Packers Stop Dallas, Chiefs And Bengals Cover

Kansas City and Baltimore, Super Bowl contenders who have not found their footing this season, will meet in a Sunday afternoon showcase.

When the NFL adopted a weighted schedule in 1978, these kinds of games — better against better, poorer against poorer based on the previous year’s record — became commonplace. Good for parity. Bad for contenders trying to stay on top.

Baltimore already has played 2024 playoff teams Buffalo and Detroit, both losses. The Chiefs have played and lost to playoff teams Los Angeles Chargers and the Super Bowl champion Eagles.

The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys meet in the Micah Parsons Reunion Tour in Big D in the Sunday night feature, while underachievers Cincinnati and Denver play in one of two Monday night games.

Baltimore Ravens (1-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)

Sunday, CBS, 4:25 pm ET

Neither team has been particularly impressive this season, and the Ravens now have an unexpected concern — running back Derrick Henry has fumbled in each of the first three games after losing only three times all last season. A costly late fumble turned the Buffalo game around.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has again been brilliant this season, leading the league in quarterback rating with nine touchdowns and no interceptions, but Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has found ways around him. Jackson is 1-4 in five starts against KC.

The Chiefs have not played well offensively, but the Ravens have been porous.

The Chiefs win at home — they are 13-1 in their last 14.

The Ravens are 1-6 in their last seven against the Chiefs and 1-4 against spread in their last five.

The spread: Ravens -2 1/2

The money line: Ravens -148, Chiefs +126

The total: 48 1/2

The play: Chiefs +2 1/2

Green Bay Packers (2-1) at Dallas Cowboys (1-2)

Sunday, NBC, 8:20 pm ET

Dallas owner Jerry Jones Jr. can be too stubborn for his own good, and trading Pro Bowl linebacker Micah Parsons to the Packers rather than paying him the market rate not only was bad for his defense, it was not lost on his players.

The Cowboys are again near the bottom of the pack in most defensive categories. They are giving up 6.5 yards per play — only the Chicago Bears are worse — and 864 passing yards. The Bears’ Caleb Williams threw four touchdown passes against them last week.

Dallas managed to make Russell Wilson look like a star in its 40-37 overtime victory two weeks ago against the Giants, which required a 64-yard field goal to tie the game in regulation.

The Packers are coming off a clunker, a loss to Cleveland that again raised questions about Jordan Love’s consistency, but they are more than equipped to handle a Dallas offense that will be without top receiving threat CeeDee Lamb.

Matthew Golden could have a breakout game in his return to his home state — he played for the Texas Longhorns before being the Packers’ first-round draft pick. Green Bay has won nine of the last 10 in the series, 8-2 against the spread.

The Pack will enter their Week 5 bye on a high note.

The spread: Packers -6 1/2

The money line: Packers -330 , Cowboys +265

The total: 47 1/2

The play: Packers -6 1/2

Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) at Denver Broncos (1-2)

Monday, ABC 8:15 pm pm ET

This looked like a natural for prime time when the schedule was made — Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow and record-breaking receiver Ja’Marr Chase against 2024’s top defense and a young quarterback, Bo Nix, ready to take the next step.

Burrow’s injury changed the Bengals’ side of the equation, and both Nix and the Broncos’ defense have stalled early. Bengals’ understudy Jake Browning was ineffective against Minnesota, throwing two interceptions in a 48-10 loss that was marred by five turnovers.

The Broncos lead the league with 12 sacks, but they have not been able to close out losses to Indianapolis and the Los Angeles Chargers the last two weeks, both defeats coming on field goals as time expired.

Nix is 22nd in quarterback ranking and he has looked harried with pocket. The Broncs are 0-3 against the number this season and 1-6 in their last seven.

The spread: Broncos -7 1/2

The money line: Broncos -450, Bengals +350

The total: 43 1/2

The play: Bengals +7 1/2

Last week: 1-2

Season: 4-7

^{Odds from FanDuel}