Who plays on Sunday Night Football? Week 4 matchup breakdown

NBC teased a possible Super Bowl matchup in Week 3 of its Sunday Night Football schedule, and in Week 4 we’ll witness a battle between the 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” matchup. This is an early-season clash between two of the AFC’s best teams.

The Ravens got their first win of the season last week against the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 1, the Ravens started the NFL season with a final game on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. Isaiah Likely’s toes denied Baltimore a chance to tie Kansas City and force overtime. In Week 2, Baltimore was upset at home after blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead against the Las Vegas Raiders.

NFL WINNERS & LOSERS: NFL Week 3 Winners and Losers: Texans and 49ers suffered major setbacks

Meanwhile, the Bills also picked up an impressive win on “Monday Night Football” in Week 3. Josh Allen continues to burn for the defense. The Bills defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 47-10 in Week 3 and the Miami Dolphins 31-10 in Week 2. Buffalo started the season with an impressive 14-point comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bills are off to a great start in 2024 and Week 4 will be their third straight primetime game.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Sunday Night Football Week 4 matchup.

Who’s playing on Sunday Night Football tonight?

The Ravens (1-2) host the Bills (3-0) on NBC’s fourth “Sunday Night Football” telecast of the season. Baltimore enters the game as the favorite to win, but Buffalo presents a tough challenge, outscoring its opponents 102-31 since the halfway point of Week 1. The Bills have not lost a regular season game by more than 6 points since 2021.

The spotlight will be on reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. The two quarterbacks are among the top 5 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 position to make playoff appearances each year.

DERRICK HENRY DOMINATES DALLAS: Jerry Jones after the Ravens ran over the Cowboys: “We couldn’t afford Derrick Henry”

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

Josh Allen was spectacular early in the season. He threw four touchdowns and ran for 44 yards in the win over the Jaguars. His passer rating of 133.7 and QBR of 92.6 rank first in the NFL. Buffalo surprisingly traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans in the offseason, but their offense has been great. 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 closest are Jalen Hurts with 915 and Jayden Daniels with 835. Jackson and the Ravens’ offense wasn’t impressive in Weeks 1 and 2, but showed signs of returning to form in Week 3 against the Cowboys.

Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers are off to a slow start, but they are impressive talents at Jackson’s disposal.

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

The winner of this game can build their momentum midway through the season and have playoff impact at the end of the regular season.

What time is the NFL game tonight?

• Date: Sunday, September 29th

• Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

The Ravens vs. Bills game begins 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 airing its pregame show “Football Night In America” at 7 p.m. ET. Maria Taylor will host the show alongside NBC talent including Jason Garrett, Tony Dungy, Devin McCourty and Matthew Berry.

NFL STATISTICS CENTER: 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 purchased the rights to the show in 2006.

Cord cutters can still watch the game on NBC’s streaming service Peacock or on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

We may occasionally recommend products and services that may be of interest to you. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may receive an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently and this has no influence on our reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who’s playing on Sunday Night Football? Game, start time for week 4