Thursday Night Football kicks off again this week, as the Minnesota Vikings head to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. Both NFC North teams sit at 2-2 with ambitions to get to 3-2 to try to keep up with the 3-1 Detroit Lions, who sit atop the division after four weeks.

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense finally came to life in week four, as they shredded the Chicago Bears throughout their contest last week. Minnesota did the very same thing to the Atlanta Falcons a week ago, and should aim to do so again on the road against the Packers. Everyone knows divisional games usually send all logic out the window, but let’s take a look at the keys to this game so we can gauge who should come out on top with the win:

Minnesota’s Ground Control

Green Bay stinks against the run on defense. Marshawn Lynch tore them up in week one, Chris Ivory slapped them around in week two, Matt Forte crushed them in week four and even Reggie Bush found some success against them in week three. Minnesota is somehow still running the ball even with Adrian Peterson sidelined, so you can bet they’ll deploy Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon early and often to try to come in and control this game. That’s their best avenue toward winning, at least.

Aaron Rodgers Shall Feast

Minnesota’s pass defense is definitely better than it has been in recent years, but they’re still not a top shelf unit. This is also Aaron Rodgers we’re talking about, and he simply doesn’t have bad games on his own field. He also typically destroys the Vikings, so we shouldn’t see anything different in this game.

Eddie Lacy Needs to Wake Up

Lacy hasn’t topped 50 rushing yards in a game yet. He did finally score last week, but he’s been mostly a lumbering miss that runs into piles, fumbles the ball or drops passes. Needless to say, he’s been a grand disappointment for Packers fans thus far. That could change on Thursday night, however, as Green Bay will try to get him going against a shaky Minnesota run defense. Rain is expected to fall in this one, too, so if it gets out of hand Lacy may need to carry the load more than usual. He couldn’t take advantage of a good matchup last week, but maybe he finally puts up a solid stat line in week five.

Christian, Ponder the Thought?

The biggest key to this game is going to be who is under center for the Vikings. Rookie passer Teddy Bridgewater made his first career start last year and put up 300+ passing yards in a win over the Falcons. He was impressive and Green Bay won’t want to have to face him. However, he hurt his ankle and it looks like he may sit this one out considering the Vikes are on a short week. That could mean we see Christian Ponder, the guy who was at one time supposed to be the Vikings’ franchise quarterback, take the field. He’s actually had a lot of success against Green Bay, at least statistically, so it will be extremely interesting to see if he can keep this one close.

In the end, the Packers still appear to be the better team. Hopefully their defense can step up and shut Ponder down, but even if they can’t, Rodgers isn’t likely to lose a shootout at home.

Pick: Packers 31, Vikings 24

Los Angeles Lakers new head coach Byronn Scott expects star shooting guard Kobe Bryant to play the full 2014-15 season. As in all 82 games. You know, the 36-year old Kobe Bryant that played in just six games a year ago.

Crazier things have happened.

Regardless of the likelihood of an aging Bryant lasting a full season and not missing any games, Bryant’s and Scott’s optimism at least means one thing: the Lakers’ superstar is finally 100% healthy again. After struggling through rehab from a torn Achilles and dealing with a broken bone in his knee, Bryant could be back to the player he was two years ago.

Which Kobe Can We Expect?

If you ask Kobe Bryant, he’s still going to be a difference-maker. He’s not as explosive as he was even five years ago, but he can still score with the best of them and he’ll still be a two-way player if he can help it. Scott predicts Bryant can play all 82 games and give L.A. 23-24 points per game. That’s a lot to ask of an aging star, but with little production expected out of the rest of the Lakers’ roster, Bryant should definitely keep a big role and have a chance at shouldering the scoring load.

Whether or not Bryant trying to continue to be a mega star works out for the Lakers is another question. But if he can hold up for a full season and is anything close to the player he was before going down with the Achilles injury two years ago, he certainly could shock the world. The good news here is that his knee injury wasn’t overly significant and can be returned from, while he’ll now be two years removed from a serious Achilles injury. That only increases his chances of getting some of his athleticism back and having two healthy legs – while this was questioned going into last year.

Lakers Contenders?

The other big questions is, if Bryant is actually there for every game, plays both ways decently and is still that elite scorer we’ve grown to love/hate, does it make a difference for the Lake Show? Right now the answer is only a tentative “maybe”. The Lakers might be getting a healthy (albeit aged) Steve Nash, while big man Carlos Boozer and point guard Jeremy Lin provide nice role pieces. Unfortunately, they took a hit in the size and rebounding department, as Pau Gasol jumped ship for the Bulls.

Regardless, if the Lakers are finally healthy and Kobe is Kobe again, they’ll absolutely be in the mix for a Western Conference playoff spot. Predicting anything more than a mere playoff appearance is just wishful thinking right now, though.

Jon Gruden could once again don the silver and black. Per reports, Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis is interested in bringing back Gruden, who spent time in Oakland as the team’s head coach from 1998-2001. Gruden initially had a falling out with the team and ended up beating them in 2012 as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Gruden has always had strong ties to Davis, however, and could potentially be open to rejoining a franchise that really hasn’t done much of merit since his departure.

Tony Sparano takes over as the interim coach for now, in relief of Dennis Allen, who was fired after just over two seasons and going 8-28 in 36 games. Sparano previously operated as head coach for the Miami Dolphins.

Gruden Has Demands

It does appear that Gruden would be mutually interested to a certain degree, but the situation may have to be just right. After all, Gruden has stayed away for the game for years now and has grown comfortable in his role as an analyt for ESPN’s Monday Night Football lineup. Gruden even does an off-season segement with incoming quarterbacks and helps them prepare for the NFL Draft. So, the question is, does Gruden still have the hunger and drive to be a successful head coach, or he is content relaxing in mainstream media?

One other nugget aside from prying Gruden out of the grasp of ESPN is that he may require a “franchise quarterback” to build around. As they’re currently constructed, few people can just come in and build this Raiders team into a winner. Gruden might not even be able to do it. That’s why he will want to sit back and see what Oakland really has in second round draft pick Derek Carr. If Carr shows well enough throughout the rest of the season, Gruden could be inspired and decide to make a return. If not, Gruden may feel like the rebuilding process is just too much to take on.

Is Gruden the Answer?

There’s also the obvious question – is Gruden just a big name that will provide false hope, or can he actually make a difference? One thing we know is that Gruden has had success and he’s a sound offensive mind. He’s also known as a player’s coach, so if the logic rings true, he’ll put together a roster that will play for him and will be able to score. Neither of those things are something Oakland is currently used to seeing.

Whether or not Gruden is destined to be a Raider again or even return to coaching remains to be determined. But it’s obvious the Raiders are interested if he warms up to the idea.

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football last night. It wasn’t a competition. Many were probably expecting a pretty well contested game. After all, there are brilliant minds such as Bill Belichick and Andy Reid involved, and star power with the likes of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Jamaal Charles. Only one of those stars really showed up.

Charles went off in his return, piling up three touchdowns and helping the Chiefs roll in a embarrassing 41-14 win at home. The win got KC back to .500 (2-2) and dropped the Pats to 2-2, as well. There’s more to this one than records and the score, though. Let’s break down the key takeaways from last night’s action:

Tom Brady Regression?

Brady’s numbers weren’t good, but he looked even worse on prime time television last night. Some credit has to go to the Chiefs and it’s definitely worth noting Brady’s protection and weapons didn’t do him any favors. But all that aside, he just looked terrible. Brady finished with just 159 yards and three turnovers (one pick-six). He now has less than 250 passing yards in each game, although it’s worth noting last night was the first game he threw an interception in.

Charles is Awesome

Charles missed week three and most of week two with an ankle injury, but he was beyond rested up for this one, as he started off hot and ended his return with over 100 total yards (92 rushing) and three scores. Charles didn’t miss a beat and looked every bit the elite player we’re accustomed to seeing. If he can stay healthy, he should be in for another terrific season and help keep his Chiefs in playoff contention.

Only 3 Wide Receivers?

New England made the curious choice of entering this matchup with just three active wide receivers. That choice likely reflected their desire to pound the rock early and often in this one, but a quick 17-0 hole prevented that from ever happening. Ultimately, the Pats simply couldn’t beat Kansas City’s tall, physical corners with the tiny Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. In hindsight, it probably would have been wise to keep Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson active for this one.

Pats Defense Crushed

As bad as things looked on offense for New England, the defense really wasn’t any better. One touchdown was thanks to a Brady interception, but a supposedly strong Patriots defense still got carved up for over 200 rushing yards and allowed the Chiefs to put 34 offensive points on the board. That’s not the making of an elite, Super Bowl-contending unit.

Another week of hectic NFL action is almost in the books, as Monday Night Football brings us the capper to a week of crazy upsets and some unlikely blowouts. The odds balls in this week were the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers just to name a few, while the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens handed in surprise blowout wins.

The way this week went, we really can’t know what to expect when the New England Patriots head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs tonight. All we know so far is that the Patriots are 2-1 and have the league’s top-ranked pass defense, but can’t really pass the ball. And for the Chiefs, we know their defense has been inconsistent and they probably need Jamaal Charles to be 100% to win. With that, let’s prepare for tonight’s big game by breaking down the main keys to this contest:

Alex Smith the Game Loser

Always known as an accurate, decisive game-manager, Smith has been the exact opposite overall for the first three weeks, as he’s already thrown three picks and lost a fumble after committing just 10 turnovers in all of 2013. With that being said, Smith has looked pretty good the last two games and even torched a solid Dolphins pass defense for three scores in week three. Topping New England’s top ranked pass defense is another story, however. This is a classic example of where Smith needs to do a good job of taking what the defense gives him and not giving points away with turnovers. If he can’t do that, the Chiefs could be in serious trouble.

Jamaal Charles 100%?

Charles looks to be back after participating in three practices last week, but doesn’t exactly have a cakewalk matchup against a Patriots run defense that is just outside the top-10. Bill Belichick also generally has tunnel vision in stopping his opponent’s best option, so Charles may have his work cut out for him. Needless to say, if he’s not 100%, he could have a rough outing. However, a truly healthy Charles could easily be the difference in this showdown.

Tom Brady in Decline?

Brady has been extremely pedestrian through three games, and his down field accuracy has been shaky. A lot of that has to do with shaky pass protection and  a lack of an elite deep threat on this team, but Brady also hasn’t been on top of his game. His matchups have actually been somewhat tough when you look at the numbers, but he needs to play better. While he has zero interceptions on the year, he’s only completing 58% of his passes for a sorry 5.5 yards per attempt. Brady needs to wake up in front of the nation tonight to help quell fears that the 37-year old is in steep decline.

Gronk to be Unleashed?

Possibly the biggest key to this game is Pats’ stud tight end, Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski has been “eh” so far through the first three weeks of the season, but has otherwise been more of a decoy than a true star impact player. That needs to start changing soon. This is a tough road game and the Pats haven’t been impressive through the air. If they’re going to get to 3-1 tonight, they may need Gronkowski to take it to ramming speed in this one.

The NFL returned for week four on Thursday night, but that was just one game. There are a slew of games ready to kick off again on Sunday and there are loads of injuries to track for each game, as well. Whether you’re gathering all the info needed to make some smart NFL bets or you simply want to track your fantasy football players, it’s important to know who is out and who is in.

We’ve got the big names corralled this week, as we break down the week four NFL injury report:

Jake Locker, QB, Tennessee Titans

Locker is dealing with a puffy wrist that is impacting his ability to hold onto and throw the football. He hasn’t looked great the past two games, so this could be a chance for the Titans to let him rest and see what one of their backups can do. It looks like he might sit, and if he does we’ll see Charlie Whitehurst take the field under center.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Charles sat out last week and has now effectively missed the better part of two straight games. His foot and ankle are doing much better and the Chiefs’ star runner has now effectively made it through three straight practices. He’s a safe bet to return to the starting lineup for KC’s prime time tilt with the Patriot son Monday Night Football.

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans

Foster sat out with a sore hammy last week and is being regarded as a full-blown game-time decision this week. Alfred Blue performed admirably in his absence last week and it looks like he’ll be the featured rusher again if Fosters sits out a second week in a row. At the moment, the odds are Foster sits.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions

Megatron was a surprise addition to this week’s injury report, as he was limited in Friday’s practice and is suddenly questionable for week four. It still looks like he’ll face a banged up Jets pass defense, but his status does remain a bit up in the air.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Chicago Bears

Marshall re-injured a sore ankle last week and has missed practice all week, suggesting he could sit on Sunday. Players normally don’t play if they can’t get a single practice in, so he’s a tough sell to take the field this week. Santonio Holmes could get pretty involved if Marshall is out.

Eric Decker, WR, New York Jets

Gang Green’s top receiving threat is expected to be “limited” by his tight hamstring, but is still expected to play. Look for number two receiver Jeremy Kerley to be more involved in the passing game.

Two NFC East teams hit the field on Thursday Night Football last night, as the New York Giants (1-2) and the Washington Redskins (1-2) both were in search of their second win of the season and trying to even things out at .500 after four weeks. In the end, it was the Giants who made it happen, as they turned a relatively close game into a 45-14 blowout.

There’s more to learn than just the score here, though, so let’s break down the key happenings from last night’s NFL contest:

Robert Griffin III’s Job Might Be Safe

There’s no denying Kirk Cousins’ solid play in week two or week three, but last night’s debacle might slow down those “replace RG3 with Cousins” chants. Cousins regressed mightily in prime time, as he turned the ball over an insane five times (four interceptions). He stared down his targets and made poor decision after poor decision. If he has even one more game remotely like this, it will be beyond an easy call to hand RG3 his starting gig back when he returns from a dislocated ankle.

Eli Manning Looks Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good

Week one was brutal and week two still showed a bit of a learning curve, but it looks like Manning and the rest of the Giants are finally understanding their new offense. Manning has now looked better than sharp in three straight games, and the rest of his team has followed suit the past two weeks. With five total touchdowns last night (one rushing), it looks like Manning is well on his way to exercising the demons of a lost 2013 season.

Larry Donnell is…Wait For it…Amazing?

Donnell had a touchdown and a litany of targets/receptions through the first three weeks, but it was kind of hard to take him seriously. Not anymore. Big Blue’s starting tight end officially made his presence known in last night’s prime time affair, as he secured seven of eight targets for a whopping three scores. Donnell isn’t overly athletic or explosive, but he’s a massive target who has proven to run clean routes and catch anything thrown in his direction. That’s enough to write him down as a quality option for Eli Manning going forward.

Week four of the 2014 NFL season is here again with Thursday night’s action, which means now is a good time to take a look at this week’s schedule and see who might earn an upset. Last week we took a look at four potential upsets and got two of them right (Bears and Chiefs), while the Vikings actually played the Saints relatively close and the Broncos narrowly lost to the Seahawks in overtime.

Those were clearly four strong upsets to chase if you were making NFL bets last week, and we’ve got another solid batch to work with heading into week four:

Raiders over Dolphins (Line: MIA -4.5)

Miami is in such a bad way that their head coach actually considered benching quarterback Ryan Tannehill going into this game. That seems like it would have been a rash decision, especially since nothing is going right for the Fins. This looks like a matchup for them to get over their issues on paper, and is probably why they’re favored. However, Oakland will want to get their first win at some point and few games give them a better chance than this one at home.

Eagles over 49ers (Line: SF -5.5)

San Francisco has dropped two straight and hasn’t won at home yet, so they welcome the undefeated Eagles to town as they try to get to 2-2. The Niners have a good defense and a balanced offense on paper, while Philly’s defense really can’t stop anyone. That understandably has San Fran has the favorites on their own field, but what if this Niners team just really isn’t that good? They’ve looked pretty average the last two weeks, and something needs to be said about that fact that the Eagles are 3-0. After scoring 30+ points in every game so far, why should we believe the Eagles are suddenly going to stop doing that in week four?

Titans over Colts (Line: IND -7.5)

Indy is another team looking for their first home win, as their only victory came in a blowout over the hapless Jaguars a week ago. The Colts are probably the better team here, but Tennessee did look good in week one and has the #2 pass defense in the entire league. This is also a divisional game, so the line is a bit too favorable for the Colts here.

Upset to Chase – Jaguars over Chargers (Line: SD -13.5)

Last week it was the Vikings over the Saints. That made little sense, but in the end it actually did and Minnesota was within reach the entire game. Jacksonville could be the same here against San Diego. Everyone thinks the Chargers will destroy the Jags, but Blake Bortles gets the start and he’s better than Chad Henne. If he actually is, he could give the Chargers a game and maybe even pull out a win. It’s not likely, but they could at least cover the spread.

Thursday Night Football is back again tonight, as the fourth week of the 2014 NFL season gets going with an NFC East divisional showdown. The 1-2 New York Giants take on the 1-2 Washington Redskins, as both teams battle for a better standing inside the division. A win would push either team to .500 at 2-2 and keep them within reach of first place, while a loss could send them down a road of despair.

Before we go that far, though, let’s take a look at some key matchups, situations and story-lines to monitor in this one:

Can Kirk Cousins Continue to Deliver?

Probably the biggest story arc in this contest is the play of backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has come up big the last two weeks in relief of injured starter, Robert Griffin III. The big story is Cousins lighting it up and whether or not continued play at this current level could mean he sticks as the team’s starter, even when RG3 returns to full health. So far, it looks like that could be the case, as Cousins helped the ‘Skins to a huge blowout win in week two and nearly got them a second win in a tough shootout with the Eagles in week three. He certainly can’t stop playing well, though, both for the Redskins to have a shot at winning and to nail down the starting gig for good.

Thursday night could be the start of a special run, as a win over a divisional rival would be huge for his confidence and the team’s stance on backing him. Future games against the Seahawks and Cardinals may be more telling, but showing up big in this prime time event is going to go a long way in proving Cousins belongs as Washingont’s starting quarterback.

Who Will Run the Ball?

Both of these teams are very strong against the run, while Washington is particularly stingy with a unit coming in third overall (under 65 rushing yards allowed per game). It took Arian Foster over 20 carries to crack 100 yards in week one, while the ‘Skins completely shut down Toby Gerhart and LeSean McCoy the past two weeks. Can they keep that pace going against Rashad Jennings? Probably so, but it’s worth noting Jennings is coming off the best rushing game of the year (as well as 30+ carries). On the flip-side, the G-Men’s run defense is no slouch as they come in as a top-15 unit, as well. Who can establish the run and control the tempo of this game should be pretty key. Odds are it’s Alfred Morris and the Redskins, but seeing for sure who can do it will be interesting.

Can New York Complete the Turn Around?

Big Blue looked awful in week one and shot themselves in the foot in week two. In week three they looked like an actual NFL team and now they have a solid shot to get back to 2-2 and start to convince people they’re not the awful team they were a year ago. It will take a win tonight to do that, though, otherwise Eli Manning and co. can put the sad faces back on with a 1-3 record.

Another week is in the books following Monday night’s action between the Chicago Bears and New York Jets. What initially looked like a potential blowout ended up being an ugly but otherwise fairly competitive game on Monday Night Football, as the Jets had a chance to tie late in a 27-19 home loss.

With this being the final game of the third week of the year, it’s naturally the most fresh in our mind. Let’s reflect on what we saw last night and see what we can take away from this contest as we gear up for week four:

These Secondaries Are Ravaged

New York entered this game without star cornerback Dee Milliner and had a safety playing corner. Chicago lost star cornerback Charles Tillman last week and had 100 players die in their secondary in this game. Seriously, both sides were scrambling during dead time to figure out where practice squad players were supposed to be lining up in their defenses. It made for an ugly affair, but in a sense, also a humorous one. This is no joke going forward for either team, though, as they will both be attacked relentlessly through the air if they can’t solve their pass defense woes.

The Jets Can’t Be Run On

New York stifled the Raiders in week one. Big deal. But then they dominated the Packers on the ground – in Green Bay. And last night they shut down Matt Forte and the Bears’ rushing attack. While their secondary is clearly in bad shape, it’s beyond clear this front line is not to be messed with. Just imagine if Dee Milliner can get healthy and New York’s pass defense could pull their weight. This NYJ defense could truly be special down the road this year.

Geno Smith Needs Help

Everyone seems to be coming down on Geno pretty hard, but a close look suggests he’s simply doing the best he can. A week after a clutch touchdown pass was negated by his offensive coordinator calling a ill-advised (and illegal) timeout, Smith had to try to beat the Bears with a banged up group of receiving weapons. Eric Decker started the game but couldn’t finish, and all Smith had beyond him was Jeremy Kerley and Greg Salas. That’s not much. Smith did throw a bad pick-six to start the game, but was otherwise fairly solid. He has super high expectations playing in The Big Apple, but perhaps they’re a tad unfair. For what it’s worth, head coach Rex Ryan did back his young quarterback following the game.