This has to be one of the strangest first quarters of football in NFL history. Usually the upsets begin to subside after the first two weeks, and the teams that should win begin to find ways to do just that. And in the AFC, things are playing out pretty much as expected, for the most part.

But so far this season, the games in the NFC have been anything but predictable. For proof of that, let’s take a look at the teams that are sitting on top of their divisions.

Now, there are a few teams sitting on the bottom that were fully expected to be there, like the Bears, Lions, Saints and 49ers. But the division leaders after four weeks? That’s another story.

For instance, Atlanta is holding a two game lead over Carolina, New Orleans and Tampa Bay in the South. The Rams are tied with Seattle in the West, Philadelphia is leading Dallas by a game in the east and Minnesota, without their starting quarterback or Pro Bowl running back, is undefeated and sitting in first place in the north.

Preseason favorites Arizona and Carolina are outside looking in, each without their starting quarterback (concussion) and trying to remember how to win.

Will the second quarter see the preseason favorites turn things around, or will we continue to realize what an absolute waste of everyone’s time it is to pay attention to playoff predictions in August?

Who knows, but either way, we’ll continue to make our picks here!

This week’s Lock of the Week (3-0).

If there is ever a time to call a game a “no-brainer”, this is the one.

New England at Cleveland.

The Browns were basement dwellers on everyone’s preseason projections. The only debate was if they indeed won a game, would they get one or two victories. And after the first four weeks, the conversation hasn’t changed all that much.

The Patriots, on the other hand, have been performing magic over the first four weeks, winning three out of four games without Brady or Gronkowski (well, three out of four for Gronk). Two and half of those games were played with the #3 quarterback calling the shots.

This week, Mr. Brady returns from his strongly contested suspension, no doubt with a monster sized chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove to the world (not to mention Roger Goodell).

This should be over quickly and will help push the Browns one step closer to that #1 pick next spring!

Final score – New England 41, Cleveland 13.

This week’s Upset of the Week (0-3).

You would think, with all of the upsets we’ve seen over the first quarter of the season, that I’d have a better record in this category. This week, that all changes!

Buffalo at Los Angeles.

Anyone that has watched the Rams play this year would have to admit that they are not a good team. Yes, they have a pretty good, if not physically imposing defensive unit. But their offense is one of the worst in the league. Other than Gurley, they are all disposable.

Yet, after getting destroyed in week one by a very bad 49ers team, they have managed to hang around and pull out three victories in a row, including being handed wins over Seattle and Arizona.

Buffalo began the season with losses at Baltimore and at home to the Jets, and then literally beat up the Cardinals and Patriots. They have found their “Ryan” swagger on both sides of the line of scrimmage and have no reason to fear any team.

If McCoy continues to run like he has the past two weeks, this one will be over by halftime. I’m betting he will.

Final Score – Buffalo 27, Los Angeles 16.

This week’s Game of the Week (2-1).

Last week I picked the Giants at Minnesota for this category, and it worked out well. This week, I’m going to stay on the New York northern road trip.

N.Y. Giants at Green Bay.

The Giants were my preseason pick to win the NFC east and, believe it or not, are right where I expected them to be after four games. They are, by no means, the best team in the NFC, but I still think they’re the best in the NFC east. Unfortunately, this road trip takes them through two of the best teams in the NFC in the Vikings and Packers.

Green Bay, while winning two of their first three games, has yet to look like the Packers we’ve come to love (or hate). They lost at Minnesota and had to fight for their lives to grab wins against Jacksonville and Detroit, two teams destined for top ten draft picks.

However, after a bye in week four, I fully expect a well-rested and very talented Packer offense to go off the deep end against the Giants. This game will be exciting to watch, but won’t be as close as the final score would suggest.

Final Score – Green Bay 41, N.Y. Giants 27.

We’ll see if the boatload of upsets continues or if the NFL world begins to settle down. Either way, it’s time to fire up the grill, pop a few cold ones and enjoy some football!