Which players and teams will surprise the most in week 4?

The final week of the NFL’s September slate has a chance to be the most volatile set of games so far this season.

Although the first three weeks of the season were full of surprises, most of the matches reached consensus among the forecasters. But this weekend Many games interrupt USA TODAY Sports’ panel for picks. While most of the five unbeaten teams have specialists on their side, each needs to be on their toes.

With all this in mind, we asked USA TODAY Sports’ team of NFL writers and columnists for their bold predictions for Week 4. Here are their answers:

Aaron Rodgers to beat Broncos with first 300-yard game since 2021

What a great time for A-Rod to have his first 300-yard game as a Jet. Denver is coming to the Meadowlands and I suspect Rodgers will want to put a little more mustard on it to prove a point. Remember your reaction last year Sean Payton dissed Jets and Nathaniel Hackett? HE Payton was called “insecure” and argued that Payton’s coordinator should “keep his name out of his mouth.” I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten this mockery.

Rodgers called Hackett, Payton’s predecessor in Denver, his “favorite” coach; No doubt the coordinator is set to reunite with the Jets in 2023 to reunite with the QB after three years together in Green Bay. Perhaps there’s no better way for Rodgers to show he’s behind Hackett than with a monster performance against Payton and the Broncos.

It’s certainly been a long time since the four-time NFL MVP threw for 300 yards. For that, you have to go back to December 2021, when he torched the Bears for 341 yards and 4 TDs; It was the last of three consecutive 300-yard games. Since then, Rodgers has gone 25 games without scoring 300 points (including a playoff loss, or 26 if you count the Jets’ first game last year, which lasted one streak before suffering an Achilles tear). Game-by-game records include Rodgers starting all 17 games without going over 300 yards in his final season with the Packers in 2022. So, hey, the guy’s late. And the early season pattern in the comeback season shows that. Rodgers passed for more yards with each successive play as he moved into the offense; From 167 yards in the opener at San Francisco to 176 yards and 281 yards in Week 2 at Tennessee. A week ago Thursday night against the Patriots in their home opener.. And now here come the Broncos. I bet he’s licking his chops.

— Jarret Bell

At least three unbeaten teams will lose in Week 4

I wish he had been bolder, but this will be a tough weekend for the NFL’s 3-0 starting five club. The Buffalo Bills (at Baltimore) and Seattle Seahawks (at Detroit) play in prime-time slots against teams that reached their respective conference championship games last season. The Pittsburgh Steelers may face their toughest test — at least for 60 minutes — in Indianapolis after overcoming the depleted Chargers last Sunday, and the Minnesota Vikings, no matter who they are, can hardly expect to march into Green Bay’s Lambeau Field and raid and pillage . I play quarterback for the Packers. The Kansas City Chiefs look like a safe bet to beat the understaffed Bolts once again and could stand as the league’s only 4-0 team by the end of Monday night.

—Nate Davis

Jayden Daniels will be the first NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after Week 4

Rookie Jayden Daniels was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 3 after completing 21 of 23 pass attempts (91.3%) for 254 passes and two touchdowns in Week 3.Highest completion percentage in a game by a rookie Wins (at least 20 tries) in NFL history. He became the third rookie quarterback to win the award in the last five seasons.

What will Daniels do for an encore?

I expect Daniels to have a big game against the Cardinals and put him near the top of the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year rankings. Daniels will be motivated to compete against Arizona in what will be a homecoming of sorts. The Commanders QB played at Arizona State (2019–2021) before moving on to LSU (2022–2023).

Daniels would have his first 300-yard passing game and also rush for 50-plus yards to help Washington win its third straight game. The Commanders have not won three straight games since the 2022 season.

—Tyler Dragon

A breakout game is coming for the Steelers offense

Pittsburgh had an incredibly tough start to the season but has been almost singularly behind the defense. This is the game the Steelers offense will figure out. The unit currently ranks 24th in total offense (289 yards per game), 29th in passing yards (158.3), 28th in yards per carry (3.63) and 24th in scoring (17 points per game). . But this is a matchup that should be in the Steelers’ favor.

Indianapolis’ defense strengthened to start the season and was followed by inconsistent production. The Colts are in the middle of the pack in scoring defense, ranking 14th (20.3), but they have given up big plays. Indy ranks second to last in total defense (398.3) and rushing defense (179). This is a play where I expect offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to unveil quarterback Justin Fields and his penchant for running the ball effectively. The Steelers have asked Fields to run less, and his average of 30 yards rushing per game would be a career low and well below his mark from last year (50.5) and the season before that (76.2).

The upside is that Fields posted a career-best completion percentage of 73.3%, an increase of 11.9 points from last year. It has become more efficient. But this matchup begs him to take control on the field, further jeopardizing the broken defense and paving the way for the passing game.

—Lorenzo Reyes

Nick Herbig will pass TJ Watt as Steelers’ sack leader

Maybe that doesn’t seem so odd considering Herbig had two sacks in the first place to Watt’s three. Still, this summer, it would be hard to see how the Steelers could successfully emerge from September with someone other than Watt or Alex Highsmith leading the way in that category. Herbig stepped in to replace Highsmith when he suffered a groin injury in last week’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and the 2023 fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin tallied two sacks in just 19 seconds. His most impressive rep came screaming past the forward Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater on second-and-10 in the third quarter, forcing Justin Herbert to strip.

That performance could be difficult to replicate, especially for a 6-2, 240-pound edge rusher, as it’s no easy task for Anthony Richardson, who has just four sacks in three games, to take down a 6-4, 244-pound quarterback. Like Herbig. But the Steelers’ strong run defense (ranked second at 3.5 yards allowed per carry) looks set to put the Colts in some obvious passing scenarios, and there’s little doubt that Indianapolis’ primary target will be to account for Watt taking a hit There is little doubt. League leader with 44%, According to Pro Football Focus. Herbig has already established that he is ready to take advantage of the opportunity when it arises, and that trend could continue on Sunday.

— Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Josh Allen will rush for more yards than Lamar Jackson

Through the first three games of the season, Josh Allen hasn’t used his legs much (17 rushes, 85 yards) in Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s “everyone gets the ball” scheme. His arm has been more than effective, but the prime-time matchup against the Ravens will force Allen to dig deep into his tricks as the Bills improve to 4-0.

Another component of this is that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has never run efficiently against the Bills, especially by his standards. Jackson’s most yards on the ground in the game (73) came in his only loss against the Bills in the regular season in 2022. He rushed for 40 yards 11 times during a contest in 2019 and had seven attempts for 39 yards in a Week 1 matchup in 2018 — Jackson’s first career start — when he entered the game with a bang.

-Chris Bumbaca

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: NFL predictions for Week 4: Aaron Rodgers will surprise