Grant’s Slants: Eric Berry vs. Tyrann Mathieu, Chiefs-Eagles preview and more
By Grant Tuttle
Top (non-Chiefs) Games of the Week:
The 2021 NFL season has been a wild one with a lot of really good good finishes and unexpected twists. Bearing that in mind, the fourth week of the season has the potential to be one of the best weeks to watch all season. Here are the non-Chiefs games that you should watch.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New England Patriots.
Storylines, storylines, storylines. This one may not be as much of a personal vendetta as it has been made out to be. The media, however, is playing this up as if it is the single-most important game of Brady’s career. In reality, the Bucs should roll the Patriots. If Belichick comes away with victory, however, it could create a new media narrative.
The Buccaneers come limping into New England after loss to the Los Angeles Rams while the Patriots are reeling from a 28-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Tom Brady returning to New England deserves our attention because of the ruthless and unpredictable nature of the National Football League.
2. Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams
This may be the most intriguing matchup of the week. The Rams and Cardinals are both on top of the NFC West. While the Rams defeated the Bucs last week in a dominant fashion, the Cardinals are a team that people are unsure of. While they have started the season 2-1, Arizona is a team that could fall apart or become a legitimate contender.
Stafford and his passing attack vs Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury’s “Air Raid” system is certainly going to be entertaining. If the Rams can be dominant on defense with the combination of Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, it seems as though they will come out on top. That said, Kyler Murray has looked like a top-tier quarterback thus far and that cannot be ignored. Either way, this is a very good matchup.
3. Carolina Panthers @ Dallas Cowboys
The Panthers? Yes. The Panthers. It is make-or-break time for Carolina. After starting the season 3-0 after playing a series of teams that may all be in the top five of the draft order, the Panthers now have a chance to prove that they are real. Brian Burns is the best defensive player that no one talks about and Matt Rhule has the team playing at a high level. The question is, “Can they do this against good football teams?”
While I wouldn’t categorize the Cowboys as a top-tier team, they appear to be on the path to sitting on top of the NFC (L)East by season’s end. The Cowboy offense is putting up yards and points in large quantities due to the early success of Dak Prescott and the passing attack. A showdown between the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys was probably not what you expected to be a top game at the beginning of the season; However, every year is different and this game will be an excellent game to watch.
4. Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers
This is an interesting game purely for AFC rankings purposes and to find out whether the Las Vegas Raiders are the darling that the media is portraying. After the Chargers stunned the Chiefs last week, they are looking to build off of their prior success. If they hope to keep pace with Kansas City after their difficult start, they will need to continue to find success against AFC opponents. Defeating the Raiders would go a long way in determining their outcome for the season.
Las Vegas, on the other hand, is on a quest to prove that they are for real. With Darren Waller and Derek Carr running the show on offense, Jon Gruden has been able to skate by teams to start the season. On defense, the brightest spot is Maxx Crosby who has been a terror for opposing quarterbacks. This game could certainly go down to the wire and the Chiefs will likely have their eyes on it.
5. Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos
The Ravens and the Broncos are two teams that no one is entirely sure of yet. The Broncos seem to have their defense functioning at a high level, while the Ravens have their rushing attack performing at a high level. This could be a really dull, two score game, or it could have the makings of a classic showdown. This one is certainly worth watching.