NFL Week 4 schedule: Why Rams vs. Eagles is make or break for both teams

A look at some under-the-radar games you should be tuning into, including a battle of unbeatens no one saw coming

Oct 2, 2026 at 10:16 am ET • 5 min read

With three weeks behind us, we're starting to see who is the real deal and who may need to wait for next season. Going into Week 4, there are five undefeated teams remaining: the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers.

Some teams are meeting expectations, while others are falling far short of preseason hopes (ahem, Los Angeles Chargers, ahem). Plus, there are some major surprises this year, including one that I will highlight below.

Each week, I take a look at some of the more underrated games, and all three I picked last week turned out to be worth watching. Let's dive into this week's games that may not be on everyone's radar, or at least weren't when the season started, and why you should tune in:

Rams vs. Eagles

Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox (Stream: fubo, try for free)

The Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles are both NFC teams that need to shape up. Both are coming off losses, with the Rams entering the contest 1-2 and the Eagles at 2-1.

Philly is coming off an ugly 27-7 loss to the Chicago Bears and backup quarterback Case Keenum, who, before last week, hadn't played a game in 1,009 days. Losing to a 38-year-old third-string QB isn't exactly something to brag about. The Eagles' other two wins, against the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans, were by a combined six points.

The Eagles' offense looks uninspiring, and their defense has allowed 20-plus points each week. Things need to change this week if you're Philly. The Rams have not had a smooth start to the year, and the Eagles can take advantage of those early-season growing pains to regain their own confidence.

Now to the Rams, who need to take advantage of Philly's own growing pains. This is a big game for L.A., as it attempts to shake off the dust and show that it can be a contender in the conference. The Rams need to expose the weaknesses of the Eagles' pass rush, offensive line and safeties. If they can do that, they'll have a chance at earning their own confidence back. 

The Rams fell to 1-3 most recently in 2024 and did make it to the playoffs at 10-7, but lost in the wild-card round. Any Sean McVay team is going to have high expectations, and 1-3 is not meeting that mark. Throw in a difficult division, with the 3-0 49ers and defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and each win's value only increases. 

There is a lot on the line for both teams, and I think that pressure and an even matchup in terms of struggles will make this a game to watch.

Chiefs vs. Raiders

Sunday, Oct. 4 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS, Paramount+

This game may not be underrated anymore, but if you asked most people this offseason if they thought a Week 4 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders would be a must-watch between undefeated teams, they'd probably say "no." They'd probably wonder why you'd even ask such a question.

Well, that question is not so silly anymore. The Raiders are ... good?

This game has everything. It's a divisional matchup, includes the surprise team of the year so far and will result in one team getting their first loss (and it happens to be on CBS and streaming on Paramount+).

I think this will have the energy of Chiefs-Raiders games from back when they were in Oakland. 

Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins is tied atop the NFL for most passing touchdowns with nine, and having top weapon Brock Bowers back is no doubt helping his numbers. The Raiders can shock everyone by defeating Patrick Mahomes and Co., and if they do, it may be time to consider the Raiders the real deal.

I like this game a lot and think it will be one we'll be watching highlights of on Monday.

Cardinals vs. Giants

Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, Paramount+

The New York Giants are a team I can't quite predict yet. Losing Jaxson Dart to a season-ending injury significantly changed the identity of the team. They managed to win their first game without him, but it wasn't pretty. New starter Jameis Winston went 14-of-22 for 118 yards and no touchdowns in the 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans. Losing linebacker Brian Burns to an ACL and meniscus injury is also a big hit.

The Giants may be able to squeak out a few more wins, and with the Eagles not playing their top football and the Cowboys and Commanders at 1-2, New York could make it to the top of the NFC East standings this week. 

If Winston continues to struggle, the Giants now have a new backup as an option. Nine Eighteen, aka J.J. McCarthy, was added this week in a trade that left some scratching their heads and others praising the move. Head coach John Harbaugh said Winston is the starter for the rest of the season, but that will only hold if he can be in the "up" phase of his up-and-down career. 

The Arizona Cardinals are also an interesting team that still has the potential to go either way this season. Like the Giants, they have a veteran at the helm in Jacoby Brissett. One of Arizona's two losses this season was a blowout to the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, but their other defeat was a close battle against the San Francisco 49ers, one of the best teams in the conference. They aren't the worst 1-2 team out there and are one I'll be keeping an eye on. 

I'm interested to see whether these teams can be considered a tough (or even slightly tough) opponent going forward this season. It's a battle of veteran quarterbacks at a time when each team needs to build an identity beyond their passer, because neither is the long-term answer for their team.