# NFL Week 4 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 30, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075 "2015-09-30T20:15:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/1 "2015-09-30T20:15:25Z")
Thursday, October 1 8:25 P.M. BAL -2.5 @ PIT O/U 43.5 Sunday, October 4 9:30 A.M. NYJ -1.5 @ MIA O/U 41 Sunday, October 4 1:00 P.M. JAX @ IND -10 O/U 48 NYG @ BUF -5.5 O/U 46 CAR -3 @ TB O/U 39.5 PHI -3 @ WAS O/U 47 OAK -3 @ CHI O/U 44.5 HOU @ ATL -6.5 O/U 47 KC @ CIN -3.5 O/U 44 Sunday, October 4 4:05 P.M. ~ 4:25 P.M. CLE @ SD -8 O/U 45 GB -8.5 @ SF O/U 48.5 STL @ ARI -7 O/U 42 MIN @ DEN -6.5 O/U 43 Sunday, October 4 8:30 P.M. DAL - @ NO - - Monday, October 5 8:30 P.M. DET @ SEA -10 O/U 43 New Orleans opened up as a 4 point favorite, but I’m not seeing a line on that game today. Everything else looks pretty reasonable. I suppose I’d put my money on Carolina and/or Cincinnati if I were betting this week. And the under in Cleveland/SD. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/2 "2015-10-01T00:41:40Z")
Another chance for Detroit to embarrass themselves on national TV. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/3 "2015-10-01T05:16:30Z")
The Browns locked up their 3rd string QB, Austin Davis, for 2 more years at $4M. I like the guy and I think he might legitimately be the best QB they have, but why the urgency to do this now? Wonder if this spells doom for Manziel… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/4 "2015-10-01T13:12:12Z")
Baltimore has to win tonight or in all probability kiss it’s playoff hopes goodbye in week 4. Given that I am another FBF (Forlorn Browns Fan), I find myself in the peculiar position of rooting for the Pittsburg Steelers…a strange feeling, I grant you. Still, the enemy of my enemy…is my enemies enemy; no more, no less. Nothing else very interesting on the schedule. Some games that looked good pre-season (GB @ SF) may be lesser. May watch NYG @ BUF to see if the Bills can stand success… Appreciate you doing this work, Barkis. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/5 "2015-10-01T14:37:05Z")
I hope Green Bay has figured out how to solve the Kapernick problem. They’ve been burned by his running 3 games in a row. ---
**Author:** ![UberArchetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/2bfe46/32.png) [@UberArchetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UberArchetype)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/6 "2015-10-01T14:56:17Z")
All I know is I’d have thought they must be crazy if anybody told me Michael Vick would be quarterbacking the Steelers someday. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/7 "2015-10-01T15:19:09Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Wonder if this spells doom for Manziel… Yep. The GM who drafted him is gone, right? So the ego consideration that would have kept Manziel there is now reversed. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/8 "2015-10-01T15:51:19Z")
I thought Dallas started off -0.5 but I see N.O favored by 4 now. Maybe that was before discussion of Brees being available began. Looks like a fairly easy pick 'em week, lowest confidence going to Bal/Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/9 "2015-10-01T16:29:26Z")
Not even a quarter of the way through the season and Mike Pettine has to declare that no, the locker room is not divided in their loyalty to the Browns’ starting QB. This after anonymous players told TMZ that they can’t believe Johnny lost the starting job. I swear to god, every damn year we have to talk about blowing up the whole organization. It’s like they can’t just let some other team like the Niners or the Skins win the dishonor of most dysfunctional NFL team. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/10 "2015-10-01T20:55:54Z")
The ultimate buzzkill: The damn pink is back, all fucking month. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/11 "2015-10-02T03:51:11Z")
How the hell does Joe Flacco’s hair look so great during and after the game? ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/12 "2015-10-02T05:01:49Z")
Flaco has definitely done something to that hair! Was hoping for 0-4 for the Rats. Oh well, a Steelers loss is nothing to complain about. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/13 "2015-10-02T05:31:03Z")
Glad to see the Ravens pick up a desperately needed win. It was also nice to see a game played by the players instead of the officials for a change. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/14 "2015-10-02T12:40:49Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Glad to see the Ravens pick up a desperately needed win. It was also nice to see a game played by the players instead of the officials for a change. If that’s the players, I may want to have the officials play. That was an ugly game by two unimpressive teams. At least the Steelers have the “our starting QB was injured” excuse. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/15 "2015-10-02T13:34:56Z")
I heard on the radio recently that due to an extra official on the field this season, holding calls have skyrocketed. The extra official is in the backfield, so it makes sense. And rushing stats appear to be down overall across the league. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/16 "2015-10-02T19:52:37Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I heard on the radio recently that due to an extra official on the field this season, holding calls have skyrocketed. The extra official is in the backfield, so it makes sense. And rushing stats appear to be down overall across the league. Too many damn flags in general. The flow of the game is disrupted making it difficult to watch sometimes. PI calls especially are out of hand. I feel for defensive players trying to cover receivers or trying to play a physical brand of football. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/17 "2015-10-02T20:02:20Z")
I only watch football to see Jeff Triplette and crew conduct a live officiating clinic. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/18 "2015-10-02T20:14:51Z")
Christ, Triplette is the worst. I don’t understand how he still has that job. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/19 "2015-10-02T20:32:44Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I heard on the radio recently that due to an extra official on the field this season, holding calls have skyrocketed. The extra official is in the backfield, so it makes sense. And rushing stats appear to be down overall across the league. This is (mostly) incorrect. There are seven on-field officials in NFL games, as there have been for decades (the side judge was added in 1978). The NFL experimented with an eighth official in preseason games in 2010 and 2011, and a number of college conferences have gone to an 8-official system in recent years. However, the NFL did move the umpire into the offensive backfield in 2010 (prior to that, the umpire was located on the defensive side of the ball, and he moves back into that position late in the half). But, as that change happened several seasons ago, it’s unlikely to be the primary cause of the increase in holding calls this season. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075/20 "2015-10-02T22:46:26Z")
Penalties are up this year, but it’s mainly due to week 2 being a huge outlier. Week 1 and 3 are pretty much in normal range. [http://www.nflpenalties.com/all-weeks.php?year=2015](http://www.nflpenalties.com/all-weeks.php?year=2015) Most years average 12-13 a game. It’s hard to make a judgement this early the year. I predict that by the end of the year the average will be back down around 13. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-4/733075.md?page=2)