Slater cannot be overstated in its importance to the Chargers this season, especially because Herbert is already injured.

The fact that Herbert — with damaged rib cartilage — will now be without Slater and an already weak right tackle position should give the Chargers a lot of fear going forward this season. With that being said, Herbert is a tough dude, and I think he’ll take matters into his own hands in this game to will the Chargers to victory, so to speak.

Make no mistake, though — it’s going to be tough. The Texans couldn’t get out of their own way against the Chicago Bears, and Roquan Smith made sure of that, but they have been competitive in their three games this year and a win is coming at some point. Could it be this game? The Chargers are banged up enough that you could see the upset happening here, but I’m sticking with Justin Herbert in a close one.

Prediction: Chargers win 23-20

Tennessee Titans (1-2) at Indianapolis Colts (1-1-1)

Sunday, October 2, 1PM ET

While the Baltimore Ravens-Buffalo Bills tilt has the potential to be the very best game of the week, it’s possible this AFC South matchup between the 1-2 Tennessee Titans and 1-1-1 Indianapolis Colts is the very worst on the docket for Week 4.

Still, it’s NFL football, and we won’t be complaining about that anytime soon.

The Indianapolis Colts are fresh off of one of the most satisfying wins they’ve had in a really long time. They beat the Kansas City Chiefs at home and actually made the Chiefs’ offense (and Patrick Mahomes) look pretty bad. The Colts can play good defense, but they needed a vintage Matty Ice performance to seal the deal against Kansas City, and he got the job done with a gorgeous throw to Jelani Woods, the absolute cyborg of a rookie tight end out of Virginia.

The Tennessee Titans, like the Colts, got their first win of the season this past weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders. The win against the Raiders followed by a pretty decent matchup the following week against the Colts made it clear why the Titans have been so successful the past three seasons. They’re not exactly playing in the golden age of AFC South football.

I think this game is as true of a toss-up as you can get. This game will probably come down to which QB can limit turnovers and to me, Ryan Tannehill is a safer bet in that regard at this point.

Prediction: Titans win 20-17 

Chicago Bears (2-1) at New York Giants (2-0)

Sunday, October 2, 1PM ET

If you consider the Chicago Bears to be a very lucky 2-1 at this point of the season, I can’t say you’re wrong about that. But looking at their next matchup against the New York Giants, is it fair to say we could be talking about the Bears as a very lucky 3-1 team next week at this same time? Although there may be concerns about the Bears over the long haul, and Justin Fields’ development, this game against the Giants has the potential to push the Bears up to 3-1 on the season.

Chicago is playing pretty darn good defensively so far this season, which is exactly what you need when you have a quarterback that is still learning on the job like Justin Fields. Although the Bears haven’t exactly been dynamic as an offense, they’ve found some success running with David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. They have Roquan Smith on the defensive side absolutely taking over games.

The Bears have forced five turnovers in the team’s first three games and they’re going up against one of the most turnover-prone quarterbacks in the league here in Week 4.

The New York Giants have been a surprising team to start this 2022 NFL season, no question about it. Brian Daboll has had his squad playing pretty well in the month of September, but the defense has been coming up especially big for the Giants on third downs. They rank first in the NFL in third-down defense thus far and have a chance against a young QB like Justin Fields to get him flustered early and control the game.

Ultimately, I think this one will come down to which team can run the ball the best and limit turnovers.

Prediction:  Bears win 17-16

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)

Sunday, October 2, 1PM ET

If the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens game is the best game of NFL Week 4, then the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars game is not far behind it. Wait, did we actually just say that? The Eagles and Jaguars are must-see-TV on the early NFL slate? This is certainly a tough one for weekly NFL picks.

Yes, they absolutely are, and for two primary reasons: Trevor Lawrence and Jalen Hurts. These two quarterbacks have been tremendous early on in the 2022 season. Lawrence looks like he was released from imprisonment after Urban Meyer was dismissed from his job last season and replaced this year by former Eagles Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson. Pederson’s arrival has quickly changed things for the Jaguars who now have to go into a hostile environment and prove they can hang with one of the league’s most complete teams.

Which the Eagles very much are through three weeks of the young 2022 NFL season. Jalen Hurts has been hearing MVP chants already this year, and for good reason. He’s been every bit as dynamic as we’ve seen in the past and then some as a passer. He’s got weapons galore offensively and there’s really not a weak area of this Philadelphia roster, which just sacked Carson Wentz nine times this past weekend.

The Jaguars are showing themselves to be a very fun team early on, but I think this game against the Eagles will be a bit of a slice of humble pie. Even though it would be cool to see Doug Pederson take Trevor Lawrence into his old stomping grounds and get a win, I think the Eagles are simply too tough for Jacksonville in this one.

Prediction: Eagles win 30-24 

New York Jets (1-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)

Sunday, October 2, 1PM ET

There aren’t many unwatchable NFL games but with the quarterbacks the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers will be trotting out, this one toes the line, for sure.

The New York Jets got themselves a miraculous win in Week 2 of the season with Joe Flacco looking like his 2014 self, and the Jets managed to recover an onside kick and shock the Cleveland Browns, who were in cruise control late in the fourth quarter of that game. Well, more like they fell asleep at the wheel.

Regardless, Flacco was not able to come up with a repeat performance in Week 3. The Jets were crushed by the Cincinnati Bengals and they’ll continue through the AFC North gauntlet here early in the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers backed into a win in Week 1 when nobody could make a field goal in a game that nearly ended in a tie. At some point here in the near future, Mike Tomlin is going to get sick of seeing Mitch Trubisky hold his offense back, right?

Right?

Trubisky was signed in the 2022 offseason as a relatively risk-free placeholder. The Steelers used their top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Kenny Pickett, and at some point, the franchise is going to need to move forward with Plan A.

This is a matchup between two struggling teams and two teams that really don’t have a clear identity yet. Mainly because of the quarterback position, of course. If this matchup was featuring Zach Wilson and Kenny Pickett? The NFL world would at least be intrigued.

With Joe Flacco and Mitch Trubisky? This is could be an absolute snoozefest.

Prediction: Steelers win 13-10 

Arizona Cardinals (1-2) at Carolina Panthers (1-2)

Sunday, October 2, 4:05PM ET

If you are a fan of the Oklahoma Sooners or a fan of a college football team that might be in need of a new head coach in the next few months, this game could be right up your alley.

First and foremost, for the Oklahoma fans, this is an opportunity to see two former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks from your school go up against each other in an NFL matchup. Not only that, but those two quarterbacks — Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield — were selected with the top overall pick in back-to-back NFL Draft classes. At the very least, it will be cool to see those two guys out there on the field for a jersey swap.

For the fans of a college football team hoping for a new head coach in the next few months, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that we could see one or both of Matt Rhule and Kliff Kingsbury return to the college ranks in 2023. For a lot of people, these are two NFL head coaches with one foot out the door already. But it’s a long season.

It’s hard to know what to even make of this matchup because neither of these teams have been consistent at all this season. The Panthers just got their first win of the year in Week 3 and despite what you may think, they are actually pretty close to being 3-0 this season with close losses to both the Browns and Giants. That may not be saying much, but Carolina has some studs defensively and their offensive playmakers are showing up, if only one different guy each week.

The issue for Arizona right now is that it feels like a one or two-man show between Kyler Murray and Hollywood Brown, which isn’t sustainable at all. Although I started this off tongue-in-cheek, I genuinely think this could end up being one of the better games on the Week 4 slate in terms of entertainment value.

Prediction: Panthers win 27-24 

New England Patriots (1-2) at Green Bay Packers (2-1)

Sunday, October 2, 4:25PM ET

10 years ago, this would have been the matchup of the week in the NFL. Here in 2022, it’s shaping up to be arguably the biggest blowout of the week. The Green Bay Packers are fresh off of a win against Tom Brady, but obviously Brady is now in his third season with the Buccaneers and that win could loom large over the eventual NFC playoff standings.

After getting blown out by the Vikings in Week 1, the Packers had a get-right game against the Bears in Week 2 and then won a tough defensive battle with the Bucs in Week 3. It hasn’t been the prettiest start to the season for the Packers offensively, but they are in a much better spot right now than Davante Adams and the Raiders, who are the NFL’s lone 0-3 team this season.

When Adams and Rodgers referenced The Last Dance last season, they should have had the foresight to realize that Jordan and Pippen desperately needed each other for sustained NBA success. Some pairings are just better together, and it’s safe to say that the combination of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams would be better off as a duo rather than not playing together at all.

But I digress.

This game could get ugly for the New England Patriots rather quickly. Mac Jones has a high-ankle sprain and it was already looking bleak for the Patriots through three games. With all due respect to the GOAT Bill Belichick, this is a game I’m putting all of my eggs into the Aaron Rodgers basket. This might be one of the easiest NFL picks of the week.

Prediction: Packers 31, Patriots 10 

Denver Broncos (2-1) at Las Vegas Raiders (0-3)

Sunday, October 2, 4:25PM ET

Let’s not sugarcoat anything for these two teams, alright? It’s been downright ugly for both the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders to start off the 2022 NFL season.

From the Las Vegas Raiders’ perspective, the only bit of optimism right now is that it’s early on in the season. The Raiders are 0-3, but a win against the Denver Broncos could turn things around quickly. The Raiders have the potential to be an explosive offense with Derek Carr, Davante Adams, shocking breakout player Mack Hollins, and obviously guys like Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow.

Unfortunately, the Raiders just haven’t been able to find balance offensively, nor have they had sustained success defensively. The Raiders rank 32nd in the NFL in rushing attempts. They rank 26th against the pass on defense. They have allowed four rushing touchdowns already this season. Although their three losses haven’t been blowouts, by any means, it’s concerning when you’re in such a tough division.

Although the Denver Broncos haven’t exactly lived up to expectations this season, either. Thankfully for the Broncos, they are 2-1 and not 0-3. They got close wins against both the Texans and 49ers in the last two weeks, keeping pace with the Chiefs while their Russell Wilson-led offense works through a ton of struggles and issues.

The Broncos’ defense is legit, maybe the best in the NFL right now. They have been suffocating ever since a questionable first half against the Seattle Seahawks, but how long can the Denver defense carry this team? What is this, 2015?

The Broncos have a star QB under center. At some point, their offense has to start playing like it, right?

Prediction: Broncos win 23-17 

Kansas City Chiefs (2-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

Sunday, October 2, 8:20PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs were on the wrong end of one of the bigger shockers of Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season. The Chiefs went into Indianapolis to take on the seemingly hapless 0-1-1 Colts, and they got punked. Kansas City looked off on offense, especially Patrick Mahomes who was not his usual self.

Although Mahomes had the ball in the end with a chance to potentially win the game for the Chiefs, he threw an interception. If you read my bold predictions post last week, you would have seen that I actually predicted that loss for Kansas City. The Chiefs have been flirting with disaster far too much early on this season. Mahomes has put the ball in harm’s way and hasn’t been penalized for it.

That changed against the Colts and the Chiefs were exposed a little bit with some of the offensive deficiencies people had seen coming with the loss of Tyreek Hill.

Going into Week 4 with our NFL picks, we’ve got a Sunday night matchup between the two teams that were featured in the 2020-21 Super Bowl. Unfortunately, these two teams look significantly different right now. Tom Brady and the Bucs are a shell of their former selves with all of the injuries they’ve sustained at wide receiver. With no Rob Gronkowski, Brady has no safety valve offensively and his chemistry is off with the ragtag group of receivers currently at his disposal.

Mahomes, incidentally, is in a similar situation without Hill. Though Mahomes still has Travis Kelce, teams are able to key in on no. 87 and force other players to win for the Chiefs, resulting in Mahomes playing too much hero ball.

I think this game will be seriously hyped, rightfully so, but it could end up being one of the sloppier games of the Week 4 slate.

Prediction: Chiefs win 23-21 

Los Angeles Rams (2-1) at San Francisco 49ers (1-2)

Monday, October 3, 8:15PM ET

Closing out our Week 4 NFL Picks with a matchup between two teams that played for a chance to go to the Super Bowl at the end of last season in the NFC. Again, if you’re looking for wildly fun matchups, this week of football has a little bit of something for everyone.

The Los Angeles Rams got shell-shocked in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, causing everyone to believe there might be a little Super Bowl hangover happening. They’ve now quietly won two games in a row, including flirting with disaster in a close one against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.

Despite their struggles early in the season, it’s hard to bet against the reigning Super Bowl champions, but the San Francisco 49ers are coming home after a loss and I think they’ll start to turn things up a bit with Jimmy Garoppolo in his second game back as the full-time starter.

The 49ers were able to coast to a win against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 but their offense was absolutely shut down by the Denver Broncos in Week 3. It’s been really tough early on this season to separate the 2022 Los Angeles Rams from the 2021 version of the team, but it’s crucial to remember that they are not one in the same.

I think this year’s Rams club will struggle quite a bit even if they are able to start firing on all cylinders offensively. They just don’t have the same type of ability to finish off the edge defensively like they did last year.

In this particular matchup, I like the 49ers coming off of a tough loss, playing at home.

Prediction: 49ers win 24-20