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Who plays on Sunday Night Football? Breaking down Week 4 matchup

tom viera, usa today
·5-min read

NBC featured a possible Super Bowl matchup in Week 3 of its "Sunday Night Football" schedule, and in Week 4, we will witness a battle between perennial AFC playoff contenders and MVP candidates.

The Buffalo Bills are on the road in Week 4 to take on the Baltimore Ravens in a "Sunday Night Football" battle. This is an early season tilt between two of the best teams in the AFC.

The Ravens earned their first win of the season over the Dallas Cowboys last week. In Week 1, the Ravens kicked off the NFL season on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs, which came down to the final play. Isaiah Likely's toe denied Baltimore a chance to tie Kansas City and force overtime. In Week 2, Baltimore was upset at home after squandering a 10-point lead against the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth quarter.

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Meanwhile, the Bills are also coming off an impressive win on "Monday Night Football" in Week 3. Josh Allen continues to torch defenses. The Bills embarrassed the Jacksonville Jaguars 47-10 in Week 3 and the Miami Dolphins 31-10 in Week 2. Buffalo kicked off the season with an impressive 14-point comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bills have been terrific to start 2024, and Week 4 will mark their third consecutive primetime game.

Here's everything to know about the "Sunday Night Football" matchup for Week 4.

Who plays on Sunday Night Football tonight?

The Ravens (1-2) are hosting the Bills (3-0) in NBC's fourth "Sunday Night Football" broadcast of the season. Baltimore enters the game favored to win, but Buffalo presents a difficult challenge, outscoring opponents 102-31 since halftime of Week 1. The Bills have not lost a regular season game by over 6 points since 2021.

The spotlight will be on the reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. The two quarterbacks are among the top five in MVP odds heading into Week 4. Both players were selected in the first round of the 2018 draft and have put their respective teams in a position to go on a deep playoff run every year.

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The last time the Ravens and Bills met was Week 4 of the 2022 season. Buffalo defeated Baltimore 23-20 on the road on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Buffalo managed a massive 17-point comeback in the win.

Josh Allen has been spectacular at the start of the season. He has tossed four touchdowns and rushed for 44 yards in the win over the Jaguars. His 133.7 passer rating and 92.6 QBR rank first in the NFL. Buffalo surprisingly traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans in the offseason, but their offense has been terrific. The unit is led by James Cook, Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, and first-rounder Keon Coleman.

Meanwhile two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is sixth in QBR and 11th in passer rating. Jackson has combined for 956 passing and rushing yards. The next closest is Jalen Hurts with 915 and Jayden Daniels with 835. Jackson and the Ravens offense was unimpressive in Weeks 1 and 2 but showed signs of rounding into form in Week 3 against the Cowboys.

Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers are off to slow starts, but they are formidable talents at Jackson's disposal.

Both quarterbacks are a threat with their legs on every snap and have proven to carry their teams when needed. This game will likely be decided in the trenches. According to PFF, Buffalo ranks fifth in pass blocking, and Baltimore ranks sixth. The Ravens just announced they signed veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who has 69 sacks in his career. It remains to be seen if the veteran will make an instant impact.

The winner of this game can springboard their momentum through the middle part of the season and have playoff implications at the end of the regular season.

What time is the NFL game tonight?

  • Date: Sunday, Sept. 29

  • Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

The Ravens vs. Bills game will start at 8:20 p.m. ET, the typical start time for most of NBC's "Sunday Night Football" broadcasts during the 2024 NFL season.

NBC will also begin showing its pregame show, "Football Night In America," at 7 p.m. ET. Maria Taylor will host the program alongside NBC talents, including Jason Garrett, Tony Dungy, Devin McCourty, and Matthew Berry.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

What channel is Sunday Night Football on tonight?

"Sunday Night Football" will air on NBC in 2024, just as it has since the network bought the rights to the program in 2006.

Cord-cutters can still catch the game using NBC's streaming service, Peacock, or Fubo, which offers a free trial.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who plays on Sunday Night Football? Game, start time for Week 4