2026 NFL Week 4 Best Bets, Expert Picks: Back Rams To Bounce Back At Eagles

In NFL Week 4, fans and bettors get to watch the Rams and Eagles battle it out with both teams licking their wounds off losses. However, the Rams, with two Ls, might be slightly more desperate than Philadelphia. And then over in the AFC, we've got Patrick Mahomes playing like he's back to his old form and Kirk Cousins lighting up the scoreboard. Let's dive into how I'm wagering on the weekend. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Simply put, I don’t think the Eagles are very good right now, and it might not be their year. I did not like the hiring of a first-time offensive coordinator to pair with Jalen Hurts and the results so far are on par with what I expected — a disjointed offense that ranks 17th in offensive DVOA. Hurts is ranked 27th in EPA per play. The Eagles' offensive line hasn’t been its usual self and I think the play-calling hasn’t made much sense. The Rams' defense is fourth in DVOA this season and should be able to disrupt the Eagles' offense in a meaningful way this Sunday. On the other side is an L.A. offense that has shown brilliant moments this season, while also displaying some weaknesses. Last week against the Broncos, the Rams started fast on offense and then disappeared, punctuated by a Matthew Stafford pick-six. The possible return of Puka Nacua will help the Rams' passing attack. On paper, the Rams' offensive line should struggle in this game, but the Eagles' defensive line has been underwhelming. PFF has the Eagles' pass rush ranked 27th in the NFL and the tackling is ranked at about that level, too. The Rams are 1-2, and after blowing that game on Sunday, they need to win this weekend. You shouldn’t just solely wager on teams because they need to win, but that’s part of the equation for me. I get a better quarterback and a better coach who’s playing better football. The Chiefs are 3-0 and playing better football on offense than they have in years. Mahomes looks completely healthy after missing the end of the season with an ACL injury. It was assumed Mahomes would be less mobile, but he’s been moving around the pocket and down the field like usual. In the Chiefs' first game against an excellent Broncos defense, he rushed for 23 yards. In Week 2 against the Colts, he rushed for 17 yards in an overtime win. Last week, Mahomes only rush attempt was when he kneeled. The Chiefs' offensive line has played fine this season, but the pass protection has been a concern. Now this group has to play Maxx Crosby and that’s a recipe for pressure on Mahomes. When Mahomes feels pressure or understands it might be a game featuring pressure, he tends to run the ball more often. Kansas City might also need to keep up with the Raiders' scoring output if Cousins continues to put up points for the Raiders. That will lead to a more aggressive Mahomes rushing the football.

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Will Hill's Parlay Of The Week: Back Brewers In Game 1; Lions Over Panthers

The weekend is here, and it’s one of the greatest times of the year for sports. College football and the NFL are in full swing, and the MLB playoffs are underway. With exciting action all weekend long, let’s try to turn a little cash into a lot more with the parlay of the week. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. It was a miracle win for Iowa last week in Ann Arbor, but Ohio State won’t overlook the Hawkeyes coming off the win over Michigan. Two of Iowa’s touchdowns came on special teams and then the last second play as time expired. I don’t think they’ll have the same heroics this week. Two service academies meeting usually means Under. The clock is always running with both teams relying on the ground game, and both teams are used to practicing against the option since they run it themselves. The San Diego Padres have been red-hot, but facing Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1 of the NLDS is a tough assignment. The Padres don’t have their pitching set up after playing the Cubs in the wild-card round, and I’m picking the Brewers to take the opener. The Titans have been dreadful offensively, and I don’t expect much to change with a trip to Baltimore up next. The Lions host the Panthers in Week 4, and Carolina is dealing with a myriad of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball. Look for the Detroit offense to put up a bunch of points en route to a win on Sunday night.

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How Did Tom Brady Learn To Say 'Meatball Sub,' And How Many Such Passes Did He Throw?

When Justin Herbert threw a costly interception in the Los Angeles Chargers' loss to the Buffalo Bills last week, Tom Brady was more than blunt when he assessed the quarterback's errant throw. "There's a safety in the middle of the field. Poor awareness, poor decision, throws him a meatball sub," Brady said of Herbert's throw, which landed right in the arms of Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Brady's quote quickly went viral. FOX Sports' video of the quote generated over 300,000 likes on Instagram, while a handful of posts on X about Brady's comment garnered several thousand likes and views. But how did Brady learn about the term that's become popular on social media for whenever a quarterback throws a bad pass? In the latest edition of #AskTom, Brady let everyone know that his kids have helped keep him hip to popular social media vernacular. "Chill, chill. Relax. Everyone's got to remember, I've got three kids, OK? So, that should just point you in the right direction," Brady said when asked who told him to say "meatball sub." Brady's "meatball sub" remark was the second straight week that he said something on a broadcast that quickly made the rounds on social media. A week earlier, he called one of Dak Prescott's passes a "piss missile" in the Dallas Cowboys' victory over the Washington Commanders. Brady apologized for the "piss missile" comment in last week's edition of #AskTom. But he isn't apologizing for his "meatball sub" quote, although he admitted that some of his passes were meatball subs. "I threw a lot. I probably threw over 200 interceptions in my career. I would say somewhere between 25 and 50 [were meatball subs]," Brady said. "And, believe me, Coach [Bill] Belichick, he never let me forget those." That led Brady to express his appreciation for the coaching he got from Belichick over his career as he touched on that topic and more in this week's #AskTom. Here's what Brady had to say about Case Keenum's surprising performance, Sean Payton's gutsy calls in the Broncos' win over the Rams and how cleats can make a difference in a quarterback's throw. Case Keenum is 38, third on the depth chart and hasn't started since 2023, but he helped the Bears beat the Eagles on Monday night. What does a week like this look like for a veteran thrust into the spotlight? Brady: Well, there's definitely some nerves and anxiety as you prepare for the week. It's been a long time since you've been the starter. It's been a long time since the team really needed you to step up and play well. But, look, when you're a veteran quarterback and you've got a lot of years of experience, as that ball's kicked off and you run your first play, you settle in very quickly. There's a lot of experience you can rely on and he's really well-coached. I love this Ben Johnson offense. There were a lot of great throws out there and he made a lot of great decisions. That's what it takes. That's why you're the backup. That's why you pay ya to deliver for your team. Sean Payton went for it twice in the third quarter to tie the game in the Broncos' win over the Rams. How much of that is a coach's decision vs. the QB potentially going and fighting for the chance to win there? Brady: In the end, it's all about the head coach's decision. What I think a lot of people need to understand is that the head coach needs to be accountable for every decision — offensively, defensively or special teams. It all comes down to one guy: the head coach making the decisions. He's the one responsible in those big moments to make the call and put his team in the best position to win. Who told you to say meatball sub? Also, can I get an exact number of meatball subs that you threw during your career? Brady: Chill, chill. Relax. Everyone's got to remember, I've got three kids, OK? So, that should just point you in the right direction. And I threw a lot. I probably threw over 200 interceptions in my career. I would say somewhere between 25 and 50 [were meatball subs]. And, believe me, Coach [Bill] Belichick, he never let me forget those. Was Bill calling them meatball subs? Was that where that lingo came from? Brady: No, [Belichick would say]: "Brady, you bum." And I just took it like a man. I learned from it, and hopefully I didn't go out there and repeat them too often. Actually, I'm glad you brought that up, because I think, and what I notice so much in the NFL is there's so many people telling everybody how great they are all the time. I don't think a lot of young people understand that the best way to learn is by getting outside their comfort zone and learning from coaches who are really pushing them. Coaches are the ones who should be telling you the truth every day. I was very fortunate. I had the greatest coach in the history of the NFL. He never let me forget when I threw an interception. He never glazed over it. He didn't move on. He let me know about it, created awareness about it and he let me sit in the pain of letting the team down for a day or two before moving on. I think it was great learning for me, even though it was painful. It let me grow up. It helped me toughen up. It let me gain the respect of my teammates and coaches when they saw that, and I was able to move on and put it behind me. Did you have that perspective in the moment, or was that something that came afterwards? Brady: All of it's learned. I think the great fortune for me is, being retired for four years, I look back on all the things that allowed me to be the player I wanted to be. I'm so grateful for everybody that was on my journey and all the coaches that pushed me and pushed me every single day, when they had higher expectations for me and they knew I could achieve them and they pushed me to do that. That's what every great athlete should want. You should want a coach that's demanding and calls you out when you're not playing up to your standard, because that's going to elevate your game. Yeah, it may sting in the moment a little bit, but when you reflect back at the end of a long career, you're going to be appreciative and respectful of the coaches that did just that. How much attention did you pay to a field and the cleat choice going into a game and what did that have to do with your throwing mechanics? Brady: It was always important that you had to know the surface that you were playing on. But, listen, I loved grass fields. I hated turf fields. What we're doing to kids at turf fields in high school, college and, ultimately, when they get to the pros, the wear and tear on those bodies over time really takes a toll. I really love the grass fields. So what, it's a little bit slick? So what, it's a little bit muddy? I'd much rather fall on a grass field than not. I think the most important point when you have a field that's a little bit slick is you wear a longer seven-stud, so it digs into the surface. A lot of guys actually didn't like playing with the long seven studs. But I always felt as a quarterback, if I was able to drive the ball, I would need a really firm base in the pocket. And when I plant on the back foot of either a three-step, five-step or seven-step drop, the back cleats really allowed me to dig into the surface to transfer my ground force going backwards into going back into my hitches. If I was hitching into the throw, I could create a lot of ground force going into my target, the right amount of torque with my body — my shoulder-hip dissociation — and then, when I released the ball, I still maintained the whip. The problem is, if you lose your ground force because you're slipping on the surface, your whole mechanics shift to only using your torque and this really relaxed whip in your arm. So, I would say you become much stronger with your throw. The whole point, I would say, is to get the ground force from your legs into your torque into the whippy arm. That's how you generate the maximum force throwing a football. Equipment managers everywhere are scrambling this week after that, Tom. Brady: Hey, go figure it out, young equipment managers. You have to figure it out, too.

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NFL Fact Or Fiction: Raiders For Real? MVP Brock Purdy? Ruling On Your Week 3 Hot Takes

So you think the 3-0 Raiders are capable of doing more than just reaching the playoffs. That the "Trio in Rio" game shows that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are coming for the Lombardi Trophy. And that there are better days ahead in Green Bay for the reeling Packers. I hear ya, but that doesn't mean I agree. Coming out of Week 3, NFL fans shared their passionate perspectives on our @NFLonFOX Instagram. I'm here to break down your top takes, provide analysis and, in the end, render a verdict on whether what you're saying is fact or fiction. Let’s get into it: Fact or Fiction: Fiction Look, the Raiders’ rebuild is off to an exciting start. New head coach Klint Kubiak looks like a slam dunk hire. Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins has been red-hot to start the season (nine touchdown passes through three games), allowing Las Vegas to stick to its plan of letting No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza sit and learn. The offensive line play has been competent. The team is strong at tight end (star Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer) and running back (rookie Mike Washington Jr.). Tre Tucker is emerging at wide receiver. On the other side of the ball, the revamped defense has been promising, led by new additions like free-agent linebacker Nakobe Dean and rookies Treydan Stukes (second round) and Hezekiah Masses (fifth round), the latter of whom was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 2. But this particular take is not just saying the Raiders will make the playoffs, but that they'll go on a deep postseason run. And that’s going too far right now. Let’s remember that Las Vegas has had a soft schedule to this point. Its 3-0 start came against the Dolphins, Chargers and the Saints. We’ll get a much better feel for exactly how good the Raiders are in the coming weeks, when they face the Chiefs (Week 4), Bills (Week 6) and Rams (Week 7). Also, what happens when opposing defenses key in on two-time Pro Bowler Bowers? Yes, the Raiders went 2-0 before he made his season debut last week, but that’s a small sample size against teams that are a combined 0-6 right now (Dolphins, Chargers). Bowers is Vegas’ only true receiving threat at tight end. And Las Vegas is still unproven at wide receiver outside of Tucker, who is averaging a career-high 63.0 receiving yards per game. No other wideout on the roster is averaging more than 17.3 yards. Even more concerning, Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2025 draft, hasn’t been running the ball efficiently, averaging only 3.3 rushing yards per carry. Again, I love what Kubiak has done in Vegas so far, and the Raiders are far exceeding expectations to this point. They’ve given themselves a nice cushion to start the season. But it’s too early to say they’re an AFC contender. Fact or Fiction: Fact I’m on board with this! Purdy has been the NFL's best quarterback through three weeks, playing ridiculously efficient football. He leads the league in passer rating (133.1) and expected points added per dropback (+0.63), and is tied for first with nine touchdown passes. He’s second in yards per attempt (9.5), third in completion rate (72.2%) and eighth in passing yards (789). The 2023 Pro Bowler has been picked off only once so far and has yet to be sacked. He’s carrying a 49ers team that has already been ravaged by injuries. And that’s actually what could threaten Purdy’s MVP bid. MVPs are historically high-level quarterbacks on the league’s best teams record-wise, and injuries have a chance of derailing San Francisco’s season. Wide receiver Mike Evans (ribs), left tackle Trent Williams (shoulder stinger) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quad) all didn’t finish Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Niners also have multiple defensive linemen dealing with multi-week injuries on their active roster, including Pro Bowl defensive end Nick Bosa (calf), plus six other D-linemen on injured reserve or the physically unable to perform list. The good news, though, is that the injuries to Evans, Williams and Greenlaw aren’t long term, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. And if anything has come out of the Niners’ injury hell over the past several years, it’s that they’re now very experienced at dealing with them. Under Shanahan, San Francisco has always found a way to stay relevant in the NFC contention conversation despite who may or may not be available, which is great news for Purdy’s MVP candidacy. Fact or Fiction: Fiction Star quarterback Lamar Jackson is off to a great start in new OC Declan Doyle’s offense, and we know that the Ravens are always in the mix as long as the two-time MVP is healthy. But I’m already getting concerned about their long-term prospects. We don’t know if it’s anything serious, but Jackson wasn’t seen during the portion of Wednesday’s practice open to the media. Baltimore’s engine is the run game, and injuries upfront are already piling up. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley (toe) didn’t play in Brazil, and his status for this week is uncertain. Starting center Jovaughn Gwyn is expected to miss a few months with a fractured fibula. It’s looking like backup Ethan Pocic (knee) will be out at least a week as well. Rookie guard Olaivavega Ioane is trending toward making his first career start at center, a position he didn’t register a start at in college. That’s a good amount of uncertainty early in the year for the offensive line, which is a bummer. The ageless Derrick Henry has been eating to this point — and 55.9% of his yards have come before contact, the highest rate among 36 running backs with at least 25 carries, per NGS. Giving up 31 points to the Cowboys last week wasn’t great, but Baltimore’s defense overall has shown promise under first-year head coach Jesse Minter, a defensive guru. The walk-off, game-winning field goal in Brazil — the so-called "Trio in Rio" — was potentially a sign that the 2026 Ravens will be better in high-pressure situations. But the injury outlook offensively gives me pause about the Ravens' title chances. Fact or Fiction: Fiction I’m sorry, I’m not buying it right now. The Packers have been that bad — they’ve lost two of their first three games by three scores, the first time they’ve lost multiple games by 17-plus points since 2017, according to Next Gen Stats. No offensive line in the NFL has been worse, and Green Bay lost its best O-lineman — right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele — for the rest of the year with a knee injury. The Packers are averaging an atrocious 48.7 rushing yards per game, by far the league worst (second-lowest is 81.0, by the Broncos). Quarterback Jordan Love has already been pressured 56 times, second-most in the league. The Packers in recent days have signed a trio of former first-round guards to stabilize the interior offensive line — Kevin Zeitler, Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton — but O-line chemistry isn’t created in a microwave. Continuity is built over months, even for the most talented of offensive lines. And we don’t even know what kind of individual production to expect from Zeitler, Tomlinson or Becton, none of whom has played in a regular-season game this year. Elsewhere on the offense, I actually really like what the Packers have going on at wide receiver. Losing Jayden Reed to season-ending neck surgery is a big loss, but Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are both in the top eight in receiving yards entering Week 4. Tight end Tucker Kraft, who’s coming off a torn ACL last season, should get his feet back under him as the season wears on. On the other side of the ball, superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons can be activated off the physically unable to perform list after this week, so the defense could get substantially better. But I don’t see it being so much better than it makes up for a largely ineffective offense. Coach Matt LaFleur himself said, "I don’t know what we’re doing well offensively." Unless the O-line additions turn out to be a magical solution, I’m not buying a rosy outlook for this team over the next few months.

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2026 NFL Week 4 Picks: Best Bets For Every Game — Will's Wagers

There are several barnburners on tap for NFL Week 4. Here's where I'm putting my money. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Pittsburgh coach Mike McCarthy said he wanted to push the ball down the field more this year than the team did last year with Aaron Rodgers, and he has been true to his word so far. Rodgers’ average depth of target has been over 10 yards in two of the three games so far, including in a 30-27 win last week. I’ll go over the 38.5, as the Steelers take on a Browns team with some interesting young weapons and an underrated offense. Don’t forget to set your alarms for this one, as we get our first 9:30 am ET kickoff of the season in London come Sunday. Both teams started 0-2 before winning in Week 3. With the winner getting to .500, I’ll take the 3.5 with the Commanders in what should be a close game. It has not been pretty for the defending AFC champions, but it’s often a good idea to ignore the last thing you saw in the NFL to avoid overreacting. The Patriots will already be 3.5 games out of first place in the AFC East with a loss. They are desperate and getting 6.5 points. I’l bet on them to bounce back. If the Titans aren’t the worst team in the NFL, they’re pretty close to it. At 0-3, their offense has been anemic, and I don’t expect it to improve this week in Baltimore. The quarterbacks for this game are familiar with each other. Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow were picked first overall, respectively, in back-to-back years (2020 and 2021), and also played against each other in the 2019 college football national title game. The Jaguars look like a contender and could easily be 3-0. In a toss-up game, I’ll take the points. Panic time could officially hit the Rams if they lose again this week and fall to 1-3. The Eagles have had their number recently, winning all four meetings since the start of the 2023 season, and winning in Philadelphia isn’t easy, especially considering the onerous travel the Rams have endured already this season. The Giants are 2-1, but their offense has looked suspect since quarterback Jaxson Dart went down with a season-ending knee injury. With the total set at 44.5, I think we get a 23-20 type of game. I will go Under here considering the Giants' lackluster offense. The Cowboys’ defense was expected to be improved in 2026 after being dreadful in 2025, but we have yet to see that play out. The Cowboys' elite offense and shaky defense make them a good Over team until proven otherwise. The Jets lost and failed to cover last week vs. the Lions, but were tied with just a few minutes to go. Quarterback Geno Smith has played very well for the Jets, and I think they will keep it close this week against the Bears. Two desperate teams facing off here with each in dire need of a win. Undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels will make his first career start for the Buccaneers, and I expect points to be hard to come by. The Vikings look to improve to 4-0 and are heavy favorites to do so against the hapless Dolphins. While it’s been an impressive start for the Vikings, they have struggled mightily on offense, and aren’t well-equipped to exploit the Dolphins’ weak secondary. Star wide receiver Justin Jefferson might be sidelined for this one, and 10.5 points is a lot to lay for a struggling Vikings offense. Raiders’ tight end Brock Bowers is one of the best, and perhaps, still one of the most underrated players in the league. Coming off of 13 targets, 10 catches and 116 yards in his season debut, expect another big game from Bowers. The Chargers look broken offensively and could not defeat the Bills last week despite their defense forcing five turnovers. I don’t look for them to do much offensively on the road, in a hostile environment against an angry Seahawks defense coming off an upset loss to the Commanders. The 49ers are undefeated and have been ultra impressive so far, but as usual, the injuries are starting to pile up. In what should be a close game, I’ll take the Broncos to keep it close. The Lions have played three games and they’ve all gone Over. With an elite offense and very suspect defense, I like another Lions Over. The Saints gave up over 100 yards rushing last week and now face perhaps the most dynamic running back in the NFL. Look for Bijan Robinson to have another big game on the ground.

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Tom Brady's NFL Power Rankings: 49ers, Bills Or Chiefs At No. 1? Raiders Top 5?

A few teams we've grown accustomed to playing well in recent years have opened the 2026 NFL season 3-0. And then there are a pair of surprises that have also gotten off to an undefeated start, including the Las Vegas Raiders. What should we make of the Raiders' 3-0 start? Well, in the most recent edition of Tom Brady's power rankings, the seven-time Super Bowl champ wasn't afraid to put the team he's a minority owner of in his top 10. In fact, he went as far as placing them in the top five, claiming that there was "no hometown bias." We'll see if the Raiders can continue their hot streak in Week 4, when they host one of the four other undefeated teams: the Kansas City Chiefs. As the Chiefs are out to a 3-0 start, were they able to move into the No. 1 spot in Brady's power rankings following the Seattle Seahawks' Week 3 loss? Here's Brady's full top 10. Brady's thoughts: Tyler Loop, a walk-off 56-yarder in Rio? The trio in Rio? That's what Jim Nantz said — I loved that. Another incredible performance by Lamar Jackson. Week in and week out, he's unstoppable. I think they've got to sustain some of those drives in the second half to put these teams away. I think you've got to play to win and do what you need to do to continue to put points on the board until midway through the fourth quarter, when the clock becomes an issue. I think momentum swings are so huge in the NFL. If you take your foot off the gas for just a little bit and the other team gains a little momentum and the snowball starts going downhill, you may not be able to stop the other team. Brady's thoughts: Huge win against the Broncos, and having already played one of the NFL's toughest schedules, give this team a lot of credit. Bo Nix gets it done once again in the fourth quarter — insane the way he plays down the stretch — and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and this defense, I give them a lot of credit for keeping them in the game, too. They did it last year and they're doing it in the early part of this year, too. One thing Nix can do to elevate his game as a passer is this: having your feet planted in the right place to get to your first and second read, and then knowing when the play is over and not trying to make every play a hero-type play. Find the open guy, cut it loose. If it's not there, move onto the next play. No negative plays, keep your team on track. Brady's thoughts: Jared Goff has eight touchdowns and no picks. They're squeaking by in some tough wins. They show a lot of toughness in Detroit, that's what that city is made of. I love Jahmyr Gibbs, and I love Saquon Barkley and I love Bijan Robinson. I saw James Cook the other day in person, and he's pretty ridiculous, too. The NFL's stacked right now at the halfback position. Brady's thoughts: Incredible, back-to-back games holding teams in single digits? How about Dennis Allen and that defense? And a veteran quarterback who hasn't started in like, a million days? Case Keenum said it in the locker room after the game: It's not his first f---ing rodeo. It's still early in the season, and Keenum got a lot of training camp reps. So, it's not quite like it would be in December, where he's basically been sitting on the sideline the whole time. But I give him a lot of credit; it's still hard to do. He hasn't started in a long time, and he came in and delivered for his team. Brady's thoughts: Someone finally beat the best. The Seahawks drop from No. 1, but outgained the Commanders by almost 200 yards. The run game vanished, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba can only do so much. The Seahawks have got to find a way to get back on track. I always liken JSN's shoulder plane to Greg Maddux's pitching exhibition: When the ball comes out of his hand, everything looks the same and it's all late movement. It's a lot like what JSN does. Shoulders are low, arms are driving and he's such a smooth route runner. His start and stop is so difficult to know He's always got them on their heels. Brady's thoughts: No hometown bias here. Listen, undefeated gets you in the top five. That's just the way my power rankings work. You can only be who you play, and when you're undefeated, you're better than the teams that have lost games. That's just the way it works for me. The Raiders had four takeaways against the Saints. How about their fourth-quarter performance on defense? Taking the ball away, knocking it off, interceptions, fumble returns — they did it all. That's how you secure a win on the road in the NFL. I think the culture is always about your teammates. I always think it's about "We" over "Me." And I think if you go out there and you play for your teammates every single game, you try not to let your teammates down. I love the culture that's being built in Las Vegas right now. Brady's thoughts: No one would've guessed this, certainly not with the injuries at quarterback. But the Vikings had six sacks, 12 QB hits, a punt return touchdown and winning in all phases of the game against the Buccaneers. I'm excited to see how Kyler Murray grows in this Kevin O'Connell offense. I would say that probably for most quarterbacks, it takes half a season to get acclimated to a new offense. Possibly a season or two, depending on how complicated the offense is and how familiar the quarterback is with some of those things that are being done. Football is football. Concepts are concepts. But it's really about the verbiage, the vernacular, and how things really just come out of your mouth over the course of the game. These are all different languages from these teams and everybody coaches their offenses a little differently, but I'm really impressed with what the Vikings are doing right now. Brady's thoughts: That was a lot of ugly football. I mean, look, there were a lot of crazy plays happening. It was really fun to call, and I love seeing the Bills play and I love seeing the Chargers play. But the Bills, they had five turnovers. Five turnovers, and a win! That shows the talent the Bills team has. They're not going to be able to get away with that later in the season, though. Brady's thoughts: Winning by 14 while losing the time of possession by nine minutes against the Dolphins. What? That rarely ever happens. But Miami, that's a tough place to play; believe me, I know. In September, regardless of record, when it's hot, it feels so good to go in there and get a win. I think what serves every team well is when you have continuity. When you have continuity at head coach, quarterback, GM and defensive coordinator, so many of the culture drivers that the Chiefs have, they're on their stuff. They can solve problems quickly. There's so much variation on offense. And because K9 (Kenneth Walker) is doing so much for them, the passing game doesn't need to be what it was five or six years ago. They can win a balanced game. They can win defensively. That's a tough team to beat. Brady's thoughts: They were pretty much unheralded all offseason because everyone was talking about Seattle and the Rams. But it's the 49ers at No. 1. Why? They're undefeated. We know that. But they have the best point differential in the league. Brock Purdy's playing as well as anybody; anybody. He should be considered in the Tier 1 QB discussions. At least he is in my eyes. It sure looks like Purdy is an elite quarterback now. He's playing within the system, throwing the ball accurately, no negative plays, getting his team in and out of the right plays — I love the way he's managing every single game.

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Herd Hierarchy: Are The Raiders Legit? Seahawks Fall, While Bills & 49ers Rise

The Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers are both 3-0, but are they actually two of the NFL's elite teams or just the last ones standing after a chaotic Week 3? Colin Cowherd revealed his latest Herd Hierarchy, featuring a new team at No. 1 and three fresh additions to the top 10 after another big week in the NFL. Beyond the new arrivals, several former mainstays completely played their way out of the rankings. Here are Cowherd's Week 3 Herd Hierarchy rankings: Cowherd’s thoughts: I think the Raiders look like a really, really well-coached team with one great edge rusher. Kirk Cousins, the only quarterback in the league with three touchdown passes each game. Brock Bowers, they're putting him all over the field. He's a nightmare. The defense leads the NFL in takeaways. We've said it before. You put a Ben Johnson, a Klint Kubiak, a smart offensive guy, you can turn things around quicker. I think the Raiders look like a very, very well-coached team. They're about one more draft away from being like a high-end team, but I like what I see. I think they're legit. Cowherd’s thoughts: The Lions are weird. Worst scoring defense in the league, yet they're second in sacks to the Vikings. But this is about Jahmyr Gibbs. This is about Jared Goff. Only team to score 30 plus points in every game, but they're going to have to win by track meets. So I think their floor is incredibly high. I don't know if their ceiling is as high as I thought going into the season. Cowherd’s thoughts: The Rams should have beaten the Broncos. 16-0 at the half and outgained them by 225 yards. Some really bad penalties. Listen, here's the reality about the Rams though. If you count the playoffs, they're 4-5 in their last nine [games], and they're not a very good road team. Again, physicality. Puka [Nacua’s] not there, a physical player. Myles Garrett not there, physical player. Aaron Donald's good, but he's not what he used to be. There is a component about physicality and toughness that wins on the road. Cowherd’s thoughts: The Bears, number one, number five scoring offense, number three total offense, but the number one rushing team. That's what I love about Ben Johnson. Everybody thinks, ‘oh, it's Caleb [Williams] running around.’ They run the football against physical defensive fronts, and Caleb's going to be back in three to four weeks. But they've held opponents, and this is coaching, under 10 points back-to-back weeks. I thought last night was one of the greatest coaching mismatches I have ever seen. Cowherd’s thoughts: They may just be a great regular season team, but the Jags 10-1 in their last 11 regular season games. If they get on you, they'll put a foot on you. They'll blow you out if you're not prepared and ready to go. So I think Liam Coen is the best coach nobody talks about in this league. They have the number one scoring defense. You can't run at them for several yards. Trevor Lawrence, seven touchdown passes. I think he's playing the best. Again, if this team was in a New York market or a Chicago market or Philadelphia, we talk about them every week. The Jags are well coached. Trevor Lawrence has time. You can't run on them. They're good at home. I have them at six. Cowherd’s thoughts: The Broncos are a one-half offense. The good news: it's the second half. But Bo Nix's 11th game-winning drive. Unfortunately, they shouldn't be trailing this often late in games, they spent the third least amount of time leading in the league this year—nine minutes. Only the Titans and Dolphins have led less, so they're doing what I predicted they couldn't do. I said you can't do what they did last year: trail 15 times and win 14. Now they're doing it, but here come the 49ers, here come the Seahawks, here come the Chiefs, and I don't think you can do it against those three teams. Cowherd’s thoughts: Oh, Mahomes has a run game. Do you know what he is on play action this year? Because you have to be honest against the run game. He is 22-of-24 in play action, 158.3 passer rating. It's amazing when you give a quarterback a run game. Travis Kelsey looks 26, and Mahomes now has to bite on the play action. You didn't for four years. I think it's totally changed their offense, their defense, and they've always drafted defense well. They move off corners. They always find a corner. I have them at four. Cowherd's Thoughts: The little disturbing problem for the Seahawks. It's not the loss, but they're not running the football. Why are they such a great road team? What travels? Toughness, coaching, and run games. They're not running the ball. They were number one graded run team last year, number one rated. This year they're 28th. Kenneth Walker's not there. [Zach] Charbonnet hasn't been healthy. It's a real thing. The reason they are so good on the road is they kill the crowd. They run the ball. Not this year, and that is something to keep your eye on. Cowherd's Thoughts: Well, they start every year and it feels like three and zero, but I'm going to give them credit. Brock Purdy plays like an MVP. Trent Williams is back. He'll play. Mike Evans will play against Denver. So they’re injured. [Nick] Bosa will be back soon. Mike Evans. Listen, this is a franchise. You cross your fingers on health, but it's one of the smartest, most functional offenses: [Christian] McCaffrey, Trent, [George] Kittle, Brock, Shanahan. It is a handful. Will it be a handful at Thanksgiving when half the guys are banged up? Cowherd's Thoughts: When you can win with 10 penalties and five turnovers, that has a ‘Seahawk vibe’ from last year. I'll make it Buffalo [at No. 1], averaging 34 points a game. The offense is humming. They're punting on 15% of their drives. I just think they feel like it's the most complimentary Bills roster yet. [Dalton] Kincaid, slot receiver D.J. Moore, James Cook. They drafted a defensive tackle out of Kentucky in the fourth round. The guy's a beast, so they take some heat. Their GM does. That guy was a steal, so this is finally a complimentary roster in Buffalo. At least the most complimentary they've been.

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