NFL Weekly Preview Week 4: Key Injuries, Player Statistical Projections & Projected Upsets

Josh Allen (Erik Drost, Wikimedia Commons)

Week three of the 2022 NFL regular season is just hours away. Here are some key injuries, player statistical projections and projected upsets for the first week of the season.

Key Injuries

There were some significant injuries from the weekend, with the majority of the most notable ailments from defensive players. Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde is out the rest of the year with a neck injury, Los Angeles Chargers star defensive end Joey Bosa is out long term with groin surgery, and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett injured his shoulder and biceps from a car accident.

On offense, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones suffered a high ankle sprain late in their loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and will be out long term. Meanwhile on the offensive line, the Chargers had another blow in week four as left tackle Rashawn Slater is out for the season with a torn biceps tendon.

Player Statistical Projections

Once again Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the number one projected QB this week. He will have the opportunity to feast on a struggling Baltimore Ravens secondary that gave up 309 passing yards to Joe Flacco of the New York Jets in week one, a whopping 469 yards and six touchdowns to Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins in week two, and 321 yards to Jones on Sunday. To put how bad the Ravens secondary has been, they have given up 1060 receiving yards. The Dolphins have given up the second most receiving yards with 893. Expect Allen to easily reach 350 passing yards.

With Allen expected to have a big game, the same can be said for Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who has 344 receiving yards after three games this year. It should be a formality that he reaches the century mark on Sunday. At running back, Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants is a major reason why New York is 2-1. Even though the Giants lost 23-16 to the Cowboys on Monday, Barkey still had 126 total yards and one touchdown. Even though the Chicago Bears seemed to be improved as a whole, Barkley is projected to reach 117 total yards on Sunday.

Projected Upsets

The three teams I like this week in upsets are the Bears, Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos. The Giants are coming off a short week and play a respectable Bears squad at 2-1. The Rams have shown some inconsistencies on offense, but I would still take Matt Stafford over Jimmy Garoppolo. Finally, the Raiders have been in three tight games, but have had three losses against defenses that have struggled in the early going, and now they are up against a Broncos squad known for its defense!

Fill In The Form Below To Receive Our NFL News Straight To Your Email For FREE!