Week 3 NFL Predictions
Tennessee Titans – 24 @ Jacksonville Jaguars – 21
The Titans looked impressive Week 1 against the Browns, but a Week 2 slump leaves them with a huge question mark heading into this week. Going up against Minshew and the Jags, a team that hasn’t looked bad after losing their starting quarterback Nick Foles due to injury, I believe the Titans can pull out a win, but if and only if Mariota doesn’t throw an interception and Derrick Henry can get it going on the ground.
Cincinnati Bengals – 13 @ Buffalo Bills – 23
Josh Allen looked good against the Giants, throwing for 253 yards and 1 touchdown with no interceptions. Cincinnati looked lost against the 49er’s, mustering only 17 points while giving up 41. Buffalo will run up and down the field, putting together strong drives and strengthen their record to an impressive 3-0.
Miami Dolphins – 6 @ Dallas Cowboys – 35
Poor, poor Miami. It’s really hard not to bet against the Dolphins when multiple players called their agents asking for a trade after week one. Minkah Fitzpatrick got traded to the Steelers in return for a first round pick, which ushers the point that Miami is in full rebuild mode (as if we needed reassurance). Dak Prescott will destroy the Miami defense (or what’s left of it), while the Cowboys defense will prove to be a strong, reliable group of players.
Denver Broncos – 10 @ Green Bay Packers – 20
Vic Fangio has gotten off to a rocky start in Denver, posting zero wins in the first two weeks of the regular season, even though Joe Flacco threw for over 200 hundred yards in his two starts at his new team. Their promising defense hasn’t been bad by any means, however they aren’t anything to write home about. Aaron Rodgers will be Aaron Rodgers, along with the up and coming Packers defense, and take care of the Broncos.
Atlanta Falcons – 13 @ Indianapolis Colts – 20
At the end of Week 1, most people had the Falcons at the bottom of their best team’s list based on their abysmal week one performance against the Vikings, but after their win against the Eagles we shouldn’t write them off just yet. Unfortunately for Atlanta, they are going up against a solid Colts team, where Jacoby Brissett has proved to be reliable throwing 5 touchdowns to match just 1 interception. Atlanta’s run defense will crumble against Indy’s sold group of running backs, leading Indianapolis to their first win at home.
Baltimore Ravens – 20 @ Kansas City Chiefs – 31
Two teams with quarterbacks who’ve gotten off to incredibly good starts will face off in what will be a game that gets determined by how well the defenses play. Both Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes proved they can score, and at an impressive rate. It will have to come down to the defense, and their ability to stop the aerial threat. Kansas City will show they are the more experienced team, and head out of Arrowhead with a W.
Oakland Raiders – 14 @ Minnesota Vikings – 17
After the loss of AB, people thought the Raiders would go nowhere, but after two games (1-1), they don’t look as bad as everyone thinks. Not good, but not bad. Derek Carr seems to be reilabe so far, throwing 2 touchdowns while throwing 0 interceptions. The Vikings, coming off a 5 point loss to the Packers, will turn it around this week, winning by a small margin thanks to the home crowd and a good performance by Dalvin Cook.
New York Jets – 13 @ New England Patriots – 31
My bold prediction: Butt Fumble Part 2. Tom Brady will do Tom Brady things and pick apart the Jets defense, but also getting intercepted by Jamal Adams. The Jet’s have been a bit of a disappointment, and this week won’t be much different. Le’Veon Bell will rush for a decent amount, but will be no match for Tom Brady’s Patriots as they charge into a 3-0 start.
Detroit Lions – 10 @ Philadelphia Eagles – 17
The Eagles have had a rough start. As excited as I was when they came back after a week first half against the Redskins, their Week 2 loss to the Falcons was not only scrappy but cost them a lot of players falling to mysterious injuries. Due to their lead receivers, Jackson and Jeffrey, being out, Carson Wentz will have a lost less targets to toss too and may lower his near 300 passing yard average. Even with all this, the Eagles should come out on top but it won’t be pretty, since the Lions have shown some signs of life in Stafford.
Carolina Panthers – 13 @ Arizona Cardinals – 22
With Cam Newton out, the Panthers are going to suffer a tough fate. He’s been practically absent for the first two weeks, but they’re going to see it even more this week. Kyler Murray has been promising, and that will continue to show on Sunday as him and Fitzgerald connect on multiple plays leading them to victory.
New York Giants – 21 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 14
The Daniel Jones era starts now. Eli has been replaced, leaving multiple question marks for the Giants away game in Tampa. He will be efficient enough to get the win, throwing a touchdown and letting Barkley to the rest. The Buccaneers got an impressive win against a lousy Carolina team, but Daniel Jones will grind out the win.
Houston Texans – 21 Los Angeles Chargers – 17
Coming off a gritty win against the Jaguars, the Texans will look to get their offense going early to secure a win in LA. The Chargers, coming off a disappointing 3 point loss to the Lions, will try and use their home field to their advantage, but Watson and Hopkins have proven to be a deadly combination and don’t plan on taking this game off.
Pittsburgh Steelers – 10 @ San Francisco 49ers – 21
Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49er’s looked fantastic last week against the Bengals, scoring 41 points. The Steelers just lost their future HOF’er Big Ben Rothlisberger for the season due to an elbow injury. That plus other factors like being on the road against a team with a ton of momentum leads to the 49ers going 3-0.
New Orleans Saints – 14 @ Seattle Seahawks – 30
Unfortunately for the Saints, Drew Brees went down last week with a hand injury that leaves him out of play for at least 6 weeks. That being said, the Seahawks have looked pretty solid the past 2 weeks, boasting a 2-0 record, and having a fearful run defense. This one goes to the Seahawks, as the Saints sole weapon is Alvin Kamara.
Los Angeles Rams – 24 @ Cleveland Browns – 10
With the Rams solid 2-0 start, against pretty decent opponents, I predict a victory over the iffy Cleveland Browns. Week 1, the Browns got swept by the Titans, and while they did recover during Week 2, they played the buttfumbling Jets – which isn’t really anything to brag about. With the Rams solid offense, starring Jared Goff who threw for nearly 300 yards, and Todd Gurley in the backfield, I simply think the Browns will be overrun.
Chicago Bears – 16 @ Washington Redskins – 10
Although the Bears have had a rough couple of weeks, they’ll come out against the Redskins hoping to prove themselves once more and take them to an 0-3 start. Mitch hasn’t yet shown to be a real threat, but the Bears run game and overall defense will continue to shine against a rather weak Redskins team, which has already lost two games in the NFC East (Eddy Piñeiro time!).