NFL Week 4 storylines to watch: Who wins Dolphins-Bills and other big divisional battles?

Week 4 of the NFL regular season is here, and when the games are over, the first quarter of this year’s campaign will be in the books.
This is the point by which many teams will have defined themselves, for better or worse. Divisional pictures will begin to take shape from here as the leaders start jockeying for position over the course of the next 14 weeks.
This week’s slate features several high-stakes matchups, including five head-to-head contests between teams that have taken early leads in their divisions or aim to pull even with said leaders. The Detroit Lions already took command of the NFC North on Thursday by beating the Green Bay Packers. Others to watch: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles.
And that’s not all.
Here are five of the most compelling storylines at play across the league. (Find the NFL Week 4 schedule here.) GO DEEPER
NFL experts react to Week 4: Concern for Cowboys? Who has edge in Dolphins-Bills? 1. Red-hot Dolphins
Mike McDaniel and his squad hung 70 on the Broncos, and truthfully, the Dolphins very well could have scored 90 had the second-year head coach not called off the dogs in the third quarter. The Dolphins boast the league’s most dynamic offense through three games, leading the NFL with 550.3 yards and 43.3 points per game. They put up points on the Chargers, who are supposed to be good on defense, outmaneuvered the mastermind Bill Belichick and then embarrassed another Super Bowl-winning head coach in Sean Payton. GO DEEPER
Why the Miami Dolphins’ start might be sustainable this time But now comes the real test: a matchup with Buffalo, which has ruled the AFC East for three straight seasons. The Bills own one of the best defenses in the league, ranking second in average yards (253) and points (11.7) per game, so the Dolphins should face stronger resistance than they did against the Broncos. But let’s not forget that Miami stunned the Bills in Week 3 last season, and almost beat them again later in the year.
Miami has a chance to make a big statement this week. And Buffalo, which stumbled out of the gate with a loss to the Jets, gets a significant opportunity to pick up a victory against its toughest competition for the division. (Dolphins at Bills, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.) 2. Momentum for Chargers and Bengals?
Both teams faced must-win situations last week, then overcame adversity and earned their first victories of the season. Can either of these projected contenders now build some momentum?
The Chargers, who host the hapless Raiders, seemingly have a shot at evening their record at 2-2. But head coach Brandon Staley’s bunch has certainly found ways to lose very winnable games. Meanwhile, the Bengals face a more formidable foe in the Titans. Joe Burrow gutted his way through a calf strain against the Rams Monday night. The quarterback wasn’t great, completing just 26 of 49 passes for 259 yards and an interception. And his offense converted only five of 17 third downs.
Even hobbled, though, he gave the Bengals their best shot at winning. As Burrow’s calf continues to heal, can the quarterback — who has thrown just two touchdowns, along with two interceptions — recapture his MVP-caliber form and take the Bengals on another run? (Bengals at Titans, 1 p.m. ET Sunday; Raiders at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday.) 3. New Orleans QBs
The Saints face the Bucs with the NFC South lead on the line. Their early hopes appeared to take a hit last week when heralded franchise savior Derek Carr suffered a shoulder injury against the Packers. It initially looked as if Jameis Winston — the guy they tried to replace after two failed stints as their starter — would have to start versus Tampa news Bay, but now Carr will reportedly try to give it a go.
The question: How effective can he be, and for how long? It’s a pain tolerance issue. Will another hard hit from Tampa Bay’s tough defensive front knock Carr out of this game as well? And if Winston does have to come off the bench again, can he play well enough — and take care of the football, which he has struggled to do — to keep his team afloat and win? (Buccaneers at Saints, 1 p.m. ET.) 4. Win or bust for Vikings?
Last week’s loss to the Chargers was a huge missed opportunity for the Vikings, who last season won 11 one-score games. Things have changed: All three of the Vikings’ losses this season have been by six points or fewer. Against the Chargers, continued turnover woes and poor clock management while in scoring position in the closing seconds of play proved fatal. Minnesota’s postseason hopes now hang by a thread, as only four teams have overcome 0-3 starts to reach the playoffs since 1990. Minnesota faces another winless team in Carolina, but a win certainly isn’t a given considering the way its games have played out. Will a loss push the Vikings to the point of no return? (Vikings at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET.) It’s amazing what scheme and fit can do for a player. The Lions traded Swift to the Eagles during April’s NFL Draft, after three seasons in which he recorded just four 100-yard games in 41 appearances. But in the past two weeks, Swift has rushed for 175 and 130 yards, respectively, and trails only Christian McCaffrey in season rushing yards (308 to McCaffrey’s 358). Imagine if the Eagles had used Swift in their season opener.
Swift, a Philadelphia native, has provided much-needed production for an offense that has struggled to find consistency through the air. Sunday, he and the Eagles’ offensive line face a stout Commanders defensive front. But it might not matter: The Bucs held their first two foes to a combined 108 rushing yards, but Swift and the Eagles gashed them for 201 total yards on the ground. Can Swift keep it up? (Commanders at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET.) (Photos of D’Andre Swift and Tua Tagovailoa: Perry Knotts and Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)