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Bengals need to earn their stripes, Steeler Nation set to descend on Croke Park - 5 storylines for this weekend's NFL

Updated / Thursday, 26 Sep 2024 13:40
Joe Burrow and the Bengals are already entering do-or-die territory this season
Joe Burrow and the Bengals are already entering do-or-die territory this season

Michael McQuaid of Pro Football Ireland looks at some of the key storylines ahead of the fourth week of the 2024 NFL season, which gets underway tonight (1.15am Irish time) with the visit of the Dallas Cowboys to the New York Giants.

The forgettable six

As we enter the fourth week of the season, we need to focus on the teams who are struggling. Two outfits that were not expected to be winless at the end of September are the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Jaguars hit a real low on Monday Night Football, being swept by the Buffalo Bills in a 47-10 loss, while the Cincinnati Bengals lost out to the Washington Commanders in a close battle. Since 1979, only six teams have made the play-offs after starting with three losses. For fans of both teams, that is not a promising sign.

It isn't getting much easier, either. The Jaguars will travel to Houston this weekend to take on a Texans team who will be raring to go after being well beaten by the Minnesota Vikings - one of the standout results of the third weekend. An AFC South divisional match-up is never easy, and if Jacksonville were to fall to 0-4, it would create an even bigger discussion line around future elements of the franchise.

Heading to Carolina on Sunday, the Bengals are now officially under pressure. A win over the Commanders on Monday night would really have alleviated this, but a week in the league can make a serious difference. Last week, Bryce Young was benched for Andy Dalton in Carolina. Enter the veteran QB, who had 319 passing yards and three passing touchdowns last weekend.

The mood, energy and optimism has taken a shift in Charlotte. This is not the time to play the Panthers. Also, add in to the mix that Andy Dalton was drafted by the Bengals and played with the team for nine seasons. This is not going to be easy for Joe Burrow and Cincinnati.

Time to worry in San Francisco?

"Take it easy, San Francisco".

The Niners are not going through a good patch at the moment. One hour before the season started, they announced that their star running back Christian McCaffrey would not play due to an Achilles injury. One can only wonder when we will see CMC back in the league again this year, with the highly paid half-back visiting Germany last weekend to get specialist help on the injury.

Christian McCaffrey is the highest-paid running back in the league

While his back-up Jordan Mason has done well with over 300 rushing yards and two touchdowns through three weeks, the Niners are giving up points on their defence and lost close games against the Vikings two weeks ago and the Rams last weekend in Los Angeles. In a tight NFC West, this cannot continue and the 49ers need to stop the bleed this weekend as they return home to face the New England Patriots.

It's early, but this is a must-win game for the Niners.

Packers and Vikings both in form

The Green Bay Packers have impressed in the absence of quarterback Jordan Love, who was injured in the first game of the season in Brazil. While he is expected back soon, potentially even this weekend, their back-up Malik Willis put on a show last weekend, becoming the first Green Bay QB to throw for a minimum 200 yards in a game, while rushing for 50 yards - scoring and rushing for a touchdown in the game as well.

Willis has really added to the offensive skillset in Green Bay and even when Jordan Love comes back in, it will be interesting to see if Packers coach Matt LaFleur will keep him in rotation on key third down short yardage plays.

The vibe in Green Bay seems really good at the moment. Enniskerry’s Dan Whelan is having a really good year so far. In both Week 2 and 3, the Wicklow man has shown that he can place the ball very well - but also limit the opposing teams field position opportunities. He had a punt last Sunday which was almost a contender for punt of the season.

Green Bay will have a big match-up against their NFC North rival Minnesota this weekend at Lambeau Field. The Vikings post-Kirk Cousins have excelled, even with rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy out with a season-ending injury. Sam Darnold has found his footing in Minnesota and has been seriously impressive. He is one of the best in the league right now at his position. Time will tell if that keeps up. Expect a great game in Green Bay.

The big one

Get Monday booked off now.

We have a savage Sunday night game in the fourth week of the NFL season, with the 3-0 Buffalo Bills travelling to face the 1-2 Baltimore Ravens. We will see Josh Allen enter Charm City to take on Lamar Jackson. This is the kind of high-stakes clash of top teams you don't expect until much later in the year.

We've already covered the pressure the Bengals are under early in the season, well the same could be said of Baltimore. Last week, the Ravens threw away a 22-point lead over the Dallas Cowboys on the road, with Lamar Jackson taking the lead and converting a key third-down play and run to seal a close call against America’s Team.

Lamar Jackson rushed for 87 yards against the Cowboys

To be fair to the Ravens, they really came close against the Chiefs in the first week of the season, but now with a win under their belt, they will look at Buffalo and expect to come away with a win, especially with the Steelers putting a serious statement out to the AFC North in recent weeks.

Make no doubt about it, the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen were unreal on Monday night against the Jaguars. Allen had 247 passing yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone. Like the Ravens, the Bills are trying to get to the big dance in February having fallen short repeatedly in recent years. Both teams know what it is like to go in to a big atmosphere on the road and get a result.

This will be a cracker.

Dublin awaits

The NFL is growing not just in Ireland, but around Europe. Next year will see a first game take place in Real Madrid's iconic and recently renovated Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Last season, two games were played in Germany for the first time.

The week after the Germany game, the Pittsburgh Steelers held a watch party in the Hogan Suite inside Croke Park, with over 500 fans attending.

They will repeat this on Sunday, as the Steelers travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts. Former Steelers players James Farrior and Willie Parker will be in attendance on what is sure to be a memorable night in GAA HQ.

On the field, the Steelers are really developing well. Through three games, Justin Fields is finding his feet as the starting quarterback in Russell Wilson's absence. The elevation of their defence has allowed the team to take a step forward. Add a Dublin watch party into the mix and excitement is at fever pitch for the weekend with Irish Steelers fans. If the team can make it four wins on the bounce, they will be marked as one to watch down the stretch, for sure.

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