NFL Week 4 kicks off Today, Oct. 4, with Fox carrying five afternoon games and CBS carrying seven. The day opens at 9:30 a.m. ET in London, where the Indianapolis Colts face the Washington Commanders on NFL Network. Most Fox viewers will get either the Rams at Eagles with Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady or the Cowboys at Texans. CBS leads its early window with the Patriots at Bills and splits its late window between the Chiefs at Raiders and the Broncos at 49ers. The Lions visit the Panthers on NBC at 8:20 p.m., and the Falcons play the Saints on Monday night.
That covers the TV guide. The real story is hiding in the CBS late window, and it involves a ghost from 1992.
Which NFL Week 4 games are on Fox?
Fox has four games at 1 p.m. ET. Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi call the Rams at Eagles. Kenny Albert, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver handle the Cowboys at Texans. Chris Myers, Jonathan Vilma and Jen Hale take the Packers at Buccaneers, and Tim Brando, Drew Brees and Kristina Pink have the Jets at Bears.
Fox’s only late game is the Dolphins at Vikings at 4:05 p.m., with Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Allison Williams. Because of the split, Fox can show only one game per region this week.
Which NFL Week 4 games are on CBS?
CBS has four games at 1 p.m. ET. Ian Eagle, Ross Tucker and Evan Washburn call the Patriots at Bills. Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala have the Cardinals at Giants. Tom McCarthy, Robert Turbin and Tiffany Blackmon take the Jaguars at Bengals, and Chris Lewis, Luke Kuechly and Amanda Balionis call the Titans at Ravens.
At 4:25 p.m., Jim Nantz, J.J. Watt and Tracy Wolfson have the Chiefs at Raiders. Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins call the Broncos at 49ers, and Andrew Catalon, Logan Ryan and AJ Ross take the Chargers at Seahawks. Unlike Fox, CBS gets a doubleheader in both windows.
What are the best NFL Week 4 matchups?
Chiefs at Raiders is the first time the two rivals have met with both teams unbeaten through three weeks. Rookie coach Klint Kubiak has 38-year-old Kirk Cousins playing like a contender. Patrick Mahomes owns a 13 and 2 record against Las Vegas.
In Buffalo, Drake Maye brings a 58.6 passer rating, 31st among 35 qualified quarterbacks, against a Bills offense led by Josh Allen and his league-best 11 touchdowns. In Philadelphia, Sean McVay is 1 and 6 against the Eagles, including the playoffs.
The London opener carries its own pressure. The Colts are favored by 3.5 points, their first time as favorites this season. The Commanders have never won an international game and are 0, 2 and 1 overseas.
Why does NFL Week 4 matter so much?
Teams that start 1 and 3 have reached the postseason only 14.9% of the time, according to NFL Research. The winless start is worse. Of the 171 teams that opened 0 and 3, only five made the playoffs.
Five teams are still searching for a win. The Titans visit Baltimore, the Texans host Dallas and the Dolphins face an unbeaten Minnesota team. Tampa Bay turns to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels with Baker Mayfield out with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Which NFL Week 4 game could make history?
Of the 109 teams in NFL history that lost their first four games, exactly one recovered to make the playoffs. That was the 1992 San Diego Chargers.
At 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS, the Los Angeles Chargers bring a winless record into Seattle to face the defending Super Bowl champions, who are coming off a stunning loss to Washington. Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert have struggled in nearly every phase while adjusting to new coordinators.
Lose today, and the Chargers would need to repeat the one comeback in league history that only their own franchise has pulled off. Keep the remote close at 4:25.
