Tag: Week 3

Post-Week 3 Power Rankings

A truly special week in the NFL has provided plenty of shakeups in this week’s Power Rankings, particularly with some fugazis being snuffed out while contenders rise and pretenders fall.

Cover photo taken from Imagn Images.

1 – Bills (3-0) 1

While it doesn’t necessarily feel like one team is standing above the rest right now, it’s hard to put anyone over Buffalo. They sat here after Week 1, their offense has been fantastic, sitting first in EPA/play, , and they’re going to keep sleepwalking to victories for as long as their cupcakes remain cupcakes.

A team like the Chargers — or even the Eagles for that matter — might have a more impressive set of three wins, but I still think the Bills are the best of the bunch.

2 – Chargers (3-0) 2

To start a season 3-0 with wins against each opponent in your division is pretty impressive. The latest act being a comeback effort against a very good Broncos defense, highlighted by more heroics from your elite quarterback, is also pretty great.

If the season ended right now, I’d either give my MVP vote to Justin Herbert or Baker Mayfield. But, we’ve got 15 weeks left. Still, what No. 10 in the powder blue is doing on a weekly basis is awesome. Not to mention, their defense ranks 4th in EPA/play and hasn’t given up more than 21 points this season.

The injury to Najee Harris stings, but if they can truly unlock Omarion Hampton, this team is going to assert themselves as the frontrunner in the AFC West, if they haven’t done so already.

3 – Packers (2-1) 2

Losses happen. It’s the NFL. Anyone can beat anyone on any given Sunday.

But, you’ve heard me say it: there are good and bad ways to lose.

The Packers can hang their hats on their defense continuing to be stellar. But poor offense and special teams will drag anyone down. The run game has been so-so, the offensive line is falling apart at the seams and poorly timed turnovers and field goal operational errors puts any defense in a bind.

No one thinks that Cleveland is better than Green Bay. But I also don’t think anyone disputes that the Browns deserved to win down the stretch considering how the Packers handed them the game. It’s a slice of humble pie; perhaps it’s a needed one. But I doubt it’ll become a trend.

4 – Lions (2-1) 3

Any rumors of the Lions’ demise were greatly exaggerated. This team still has the goods.

Monday night’s victory was a patented Detroit win under Dan Campbell. They were aggressive on fourth down, but not reckless, utilizing elite playcalls and better execution to turn each of them into touchdowns. They dominated both lines of scrimmage in a breakout game for their defensive front with seven sacks while the OL paved the way for over 200 rushing yards. It was pretty damn close to perfect.

It was as impressive of a performance as any team has had this season, and I don’t have many, if any, doubts about their ability to keep it up.

5 – Eagles (3-0)

Oh look, they got away with it again.

I will begrudgingly give the Birds credit — they picked themselves off the mat and completely flipped the script on the Rams on both sides of the ball in the second half. After the worst first 30 minutes imaginable, they were damn near unstoppable down the stretch thanks to finally letting Jalen Hurts rip it to AJ Brown. It certainly helps when Emmanuel Forbes is covering him — a situation where multiple games of tape would suggest utilizing a different strategy — but alas. And blocking two field goals down the stretch can be blamed on the kicking operation, but the defensive side deserves credit as well.

I still don’t think this is the same caliber of team that we saw last year. But again, they’re going to keep winning games. That’s the sign of a good team.

6 – Buccaneers (3-0) 2

Speaking of potentially unsustainable 3-0 starts… the Bucs did it again as well! This one also featured block field goal shenanigans, but like the first two weeks, ended with Baker Mayfield putting on the cape and leading his team down for the win in the waning moments.

Considering the laundry list of injuries across the board for Tampa, I don’t know how long they can keep this up. But the fact of the matter is that Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka, Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield and others are making every single play to put them over the top in these games.

Sunday’s contest should never have ended the way it did. The Buccaneers were really in control for 58 minutes. For it to have fallen apart with them still pulling out the win speaks for itself.

7 – Rams (2-1) 1

Most brutal choke of the young NFL season? Folks are asking.

The Rams were making the Eagles look pedestrian for two quarters and change. Then they forgot how to play football. There’s so many people that I could blame, but I’m putting this one on Sean McVay. It’s not because of the failures of the kicking operation, though the line share of blame could go there. It’s because he coached scared, and that led to being outcoached by Nick Sirianni of all people.

Each time LA faced a fourth down deep in Philly territory, they opted for field goals. That’s fine and dandy until the team you’ve seemingly buried decides to pull an Undertaker. At that point, you need to assert yourselves and put the ball in the endzone, not through the uprights. I don’t care that if either of the blocked field goals went in, the Rams would have won. It’s about the process, not the results.

I’d like to think McVay would trust Matt Stafford to convert a couple of fourth-and-shorts. I don’t know why he didn’t. And it’s led to another loss against the Eagles where the Rams only have themselves to blame.

8 – Colts (3-0) 1

Sorry for doubting you again, Colts. I think I’ve learned my lesson.

This offense is nothing short of awesome and Shane Steichen is shining in the spotlight. A reliance on motion and play action has led to this being one of the best units in football, led by the resurgent Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor, who each have arguments for currently being the best players at their position in the league. The secondary continues to cook, though they haven’t faced the greatest slate of QBs thus far. And all of a sudden, they are the clear cut favorites in the AFC South, banking plenty of wins and separating themselves early.

Let’s put it this way: if the Colts go .500 the rest of the way, they’ll be 10-7. That’s a playoff team no matter how you slice it. And at this rate, 10 wins could be their floor.

9 – Ravens (1-2) 6

One day the Ravens will win a game of consequence. Today is not that day.

I don’t know why this team refuses to make the requisite plays to win games against true contenders. But they don’t. They do the opposite, which is pretty much nothing at all. As awesome as they can be for three quarters and change, they’re always going to find a way to blow it down the stretch. It’s mind-numbing.

Lamar Jackson is amazing. Derrick Henry needs to fix the fumbling issues. Those are the clear observations on the surface. But if you break out the magnifying glass, there’s a lot more to digest. The defense is a real issue. So is the coaching. That will hold them back in these big regular season games. And you already know it will in January, too. We’re slowly crawling towards the inevitable.

10 – Commanders (2-1) 3

Wait, that went way better than I expected. Phew!

Sunday wasn’t perfect, but considering the circumstances, it was pretty close. Marcus Mariota did what he does in a Washington uniform. Special teams was gas outside of a missed field goal (Matt Gay continues to be under surveillance, by the way). The defensive line kept on cooking against a simply overmatched Raiders OL. And our own hog mollies paved the way for an elite day on the ground. Even Luke freaking McCaffrey found the endzone!

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. We have no clarity on the Jayden Daniels injury, and now Terry McLaurin is dealing with a quad issue. Will Harris is going to miss extended time with a fractured fibula, too. But, this is still the “easy” part of the schedule. Let’s keep getting right and stacking wins.

11 – Chiefs (1-2) 1

Oh look, a win. That’s neat.

At least it was decisive. I know we all thought it’d be close, and maybe it would have been if Russell Wilson was worth a damn. But if the Chiefs can play like they did in the second half consistently while they crawl towards being full strength on offense, it inspires some confidence moving forward.

12 – Broncos (1-2) 1

You’re only as strong as your weakest link. Right now, Bo Nix is a very, very weak link.

He’s PFF’s worst-graded quarterback. He can’t hit the broad side of a barn on a deep shot. And he’s frantic in the pocket. If he was even just a smidge better, the Broncos would be 3-0. But they are not.

I love this defense. I love the offensive line. The weapons are punching above their weight. And they’re all being let down by the QB that is having the sophomore slump that no one is talking about.

13 – 49ers (3-0) 1

If the season ended today, Kyle Shanahan would win Coach of the Year.

Getting this team to 3-0 with the litany of injuries they have sustained — and continue to deal with, with Nick Bosa’s ACL tear being the latest — is extremely impressive. Mac Jones has been valiant in relief of Brock Purdy, who should return this week. And the young defense is starting to come into its own.

Also, shoutout to Ricky Pearsall. There isn’t a better breakout and a more improved player year-over-year than him right now outside of maybe Daniel Jones.

14 – Vikings (2-1) 1

Sunday’s destruction of the Bengals reinforced key points on both sides of the ball in Minnesota: Kevin O’Connell is a genius and Brian Flores is a maniac.

Carson Wentz did what he had to do in relief of JJ McCarthy because — as we’ve said time and time again — pretty much anyone can get it done in that offense. And Flores’ scheme continues to terrorize opposing quarterbacks of any and all caliber, wreaking havoc and leaving everyone in shambles. This defense is now first in EPA/play, which is heavily influenced by Sunday’s two touchdowns from Isaiah Rodgers, but they deserve it with what they’ve done to these poor QBs.

15 – Seahawks (2-1) 6

I think we should be talking more about the Seahawks. I get that beating two bad defenses in Pittsburgh and New Orleans might not get the people going, but this team has been nails on offense this season.

Sam Darnold has been one of the most efficient QBs in the league, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been completely unguardable, Kenneth Walker is running like a man possessed and the defense is simply punching above its weight. Even with so many injuries on that side of the ball, they’re finding ways to create turnovers. And they are absolutely dominant up front. When guys like Nick Emmanwori and Devon Witherspoon come back, it could get spooky.

16 – Steelers (2-1) 6

God, this team is boring.

The Steelers are lucky to be 2-1. They had to escape the Jets in Week 1, and the Patriots practically placed Sunday’s win on a black and gold platter. This defense is not good and the offense is uninspiring. The lack of a run game puts a lot of the load on Aaron Rodgers, who hasn’t been bad by any means. But it’s not a great winning formula, and it sure as hell ain’t sustainable.

I honestly feel worse about this team through three games than I thought I would.

17 – Falcons (1-2) 7

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

I don’t even want to talk about the Falcons. They don’t deserve it. Not after that performance after that credit I gave them. What an unmitigated disaster from Raheem Morris and Michael Penix Jr.

We’ll see if the shakeups in the coaching ranks makes any kind of impact, because right now, it’s not looking good. At all.

18 – Cardinals (2-1) 1

This is a solid team. But no one really cares, because they’re not giving us a reason to.

Kyler Murray isn’t the problem. Marvin Harrison Jr. and the rest of the WRs not being able to catch the football are. James Conner’s season-ending injury is. Untimely mistakes are.

I think the Cardinals will continue to be competitive. Losing Conner hurts bad, but the way they’re playing on defense will keep them in any and every game. Will their offense be good enough to turn that into wins? I just don’t know.

19 – Jaguars (2-1) 5

Sure, what the hell. The Jags won a game that no one wanted to win, and they did it in a fashion that’s neither convincing nor worth caring about.

I still like this offensive personnel, and for what it’s worth, their defense has been both solid and opportunistic with seven picks on the year and somehow ranking second in defensive EPA/play. But I still don’t believe in Trevor Lawrence, and I still don’t think this offense is good enough to beat teams that are competent on both sides of the ball.

20 – Texans (0-3) 2

Is it over? It very well may be.

I can’t keep defending CJ Stroud. He’s uncomfortable, but he’s also not confident and his mechanics are in the gutter. He has no faith in his OL, no faith in his weapons and quite frankly, no faith in himself. And that means this already anemic offense can’t produce anything worth a damn.

It doesn’t matter how good this defense is. The Texans have scored 38 points in 2025. The Seahawks did that in less than two quarters on Sunday. At 0-3 staring up at the 3-0 Colts, Houston will have to scrap to not have a fork stuck in them before the clocks fall back an hour.

21 – Bears (1-2) 6

You know what? Good for Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson.

Sunday’s performance looked like what everyone would have you believe every game should be under the new regime in Chicago. But, they won’t be playing a borderline-CFL defense every week. So, let’s see if this injects the Bears with life or is simply a flash in the pan.

22 – Cowboys (1-2) 6

Yeah, this team ain’t worth talking about right now. The state of their defense is Chernobyl-like, and now they’ll be without CeeDee Lamb for a month or so. It’s going to get ugly in Dallas — or, as Stephen A. Smith aptly named them, “-allas.”

23 – Patriots (1-2) 6

Why is this Mike Vrabel team so poorly coached? Is it youth and inexperience? Is it systemic? Whatever it is, it needs to change.

Drake Maye is playing well, but not well enough to cover up the vast amount of penalties and mistakes that continues to hold this team back from being productive on offense.

And don’t even get me started on their run game — or lack thereof — and refusal to get TreVeyon Henderson involved. Complete and utter nonsense.

24 – Bengals (2-1) 4

Yeah, Jake Browning ain’t it. We might’ve already known that, but Sunday confirmed it.

I don’t know that the Bengals necessarily need to bring in a veteran QB, because I think riding it out with the guy that knows the system is a better play. But I don’t think this is going to be a super successful operation with Browning back there. But, they also won’t be facing a Brian Flores defense every week. Take it with a very small grain of salt.

25 – Raiders (1-2) 2

This team is a mess on a number of fronts, but I think you have to start with the offensive line when pointing out the issues. Ashton Jeanty has negative yards before contact this season. That’s unfathomable.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like the passing game is much better. The line isn’t helping out Geno, but Geno isn’t helping out Geno either. And the downfield threats just aren’t there with Brock Bowers dealing with his injuries. The defense is clearly also an issue with the performances against the run in the first two weeks clearly being a fugazi.

It’s just not a tight operation in Vegas right now. Maybe Tom Brady can impart some wisdom next time he sits up in the booth with a headset on.

26 – Giants (0-3) 1

Thank you, Brian Daboll, for finally doing right by your players and naming Jaxson Dart the starter. Playing Russell Wilson was a complete disservice to everyone involved with the Giants, and Sunday night proved it.

Is it going to look much better with Dart? Who knows; this is a pretty brutal operation all round. But at least he provides some hope and won’t turtle the way Wilson has. I’m excited to see it play out for him.

27 – Browns (1-2) 4

What a cool win for the Browns. This defense is simply awesome with the rookies balling out and the offense is clearly lifted by the insertion of Quinshon Judkins in the lineup.

In my opinion, Myles Garrett has been the best player in football through three weeks. And the rest of the defense is good enough to keep them in literally any game this season. Cleveland will be frisker than we thought in 2025.

28 – Panthers (1-2) 1

Speaking of unexpected feel-good wins… I don’t really know how that happened, but good for Carolina. It was the most nothing 30-0 win over a divisional opponent that you could come up with, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it happened.

Is this the new expectation in Carolina? Hell no. But maybe they can parlay it into some better performances as they approach a soft portion of the schedule.

29 – Jets (0-3) 3

What do you even make of the Jets after that game? They were dreadful for about 58 minutes, which was to be expected with a backup QB in the game. Then came one of the more furious, rapid comebacks you’ll ever see. And, when it came down to it, they predictably choked it in the end.

I think my main takeaway is that New York clearly has a ton of juice and fight under Aaron Glenn. That was to be expected. But the talent just isn’t there right now. And that’s fine! The rebuild is still in its infancy. Having the right coach is step one. I think they do.

30 – Dolphins (0-3) 2

The problem in Miami is not Mike McDaniel. It’s Tua Tagovailoa. And that sucks, because the Dolphins don’t have a choice but to keep playing him.

I feel the same way about Tua as I do about Russell Wilson: it’s a disservice to the players and fans to have him play QB. But unlike the Giants, the Dolphins have no other way to go. They have to die on the Tua sword, and that’ll be this team’s undoing.

The team hasn’t given up on the coach. They are going to give up on the quarterback if they haven’t already.

31 – Titans (0-3) 3

I won’t be picking the Titans to win many, if any, games for the rest of the season. I’ve learned my lesson.

This team isn’t frisky or sneaky or anything. They just suck. And it’s not Cam Ward’s fault, but it’s the truth. The countdown to Brian Callahan’s firing is on.

32 – Saints (0-3) 2

Yeah, no.

Week 3 Picks

The third week of the 2025 slate is juiced up with some fascinating divisional matchups and a number of star-studded showdowns that’ll show us who might be contenders, or pretenders, this season.

Cover photo taken from NFL.

Last Week: 10-6

Season Total: 21-11

Bills 30-13 Dolphins

Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video

No more trusting the Dolphins for me. I’ve learned my lesson in that regard.

It’s not like they stood a chance in this game anyways. A road trip to one of the best teams in the league whose offense is playing ablaze right now isn’t exactly conducive to winning. Real chance the Bills have this one wrapped up by halftime.

Packers 20-10 Browns

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Both of these defenses have been pretty awesome this season. Neither of these offenses have, though. The Packers pass the eye test on that side of the ball, but it hasn’t translated to a ton of points. They tend to take their foot off the gas with a lead, and I don’t blame them considering how the defense looks. I’m expecting that to be the case on Sunday in Cleveland.

To be honest with y’all, the only thing I remotely care about in this game is Quinshon Judkins’ performance for the Browns, since I think he can be a league winner in fantasy. Don’t let me down!

Titans 23-20 Colts

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

What the hell, why not.

There’s approximately zero reason to take the Titans here, and the strategy of taking the home dog in a divisional game continues to bite me in the behind. But, a broken clock is right twice a day!

Besides, the Titans have to win a game at some point. I know Cam Ward’s numbers are quite bad and I know this Tennessee team has nothing to hang their hats on. Plus, the Colts are the story of the young NFL season and have one of the best offenses in the league.

You only live once, I guess.

Bengals 27-24 Vikings

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

I don’t think CBS had a Jake Browning vs. Carson Wentz QB matchup in mind when they decided to send Jim Nantz and Tony Romo to call this game at the beginning of the season. But, here we are.

Honestly, I had no idea which way to go here. I think both of these backups are capable — hell, any QB can make it work in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, right? — but I don’t like either offensive line right now. In that vein, I’ve seen more out of Cincinnati’s pass rush through two games than Minnesota’s. Shemar Stewart has been an impactful player, and Trey Hendrickson has been an absolute dog. I think that’s the difference in crunch time on Sunday.

Never thought I’d see the day where I picked Cincinnati because of their defense.

Steelers 26-23 Patriots

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

I don’t really trust either of these teams right now. Yes, the Patriots won last week, but it took quite a lot to do that against a horrendous defense and a team that’s falling apart at the seams. And the Steelers were just totally discombobulated against the Seahawks. It makes this one tricky.

I’m taking Pittsburgh because, at the very least, they’ve shown some semblance of balance. Their defense has left a lot to be desired, as has New England’s, but I feel like their offense can make the plays they need to win. The Patriots’ run game is nonexistent, but I feel like they can get going here.

Honestly, this one can go any which way. I wanted to take the Pats at home, but they’re going to have to prove it to me.

Rams 23-17 Eagles

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Ah, yes. What should’ve happened back in January before Mother Nature got in the way.

Let’s be honest. The Eagles are going to find some way to pull this win out of their behinds because we’re not allowed to have nice things. I’m interested to see how the officials deal with the tush push after last week’s outrage, if at all. It’d also be nice to see if Philly’s offense decides to show up for once. It won’t be easy against the NFL’s leader in dropback EPA/play on defense.

Honestly, I just trust the Rams more right now. Their defense is punching above their weight and the offense is starting to get it going. The run game has been sneaky effective, which could prove to be the difference against this Eagles front.

More than anything, I need this to be the spot where the Eagles cease to get away with it. I’m hoping and praying that comes to fruition.

Buccaneers 23-15 Jets

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Pros: watching Tyrod Taylor play football.

Cons: it’s for the Jets again.

The Buccaneers’ offensive line woes are cause for concern against anyone, but in their home opener in those crispy throwbacks, they’ve got to win this one, especially against a backup quarterback. I still think Baker Mayfield is going to have to do his thing to keep this pirate ship afloat, but this one will be easier than the last two weeks.

Commanders 21-18 Raiders

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

It honestly doesn’t matter who starts at QB for Washington in this game. I’m confident in a hobbled Jayden Daniels, and I’m more than comfortable with Marcus Mariota. (For the record, I think it’ll be the latter.)

This comes down to me being extremely turned off by what I saw out of the Raiders last week. And I know Pete Carroll has an outstanding east coast record, but this is a team that played at 10 p.m. ET on a Monday traveling across the country to take on a Commanders squad that played on TNF last week. There isn’t a bigger possible rest and travel disadvantage.

I’d like to see our defense return to form while the offense does what they have to do to win. We could really, really use it.

Falcons 22-10 Panthers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Consider what we’ve seen from the Falcons defense through two weeks against hobbled offensive lines. Now consider what we’ve seen from the Panthers offense with how awful their line is.

Next!

Texans 24-17 Jaguars

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

The Texans simply have to have this one. It’s not exactly a kitchen sink game, but this has to be the week the offense figures it out.

Houston’s offensive line gives me a ton of pause, but it’s not like the Jags front is anything crazy, though their secondary is playing better than expected. If Jacksonville can keep up their offensive success against this elite Texans defense, it could put them over the top. But I’m just sticking with my gut on this one.

Chargers 20-17 Broncos

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS

This feels like a game the Broncos win. I really wanted to pick them considering their offense’s return to form in Week 2; plus, the defense will be just fine after a bit of an aberration in Indy.

I just trust Justin Herbert more than Bo Nix right now. Can you blame me? One has been arguably the best QB in the NFL through two weeks and the other is off to a Jekyll and Hyde start in 2025. In a game dominated by defenses, sometimes you have to put your faith in the better signal-caller. Right now, that’s unquestionably Herbert.

Seahawks 26-14 Saints

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS

Yeah, I’m just not talking about this one. I don’t even know if it’s worth it for NFL Redzone to flip to this game. When they do, it’ll probably be supplanted by a bunch more Wingstop commercials. Sigh.

Cowboys 27-20 Bears

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX

This is my most anticipated game of the week because of just how gnarly the ramifications could be, particularly for Chicago.

The fact of the matter is this: it’s now or never for the Bears offense. If Caleb Williams and co. can’t get it together against this Dallas defense, I don’t know if or when it’ll ever happen. And I seriously think that if it’s another week of inaccuracy, bad timing and being overwhelmed from Caleb Williams, that Chicago will turn to Tyson Bagent in a week or two. Yes, he got that extension because he’s a good backup, but that’s certainly not the only reason.

I don’t think that the Bears will look totally incompetent — the Cowboys secondary will make sure of that — but I also don’t think they’ll do what the Giants did a week ago. Their inability to run the ball means it’s all on Caleb’s shoulders, and I don’t think that’s a recipe for success.

In any case, I’ve seen enough from Dallas offensively to put my faith in them to go on the road and beat a team that has given up 73 points in the last five quarters. And then it’ll be really, really uncomfortable times in Chicago.

49ers 24-21 Cardinals

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX

I don’t think a game between two 2-0 teams can be any less enticing than this one, especially within the division. But I just can’t bring myself to care.

Maybe it’s because the 49ers are so beat up. Maybe it’s the Cardinals refusing to look truly impressive on offense. Who knows?

I do think Arizona’s got a nice defense. But, so do the Niners, and that unit has helped them clinch both wins this season. And I really hate to choose between Mac Jones and Kyler Murray. But Macaroni looked solid in his first start under Kyle Shanahan, and in their home opener, I think that’ll be enough to help San Francisco get over the top and somehow get to 3-0 despite being so shorthanded.

Chiefs 23-20 Giants

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

To put it plainly, I don’t have the stones to pick the Giants to win this game outright, but New York +6.5 is my favorite bet of the week.

It’s just impossible to trust the Chiefs right now. Even if they get Xavier Worthy back, who knows what the offense looks like? Will they actually be able to run the ball against the league’s worst run D? And while I’d like to believe in their defense, they haven’t been able to make the plays necessary to stay in games in the fourth quarter.

I did say before that we’ll never see the Giants have an offensive explosion like they did last week again this season. I still believe that. But I don’t think they’ll need to do all that to be in this game.

This is a stoppable force meeting a moveable object. Which side gets the advantage? Probably the more desperate one. The Chiefs cannot afford to be 0-3. The thought of them in that position is hard to comprehend. But, it’ll take their best game of the season to avoid it.

Ravens 31-27 Lions

Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

Now this… this is a Monday Night Football game right here. Get ready for fireworks, points, drama and a damn good time.

There’s honestly not much I can say about this game that can’t just be inferred from looking at these logos, these lineups, these offenses. This is going to be like a tamer version of Bills-Ravens in Week 1 — or a crazier version! None of us would mind that.

I’m riding the Ravens at home here because it’s going to be an unreal environment in a Baltimore blackout. The Lions are more than capable of winning this one on the road — they were incredible away from home last year — and the Ravens have lost in spots like this before, but I’m not betting against them considering how their offense is playing through two weeks.

Post-Week 3 Power Rankings

A historic weekend of football has brought plenty of shuffling to the Power Rankings, including the first change at the top of the season.

Cover photo taken from Sports Illustrated.

1 – Dolphins (3-0) 4

70 points in an NFL game. That’s all that needs to be said.

Miami already boasted the NFL’s best offense, but Sunday’s historic performance catapults them to the top of this week’s list sheerly out of respect. I still like San Francisco more from top to bottom, but it felt wrong not putting the Dolphins at #1. What they’ve been able to do through three games is astounding. They lead the NFL in total yards, passing yards, rushing yards, and scoring. Even though we’re still in September, that’s virtually unheard of. It’s obviously not sustainable over 17 games, and we’ll see how long they can keep this up. But I feel very, very good about the Phins moving forward. 

2 – 49ers (3-0) 1

Like I said above, I still think the 49ers are the NFL’s best team across the board. Another team just happened to score 70 points this week.

But I love absolutely everything San Francisco is doing right now. The offense is moving the ball at will and seamlessly putting up 30 points per game. Brock Purdy still doesn’t look amazing, but he’s doing everything he needs to do to lead his team to victory, especially protecting the ball. Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel are unstoppable. And the defense continues to do its thing. It’s a formula that the Niners should be able to ride all year long. Until someone proves that they can stop it, they’ll be up here indefinitely. 

3 – Chiefs (2-1)

Once again, the Chiefs looked like the team we always expect them to look like on Sunday. It helped that they were playing the worst team in the NFL. 

It was good to see them score more than 22 points for the first time this season. I’m interested to see how things play out for them this week as they’re Welcomed to New York by a very stout Jets defense. We’ll see how Delicate they handle Patrick Mahomes’ ankle after he was rolled up on late in the first half against Chicago. Between that play and a ton of pre-snap penalties, you just have to hope there’s no Bad Blood between him and Jawaan Taylor. Regardless, we can always count on the Love Story of Mahomes and Travis Kelce to find Blank Spaces in opposing defenses and allow the KC offense to make Sparks Fly.

Don’t Blame Me for all these puns. I’m neither sorry nor will I apologize. 

4 – Eagles (3-0)

The Eagles continue to confuse me. They’re 3-0 with three solid wins, but they’re still yet to put their best football on the field.

However, I think Monday night’s win was by far their best performance yet, especially defensively. They forced timely turnovers, notched a safety, and the secondary barely let anything get past them. The offense didn’t have the best game in the world as Jalen Hurts wound up throwing two interceptions, but the running game dominated once again, which is all this team really needs to succeed.

They feel bound to put it all together and play their most complete game of the year on Sunday against Washington, because I know how these things always play out. It makes too much sense. 

5 – Cowboys (2-1) 3

Dallas was bound to be brought back to earth at some point. I just didn’t expect it to look like that.

The loss of Trevon Diggs is clearly taking its toll on this defense. The question is whether or not that will be a short-term thing or a long-term one. Because if this defense — which was off to a historically great start in 2023 — plays like this as the season continues, they’re in trouble. You don’t just give up 222 yards on the ground in this league. It certainly doesn’t help when Dak Prescott turns back into a pumpkin who throws interceptions into triple coverage in the endzone while the offense stumbles in the redzone time and time again. 

Maybe the Cowboys were drinking too much of their own Kool-Aid, and maybe they needed a game like this to snap back to reality. But it’s safe to say that — for now — I’m a bit concerned. 

6 – Bills (2-1) 1

While Buffalo hasn’t exactly played the highest level of competition over the last two weeks, it’s safe to say that Josh Allen and company are having the type of start to the season that we’ve all come to expect out of them. The QB lights up the box score while making flashy play after flashy play and the defense completely shuts down its opposition by wreaking havoc and racking up sacks and turnovers.

This is how each of the last four Septembers have gone for the Bills. So I won’t overreact to anything just yet. This week’s matchup with the Dolphins will be a much better indicator of where they’re at.

7 – Seahawks (2-1) 1

After a weird opener, the Seahawks have put together consecutive performances that are much more reminiscent of what we’ve come to expect out of them last year and this year. They’re running the ball well, imposing their will physically, and allowing Geno Smith to make plays with his arm to put the offense in a position to score.

Still, Seattle feels a bit underwhelming. I don’t think we’ve seen them put together a game that’s even close to their best yet. Sunday’s win over Carolina felt like the best one yet, but there was still plenty to be desired as the defense could have played better and Geno didn’t have his finest showing.

But I still feel far better about this team than most others in this proverbial tier of the Power Rankings.

8 – Lions (2-1) 4

In a week filled with impressive performances, the Lions stood out to me as one of the best teams of the week. I predicted them to lose, and all they did was thoroughly dominate a Falcons team that had been one of the most solid in the league through the first two weeks.

What I was by far most impressed with was Detroit’s defensive effort, giving up just 183 yards and not allowing a touchdown. That’s a massive improvement, albeit against the worst offense they’ve played this year. If that side of the ball continues to play at that level, the Lions could absolutely soar. 

9 – Ravens (2-1) 3

Everyone is allowed a weird, borderline inexplicable loss to a bad team, especially early in the season. But I still have some concerns with this Ravens team.

I understand that injuries are out of their control, but their supposedly elite defense was absolutely carved up by Gardner Minshew and Zack Moss. That’s not great. And I understand that weather was a factor and they probably should have won in overtime if they rightfully got a DPI call in their favor, but again, these things are out of their control. Maybe they should have been more focused on trying to stop an offense full of backups.

10 – Packers (2-1) 1

The last two weeks haven’t been the prettiest for the Packers, but it’s hard not to like what you see, especially with Jordan Love. At the very least, the young QB is an absolute gamer, and Green Bay is going to be in plenty of games with him being as tough and clutch as he has been. For them to come back from 17 down in the fourth quarter after showing absolutely no signs of life on offense really says something.

I understand that they were playing a Saints team that turned anemic once Derek Carr went down, but it’s not like that caused New Orleans’ defense to lay down and die. Love still had to rally the troops and bring the Packers all the way back, and the way they did so was inspiring.

I still feel plenty good about this team moving forward, and I’m very interested to see how they look on Thursday night against Detroit. 

11 – Bengals (1-2) 6

The Bengals are finally off the scheid in 2023, which is almost entirely thanks to their defensive effort and that of Ja’Marr Chase, who put the offense on his back on Monday night.

Joe Burrow still doesn’t look like himself, which continues to be a major concern, but he did what he had to do. I’m not sure why the Bengals made him drop back 53 times on a bad calf, but that’s neither here nor there. His quick passes and the playmaking ability of Chase put the team in enough positions to kick enough field goals to win. Is that a sustainable winning formula? Absolutely not. But it’s working… for now.

I was far more impressed with Cincy’s defense, especially up front as they racked up six sacks and forced two turnovers. That side of the ball will need to do the heavy lifting while Burrow continues to recover from a calf issue, and although they put together that performance against a horrible Rams offensive line, it’s hard not to like what I’ve seen. Hopefully for their sake, they can channel this into some better performances than they had in their first two games. 

12 – Falcons (2-1) 2

No single team disappointed me as much last week as the Falcons. For me to pick them to win only for them to not even amass 200 total yards while refusing to score a touchdown is a bad look. It was the type of poor offensive performance that I’m always weary of with Atlanta.

It’s certainly a problem, but I feel good about their ability to bounce back given what they’ve showed in their first two games. I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt for now. They’ll need to reconvince me this week in London. 

13 – Jaguars (1-2) 5

It certainly appears that the Jaguars were drinking too much of their own Kool-Aid, perhaps so much so that they’ve completely drowned in it. They’ve yet to put together a remotely solid performance this season, and there are concerns aplenty with this team that was supposed to be one of the best in football.

The offense is a total mess with drops galore, the secondary is one of the worst in football, and Trevor Lawrence doesn’t look like the quarterback we saw late last year. I feel good about their ability to turn this thing around, but they need to prove themselves as soon as possible. The good news is that the schedule is pretty easy, but the Jags haven’t made anything look easy so far in 2023.  

14 – Chargers (1-2) 2

I could write a book about the Chargers at this point, but I’ll try and keep this brief for both of our sakes.

Sunday’s win was the absolute epitome of what this team is — a stellar offense led by one of the best quarterbacks in football with a dreadful defense that gets gashed all game long but is capable of making enough timely turnovers to win some games. That does not feel like a long-term winning formula.

There’s only so much Justin Herbert can do, and his job just got much harder with Mike Williams suffering a season-ending ACL injury. I don’t think Keenan Allen can put together 15-catch, 200-yard performances every week. The good news is that Austin Ekeler should be returning soon. But unless this defense shores up, it’s hard to feel good about LA’s chances in any game against an offense with a pulse. 

15 – Steelers (2-1) 5

Despite a solid showing on Sunday night, I still have plenty of reservations about Pittsburgh’s offense. I’m not going to be convinced by a good performance against a Raiders defense that can’t stop a nosebleed.

My bigger takeaway from the win in Vegas was how poor the secondary looked. That’s becoming a concerning trend. Against teams that aren’t turnover machines like the Browns and Raiders were — like the 49ers in Week 1 — that’s going to lose the Steelers plenty of games. The offense simply isn’t good enough to make up for any and all defensive shortcomings. 

16 – Browns (2-1) 5

I’ve seen a lot of lists with the Browns in or just outside of the top 10, which is a sentiment I can understand. But I just don’t know what to make of this team at this point. Their inconsistency perplexes me, and until I see some more steady play over the course of several games, I think they’re just going to be a middle of the pack team.

Still, there’s plenty to like with Cleveland. The defense has been nothing short of elite as they rank first in total yards, passing yards, and scoring while ranking second in rushing yards. It’s easy to win games with a unit as dominant as this one. It also helps that Deshaun Watson played perhaps his best game as a Brown on Sunday against the Titans. But again, I’m going to need to see that more consistently to bump this team up higher. 

17 – Commanders (2-1) 4

I don’t wanna talk about it. All I can say is I told you so. I told you not to get your hopes up with this young, raw quarterback and this horrendous offensive line.

The fanbase desperately needed this reality check. Maybe I did too. 

18 – Rams (1-2)

The Rams really confuse me. The only thing I know for certain with them is that their offensive line is terrible and their defense is pretty solid. Other than that, everything else they do is completely up to chance.

We saw how anemic their offense looked when Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua were neutralized — which is something that will probably change once Cooper Kupp re-enters the picture. But ever since their opening win, LA hasn’t shown us much to like. We’ll see how that changes over the next few weeks against some stingy opposition. 

19 – Saints (2-1)

I’m giving the Saints a rare pass for blowing a 17-point fourth quarter lead due to the unfortunate shoulder injury suffered by Derek Carr that’s going to keep him out for a while. Up to that point, this team looked very convincing, and I was ready to give them a massive apology. But they completely collapsed down the stretch, and Jameis Winston didn’t exactly have the best relief appearance.

Still, I feel good about Jameis’ ability to lead this team in Carr’s absence. That just happened to be a tough circumstance to be thrown into. This defense is still elite, and Alvin Kamara is finally back to give the skill position group — which has been shockingly good — a huge boost. I get the feeling the Saints are going to be just fine.  

20 – Patriots (1-2) 3

There’s really not much I can say about the Patriots this week. That was simply the typical post-Brady win over the Jets — terrible offense in terrible conditions with a late defensive or special teams play to secure the win. It’s becoming too predictable at this point, honestly.

Despite this being their only win, it was by far the least convincing performance New England has put together so far this year. But like I said, that’s how their games against the Jets go these days. This weekend’s matchup with Dallas will be a much better benchmark for them.

21 – Buccaneers (2-1) 7

Monday night’s performance was everything that I feared the Buccaneers were capable of thanks to their subpar quarterback play.

Yes, Baker Mayfield had a great opening two games, but they were against two bottom 10 passing defenses. The concerning part of that statistic is that the Eagles have a worse secondary than the Vikings do, statistically. The difference is that, between a nonexistent run game and a defensive disasterclass, the entire game fell on the shoulders of Baker, who is simply not capable of leading a team to victory on his own.

I don’t think many Bucs games will look like Monday night’s, but we should definitely be wary of such a performance moving forward. 

22 – Titans (1-2) 7

I seriously considered making the Titans this week’s Team of Shame, but they get a bit of a pass thanks to going against one of the NFL’s best defenses. Still, that was terrible. They had 94 total yards of offense — ninety four! They couldn’t even get to triple digits! And they didn’t even turn the ball over in the process!

Tennessee just got completely outclassed on both sides of the ball. That’s an early contender for worst performance of the year, but it’s being overshadowed by a horrible game from a certain orange-wearing team this week. Regardless, the Titans are being decked big time, and it’s going to take a lot of convincing for me to bring them back up. 

23 – Vikings (0-3) 1

Regression to the mean. 11-0 in one-score games in 2022. 0-3 in such games in 2023. Starting to sound like a broken record.

You can make the argument that the Vikings deserved to win this game, but I would not listen to such an argument. They lost in the exact same way that has plagued both of their other losses this year: the defense gets torn apart while redzone turnovers ruin prime scoring opportunities that would have won the game. It’s like every Minnesota game this year has been a copy-and-pasted version of the others with a few tweaks here and there. It’s actually stupefying.

Taking all of this into account,, it’s safe to say that we can stick a fork in the 2023 Vikings. Making the playoffs after starting 0-3 is virtually impossible. At this point, they should shift their sights to April’s draft.  

24 – Cardinals (1-2) 6

The Cardinals have been frisky all year long, and it finally paid off in their first win of the season in a massive upset over the Cowboys. Good for them. It was awesome to see their offense ball out, especially against arguably the best defense in the NFL, while their own defense put together a phenomenal performance.

It’s just as I said before the season began: this is a team in a new era that is going to be fighting week in and week out. With a roster that’s way more talented than we thought featuring a defense with a ton of young playmakers, that’s going to translate to a good amount of wins. 

25 – Colts (2-1) 3

For the second consecutive year, the Colts have won a Week 3 game against an elite AFC team that they had absolutely business beating. This one is different from last year’s win over Kansas City, though, as Indy was on the road in Baltimore and came all the way back to win in overtime with a backup QB after he nearly single-handedly lost the game by Orlovsky-ing out of the endzone late in the fourth quarter.

The Colts are like the Cardinals in the sense that they’re now coached by a former Eagles coordinator who is clearly doing a great job of implementing a new culture. This team wants to win, and even without their star young quarterback and running back, that has been apparent in the last couple of weeks. And like the Cardinals, you have to imagine that’ll translate to wins. 

26 – Texans (1-2) 5

In a stunning turn of events, C.J. Stroud is pretty amazing at football. Who could have seen that coming?

The stud rookie quarterback has set the record for most passing yards without an interception through his first three games, and he has done so by utilizing his young weapons like Tank Dell and Nico Collins — throwing the ball with tremendous accuracy and anticipation. Some of the stuff that C.J. is doing is well beyond his years, and reminds me of the flashes that Justin Herbert showed in his 2020 rookie campaign.

With a defense that’s also suddenly playing above expectation levels, I think Houston is going to be in great shape, especially in the long-term. 

27 – Raiders (1-2) 1

Sunday night was the ultimate Jimmy Garoppolo game. He’ll make some nice passes and distribute the ball effectively, but when the going gets tough, he turns into a pumpkin. It obviously doesn’t help when your offensive line might as well not suit up and your running game doesn’t exist.

But that’s obviously not the biggest takeaway from the loss. That would be Josh McDaniels’ incompetence, which is something that I’ve been preaching ever since I developed the ability to speak. He is simply an inept, incapable head coach that will lose you more games than he wins you. That’s really all there is to it. 

28 – Giants (1-2) 3

What can I even say about the Giants at this point? They’re impossible to watch and one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments. I don’t even feel like thinking about them, let alone talk about them. But I do relish in them being terrible. 

29 – Panthers (0-3)

Is there a team more boring than the Panthers right now? They have one of the worst skill position groups in the league, and even when Bryce Young plays, there’s no point in watching. There’s nothing he can do behind that horrendous offensive line. The defense is supposed to be great, but injuries have completely derailed them, and now they’re giving up points in bunches.

You’d think there’s nowhere to go but up from here, but I think it’s actually going to get worse before it gets better. It’s okay Carolina, at least you guys have your first round pick this year… oh wait. 

30 – Jets (1-2) 6

I really don’t feel like talking about the Jets while Zach Wilson continues to start for them. Can we please just move on? For all of our sakes?

31 – Broncos (0-3) 4

In a week littered with potential candidates for the Team of Shame, the Broncos stand out above the rest.

After Sean Payton — who the team traded a first round pick for — went out and said this team had the worst head coaching stint in NFL history, all he has done is run Denver into the dirt with a historically bad 0-3 start that includes Sunday’s 50-point thrashing where they gave up the most points the NFL has seen since the Nixon administration.

At this point, you just wonder how much longer the franchise sticks with him and Russ. They certainly feel stuck in quicksand. And I have no sympathy for them. 

32 – Bears (0-3)

It has never been more over.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 3 Picks

Some fun matchups and a Super Bowl rematch highlight a Week 3 slate that hopefully treats me better than the first two have.

Cover photo taken from Sporting News.

Last Week: 9-7

Season Total: 18-14

49ers 27-17 Giants

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

I’d like to think the Giants can keep it close in this game, but we all know that’s not happening.

If their offense gets off to another slow start, which is a likely outcome against San Francisco’s defense, they’ll simply be in too big of a hole to overcome. I don’t see New York being able to keep up on either side of the ball, especially on the road. Their defense would have to keep them in it, which is entirely possible. But on a short week, I think the 49ers will simply be too much across the board for the Giants to remain competitive.

Browns 20-17 Titans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

In a game which figures to be a defensive slugfest, I’ll take the home team.

Despite how awful the Browns looked on Monday night, they still put together some nice drives and put up good numbers on a great Steelers defense. If Cleveland can contain a Titans offense which hasn’t played great through two games, I think they should be able to win easily. But Deshaun Watson and that offense will never make things easy.

There will be plenty of turnovers to go around in this game, and I think the Browns are ever so slightly better on both sides of the ball to take more advantage oft hat.

Falcons 23-20 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This is easily my most-anticipated game of the week. It’s going to be so much fun.

These are two of the best and brightest young, burgeoning teams in the NFL, and I’d be shocked if this game wasn’t — at the very least — competitive. But more than that, I think it’s going to be a blast.

I wanted to lean towards the Lions at home, but their injury concerns are troubling. It doesn’t look like David Montgomery is going to play, and Amon-Ra St. Brown is banged up. That could mean a healthy dose of Jahmyr Gibbs, which could be extremely explosive for the offense, but I haven’t seen enough out of him in that scheme to fully believe it’s going to happen.

Detroit’s defense also remains a huge concern, and they’ll have their hands full with Bijan Robinson and that Falcons offense. Atlanta’s defense also offers plenty more to like with their elite secondary play.

Against a banged up Lions offense, I think the Falcons have what it takes on both sides of the ball to come away with a huge road win and get off to a most unlikely 3-0 start.

Packers 20-16 Saints

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

After the way they closed things out in Atlanta, I think the Packers will be looking to make a statement in this game. They want to prove that they’re not the team that laid down and died last week. Unfortunately for them, it’s going to be tough. The Saints boast one of the best defenses in the league — one that hasn’t given up more than 20 points in 10 consecutive games. They’re not going to make it easy for Jordan Love and the offense to operate.

My concern with New Orleans, however, is their offense. They may be 2-0, but I see virtually nothing to like on that side of the ball. Tony Jones may have proven that he can be a solid back in relief of Alvin Kamara, and Chris Olave and Michael Thomas are plenty for any secondary to handle, but they have simply underperformed. I’ll give them a bit of a pass considering the caliber of defenses they’ve played, but the Packers are certainly not a pushover on that side of the ball. They have the talent and playmakers to make things difficult for Derek Carr and company once again. And I believe that will be the difference in this game. 

Dolphins 33-19 Broncos

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Broncos closed out their Week 2 game against the Commanders by giving up 32 points while scoring just six (not counting the Hail Mary). Now they go on the road to play the best, most explosive offense in football.

Need I say more?

Vikings 27-24 Chargers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This has a real chance to be the funniest game ever. Both of these teams’ seasons are essentially cooked if they don’t win this game. It’s going to be some high-level football, but you can always count on these two franchises to make it hilarious.

I really wasn’t sure which way to lean here. Both of these teams have shown plenty to like through two games and could both easily be 2-0 instead of 0-2 if the chips fell their way. Alas, they both come into this game needing wins to stay alive.

I’m taking the Vikings for a couple of reasons. For starters, they are the home team, and although I hate using that rationale, I think it matters here. The Chargers have to come out and play a 1 p.m. game for the second consecutive week, which surely isn’t easy. But on top of that, I think Minnesota probably feels better about themselves than Los Angeles does. The Chargers lost their grip on both of their games and choked away two wins while the Vikings simply didn’t have enough time to complete comeback attempts. I think they’re going to go out and slice and dice this weak LA secondary. Their own defense will certainly have its struggles, but I just get the sense that they’ll have one or two plays in them to come away with a much-needed win.

Patriots 17-13 Jets

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

I will almost never pick the Jets to win a game while Zach Wilson continues to start for them.

I will certainly not do it against Bill Belichick and the Patriots, who have won this matchup 22 of the last 24 times and 14 times in a row.

Bills 23-20 Commanders

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Let me lead with this: I think the fact that we’re getting 6.5 points is preposterous, but I would be truly shocked if we won this game.

Yes, the vibes are at an all time high, but we have beaten two very bad football teams. Now the Bills are coming to town. It will be a raucous environment once again featuring over 175 alums, but the game itself will be a struggle.

mBoth of these defenses should dominate, and points will be a commodity. If that’s the case, you’d have to think Josh Allen and that Buffalo offense have the advantage. But I think this will play out very similarly to their opener against the Jets. Allen could throw a flurry of interceptions or be sacked time and time again, which would bode well for Washington. But I’m going to put my faith in him for once and say that he has learned from his mistakes. Those turnovers are going to happen, but I think the Bills will respond better to them than they did in Week 1, and I think that will put them over the top to give the Commanders their first loss of the season. 

Yes, I would love to see Sam Howell and the offense put together another masterful performance. But they’re facing a Buffalo defense that has given up two offensive touchdowns all season. I’m trying to be realistic here.

Jaguars 30-20 Texans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Like the Packers, I think the Jaguars will be looking to make a statement on Sunday. They were horrible offensively against Kansas City, but now they face one of the worst scoring defenses in the NFL. Houston hasn’t been terrible on that side of the ball, but they’re susceptible to giving up points in bunches — which is exactly how the Jags beat the Colts in Week 1. I see a very similar game happening here.

It won’t be the prettiest thing in the world, and Jacksonville should be weary of a Texans offense that looks like it might be starting to find its stride. But they really have no excuse to lose. 

Ravens 24-10 Colts

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

It doesn’t seem like Anthony Richardson will suit up on Sunday for the Colts. They didn’t have much of a shot to begin with. They certainly don’t have a shot now.

Seahawks 24-14 Panthers

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

It doesn’t seem like Bryce Young will suit up on Sunday for the Panthers. They didn’t have much of a shot to begin with. They certainly don’t have a shot now.

Chiefs 27-10 Bears

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

The only intriguing part of this matchup is what the margin of victory for the Chiefs is going to be.

The Bears have quickly become the most embarrassing, dysfunctional franchise in the NFL, and they are reeling harder than I’ve ever seen a team do so.

There’s a very small chance they parlay that into a great showing in Kansas City. There’s a much bigger chance that they lay their third dud in a row and lose their 13th consecutive game.

Cowboys 30-17 Cardinals

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

Like the game above, the only question here is how much Dallas will win this game by. The Cardinals have been competitive, but the Cowboys are by far the best team they will have played. Even at home, I don’t think they’ll keep this one very close. Although it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys secondary looks without Trevon Diggs. Should be something to keep an eye on. 

Raiders 20-17 Steelers

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

If these teams’ performances last week were any indication, this might be a truly unwatchable mess. So glad we have it on Sunday Night Football!

I’m just going to pick the Raiders because they’ve shown me more to like offensively. Las Vegas’ defense is pretty awful, but we all know the Steelers won’t be able to take full advantage of that. Their offense has simply been a disaster. Granted, they have played two great defenses, but I simply don’t believe in the scheme. They’re going to need huge performances out of guys like Najee Harris, and I do not see that happening against anybody.

Eagles 26-20 Buccaneers

Monday, 7:15 PM EST, ABC

This should be a fun Monday nighter.

The Buccaneers have looked much better on both sides of the ball than I have anticipated. Against an Eagles team that hasn’t quite looked like itself on either side of the ball this year, I think Tampa has everything it takes to keep this one close, if not pull out an upset at home. I’m just concerned that the lights might be a bit too bright for them in this spot.

The Eagles are also coming off a very long rest period having played last Thursday night. They’ve had a lot of time to regroup and hopefully improve their secondary play, but considering how good Baker and the Bucs have looked, I wouldn’t be surprised if they struggle mightily once again. But I think they’ll make enough plays up front against a below average Tampa offensive line to ensure a victory. 

Bengals 26-23 Rams

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

Every time I thought about this matchup as this week has gone on, I was never going to pick the Bengals, regardless of whether or not Joe Burrow suits up. But I switched my pick for a simple reason: Cincinnati needs this win infinitely more than the Rams do.

A loss in this game very much sticks a fork in the Bengals. Since 1979, six teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-3 — none since the Texans in 2018. With a beat-up Burrow, those chances feel even more slim. But they’re at home in a huge primetime spot against a team that is frisky, but they have no business losing to.

There’s also a revenge factor after losing to the Rams in Super Bowl LVI. Perhaps most importantly, Cincy has no excuse to lose in those gorgeous all-white alternates. I think they’re simply going to rise above their station and put together an inspired performance that saves their season. Then we’ll see where they go with some more tough games on tap and a very delicate injury situation under center. 

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 3 Power Rankings

A week littered with upsets and continued craziness has caused plenty more shakeups in the rankings. Here’s how I stack things up 1-32 as we head into October.

Cover photo taken from Philadelphia Inquirer.

1 – Eagles (3-0) 4

While I don’t think the Eagles are the best team in the league, they are certainly playing the best football of anyone right now. We all knew they had the potential to be a true contender this season, and they have lived up to it and then some through three weeks. Jalen Hurts is continuing to play like an MVP candidate. The WR corps is seemingly unstoppable as any given Sunday anyone can dominate a secondary; this week it was 2021 first-rounder Devonta Smith. The defense continues to suffocate opponents, racking up 9 sacks this week without even breaking a sweat. Against a cupcake schedule, I’m confident in Philly’s ability to keep up this level of play and stay in the upper echelon of the power rankings all year long.

2 – Dolphins (3-0) 4

Like the team above them, I don’t believe the Dolphins are the second best team in football. I don’t believe they’re better than the team they beat on Sunday, which is slotted one spot below them. But I have to respect their win and the way they’ve been playing to start this season. Miami has two wins over two of my top 5 teams, both of which coming in very clutch fashion. For all the crap I’ve given him in the past, Tua Tagovailoa has seemingly figured it out, in large part thanks to his incredible receivers and extremely bright young head coach in Mike McDaniel. This defense continues to play lights out, doing what they had to do to beat Josh Allen and the vaunted Bills who people were already crowning after just two games. This is an outstanding young team that plays a beautiful brand of football. They’ll need to keep that brand up in the coming weeks before the schedule gets absolutely brutal.

3 – Bills (2-1) 2

The Bills lost, everyone run for your lives! It was bound to happen. Many people thought it would happen this week. I had a sneaking suspicion, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t anticipate the weather in Miami being as big of a factor as it was, but I also forgot to take Buffalo’s incompetence in the run game into account. This team won’t lose many games between now and January, but when they do, that will be a common theme. They are far too reliant on Josh Allen to carry them to greatness when the going gets tough, and while he’s talented enough to do so, nobody can do it on their own.

4 – Chiefs (2-1) 2

I had a feeling that would happen. I’m not shocked at Kansas City’s loss on Sunday, nor am I appalled or bothered by it. Everyone loses tough road games, and I had an inclination that they were susceptible to a loss. They would have won if it wasn’t for disastrous and unlucky kicking and some unfortunate offensive plays as well as an inexplicable “unsportsmanlike conduct” penalty on Chris Jones to keep the game alive for the Colts. In short, everything that could have gone wrong for the Chiefs on Sunday did go wrong. That likely won’t happen again.

5 – Ravens (2-1) 4

While Baltimore’s defense still needs to figure itself out, their offense has been unbelievable. They sit 4th in yards per game and 1st in points per game, and it’s all thanks to their incredible QB play. Lamar Jackson is my MVP through three weeks as he continues to play better than I’ve ever seen him do so before. He leads the league in passing touchdowns with 10 and has over 200 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to boot. He has been an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses even with subpar receivers and runningbacks. It helps to have Mark Andrews at TE, who might be the most productive pass-catcher in the league so far this year. Like I said, the other side of the ball still has endless questions, but I have a good feeling that they’ll figure it out. In any case, they excel at taking the ball away. Even if they get gashed, they have it in them to make the plays necessary to win the game. That’s good enough for me.

6 – Packers (2-1) 2

Green Bay continues to prove that their defense is one of the best in their football while their offense still tries to figure out its identity. However, the offense looked a lot more promising on Sunday despite the low point total and rough second half. I mainly liked how rookie WR Romeo Doubs stepped up in the absence of Sammy Watkins. The Packers will need him to continue to produce while Aaron Rodgers still gels with his other targets. They can take as long as they need while the defense keeps winning them games with their incredible pass rush and a secondary that puts opposing receivers in jail.

7 – Buccaneers (2-1) 4

I don’t want to fault the Buccaneers too hard for losing by two points without their top two WRs and a meddling offensive line against a great team. However, those are problems that can’t be ignored. Mike Evans’ suspension is over, but the Bucs are still lacking in pass-catching weapons. The OL is still porous thanks to seemingly endless injuries. Tom Brady needs all the help he can get at this point, and without it, this team won’t be able to go too far. I still trust in their defense, which did their thing for the most part on Sunday. As I’ve said before, it is good enough to win them most of their games, but this team needs to be complete to contend.

8 – Rams (2-1) 3

I really never have any idea what to make of this team, but I really liked the way they looked this week in a game I picked them to lose. The important thing is that they’re running like a well-oiled machine. Both sides of the ball are doing their thing after a disastrous opening game. Cooper Kupp can’t stop scoring touchdowns and the defense has their mojo back after a tough first two weeks. The Rams have to keep this going against an absolutely brutal schedule, and I think I actually have faith in them to do just that.

9 – Chargers (1-2) 5

It only took three weeks for the Chargers to start Chargering… Charging? I don’t know. Whatever it is, it’s bad. I’m not even talking about the near 30-point loss to the Jaguars, although that was tough enough. LA is battered and beat up across the board to the tune of being the most injury-riddled team in the league. And it’s not just the fact that their injury list is as long as a Costco receipt, but it’s who has been hurt. Rashawn Slater is likely going to miss the entire season with a torn bicep. JC Jackson can’t figure out his ankle problem. Joey Bosa’s groin is torn to shreds. Corey Linsley continues to miss time with his knee issues. Keenan Allen’s hammy won’t heal. Justin Herbert’s ribs are falling off. Jalen Guyton tore his ACL! It’s just absurd at this point. With this team coming off back to back brutal losses and filling up every hospital in Los Angeles, it’s hard to see them bouncing back and living up to their incredible potential this season. Just another year for this franchise.

10 – Vikings (2-1) 3

The Vikings refuse to be a normal team, but they won’t complain about the nature in which they win games. The Lions gave them absolutely everything they could handle and they were still able to storm back and win the game in the final moments. There’s a lot of positive in that. I always say I hate when teams get off to horrible starts like that, but the ability to come back and beat a good division rival says a lot. In any case, I still really like this team and have a lot of faith in them, but I need to see them replicate a performance like their first of the year before having any more faith. It doesn’t help that Dalvin Cook is a bit banged up and Justin Jefferson can’t get open anymore for some reason. The schedule isn’t getting any easier, so Minnesota better hope they fix their kinks if they want to keep up with the league’s elite.

11 – Browns (2-1) 3

It’s time to accept that Jacoby Brissett is a competent, effective starting QB for this team. It helps that his supporting cast is spectacular with arguably the best RB in football behind him in Nick Chubb and Amari Cooper finally starting to emerge. The offensive line is dominant and the defense was able to bounce back from a rough finish in Week 2. I really like this roster from top to bottom, and I think they have what it takes to stay alive in the AFC playoff race until their QB1 returns from suspension. It’s a brutal schedule, but they play winning football.

12 – Jaguars (2-1) 7

Let’s be honest. None of us saw this coming. Not after this offseason, not after training camp, and certainly not after Week 1. But, here we are. The Jaguars a legitimate playoff contender. HC Doug Pederson deserves all the credit in the world for helping his young QB develop and getting his new offensive weapons involved in huge ways. Trevor Lawrence is finally playing like the star QB we all knew he could be, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones are emerging as fantastic WRs to support him, and James Robinson is back to his old ways out of the backfield. Even the defense is playing much better, allowing just 10 points in the last two games. In an awful division, the Jags are suddenly a clear-cut favorite thanks to a young roster that’s finally figuring it out thanks to competent coaching. How fun!

13 – Cowboys (2-1) 2

Cooper Rush wins games for some reason. I don’t believe that he’s the reason the Cowboys win when he plays at all, but he’s still 3-0 as their starter dating back to last year. On that note, I don’t think Dallas should be rushing Dak Prescott back from his hand injury at all. The schedule is about to ramp up, but I’d wait until the wheels fall off the Cooper Rush train to bring Dak back. As long as their defense keeps doing their thing, they’ll be fine. They continue to play at an elite level, and it’s good enough to carry them to victory against teams struggling offensively. It remains to be seen whether or not it can fly against elite offenses.

14 – Bengals (1-2) 1

Cincinnati is finally off the schneid in 2022. All it took was playing the Jets. They didn’t look great in doing so, but a win is a win. This team needed it badly. I still wasn’t really moved by their offensive performance, but their defense continued to make plays and keep the opposing team at arm’s length. I still have faith in the offense to work itself out, but it’s hard to see them returning to last year’s form at this point. They have their toughest test yet this Thursday against the undefeated Dolphins, so they’ll have to be back at that level if they want to get to .500.

15 – 49ers (1-2) 3

I really can’t help but laugh at everyone who said this team would be better with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm than Trey Lance. Seriously, what went into that thought process? This is a guy who can’t get it done when it matters most, and it showed in a massive way on Sunday night. The 49ers have an otherworldy defense but it doesn’t matter when #10 is running out of the back of the endzone and throwing a pick six on the same play! San Francisco under Jimmy will be what they always were: a good team who feasts on inferior competition that can’t get over the hump against anyone worth a damn. It’s such a shame.

16 – Lions (1-2) 1

Sunday was a perfect indicator of what this team is: better than they’ve been in a very long time by being super fun and full of guts, but still the same old Lions. By all accounts, this team could be 3-0 and very well should be 2-1. But luck doesn’t exist in Detroit. The only thing that exists is the opposite. That being said, this team is sure to see a lot more wins than we may have anticipated this season. The D’Andre Swift injury isn’t promising, but the rest of their offense certainly is, and Jamaal Williams is as good of a backup as you could ask for. The defense is better than you may think, but they still have a lot to figure out. The emergence of Jeff Okudah as a lockdown CB1 is great to see as they keep working on that side of the ball.

17 – Cardinals (1-2) 4

I expected so much more out of this team on Sunday. They didn’t even play poorly, they just couldn’t put points on the board, which typically isn’t the case for this team. They put up huge numbers, but finishing drives was seemingly impossible. That won’t be the case in most games. Their defense still looks solid, but like the offense, they just couldn’t step up when they needed to. I don’t think the Cardinals are a bad team by any means, I just think they lack a certain element to be anything but mediocre.

18 – Broncos (2-1) 5

The Broncos being above .500 feels wrong. Despite their record, I still don’t feel good about this team at all. They only won on Sunday because the opposing QB literally walked out of his own endzone. The offense is still dreadful, the defense is good enough but hasn’t played a competent offense all year long, and they are the most penalized team in football. There really is just nothing to like here. Denver will start getting walloped when they finally start playing real teams. I’m just patiently waiting for it to happen.

19 – Saints (1-2) 9

I may have been wrong about the Saints. At least for the time being, I’ll say I was. I never could have foreseen this team laying such a dud against a team as bad as Carolina. I recognize that there are injury problems offensively, but they just look lost on that side of the ball. Guys like Jameis Winston and Chris Olave are putting up numbers, but it means nothing when you can’t put points on the board and continue carelessly giving the ball away. Fumbles are plaguing this team, which is always a sign of poor preparation. It’s hard to buy into the coaching staff and the weird amalgamation of parts offensively. I’m not sure how much I trust them to figure it out in a week where they’re traveling across the pond.

20 – Patriots (1-2)

I learned absolutely nothing about the Patriots this week other than the fact that their defense might be even worse than I thought. It doesn’t help when you’re facing Lamar Jackson, but it’s just uncharacteristic of this franchise. The bigger problem with New England is the ankle injury suffered by Mac Jones that’s sure to sideline him for a long time. Ankle sprains like that do nothing but linger and hold players back, and I don’t see him coming back any time soon. So, it’s the Brian Hoyer show in Foxboro for the time being. In an offense with no great weapons, that’s sure to be a disaster. We might have to stick a fork in the Patriots early.

21 – Steelers (1-2)

Stop taking the high road. It’s time to start Kenny Pickett. There is quite literally nothing to lose. Moreover, there is absolutely nothing to be gained with Trubisky continuing to start. He’s below average at best and does nothing to help win games. Just get the guy you spent a first round pick on the reps so you can actually be competitive. He’s ready to go and is being kept from doing anything. It just makes no sense. It doesn’t help that the defense is borderline ineffective with TJ Watt out of the lineup, and things are only going to get worse with Minkah Fitzpatrick nursing a concussion. For your sake, just do what you have to do to make things salvageable.

22 – Colts (1-1-1) 9

Tie with the Texans. Get shut out by the Jaguars. Beat the Chiefs. What a fascinating way to get to 1-1-1. I still don’t buy this team in the slightest, but I have to respect their ability to pull out a huge upset win against an elite team. They were the beneficiary of everything going their way, but a win is a win. This team desperately needed one. I don’t really trust them to keep beating good teams, but the good news for them is that the schedule is only getting easier. So maybe, just maybe, they can bounce back from their horrendous start.

23 – Titans (1-2) 2

The Titans were able to emerge victorious in the mid-off of the century despite trying their absolute hardest to blow it. What was learned from this experience? Absolutely nothing. Other than the fact that Derrick Henry finally decided to show up, the Titans did nothing to change my mind. I still think this team is falling face first into a rebuild, and beating the only 0-3 team in the league isn’t going to move me. One look at their schedule will reassure anyone that this is nowhere close to a playoff team.

24 – Falcons (1-2) 3

The Falcons got their much-deserved first win in hard-fought fashion on Sunday. Good for them. The best thing about games like that is seeing your young stars make plays. Drake London and Kyle Pitts had huge games, and it was pretty cool to see. Regardless of whether or not Atlanta is able to build an actual roster in the coming years, they should be confident that they have their franchise stars on offense.

25 – Giants (2-1) 1

The Giants are a very simple team to assess. Their offense is torrid thanks to their QB being Daniel Jones, one of the worst WR groups in football (made worse thanks to Sterling Shepard’s ACL tear on Monday night), and a porous offensive line. However, Saquon Barkley is back in full force to help ease the pain. Defensively, they are pretty solid, but not good enough to contain any elite teams. So, they will lose a lot of games. This was the first of many.

26 – Raiders (0-3) 4

I really thought it couldn’t get any worse. But, it got worse. Because this is the Raiders. This isn’t a franchise has stars that turn them into contenders or builds competent rosters. Their stars are ineffective and overshadowed. Their team is always incompetent and one of the biggest messes in all of football. Their coaching is always a joke and they refuse to be anything worth a damn. I genuinely don’t know how Raiders fans do it. This is exhausting from an outside perspective.

27 – Commanders (1-2) 9

This team does not exist to me. Carry on.

28 – Panthers (1-2) 2

I know I picked the Panthers to get crushed and they shut me up by beating one of my top 10 teams from a week ago. But, I’m still not very moved. Sunday’s game told me a lot more about New Orleans than Carolina. I still don’t believe in anything this team is doing at all. I will say that their defense looked very solid against a great on-paper offense. That’s a positive, which are very hard to come by with this team.

29 – Jets (1-2) 1

Welcome back to Earth. The Jets looked a lot more like the Jets on Sunday, doing approximately nothing for 60 minutes en route to another loss. That’s exactly what we expect. The good thing for New York is that Garrett Wilson keeps on putting up huge numbers, but he’s also gotten beat up a lot in the last two weeks. For his and my sake, please stop throwing him hospital balls.

30 – Seahawks (1-2) 1

Even in a loss, I don’t think the Seahawks were too embarrassing on Sunday. Geno Smith made some nice plays and the offense put up some points. They were competitive and could have come away with a win. By all means, they should have, but this team isn’t good enough for that, especially defensively. When you can’t pull it out at home against another bad team, you’re probably really bad.

31 – Bears (2-1) 5

This might just be the most heartbreaking scenario in the league for me. Justin Fields just can’t get it going as a QB in this league. While I continue to cite the horrible situation he’s in, there’s no excuse for playing so dreadfully and nearly throwing the game away against the worst team in football. His pitiful stats back up his poor play on the field, and it really breaks my heart. The Bears may be above .500, but it means nothing, especially if their first-round QB keeps playing like this. I’m hoping and praying that it turns around.

32 – Texans (0-2-1)

Can I just go ahead and pencil the Texans in here for the rest of the season? This team is just dreadful. I have no idea when they’ll get that first win, but I doubt it’ll be anytime soon. Yes they have some nice pieces and Dameon Pierce is finally emerging as a RB1. But that’s about it. It’s ok Houston, you’re well on your way to the #1 pick in the draft and a future franchise QB. Just keep doing your thing by losing. I don’t think you’ll need any help in doing so.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 3 Picks

Last week was quite brutal for my picks, but we can only go up from here with another great slate of games on tap.

Cover photo taken from Sporting News.

Another week is upon us as the young season continues to grow, and this might just be the best one yet. We have some exciting games on tap this weekend, and I can’t wait to get into it. Last week was another fun one to watch, but it was a brutal one for the Picks. Outside of getting my second ever perfect prediction, things were pretty rough. I had another awful performance in Week 2, going a mediocre 8-8 to bring my season total to 17-14-1. Surely we can only go up from here… right?

Browns 20-17 Steelers

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

Week 3 opens on one of the most mid primetime matchups you could possibly imagine. Not all of us would be spending our Thursday night with Jacoby Brissett and Mitch Trubisky if we had anything else to do. Moreover, both of these teams are beat up and coming off tough losses. It should be close and could be fun, but in no situation do I see Pittsburgh coming out of here with a win. Cleveland has the far better roster from top to bottom, and with the Steelers run defense being as poor as it has been through two weeks, I think the Browns will just ride Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to victory.

Bears 19-13 Texans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

As if you thought it couldn’t get any worse, we have this game on the schedule. Both of these teams are awful, we know that. But we also all know the Bears are slightly less awful. While the Texans have been more competitive in each game, they’ve played two awful teams. At least we’ve seen Chicago do thinks against competent opponents. This team could use a pick-me-up win. It’s going to be ugly, but the Bears should back above .500.

Raiders 26-23 Titans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This is probably the only game this week in which both teams are virtually cooked with a loss. These two 2021 playoff teams are sitting at 0-2 after two brutal losses, and history isn’t kind to teams that start their seasons with three losses in a row. I really want to pick the Titans here, seeing as though they are at home and Vegas has to come out east for a 1pm kick. But they have shown me absolutely nothing to like this season. At least the Raiders were competitive against the Chargers and should have beaten the Cardinals. They’ve shown me more, and for that, I have to trust them to get the job done.

Chiefs 28-24 Colts

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Does this game feel… off for anyone else? Or is it just me? Yes, the Colts just got embarrassed in Jacksonville and couldn’t even beat the Texans. But this is a good home team that knows it needs to show up in a huge game like this. It won’t be enough to win, but I really think that Indy is going to give Kansas City all they can handle in this one. I definitely like them to cover the spread. Still, it’s virtually impossible to beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in September, and their superior roster will prove to be the difference. Just don’t be shocked if it’s in question for a while.

Bills 29-21 Dolphins

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

I really wanted to pick the Dolphins here. Everything is pointing towards them pulling off this upset. They had the game of their lives last week and now come back home to host the best team in football in an environment that isn’t easy for any road team to win in. I don’t think any extraneous factors will be in play though. I just think these are two great teams that are going to play a great game, and the better one will find a way to win. It’s that simple. I trust Josh Allen way more than I trust Tua Tagovailoa, and I trust the rest of the Bills roster infinitely more than the Dolphins’, especially defensively. Considering what Lamar Jackson did to Miami last week, this is likely going to be another huge day for Buffalo’s offense.

Vikings 30-27 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This is going to be fun. The Lions have been a very exciting team through two weeks, using their star-studded offense to light up the scoreboard. This is the highest scoring team in football, averaging 34.5 points per game, and their defense has been surprisingly good as well. Meanwhile, the Vikings are coming off an embarrassing loss on MNF. I think that teams who suffer tough losses usually bounce back the following week, especially if they’re as good as Minnesota is, and I trust this team to win a close divisional game. They know they’re not as bad as they looked on Monday, and they’ll be out to prove it. This could very well be the game of the week, and I’m very excited to watch it.

Ravens 20-17 Patriots

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

While I think the Ravens are a far better team than the Patriots are, everything about this screams close game and a potential upset. New England just isn’t a team that’s going to continue to look as bad as they have in the first two games of the season. Lamar Jackson is also nursing an elbow injury that could limit Baltimore’s now-explosive pass attack. They could be getting JK Dobbins back in this game, which would be huge. Regardless, they should be able to ride their run game to victory. It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, and the better team is going to win it.

Bengals 27-20 Jets

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Jets pulled off a miracle last week, but it’s time to return to Earth. This is a very bad team that was down 13 with 90 seconds left last week thanks to a porous defense. The offense has actually been solid with Joe Flacco at the helm thanks to the emergence of rookie WR Garrett Wilson, but now they face a stout Bengals defense. Cincinnati is desperate to get their first win, and this is the perfect opportunity for them to do so. The offense should be able to feast on a horrible Jets secondary en route to a victory. New York could stick around for a bit, but I just don’t think they have it in them to win this one.

Eagles 31-19 Commanders

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

We all saw the Eagles on Monday night. We all saw the Commanders on Sunday. Does anything else really need to be said? Philadelphia is dominant on both sides of the ball with their dynamic offense and lockdown defense. Washington has an offense that picks and chooses when they want to function properly and one of the worst defenses in football with the worst DC in the league. This one really shouldn’t be close. I know divisional games are usually scrappy fights, but not when one team is as overmatched as the Commanders are here. This will be over by halftime, but the offense will do that thing where they put up some numbers in the second half to make it look respectable. Typical.

Saints 24-10 Panthers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Even in a loss, the Saints showed us what they’re made of last week. This is a very solid team with a fantastic defense and an offense full of playmakers. The Panthers, meanwhile, are an absolute joke on both sides of the ball that simply doesn’t know how to win games. Like the divisional game above, this one should not be close at all. New Orleans is the far better team across the board and shouldn’t break a sweat in pulling off this victory.

Chargers 24-20 Jaguars

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

This one should be fun. The Chargers have proven themselves as one of the NFL’s elite contenders, and the Jaguars are finally looking like the team they want to be thanks to the impacts of their new signings and draftees and the development of Trevor Lawrence. Los Angeles is definitely the better team, but I have concerns about Justin Herbert’s health after getting beat up last week. I think it could affect how dangerous the Chargers offense can be, and it’ll be enough to let Jacksonville hang around for a while. It’ll be back and forth, but the better team will come out on top. Look for LA’s defense to make some of the game-changing plays.

Cardinals 31-27 Rams

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

This is as big as it gets for a division matchup this early in the season. Both of these teams have been roller coasters through two weeks, and the winner of this game will be feeling much better about themselves than the loser. In an NFC West with a ton of questions, a win is imperative to separate yourself early in the season. Quite frankly, I don’t trust either of these teams to do so. Not only are they playing very questionable football, but I just don’t really think much of either squad. They’re on essentially the same level in my mind. So, I’ll rock with the home team, which has honestly shown me more to like. The Cardinals’ comeback win was more inspiring than anything the Rams have done this season. I think they can carry that momentum into this matchup in a huge way and come away with a much-needed win.

Seahawks 21-20 Falcons

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

Once again, these two teams are exactly the same in my head. I actually think the Falcons are slightly better, but it is very hard to win in Seattle, and I think that’ll make the difference here. While Atlanta has been much more competitive this season, the Seahawks are simply different when they play at home. Even though the team is awful, their home field advantage is real. It will be the only thing separating these two teams on Sunday.

Buccaneers 23-16 Packers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

Simply put, the Buccaneers have the Packers’ number, and it’s largely thanks to their incredible defense. That defense is what’s carrying the team at this point, and it will need to continue to do so this week with WR Mike Evans serving a one-game suspension. Considering how Green Bay’s offense has looked through two weeks, I think they will be able to keep things under wraps and let Tom Brady and the offense win the game. To me, the key piece in this one is Leonard Fournette. We all saw the Packers get gashed on the ground by the Bears last week, and Fournette has been racking up yards like crazy in his first two games. I think Tampa can score enough by relying on their run game, and their defense will do the rest against a Green Bay offense still struggling to find its identity.

49ers 22-17 Broncos

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

This game was a lot more appealing three weeks ago. Now it just feels like a big pile of nothing. The Broncos have been one of football’s most unwatchable teams this year, and the 49ers have Jimmy Garoppolo back at the helm. I think it’s safe to say this won’t be the most entertaining primetime game in the world. I actually feel like the Broncos have the edge in this game with being at home, but that didn’t do much for them last week against the worst team in football. So, I’ll roll with the much better team and roster in the Niners, despite the fact that they’re dealing with a plethora of offensive injuries. San Francisco’s defense could prove to be the difference, which wouldn’t shock me considering the incompetent offense they’re going up against.

Cowboys 20-13 Giants

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

It took three weeks, but we have our first NFC East primetime game of the year! Football fans everywhere rejoice! Cooper Rush vs. Daniel Jones is probably going to be as brutal as it sounds, but this could still be fun. At the very least, it’ll be close, as so many of these games tend to be. The only exceptional unit in this game is the Cowboys defense, which has been more impressive than I could have imagined against two very good offenses. The Giants have scraped by with two close wins that don’t move me, and against an actually good team, they won’t have much going for them. It’ll be scrappy, but Dallas should win this game with relative ease.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 3 Power Rankings

Week 3 brought about plenty more shuffling all across the NFL landscape. Let’s see how the league stacks up after a wildly unpredictable start to 2021.

The Rams’ resounding win over the Buccaneers in Week 3 was seemingly a passing of the torch that established LA as the clear-cut best team in the NFL. (h/t Katelyn Mulcahy, Getty Images)

This week in the NFL brought about a lot of shuffling amongst the league’s haves and have-nots alike. Between some upsets, duds, and surprising performances, things have only gotten more unpredictable. Pitting these teams against each other is already hard enough, but the 2021 season has made things much more difficult. After three wild weeks of football, let’s stack up the teams 1-32:

1 – Rams (3-0) 1

By beating the Buccaneers, the Rams established themselves as the team to beat in the NFL. They knocked Tampa clean off the mantle and took it for themselves. It’s not just the fact that they won, but it was their dominance in doing so that is so impressive. Matt Stafford is playing like an MVP, Cooper Kupp is putting up some of the best stats in the league at WR, and they’ve even rejuvenated Desean Jackson as a deep threat. The run game couldn’t really get going, but without their top 2 backs against an outstanding defensive front, I’ll give them a pass. With an outstanding defense of their own, the sky is the limit for this team. Everything is right there for them, they just have to reach out and grab it.

2 – Browns (2-1) 2

I know this looks and sounds crazy. But just give it some thought for me. The Browns could very easily be 3-0. They were the better team against Kansas City and had some very unlucky breaks. In the two weeks since, they have looked incredible. Granted, they’ve played two very bad teams, but the tape speaks for itself. It was the run game on full display in Week 2, and last week it was the incredible defensive front. Myles Garrett accounted for 4.5 out of the team’s 9 sacks against the Bears, and if that side of the ball gets going, it is certainly a scary sight for the rest of the AFC. I had very high hopes for this team, and I think they’re starting to realize their potential. I’d love to see them beat some better teams, but I’m buying their stock right now and hoping they don’t let me down.

3 – Buccaneers (2-1) 2

Anyone who has been paying attention to this team so far this season saw Sunday’s loss coming from a mile away, and the reasons for that are the same reasons they lost. The defense remains a very big question, as for the third week in a row, they were torn apart. The offense was fine in terms of stats, as Tom Brady threw for over 400 yards, but they could not run the ball whatsoever and simply didn’t translate that offensive production into enough points. I still think this team will be fine considering they just played their toughest game, but they better hope they figure out their defensive issues, especially in the secondary. If they don’t get back to how they were playing late in 2020, this will not be a championship team.

4 – Cardinals (3-0) 1

Sunday’s game was a bit closer than I would have liked, but this team is just fine. Their explosive offense made enough plays to put points on the board, and their defense did a fine job of slamming the door on the Jags offense. A pick six from Byron Murphy was the icing on the cake against a team that is still lost and confused. This week’s contest against the Rams will tell us a lot about who this team truly is. Their identity is an explosive team that can shut you down when necessary on defense, but they did struggle with the best offense they played this year (Minnesota). How they perform against the hottest offense in football will be very telling.

5 – Packers (2-1) 7

The Packers are officially back. I originally had them so low because I wanted them to prove to me that they could climb back up. In just two weeks, they’ve done just that. Aaron Rodgers is more than back, carrying his team to victory thanks to incredible throws and ice in his veins. Davante Adams is still the only real receiving threat, but there’s nobody I’d rather have lining up on the outside. And Aaron Jones is still as productive as any RB in football. Their secondary looked vastly improved with DB Eric Stokes Jr. out there instead of Kevin King, and if they stick with the rookie, I see this defense doing big things once again. And if that’s the case, then Green Bay can easily reassert themselves as the team to beat in the NFC.

6 – Bills (2-1) 2

As I said yesterday, what we saw from the Bills on Sunday is just what we’ve expecting out of them. Destroying a Washington team that barely got off the plane isn’t the most impressive thing in the world, but it still felt good to see this team realize its offensive potential. There are only a few, if any teams that can stop them when they’re clicking like that. Moreover, their defense was putting in work, especially in the secondary. That’s what held them back last year, so if they get going on that side of the football, there might not be many teams in the AFC that can slow them down, especially in their division of anemic offenses.

7 – Raiders (3-0)

I really like what this team is doing, but I would love it if they could win their games a bit more convincingly. This has been the most prolific passing attack in football, statistically speaking, through 3 weeks, and Derek Carr is playing at an MVP level. But, for some reason, their defense is incapable of shutting the door and closing out games. That’s a quality that any championship-level team needs to have, and if the Raiders don’t find it, it will definitely hold them back. It is an offensive league, and their offense has won them every game thus far, but the lack of a clutch factor on defense concerns me moving forward.

8 – Chargers (2-1) 6

Sorry for being so back and forth on this team week after week. That’s just the nature of the Chargers. Justin Herbert and company picked up one of the best wins of the young season on Sunday at Arrowhead, and it proved quite a lot to me. It proved that this team can go anywhere and go toe to toe with any team in football. It also showed that Herbert is 100% built for the moment and can potentially be a championship-level QB, but I knew that already. Mike Williams has emerged as a potential star at WR beside Keenan Allen. The offensive line has been sensational thanks to the stellar play of rookie LT Rashawn Slater. This defense has stepped up in a big way week after week, and the emergence of the secondary has me feeling really good about this team’s potential. We’ll see how they perform against the best statistical passing offense in football on Monday night.

9 – Chiefs (1-2) 6

Well, this is uncharted territory for the Chiefs. This is the first time in the history of my Power Rankings that Kansas City isn’t in the top 3. And they have nobody to blame but themselves. I know I gave them a pass for losing in Baltimore a couple of week ago, but there are no excuses being handed out anymore. They absolutely punted their game against the Chargers on Sunday, and they did not deserve to win. I have never seen this offense be so careless with the football, and it starts with Patrick Mahomes. I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but this is the worst he has ever played in his young career. He better get back to his old playmaking ways, or start actually taking care of the football. This defense isn’t nearly good enough to make up for his uncharacteristic mistakes. This team will be as great as he is, so as long as he plays like this, it will be shaky in KC.

10 – 49ers (2-1) 4

Yes, the 49ers easily could have and probably should have won on Sunday night. But that was a very shaky first half, and if they had played even slightly better, they probably could have won that game easily. I think they’ll learn from it, but it was a rough showing. Jimmy Garoppolo looked great leading that final drive to take the lead, but let’s not forget his subpar play for the previous 58 minutes. It was his inability to get the ball downfield that led to their early 17-0 hole, and if he never inexplicably fumbled the ball late in the 4th, then their go-ahead score would be to go up 4 instead of 1, and they likely would have won. I’m not saying it’s Trey Lance, because obviously playing your rookie QBs is a mistake this season, but Jimmy’s shortcomings will hold this team back. They better hope that the run game gets going or he returns to form, because the defenses in this division will not make things much easier for him.

11 – Broncos (3-0)

As much as I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from the Broncos so far this season, I can’t get the fact that their opponents are a combined 0-9 out of my head. Yes, they’ve looked great, but opponents and matchups matter. That being said, this team’s offensive efficiency and suffocating defensive ability is enough to make any football purist happy. All they do is move the ball, both through the air and on the ground. Teddy Bridgewater is being his best self, and Melvin Gordon has been very solid out of the backfield. Now, they’re starting to get rookie RB Javonte Williams going, which could lead to Denver having one of the best RB duos in football. And the defense is continuing to speak for itself. Despite some injuries, they still refuse to give up points, and it’s largely thanks to some stellar play in the secondary. This team has the talent and the formula to be very successful in 2021, but still, I need to see them play a real team before making any judgements.

12 – Ravens (2-1) 3

You might not have realized this, but the Ravens are a couple of breaks away from being 0-3. If CEH never fumbled in Week 2 and if the refs call an easy delay of game last Sunday in Detroit, Baltimore would be winless. But, as I always say, this isn’t a “what if” league. You take whatever you get. As it stands, this team is in a decent spot, but I don’t know if this luck will last. This has to catch up to them eventually. They simply didn’t put up enough points against a pretty bad Lions defense, although I will cut them some slack considering the brick hands of WR Hollywood Brown. However, if these struggles continue, then the Ravens won’t keep getting away with everything. I trust Lamar Jackson and I trust this team, but they need to prove to me that they can win a game in solid fashion before I put them ahead of certain teams above them.

13 – Cowboys (2-1)

Even I can recognize that this is probably a bit too low. I just won’t read too far into a blowout win of a terrible Eagles team. As I said yesterday, what this offense has done is what we’ve expected of them, but the best part of the Cowboys thus far has been their vastly improved defense. Trevon Diggs has been a revelation in the secondary, and Micah Parsons and his athleticism have brought a new level of dynamic playmaking ability to the defensive front. If they can lock up elite offenses while their own offense does its thing, then this team has potential. They’re already winning the division with their eyes closes, obviously, but they have to prove that they’re more than NFC East merchants. I think this team has the talent to do so.

14 – Saints (2-1) 1

This team is nothing short of an enigma. I still have no idea how to get a read on them. And I never know what version of them I’m going to get on any given Sunday. Will it be the team with the explosive offense with Jameis Winston slinging the ball all over the place and Alvin Kamara running circles around defenses? Will it be the team with a suffocating defense that slams the door on opposing offenses? Or will it be the team that does nothing of note or worth? Come up and spin the wheel of the Saints!

15 – Vikings (1-2) 9

This is a good team. They could very, very easily be 3-0. Throw away the record and look at how this team is playing and tell me they’re not at least a top 15 team in this league. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Kirk Cousins is playing at an MVP level (no, I’m not joking) with 918 yards, 8 touchdowns, and not a single turnover so far this season. He’s also doing this on 74% completion. This is Kirk at his ceiling. When he plays like this with the talent around him, the passing game will be unstoppable. It helps when your RB room goes crazy, as Dalvin Cook has been very good to start the season, and Alexander Mattison did a splendid job as the starting RB on Sunday. My biggest question with this team was the defense, but they’ve honestly done a decent job so far this season. They’ve at least done well enough to put the Vikings in a position to win, and that’s more than you can ask for. The problem with the Vikings is that the schedule is absolutely brutal. But, if they can play up to their potential, they might just win enough games to make some noise in the NFC.

16 – Titans (2-1) 1

I’m still not entirely too sure to make of this team, but in the past two weeks, they’ve given me plenty to like. In Week 2, it was the offense, and this past week, it was the defense. Granted, the offense carved up a terrible defense and the defense shut down a terrible offense. But, as I keep saying, you take what you get in this league. I still don’t feel too confident about this team, but they have the benefit of playing in the most dreadful division I’ve ever seen, so they’ll be just fine in that regard. They better be thanking their lucky stars for that, because their schedule is absolutely brutal.

17 – Seahawks (1-2) 7

This team is a mess. It quite frankly hurts to watch. At least before, their offense was good enough to cover up for their other shortcomings. But that no longer seems to be the case. Seattle’s defense is still getting ripped to shreds every Sunday, and now the offense simply isn’t putting up enough points to make up for that. It’s not that Russell Wilson isn’t doing his usual wizadry, because he is, but it’s still not enough. Things are just rough for the Seahawks. I’m not sure how I feel about their chances in an insanely stacked division.

18 – Panthers (3-0) 1

Yes, this team is 3-0. Yes, they’ve looked really good. But, let’s be honest. Almost every team in this league is going to look good against the Jets and Texans. Moreover, this team’s injuries are worrying me as the schedule gets harder. Christian McCaffrey is now out for a few weeks with a hamstring problem, and rookie CB Jaycee Horn will be out even longer with a broken foot. I like the fact that they traded for Jaguars CB C.J. Henderson, but I’ll have to see how he performs before judging that move. Losing CMC will set this offense back, but I think the next few weeks will be fine for them considering their opponents. It only gets harder from there though. Don’t let this early record fool you too much.

19 – Bengals (2-1) 7

Sunday’s win in Pittsburgh was the single best game of the Joe Burrow era for the Bengals. I loved what I saw from this team, and I’m looking forward to seeing if they can keep it going. Their in the midst of the easiest stretch in their schedule, and while I don’t expect anything massive from them, I think the Bengals will look very nice in the coming weeks. It could give them some good momentum, and that’s all this team can really ask for. There is talent here, there’s no denying that. I’m not sure what the missing piece is in Cincinnati, but if they ever fill it, then this could quickly turn into one of the best young teams in football, if they aren’t already.

20 – Patriots (1-2) 4

What exactly is this team’s identity? I don’t know. Do you know? Probably not. Are they a run-first, efficient offense with an elite defense that wins them low scoring affairs? Apparently not. But that’s what they are supposed to be. If they can’t do that, then this team quite frankly can’t do anything. And that’s what I’m afraid the Patriots are quickly becoming in 2021. It’s not that I don’t trust Mac Jones, but he just had the worst game of his young career, and now he’ll be without RB James White for the rest of the season. The defense will likely be fine, but I just don’t see New England doing enough on the other side of the football to be a very competitive team. We’ll see if they prove me wrong.

21 – Dolphins (1-2) 1

Is this team better with Jacoby Brissett at QB than Tua Tagovailoa? It certainly seems like it. Yes, they got steamrolled in Week 2, but they just went all the way out west and took a very good Raiders team to the brink. Brissett played a pretty solid game and put his team in a position to win it. He never gave up, and that’s something I love to see. I really think Tua would have shrunk in the moments that Brissett stepped up in. Regardless of the QB situation, the rest of this team isn’t giving me much to like. The rest of the offense hasn’t looked very good in any of their games, and the supposedly elite defense has only looked that way against a bad Patriots offense. They have the benefit of several poor offenses on their schedule, but I’m not sure if their offense can do enough to win a lot of games, especially considering the subpar QB play, no matter who is under center. It’s a shame, because I thought this team would be a lot better. Maybe once they get their guy at QB, they’ll finally realize their potential.

22 – Steelers (1-2) 4

In a league with some pretty unwatchable teams, the Steelers are one of the most unwatchable teams out there. This offense is simply dreadful, and it starts with Ben Roethlisberger. The 39-year old’s age is rearing its ugly head, and it is holding this team back in a massive way. There simply is no passing offense, but his stats after 50 passing attempts in a game won’t show that. The offensive line isn’t doing him any favors either, allowing for no running game whatsoever and minimal pass blocking. Every Steelers drive is just a checkdown simulator, and at this rate, Najee Harris is going to be worn out by Thanksgiving. The injuries have also gotten to this defense, as they seemingly can’t stop a nosebleed without T.J. Watt on the edge to generate any semblance of a pass rush. There’s just nothing going right in Pittsburgh at the moment, and I don’t see it turning around any time soon.

23 – Washington (1-2) 2

This team is a joke. And a really bad joke at that. While I’d love to give the offense a pass for playing like garbage thanks to having a backup QB, I refuse to do so. This was Taylor Heinicke’s 2nd start coming off a long week and he still played like garbage. The team refuses to move the ball, and I think one of the biggest issues is playcalling. For some reason, Ron Rivera and Scott Turner refuse to give the football to Antonio Gibson, one of the most dynamic players in all of football, and it is holding this offense back in a huge way. Any time he touches the ball, good things happen, and yet they simply refuse to go back to him when he does something good. It’s such a shame. And don’t even get me started on the defense. This has quickly become the most overrated unit and football, and I don’t even want to waste my breath on them. It’s only a matter of time before massive changes will need to be made in DC. I’m hoping it’s sooner rather than later.

24 – Colts (0-3) 2

This team is in a brutal spot. This is the worst possible start they could have had, and the rest of the schedule doesn’t make things much easier. The offense simply isn’t doing enough, because they’re quite frankly doing nothing. Carson Wentz has not been the answer at QB, and whether it’s due to talent or injury, he is holding the offense back. Their offensive line problems have restricted their ability to run the football, and their defense isn’t doing them any favors whatsoever. It’s just a whole lotta nothing going on in Indy. It might be time to stick a fork in the Colts.

25 – Eagles (1-2) 2

Any and all promise that might have stemmed from Philly’s Week 1 victory is now dead and gone. This team is back to being horrible. In back to back weeks now, their offense has been pathetic thanks to Jalen Hurts playing like anything but a starting QB. Miles Sanders has become a nonfactor out of the backfield, and their young WR talent simply isn’t getting enough traction to put up the numbers that I know they can. The defense is getting mauled, especially in the secondary, and it means their offense has to play catch-up for several quarters of football. It’s just not going to work. There are a lot of problems here. I don’t even know where to begin working on a solution.

26 – Lions (0-3) 2

This has to be the grittiest 0-3 team I’ve ever seen. I’ll give Dan Campbell some credit. His team never gives up, and you can always count on them to be in the game. As I said yesterday, some higher power does not want the Lions to succeed, and at some point, you have to just throw your hands up and surrender. Everything that I’ve liked about this team is still doing good things, especially the offensive line and weapons. This defense is still a huge problem that will hold them back, especially at the second level, but it’s not like we were expecting the Lions to do anything this season anyways. Them being a tough out is likely more than they can ask for.

27 – Bears (1-2) 2

I haven’t been this disgusted with a team that isn’t the WFT in a very, very long time. Be ashamed of yourselves, Chicago. I don’t want to waste too much time talking about their nonexistent gameplan or negligent coaching. You already know what’s up by now. I don’t even know who the starting QB will be on Sunday. No matter who it is, I have no faith in this team to do anything productive. Matt Nagy should have already been fired by now. As long as he’s the head coach of this team, I don’t even want to think about them.

28 – Falcons (1-2) 2

The only thing separating the Falcons and Giants is the 3 points that were scored on the final play of Sunday’s game. This team is still very, very bad, and beating an even worse team doesn’t prove anything to me. The only thing I liked about Atlanta was their offense, but putting up a whopping 17 points against the mighty Giants defense means nothing. Any and all problems with this team were covered up by playing someone just as bad as they are, so while they get to get slightly bumped up this week, don’t read too far into it.

29 – Giants (0-3) 2

This team is just sad. They could be so much more, but they just refuse to be anything but awful. Whether it’s their offense being incapable of moving the football, even against a dreadful defense, or their own defense doing absolutely nothing, this team is just an uninspired and lifeless group of guys. That’s the worst part. I don’t think the Giants are bad in terms of their talent. I just think they lack a pulse. And that might be worse.

30 – Texans (1-2) 1

Thursday night’s showing wasn’t exactly a promising one, but I’ll cut Houston some slack. Starting a 3rd string rookie QB in his first game on a short week against a very good defense is obviously never going to work. Still, this team is just as dreadful as ever and there is no fixing them. The schedule isn’t going to treat them much kinder moving forward, and this team is going to be pounded into the dirt in most weeks. But, when you expect that, it makes it a bit less painful.

31 – Jaguars (0-3) 1

Thanks to the incompetence and putridness of the Jets as well as a not-so-terrible performance against the Cardinals on Sunday, the Jaguars are no longer the #32 team in football for me anymore. But they’re still not far off. Trevor Lawrence has been very up and down, delivering dimes one moment and making terrible throws the next. I wouldn’t expect someone like him, with his talent and skillset, to be so erratic, but I feel like it’s a product of the terrible situation he’s in. Even if he figures it out, it doesn’t change the fact that the rest of the team has nothing going for them. I’m finding it hard to find a win on this schedule. I know they’ll get one eventually, but this looks nothing like a winning team as of right now.

32 – Jets (0-3) 1

Congratulations, Jets! You have now reclaimed the throne for the worst team in football. This seat surely missed you! I’m sure you’re very happy to be back. How does scoring 6.6 points per game with 0 touchdowns in 2 weeks feel? Not good, I imagine. What about your rookie QB that now leads the league in INTs who couldn’t find an open receiver if he was playing 11-on-0? Do you still feel good about taking him 2nd overall? Yeah. I didn’t think so. I know I said it’s extremely hard to go winless in this league. But if there’s any team that I have ever see that is capable of doing so, it has to be this team.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 3 in Review

This past week brought all the fireworks that we have come to expect from the 2021 NFL season, and then some. Let’s recap what happened in Week 3.

Justin Herbert led the Chargers to a huge upset victory over the Chiefs on Sunday to establish his team as a true contender. (h/t Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports)

For the third week in a row, NFL football was an absolute treat. Week 3 continued to bring the best of everything. From jaw-dropping moments, amazing performances, heart-stopping finishes, and an unforgettable doink, this might have just been the best week of the young season. Let’s recap what happened:

Panthers 24-9 Texans

Thursday Night Football was about as uneventful as it appeared to be on paper. Outside of a 2nd quarter TD pass by rookie QB Davis Mills, the Texans were nothing short of anemic on offense from start to finish. Houston amassed 193 yards, less than half of the Panthers. The rookie QB had a decent game, throwing for 168 yards and a touchdown, but the Texans were simply never in this game. It was another great game for the aforementioned Panthers offense, with Sam Darnold throwing for 304 yards, 126 going to WR D.J. Moore, and committing 0 turnovers, propelling his team to a surprising 3-0 record. However, Carolina did not get out of this game unscathed. Star RB Christian McCaffrey, who looked great coming off of last year’s injury, suffered a hamstring injury and will be out for several weeks. Moreover, rookie CB Jaycee Horn, their first round pick, broke his foot and will be out for a while. It’s two big blows to a team that seemed to be chugging along very well early in the season. It will be interesting to see how they perform in the coming weeks as the schedule gets harder.

Bills 43-21 Washington

This game in a word: embarrassing. That is, if you’re looking at it from the perspective of the WFT. Let’s start with the positives however, all of which falling with the team in blue. This game was exactly what we expected out of Josh Allen and the Bills offense after last year. Even last week’s 35-0 blowout of the Dolphins didn’t show us what we saw on Sunday. Allen was spectacular, throwing for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns on 74% completion, adding another score on the ground as well. Buffalo’s offense moved the ball up and down all day long on Washington’s defense to the tune of 481 total yards, 16 more first downs, and over 11 more minutes of time of possession. They also didn’t commit a single turnover, while the defense forced 3 of their own (2 interceptions and a fumble recovery). Now, you might be asking, “why did the game come so easy to the Bills?” And the answer is the absolutely dreadful performance by the other team. Washington did not even show up to this game. It’s a miracle that they scored 21 points. From the jump, you could tell that they either didn’t want to be there, or they were so unprepared that they didn’t even deserve to be on the field. For the third time in three games, the once-vaunted defense gave up an opening drive touchdown, this time on an 8 play drive that included a 3rd and 15 conversion, the first of 9 conversions on 15 attempts in the game by Buffalo. 2 more easy, seamless touchdown drives later, and it was 21-0. The “best defensive line in football” generated no pass rush, and the secondary was getting torn apart, whether they were in zone or man. How does a front filled with 1st round picks get 0 sacks? I understand Allen is mobile, but come on. What are we doing here. The offense wasn’t much better. Outside of a sensational catch and run for a touchdown by RB Antonio Gibson, who is still somehow being criminally underused, and a subsequent TD after a strange, fluke kickoff, Washington was just as bad with the ball in their hands. QB Taylor Heinicke was nothing short of dreadful, constantly forcing the ball into tight coverages and throwing 2 very poor interceptions (he would have had 3 if it weren’t for a penalty). To make a long story short, this game said a lot about the Bills and their potential, but it said much more about the incompetence of Washington. This team has a plethora of issues: coaching, personnel, effort, etc. It is genuinely embarrassing to watch.

Browns 26-6 Bears

You’ve really gotta feel for Justin Fields. In the rookie QB’s first NFL start, he was given perhaps the worst gameplan I have ever seen, and got absolutely destroyed. The Browns won this game convincingly, that’s apparent just from the score, so let me give you some more numbers that speak for themselves. Cleveland sacked Fields a whopping 9 times, half of them coming from star DE Myles Garrett, thanks to Chicago’s inexplicable dedication to a 5-man protection with one of the worst offensive lines in football. The Bears moved the chains 6, yes, SIX times in the entire game. They amassed 47 (!!!) total yards of offense. Their net passing yardage? 1 yard. One. Single. Yard. Three feet. A single hash. Once again, the majority of these issues stem from the dreadful offensive line play, but the even worse gameplan from HC Matt Nagy. It was so bad that it almost seemed like Nagy was sabotaging Fields, which is not too hard to believe. The kid was thrown out there with the intention of him getting killed, and it was disgraceful to watch. I just feel terrible for him. Cleveland wasn’t even very impressive in this game, they just went out there and played football, and that was more than enough to beat this joke of a Bears team.

Ravens 19-17 Lions

I have seen more than enough instances in several sports in my lifetime to understand that some higher power does not want certain teams to be happy. The Detroit Lions might be the biggest example of that, and Sunday’s loss was just another chapter in a seemingly never-ending book of heartbreak. That being said, I want us to backtrack a bit. The Lions never had any business being in this game late. The Ravens, for all their struggles, were the better team throughout. Lamar Jackson was dialed in throwing and running the football, and if it wasn’t for not one, not two, but three huge drops by WR Hollywood Brown, this game would have been a blowout. However, the NFL is not a “could’ve would’ve should’ve” league. Baltimore made mistakes and very nearly paid for them. In the second half, the Lions staged 3 consecutive scoring drives, getting 2 touchdowns and a late field goal to take a 1 point lead with just 64 seconds on the clock. A couple of stops and penalties later, and all they had to do was stop a Ravens 4th and 19 on their own 16 with 26 seconds left. They gave Lamar all day in the pocket, and he was able to find a receiver with enough separation past the sticks to pick up an improbable first down. Still, they were well out of field goal range, and with just 7 seconds left, a win seemed out of reach. Baltimore ran one play, a simple throw out of bounds to kill some clock, but they got away with an egregious delay of game to still be in position to kick a field goal rather than throwing up a Hail Mary. They rolled out Justin Tucker to at least attempt a game-winning kick from a whopping 66 yards out. Tucker put everything into it, and while it was right down the middle, it looked like it might be a little short. It took a bounce off the crossbar and went end-over-end perfectly into the net, and the Ravens won it. Between the insane kick, the missed delay of game, the inexplicable 4th down conversion, and seemingly supernatural factors, the Lions were never meant to win this game. You can’t help but feel sorry for them.

Titans 25-16 Colts

Amidst a plethora of wild games, this may have been the most uneventful game of Week 3. And it’s hard to believe it went the way it did. I’ll let the numbers do the talking on this one. RB Derrick Henry had another king-like performance on the ground, racking up 113 yards on 28 carries. Ryan Tannehill did his thing as well, throwing 3 touchdowns to go along with 197 yards through the air. However, there is a stat in this game that makes no sense to me. The Titans turned the ball over 3 times in this game. The Colts never committed a turnover. And still, Tennessee had 103 more yards of offense and 8 more minutes of possession. How on earth is that possible? The Colts were spoon-fed chance after chance and did absolutely nothing with it. The struggles have to be attributed to the subpar play of QB Carson Wentz, who had a measly 194 yards passing on 51% completion. I understand that he has been banged up, but against a pretty bad defense like Tennessee’s, that is a poor, poor statline. Indy also still can’t get RB Jonathan Taylor going for some reason, as the second year man only put up 64 yards rushing. The Colts were played into the game, but they played themselves right out of it. I expected a lot more out of this team, but their incompetence on offense has cost them every game they’ve played in, and it has dug them a nearly insurmountable 0-3 hole. I suppose you reap what you sow.

Chargers 30-24 Chiefs

After over a year of making incredible plays and racking up insane stats, Justin Herbert finally has his signature win. The Chargers’ young QB put on a masterpiece on Sunday in Arrowhead in an absolute thriller, but I want to start with the other team first. I dismissed a lot of the questions with the Chiefs after last week’s loss in Baltimore, but now, I’m starting to have questions of my own. Did the offense still do their thing? Absolutely. But, it wasn’t without a lot of problems. The Chiefs turned the ball over 4 times, a stat that is so uncharacteristic of this team that you’d think it was a lie if you didn’t watch the game. Half of those turnovers were interceptions thrown by Patrick Mahomes, and both of them were questionable. The first one came on a patented no-look pass, but it still should have been caught by the receiver. The second one, however, was a screw-it ball that you never see Mahomes throw. It almost seems like this team is getting desperate, and I really don’t understand why. I know their defense has some shortcomings, but there is 0 reason for this offense to be playing this style of offense. Speaking of that defense, let’s get into Herbert’s game. After a slow first quarter, #10 was dialed in for the rest of the game. It was a back and forth affair that saw the Chargers in prime position to win after the second of the two aforementioned Mahomes picks. In a tied game, LA was faced with a crucial 4th down and decided to go for it due to kicking troubles that had plagued them all game long. Even after a false start backed them up 5 more yards, the Chargers still went for it and got it on a huge catch by Mike Williams, who had another massive game. A few plays later, and Herbert found Williams once more, this time for the game-winning touchdown with 32 seconds left. It was the icing on the cake for a masterful game for them both, with Herbert throwing for 281 yards and 4 touchdowns and Williams catching 7 passes for 122 yards and 2 scores. This was a win that seemingly means a great deal, not just in the division, but in the landscape of this season. Not only have the Chargers emerged as a legit threat, but the Chiefs have a lot of questions that need answering very fast in an ultra-competitive division.

Saints 28-13 Patriots

I wouldn’t let the score fool you on this one. The Saints were certainly the better team in this game, but the margin might not have been too massive. The Patriots got a ton of unlucky breaks that were ultimately their downfall. Between an insane touchdown throw by Saints QB Jameis Winston in which he was being tackled backwards, a carom that led to a pick six, and some other bad bounces, New England didn’t have much go their way on Sunday. However, I don’t want to discredit the Saints. Their defense showed up in a massive way, picking off rookie QB Mac Jones 3 times after he hadn’t thrown a single interception in his first two games. While the Patriots outgained the Saints in total yards, it was New Orleans’ defense that locked it down to secure the win. The Patriots offense just raises so many questions. In a seemingly run-first offense, Jones threw the ball 51 times. He was also somehow the team’s leading rusher with just 28 yards. This was never the most talented unit, but it seemed good enough to get the job done, especially against a Saints defense that got gashed just a week ago. But this might be what the Pats are now. New Orleans might be even more confusing, given their extremely inconsistent nature through 3 weeks, but that’s a story for another time.

Falcons 17-14 Giants

What a snoozefest. Approximately nothing of note happened in this game. The biggest thing that happened at MetLife on Sunday was Eli Manning’s halftime ceremony. Here’s all that you need to know: the Falcons were down 7 in the 4th, and on the their final two possessions, they scored a touchdown and a game-winning field goal as time expired to go home with the win. And that’s about all I got for the game itself. The Giants are now in an 0-3 hole and are still in just as poor of a position as they’ve been for the last 5 seasons now. There is seemingly no saving this team from the pit of despair that they’ve dug themselves. On the other side, Atlanta picked up their first win of the year with likely not many to follow, but it was still good for this group to pick up their first W under new HC Arthur Smith.

Bengals 24-10 Steelers

If you weren’t aware that the Steelers have a Ben Roethlisberger problem before Sunday, then surely now you do. Of all of the lethargic, uninspired performances that we’ve seen from the Steelers offense over the last two seasons, this week’s might have been the worst one yet. The statsheet might be a little deceiving on this one, so I’ll just tell you what I saw from Pittsburgh. Big Ben was absolutely dreadful. Not only could he not throw the ball downfield, but even short and intermediate routes looked terrible. The actual Big Ben would be more mobile in the pocket, as the Bengals were able to get 4 sacks on the statue of a QB. Ben also threw 2 picks, one of which being a literal dumpoff to the defender. I understand he’s old and I understand he doesn’t have the best offensive line, but what I saw on Sunday was just inexcusable. The injury-riddled defense was just as bad, allowing the Bengals to carve them up despite having the ball for 11 less minutes. QB Joe Burrow had a nice bounce-back game with 172 yards and 3 touchdowns on 78% completion. 2 of those scores went to Jamarr Chase, who has burst onto the scene early in his career. Any and all questions about him have surely been dropped (see what I did there?). I don’t know if the Bengals will have a better season than the Steelers. But they looked like the significantly better team, and I think that’s an accurate reflection of where these two franchises are right now.

Cardinals 31-19 Jaguars

I’ll give credit to the Jaguars for sticking in this game for a lot longer than I thought they would. Granted, that only came from one of the wildest plays you’ll ever see. The Cardinals, for some reason, wanted to attempt a 68-yard field goal at the end of the first half, and naturally came up short, but Jamal Agnew took it from the back of the endzone all the way back for an amazing 109 yard touchdown to take the lead going into halftime. The Jags might not have a play that good for the rest of the season, but to be fair, they have set a pretty high bar. The second half was all Arizona, however, as you would expect. Kyler put up the numbers once again with 316 yards on 82% completion and a rushing touchdown to continue to bolster his early MVP campaign. It wasn’t as flashy of a game as so many of their others, but they did what they had to do to win this easy one and get to 3-0.

Broncos 26-0 Jets

This game confirmed something I have thought for a while now: the Jets are truly the worst team in football. I thought it after last week, but this atrocious performance confirmed it. I don’t even take much pride beating this dead horse. It’s just painful to watch. The Broncos, on the other hand, are a delight to watch, and even though they’re a bit banged up, they still seem to be running like a well-oiled machine. Everyone was getting involved on offense, and it was really nice to watch. Teddy Bridgewater had another efficient outing with 235 yards on 76% completion. Both Denver RBs, Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams, found the endzone. And the defense ensured that the outcome of the game was never, ever in doubt. I understand that Denver hasn’t really played anyone this year, but I really like what I’m seeing from this team. I’m excited to see what they do when they start playing real football teams.

Raiders 31-28 Dolphins

Please, Vegas, let me breathe every once in a while! Between the need to come back in every game and the undying love for overtime, the Raiders are a walking heart problem. I think most of the credit for the latter part of that goes to the resilience of the Dolphins. Even without Tua, they held their own for the majority of this game. They started up 14-0, and even after giving up 25 unanswered points, they clawed their way back into the game, scoring the game-tying touchdown and 2-point conversion with 2 seconds left. In overtime, needing a field goal to tie and a touchdown to win, they were faced with a 4th and 20 deep in their own territory and somehow converted. They extended the game with a field goal, but the Raiders did their thing to win the game with a field goal as time expired. It was a fun, back and forth affair, but the Raiders should have won this won a lot easier. That being said, they came out with a win to get to 3-0, and they did it in style. QB Derek Carr continued his insane play, throwing for 386 yards to extend his league lead as well as 2 touchdowns. Vegas is a real threat in the AFC West right now, but for some reason, I still have my doubts with the longevity of that. More on that tomorrow.

Rams 34-24 Buccaneers

The Game of the Week/Year didn’t exactly live up to the hype, but the quality of football on display at SoFi on Sunday was sensational. From start to finish, this was a complete masterpiece by the Rams. HC Sean McVay had an outstanding gameplan, and his team executed it to perfection. While the first half was close, LA got a late touchdown to go into halftime up 7, and then came out of the locker room blazing with a long touchdown pass from Matt Stafford to Desean Jackson to assert their dominance in the game. It was another stellar performance from Stafford, who threw for a massive 343 yards and 4 touchdowns. 2 of those scores went to Cooper Kupp, who has emerged as the WR1 on this team and a truly lethal threat. Kupp had 96 yards on 9 catches in addition to the 2 touchdowns. The Rams defense also did their job to make sure the game never got to be too close, although Tampa had themselves quite the day on offense as well. They had 446 offense, 39 more than LA, with 432 of those yards coming from Tom Brady’s arm. However, it was the Bucs’ inability to run the football that would be their downfall. This team is plenty good enough to win games throwing the football, as they demonstrated on opening night, but against a team as stacked as the Rams, it’s a futile effort. I have no doubt that the Bucs will bounce back, but for now, they have been knocked off the mantle. The NFL’s new team to beat resides in the City of Angels.

Vikings 30-17 Seahawks

This game amplified exactly what I thought about both of these teams: the Seahawks are not as good as we thought, and the Vikings are much better than their record would suggest. I’ll start with the winning team. It was a very easy but very strong day at the office for Minnesota’s offense, as they had whatever they wanted on the ground and through the air, even without Dalvin Cook in the lineup. Kirk Cousins had another great game with 323 yards and 3 touchdowns on 79% passing. WR Justin Jefferson continued his star play with 118 yards and a touchdown on 9 catches. And in Cook’s stead, backup RB Alexander Mattison was surprisingly awesome with 112 yards on 26 carries. The Seattle defense was just as porous as ever, and it did their offense no favors whatsoever. It wasn’t the worst day for the Seahawks on that side of the ball, but they simply didn’t do enough to win. The 17 points on the scoreboard should tell the story there. I just don’t know if Seattle has what it takes to overcome their shortcomings. Meanwhile, Minnesota is a lot better than I thought, and I already thought they were good. If Kirk Cousins can continue to play mistake-free football and this offense stays healthy, they will be very competitive, and they could find themselves winning a good amount of games this year.

Packers 30-28 49ers

Aaron Rodgers is back. Drop all the storylines. End all the conspiracy theories. The Bad Man is back and ready to take names. I really thought the 49ers defense had what it took to keep this man in check, and I was very, very wrong. The Packers jumped out to an early 17-0 lead on the back of incredible throw after throw from #12. For the entire first half, the entire Green Bay offense was seemingly unstoppable. The second half, on the other hand, was a different story. The Niners defense actually did make a few stops to put their offense in a position to score points, and they did just that. It wasn’t the prettiest game from Jimmy Garoppolo, but the San Francisco QB did what he had to do, and with just a couple minutes left, he found his team down by 6. Jimmy led the 49ers on an impressive drive right down the field that included several key 3rd down conversions, and was capped by a 12 yard catch and run by FB Kyle Juszczyk to take a 1-point lead with just 37 seconds left. Fans all over the Bay Area were going crazy ready to celebrate their team being 3-0. Little did they remember that any amount of time on the clock is too much time left for Aaron Rodgers to do his thing. With zero timeouts and those 37 seconds left to play, it took just two plays, two throws from Rodgers to Davante Adams, to get the Packers in fringe field goal range. For some reason, the 49ers didn’t feel like covering the most lethal WR in football, and it set up Green Bay perfectly. Masno Crosby lined up to kick the game-winner and nailed it from 51 yards out to complete the upset. It was vintage Rodgers and a moment that the Packers needed not just for themselves, but to shut up all the narratives about them. Rodgers finished with 261 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, but the star of the show was Adams, who had 132 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches. It was awesome to see him make the big catches to set up the winning kick considering he got absolutely walloped on a hit earlier in the game that somehow wasn’t flagged. Ball truly never lies. The moral of this story is simple. It doesn’t matter how good you play for 59 minutes of football. You cannot give the Bad Man even a second.

Cowboys 41-21 Eagles

Relax, Cowboys fans. The Eagles are as bad of a team as you’ll play all year long. Be lucky you face them twice. That being said, I really liked what I saw out of Dallas on Monday Night Football. Their offense played great against a terrible defense, that was more than predictable. Dak Prescott had another very good game, throwing for 238 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dallas’ 2-headed monster on the ground delivered once again as well, as Ezekiel Elliott ran for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns and Tony Pollard added 60 yards on 11 totes of his own. But in my opinion, the story of this game, and this team, continues to be the defense. The Cowboys D has surprised me big time this season. This unit was just dreadful a year ago, but they look like a completely new unit so far in 2021. The stars of the show are the kids on the block: CB Trevon Diggs and LB Micah Parsons. Diggs has been lockdown so far this season, clamping Eagles WRs all night long and adding a pick 6 for the icing on the cake. And Parsons, the team’s first round pick, brings a whole new level of athleticism and dynamic playmaking ability to this defensive line. Maybe Dallas finally has the defense to match the offense. But, like I said, this is the Eagles, so I’ll try not to overreact. While Philly looks the part on the statsheet thanks to some late-game statpadding and catchup football, this team is just unwatchable on both sides of the football. Jalen Hurts is clearly not the answer at QB, and outside of WR, there isn’t a single position that this team has down right now. They might be in a sorrier state than they were last year. What a mess.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 3 Picks

Week 3’s games are shaping up to be just as good, if not better than the first 2 weeks of the 2021 season. Let’s pick all of this week’s contests.

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers travel out west to take on Aaron Donald and the Rams in one of the most anticipated games of the season on Sunday afternoon. (h/t Bucs Wire)

The NFL schedule is continuing to bring the fire in Week 3 with some incredible matchups. The first 2 weeks of the year will be hard to live up to, but I have no doubt that this week’s games will be just as good, if not better than some of the premier matches we’ve already seen so far in 2021. I can’t wait to watch them. I went 11-5 in Week 2 to bring my season total to 19-13. It was a better week than Week 1, but we can still do much better. Let’s get into this week’s picks:

Panthers 27-17 Texans

Thursday, 8:20 PM EST, NFL Network

Week 3 kicks off with a bit of a dud of a matchup on Thursday Night Football. There’s not a lot to say with this one. The Texans were already one of the worst teams in football, but now they have to turn to 3rd string QB Davis Mills, a rookie out of Stanford, to lead the team after Tyrod Taylor hurt his hamstring last week. This will be a tough opening test against a young Carolina defense that has been extremely solid. The Panthers offense has also done its thing, and the Texans defense will be easy pickings for them. No need to overthink this.

Bills 30-20 Washington

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Josh Allen hasn’t exactly regressed, but his inaccuracy problems from earlier in his career is certainly rearing its head through 2 games. Luckily for him, he gets a Washington defense this week that cannot stop anybody worth a damn. While WFT QB Taylor Heinicke looked very good last week, that was against the Giants. This is against a real team (that actually plays in the state of New York), and it is going to be much rougher sledding. Unless Washington’s defense returns to form, I don’t foresee this one being very close. It’s going to take another massive performance from Heinicke if the WFT want to stay in it.

Browns 28-24 Bears

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

It’s almost poetic that the Justin Fields debut is in the state where he made his claim to fame. Fields and the Bears travel to Cleveland for what should be a very good, but very difficult matchup with the Browns. I have faith in Justin, but this is quite a tall task in his first professional start. The only thing going his way is that the Browns defense hasn’t exactly been the greatest early in the season. There are still a lot of moving parts on that side of the ball, and it could open up some nice opportunities for the Bears offense, which has struggled mightily through two weeks. But, it won’t matter as long as the Browns offense is doing their thing. While they’re dealing with injuries galore at the WR position, their running game is good enough to win them any game. That will be the difference in my opinion. But, don’t be surprised if Fields is able to make this interesting.

Ravens 38-23 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

This one should have the potential to get ugly. The only reason I have it this “close” is because I have seen the Ravens defense get shredded for 2 weeks in a row. Moreover, the Lions offense has looked somewhat nice. They have enough talent on that side of the football to at least put some points on the board. This one won’t be close, but it won’t be a complete wash. I’d also keep an eye on Lamar Jackson’s status for this game. He’s been dealing with an illness, and while all signs are pointing towards him playing, if he doesn’t, the Ravens could be in trouble. If he does, it should be an easy one.

Titans 24-23 Colts

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

This is about as imperative of a divisional game as you can have this early in the season. The Colts absolutely cannot afford a loss to drop to 0-3. Even in the weakest division in football, an 0-3 start to the season is virtually insurmountable. Unfortunately for them, they’re staring right down that barrel. Injuries to both of QB Carson Wentz’s ankles have his status in question for this game. Even if he plays, you have to question how effective he’ll be. In addition to the questions at QB, the Colts defense hasn’t played up to their potential thus far, and now they have to deal with a Titans offense that was on fire last week in Seattle. If Derrick Henry gets going on the ground even slightly, it could be curtains. I think this will be a close one from wire to wire, because I understand the intensity of divisional games, but I just like what I’m seeing from Tennessee a lot more than what Indy has shown me, so I’m sticking with them.

Chiefs 31-27 Chargers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

If there’s anything we’ve learned in the young career of Justin Herbert, it’s that he doesn’t back down from a challenge. Both of his games last year against the Chiefs showed that (although the second one was against mostly backups). That’s the only reason I think this one is going to be close. Last week was a rough loss for the Bolts, and getting the Chiefs this week only makes matters worse. This is still Kansas City, it’s still Patrick Mahomes, and the calendar still says September. They are going to be a fired up bunch after a wakeup call last week, and I think they should take care of business in this one. But I also expect Herbert and the Chargers to give it their all and keep things close for most, if not all of this game.

Patriots 20-17 Saints

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

In the past, this game would be a lot more high-profile than it is now. These teams obviously aren’t what they once were. However, the Patriots are a lot closer to their previous selves than the Saints are. New England is still winning games with their patented formula: being smart with the football, running it down your throat, and letting the defense do the rest. Mac Jones has been very solid at QB, and the rest of the team is doing its thing to propel this team to a 2-0 record. The Saints, on the other hand, appear to still be figuring themselves out. Their first two performances have been polar opposites of one another, and I just don’t know what to make of them. Trying to predict how Jameis Winston will perform at QB in any given week is harder than multivariable calculus. Against a very stout defense, and a generally more consistent team, I’ll easily take the Patriots.

Giants 26-24 Falcons

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Against all odds, someone has to win this game. Will it be the team that refuses to improve and win games or the other team that refuses to improve and win games? In all seriousness, this is a very tough one to pick. Both of these teams are just so underwhelming and disappointing. The only thing differentiating them is that the Giants have actually come close to a win this season. That’s enough for me to stick with them. Their defense might get picked apart, but considering the Falcons only scored 6 on the Eagles in Week 1, I’m not sure what the likelihood of that is. I just think they have the better players on that side of the football to be able to make plays when necessary to win it. That being said, I’d be better off picking this game by flipping a coin.

Steelers 23-20 Bengals

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

This is likely Week 3’s most boring game on paper. On one hand, you have the injury-riddled, problem plagued Steelers, and on the other, you have the incompetent and lifeless Bengals. What an exciting matchup we have on our hands! The Steelers will win this game simply due to a talent gap, but they never make it easy for themselves, especially considering the injuries they have on the defensive side of the ball. Cincy’s offense isn’t performing up to their caliber thus far, but they certainly have the talent to put up points. With T.J. Watt’s status for this game in question, Joe Burrow might actually find himself with some time to throw and make some plays to give his team a chance to win it. The Bengals defense, however, will ensure that a win is out of reach.

Cardinals 40-19 Jaguars

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Nothing to see here. Just an insanely stacked team that is playing with their wings on fire against the worst team in football that is so dysfunctional that they might go on a fire sale before their bye week. The question in this game isn’t who will win, but rather, how much will Arizona win by? Vegas says a touchdown. I say it will be several.

Broncos 28-10 Jets

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

This is a similar matchup to the one above it, but the Broncos obviously don’t have the explosive ability that the Cardinals do. However, their offense is plenty good to put up points, and their defense has been lockdown thus far. This team has the highest yardage differential in football, and now they’re going up against one of the NFL’s worst offenses. Don’t be surprised if Zach Wilson lays another stinker in this one. What an ugly scene.

Raiders 27-14 Dolphins

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

Tua Tagovailoa will be out for this game with an injury to his ribs, so it will be Jacoby Brissett at QB for the Dolphins out west. It already wasn’t very promising with Tua under center, but somehow, we’ve stooped even lower. The Raiders have been one of the pleasant surprises of September, and considering how lethargic the Fins looked with Brissett last week, this one should be another wash. I don’t think it will be a shutout, but it won’t be close. I thought Miami’s defense was good enough to limit scoring, but that was not the case last week. Now they get the current most prolific passing offense in football. Even with a few injuries, Vegas has no excuse not to blow this team out.

Rams 29-27 Buccaneers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

Game of the Week. Game of the Year potentially. This was my prediction for the NFC Championship Game, and it still is. These are my current top 2 teams in my power rankings. It’s only Week 3, but I can’t think of many bigger games than this. There are storylines everywhere, hype as far as the eye can see, and nerves settling in all across the board. It almost feels impossible to try and predict a game of this magnitude. Even Vegas seems to be flip-flopping on this game. For me, this game comes down to one factor: defense. Who has had the better defense so far this season? Easily Los Angeles. In both of their games, the Bucs defense has been shredded, especially through the air. Facing Matt Stafford and a plethora of offensive weapons in this game could make for another poor showing. Meanwhile, the Rams’ defense has done a great job in both of their games, albeit against worse offenses than this one. Just last year, this defense did enough to beat the exact same offense they’ll see on Sunday afternoon. So, based on precedent and what these teams are explicitly showing me, I have to rock with the Rams. But man, this one should be a doozy. I can’t wait to watch it.

Seahawks 31-30 Vikings

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

Points, points, points. That will be the story of this game. Both of these offenses are stacked with talent across the board. Whatever the over is, take it. It’s not only that these offenses are so good, but the defenses are severely lacking in Seattle and Minnesota. It’s a situation that these teams aren’t necessarily accustomed to, but it has been the story for the last year or so. So, what separates these two almost identical teams in a game like this? My answer is whoever has the better QB. So, you tell me: would you rather have Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins? Easy answer. While Kirk has been very good so far this year, he’s not Russ. Wilson has been excellent, and I’ve seen him win his team too many shootouts for me to pick against him in a situation like this. The Vikings might be the unluckiest 0-3 team ever by the time this one is over.

49ers 27-20 Packers

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

It doesn’t get any better than a meeting between these two iconic franchises on Sunday Night Football. Well, maybe it does. Especially when you consider the fact that this Packers team still has a ton of questions. Yes, Aaron Rodgers and the offense returned to form last week, but that was against the Lions. This is one of the toughest tests they’ll face all season long, and whether or not they’ll be up to it is a question that is yet to be answered. I just don’t know what to expect from this team. The Niners aren’t without their questions either, as they are 2-0 with 2 wins over very bad teams that should have been a lot more convincing than they actually were. They let the Lions and Eagles back into their games late in the 4th quarter, and they will not get away with that against an offense as talented as Green Bay’s. However, I don’t think it will get to that point. San Francisco is simply too talented all around to drop this game. I don’t think it will be a poor performance from the Packers, but I just don’t think they have it in them to win this one.

Cowboys 28-17 Eagles

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

Nothing like a primetime NFC East game to get everybody hyped up! The one last week was great, so why can’t this one be? Well, you see, the Eagles are playing in this game. And they’re not a very good team. Additionally, the Cowboys are pretty good. It’s not like Washington and New York, who were 2 bad teams seeing who wanted to lose the game harder. This one is just a gap in talent, especially offensively. The Cowboys are seeming to find their groove on that side of the ball, although last week’s performance wasn’t as good as they would have liked it to be. Against a significantly worse defense this week, they should be just fine. I was much more impressed with Dallas’ defense last week, and I think that will also be a defining factor in this game. Jalen Hurts is good enough to make plays, but this one could be rough for him.

All stats taken from ESPN.