NFL Week 4 storylines to watch: Who wins Dolphins-Bills and other big division battles?

Week 4 of the NFL regular season is here, and once the games are over, the first quarter of this year’s campaign will be in the books.

This is the point where many teams define themselves, for better or worse. Divisional pictures will begin to take shape from here as the leaders begin to jostle for position over the next 14 weeks.

This week’s slate features several high-stakes matchups, including five head-to-head contests between teams that have taken early leads in their divisions or are looking to pull even with said leaders. The Detroit Lions took control of the NFC North on Thursday by beating the Green Bay Packers. Others to watch: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles.

And that’s not all.

Here are five of the most compelling storylines playing out across the league. (Find the NFL Week 4 schedule here.)

1. Red hot dolphins

Mike McDaniel and his squad hung 70 on the Broncos, and honestly, the Dolphins would have been very good at scoring 90 if the second-year head coach hadn’t gotten rid of the dogs in the third quarter. The Dolphins boast the league’s most dynamic offense through three games, leading the NFL with 550.3 yards and 43.3 points per game. They put up points on the Chargers, who should have been good on defense, dominated mastermind Bill Belichick and then embarrassed another Super Bowl-winning head coach in Sean Payton.

But now comes the real test: a matchup with Buffalo, which has dominated the AFC East for three straight seasons. The Bills own one of the league’s best defenses, ranking second in average yards (253) and points (11.7) per game, so the Dolphins should face more stronger resistance than they did against the Broncos. But let’s not forget that Miami shocked the Bills in Week 3 last season, and nearly beat them again later in the year.

Miami has a chance to make a big statement this week. And Buffalo, which stumbled out of the gate with a loss to the Jets, got a crucial chance to get a win against the toughest competition for the division. (Dolphins at Bills, 1 pm ET Sunday.)

2. Momentum for Chargers and Bengals?

Both teams faced must-win situations last week, then overcame adversity and earned their first wins of the season. Can either of these projected rivals now build momentum?

The Chargers, who host the hapless Raiders, seem to have a shot at evening their record at 2-2. But head coach Brandon Staley’s team found ways to win games. Meanwhile, the Bengals face an even more formidable foe in the Titans. Joe Burrow lost his way through a calf strain against the Rams Monday night. The quarterback was poor, completing just 26 of 49 passes for 259 yards and one interception. And his offense converted just five of 17 third downs.

Still, though, he gave the Bengals their best shot at winning. As Burrow’s calf continues to heal, can the quarterback — who has thrown just two touchdowns, along with two interceptions — regain his MVP-caliber form and get the Bengals on another run? (Bengals at Titans, 1 p.m. ET Sunday; Raiders at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday.)

3. New Orleans QBs

The Saints face the Bucs with the NFC South on the line. Their early hopes seemed to take a hit last week when heralded franchise savior Derek Carr suffered a shoulder injury against the Packers. At first it looked like Jameis Winston — the guy they were trying to replace after two failed stints as their starter — should start against Tampa Bay, but now Carr will reportedly try to give it a go.

The question: How effective is he, and for how long? This is a pain control issue. Will another strong hit from Tampa Bay’s stout defense knock Carr out of this game as well? And if Winston has to come off the bench again, can he play well enough — and take care of the football, which he tries to do — to keep his team afloat and winning? (Buccaneers at Saints, 1 pm ET.)

4. Win or bust for the Vikings?

Last week’s loss to the Chargers was a huge missed opportunity for the Vikings, who last season won 11 one-score games. Things have changed: All three of the Vikings’ losses this season have been by six points or less. Against the Chargers, continued turnover problems and poor clock management while in scoring position in the closing seconds of the game proved fatal. Minnesota’s postseason hopes now hang by a thread, as only four teams have overcome an 0-3 start to reach the playoffs since 1990. Minnesota faces another no. Carolina’s winning team, but a win certainly isn’t given how its games are played. outside. Will the loss push the Vikings to the point of no return? (Vikings at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET.)

It’s amazing what design and fit can do for a player. The Lions traded Swift to the Eagles during the NFL Draft in April, after three seasons in which he recorded just four 100-yard games in 41 appearances. But over the past two weeks, Swift has rushed for 175 and 130 yards, respectively, and trails only Christian McCaffrey in season rushing yards (308 to McCaffrey’s 358). Imagine if the Eagles used Swift in their season opener.

Swift, a Philadelphia native, provides much-needed production for an offense that has struggled to find consistency through the air. Sunday, he and the Eagles offensive line faced a strong Commanders defensive front. But it didn’t matter: The Bucs held their first two opponents to a combined 108 rushing yards, but Swift and the Eagles killed them for 201 total yards on the ground. Can Swift keep it up? (Eagles Commanders, 1 pm ET.)

(Photos of D’Andre Swift and Tua Tagovailoa: Perry Knotts and Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)