WEEK 4 CAPSULES

ARIZONA AT ST. LOUIS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: St. Louis by 10 1/2.

Introduction: The Cardinals will be looking to get the step on the once-dominant Rams, who have become one of the league’s most under-achieving teams under Coach Mike Martz.

Plot: Behind quarterback Jeff Blake’s stellar performance and a big-play defense, the lowly Cardinals are coming off an impressive victory over Green Bay last week. The Rams will be without running back Marshall Faulk, who broke his hand in last week’s defeat at Seattle. St. Louis will need to rely on quarterback Marc Bulger.

Bottom line: The Rams’ secondary will have a difficult time slowing down Blake and the Cardinals’ passing game, which should make it a tight game.

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TENNESSEE AT PITTSBURGH

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Pittsburgh by 3.

Introduction: It will be football with attitude when the Titans and Steelers meet in an important AFC game.

Plot: Titan running back Eddie George has to have a productive game rushing to keep pressure off quarterback Steve McNair. The Steelers know all about McNair’s toughness, but their goal will be to knock the oft-injured quarterback out of the game. Pittsburgh will continue to rely on a passing game that features receivers Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward. Coach Bill Cowher is 10-12 against the Titans.

Bottom line: The Steelers will do a better job shutting down George than they did against Kansas City’s Priest Holmes two weeks ago, and that will be the difference.

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JACKSONVILLE AT HOUSTON

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Jacksonville by 3.

Introduction: Rookie Coach Jack Del Rio may be forced to turn to rookie quarterback Byron Leftwich with the winless Jaguars.

Plot: Quarterback David Carr and the Texans were completely outclassed by Kansas City last week. Houston could not run, pass or tackle in the loss. The Texans need to get wideout Andre Johnson and running back Stacey Mack more involved. Jacksonville may be winless, but it has shown signs of improvement, especially on defense with linemen Hugh Douglas and John Henderson.

Bottom line: The Texans are not one of the league’s quicker teams, which will give the Jaguars the opportunity for their first victory under Del Rio, a former USC All-American linebacker.

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PHILADELPHIA AT BUFFALO

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Buffalo by 3.

Introduction: The struggling Eagles are still looking for their first victory of the season, while the Bills are coming off a dismal loss at Miami last week.

Plot: After opening with two embarrassing losses at new Lincoln Financial Field, quarterback Donovan McNabb and the Eagles expect to be a more focused team on the road. McNabb is completing 45% of his passes, and he’s averaging only four yards an attempt. The Bills are banged up after losing at Miami last week and may be without running back Travis Henry.

Bottom line: The Eagles are coming off a bye week and are not the type of team to lose three in a row, but unless McNabb gets his rhythm back, they will continue to flounder.

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NEW ENGLAND AT WASHINGTON

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Washington by 3.

Introduction: At the end of the season, this will be the type of statement game that both the Patriots and Redskins will remember.

Plot: After a lopsided opening loss at Buffalo, the Patriots have posted two impressive victories. New England quarterback Tom Brady has looked sharp spreading the ball around, especially to tight end Christian Fauria. The Redskins suffered their first loss last week to the New York Giants, but quarterback Patrick Ramsey continues to play well. Ramsey will be shooting for his third consecutive 300-yard passing game.

Bottom line: The Patriots’ defense has trouble against speedy players, and they will face an assortment of fast and skilled Redskins, who are a much better team at home.

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CINCINNATI AT CLEVELAND

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Cleveland by 4 1/2.

Introduction: Although their record is not surprising, the Bengals are an up-and-coming team under first-year Coach Marvin Lewis, and a victory over the Browns would go a long way in their rise.

Plot: Quarterback Jon Kitna has to do a better job of getting the ball to receivers Peter Warrick and Chad Johnson in order to help Corey Dillon and the Bengals’ ground attack. With Kelly Holcomb sidelined because of injury, the Browns will start Tim Couch at quarterback. Cleveland is coming off an emotional come-from-behind road victory over San Francisco.

Bottom line: With the Browns’ confidence growing, the pressure will be on Couch to perform, and the Bengals are the perfect opponent.

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SAN FRANCISCO AT MINNESOTA

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m., Ch. 11.

The line: Off.

Introduction: Every time quarterback Daunte Culpepper plays hurt, he grows as the team leader for the undefeated Vikings.

Plot: The 49ers blew a 12-point lead against Cleveland last week in a surprising loss at San Francisco. Quarterback Jeff Garcia of the 49ers needs one more touchdown pass to reach 100 in his career. The 49er defense is second in the NFL with 11 takeaways but will be tested against Viking receiver Randy Moss, who has 16 receptions for 262 yards. Minnesota running back Moe Williams has a 5.1-yards-per-carry average through three games.

Bottom line: This should turn out to be one of the best games of the weekend, with the Vikings’ secondary proving to be the difference.

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KANSAS CITY AT BALTIMORE

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m.

The line: Kansas City by 3.

Introduction: The NFL’s two hottest running backs will share the field when former teammates Priest Holmes of the Chiefs and Jamal Lewis of the Ravens meet.

Plot: In his first game in Baltimore since he joined the Chiefs in 2001, Holmes will be fired up to play well against his former team. Kansas City has emerged as one the league’s dominant teams, but the Ravens are on a roll behind Lewis, who has rushed for 496 yards in three games. Baltimore’s defense will be tested by quarterback Trent Green, who will make his 36th consecutive start.

Bottom line: Coach Dick Vermeil’s Chiefs are for real, and they should be able to frustrate rookie Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller enough to remain undefeated.

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SAN DIEGO AT OAKLAND

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m., Ch. 2.

The line: Oakland by 7.

Introduction: After Monday night’s ugly loss at Denver, the Raiders are clearly in a funk -- but they are better off than the Chargers.

Plot: Forget about wideout David Boston’s one-game suspension, the Chargers’ biggest problem is finding a replacement for offensive tackle Vaughn Parker, who is out for the season because of a knee injury. Linebacker Bill Romanowski and the Raiders will try to take out their frustrations on Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson. Quarterback Rich Gannon needs to get the Raider offense back in sync.

Bottom line: Coach Marty Schottenheimer will have the Chargers ready, but the Raiders still believe they are a Super Bowl team and will not take the game lightly.

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DALLAS AT NEW YORK JETS

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

The line: New York by 3.

Introduction: Cowboy Coach Bill Parcells will be looking for his second consecutive victory against a team he used to coach at Giants Stadium.

Plot: With one come-from-behind overtime win over the New York Giants, Parcells has created a stir around the league with the Cowboys. Quarterback Quincy Carter passed for a career-high 327 yards against the Giants. The Jets are looking for their first victory, but they’ve been competitive. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde has put up good numbers, but he has to find a way to get the Jets into the end zone more.

Bottom line: Veteran safety Darren Woodson heads a solid Dallas secondary, which should be able to shut down Vinny and the Jets.

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ATLANTA AT CAROLINA

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

The line: Carolina by 6.

Introduction: The Panthers will be trying to stay unbeaten against the Falcons, who have struggled in the second half of games.

Plot: Quarterback Jake Delhomme may never remind people of Joe Montana, but he’s proving to be a good fit for the Panthers. Carolina’s strength is defense, and Coach John Fox will attack Atlanta quarterback Doug Johnson from all angles. The Falcons have not had any problems scoring, but they have struggled on defense. Veteran cornerback Ray Buchanon has to play better because he is hurting the Falcons.

Bottom line: Fox has put together a tough-minded team that has learned how to win games they should win.

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DETROIT AT DENVER

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Ch. 11.

The line: Denver by 12.

Introduction: Quarterback Jake Plummer shut up a few critics with his three-touchdown effort against the Raiders on Monday.

Plot: The Broncos could be without standout second-year running back Clinton Portis, who is injured. But don’t worry. Despite his own leg injury, backup Mike Anderson, Denver’s starting fullback, will likely start in place of Portis, and he’s a proven 1,000-yard rusher. The Lions are getting better under Coach Steve Mariucci, but their secondary will have trouble trying to stop Plummer and the Bronco passing attack.

Bottom line: Coach Mike Shanahan has the Broncos clicking in all areas. They will have an AFC West showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 5.*

INDIANAPOLIS AT NEW ORLEANS

Kickoff: Sunday, 5:30 p.m., ESPN.

The line: Indianapolis by 2.

Introduction: The undefeated Colts have been getting it done on defense, while the struggling Saints don’t know how to fix their problems.

Plot: Quarterback Peyton Manning has not been spectacular, but he has been efficient. Indianapolis rides a strong defense that has grown more confident under Coach Tony Dungy, but the Colts can’t afford to get too overconfident. The Saints still have quarterback Aaron Brooks, running back Deuce McAllister and a big-play offense. New Orleans’ defense can’t play any worse than it did last week against Tennessee.

Bottom line: With running back Edgerrin James hampered by a back injury, the Colts could be vulnerable if the Saints can force Manning into throwing every down.

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GREEN BAY AT CHICAGO

Kickoff: Monday, 6 p.m., Ch. 7.

The line: Green Bay by 4.

Introduction: The disappointing Packers will try to take advantage of the Bears’ recent woes.

Plot: For Bear quarterback Kordell Stewart to be effective, running back Anthony Thomas has to run hard between the tackles. The Bears have a decent offensive line and a couple of solid receivers, which could give the Packers problems. Green Bay suffered a tough road loss at Arizona last week, which ended with a Brett Favre interception in the end zone. The Packer defense has not been able to get to opposing quarterbacks.

Bottom line: The Bears may be ready for a breakout game, and the Packers could be surprised to find themselves tied for last place in the NFC North.