NFL Week 4 Sunday Open Thread: Headlines for Brady-Belichick, laughs for Bears-Lions

An NFC North game shouldn’t be the most exciting on Sunday, but it could provide some amusement value.

Tom Brady vs. Bill Belichick. The matchup of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football should stir up no shortage of storylines and talking points today as the former Patriots quarterback returns to Foxboro to play against his old coach for the first time.

Sure, that game should be fascinating, but will it be competitive? The Pats have a rookie quarterback going up against Brady and the Bucs’ talented defense. If you want a more competitive game, perhaps it’s worth looking to the NFC North early on in Sunday’s slate.

Of course, competitive does not always mean enjoyable. And after the Chicago Bears’ ugly week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, that team looks almost unwatchable. But perhaps whichever quarterback starts for them today can get something going against the Detroit Lions, whose defense is a mess. It’s the old case of the stoppable force versus the movable object — which unit will actually find some success first?

The other big games today come in the afternoon schedule, as the NFC West has a pair of intra-division games, one featuring the unbeaten Cardinals and Rams squaring off. But CBS’ doubleheader gives Packers-Steelers the biggest audience of the day (SNF excluded), as the Rodgers-Roethlisberger matchup should be a common discussion point today as well.

Join us throughout the day here for all of the NFL action.