Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again! The 3rd week of the regular season brings us with some signs of teams making that run for the playoffs while those who won't make it there. We won't likely see until Week 11 until we actually get a feel for who are more of the pretenders and those who are contenders. For games to watch, I'll keep an eye on the Giants-49ers, Bills-Commanders, Chargers-Vikings, and Saints-Packers. In this post I will do a Rant of the Week, a Week 3 preview and my picks for the games. Let's get to work!
NFL Rant of the Week
It has been coming to light that artificial turf surfaces has been causing injuries far more than fields that use natural grass. If the NFL wants to be all for player safety, making sure that the surface that they play on is top notch. C'mon, do better NFL.Week 3 Preview
The 3rd week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Santa Clara, California and finishes up in Cincinnati, Ohio. The week features a 16-game slate where all 32 teams are playing. No teams are on a bye this week. There will be a Thursday night game, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and two Monday night games. CBS will have the single, regional game and FOX will have the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks!
Week 3 Picks
Note: TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate. All gametimes are in US Eastern.
NY Giants (1-1) @ San Francisco (2-0) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Giants beat the Cardinals and the 49ers beat the Rams last week. New York finally scored a point last week but they still have a large point differential to surpass if they really want to be the team that they want to be. San Francisco got off to a slow start against the Rams but their run game and defense put the hurt on the Rams. I think it'll be an interesting game but I'll take the 49ers in a close game.
Atlanta (2-0) @ Detroit (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
The Falcons beat the Packers and the Lions lost to the Seahawks. Atlanta has gotten off to a good start this year. They've done it with their running game and rookie player Bijan Robinson has fired off on all cylinders. Detroit despite having miscues, turnovers and the like, they nearly did beat the Seahawks in overtime. If they can cut down on the mistakes they should have a good shot to take this one. Can't argue with the Lions offense.
Buffalo (1-1) @ Washington (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Commanders
The Bills beat the Raiders and the Commanders beat the Broncos last week. Buffalo finally got back to playing solid football against Las Vegas. Washington has gotten off to a great start with the new regime. They have won some close games against some meh opponents. We will learn quite a bit about them in this game I feel. Against a tough Bills team, I'm not sure if I can solidly stick to Washington in this one. I'll take the Bills.
Denver (0-2) @ Miami (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Broncos lost to the Commanders and the Dolphins beat the Patriots last week. Denver's defense kind of let themselves go against Washington. Then again, so did their offense when they had a 21-3 and 28-7 leads in that game. So to say that they can compete against the Dolphins is a possibility but I do think that the Dolphins defense is superb. Miami's offense had a great start in week 1 but had a slow down in week 2. Granted that was against a Bill Belichick defense. That has to mean something that Miami was held to 24 points. As long as the Dolphins can put up 30 points, they should be able to take care of business against the Broncos.
Houston (0-2) @ Jacksonville (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
The Falcons beat the Packers and the Lions lost to the Seahawks. Atlanta has gotten off to a good start this year. They've done it with their running game and rookie player Bijan Robinson has fired off on all cylinders. Detroit despite having miscues, turnovers and the like, they nearly did beat the Seahawks in overtime. If they can cut down on the mistakes they should have a good shot to take this one. Can't argue with the Lions offense.
Buffalo (1-1) @ Washington (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Commanders
The Bills beat the Raiders and the Commanders beat the Broncos last week. Buffalo finally got back to playing solid football against Las Vegas. Washington has gotten off to a great start with the new regime. They have won some close games against some meh opponents. We will learn quite a bit about them in this game I feel. Against a tough Bills team, I'm not sure if I can solidly stick to Washington in this one. I'll take the Bills.
Denver (0-2) @ Miami (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Broncos lost to the Commanders and the Dolphins beat the Patriots last week. Denver's defense kind of let themselves go against Washington. Then again, so did their offense when they had a 21-3 and 28-7 leads in that game. So to say that they can compete against the Dolphins is a possibility but I do think that the Dolphins defense is superb. Miami's offense had a great start in week 1 but had a slow down in week 2. Granted that was against a Bill Belichick defense. That has to mean something that Miami was held to 24 points. As long as the Dolphins can put up 30 points, they should be able to take care of business against the Broncos.
Houston (0-2) @ Jacksonville (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
The Texans lost to the Colts and the Jaguars lost to the Chiefs last week. Houston has shown some grit thus far in 2023. It hasn't represented in the win column but they have some good pieces around them but they have a long way to go. Jacksonville kind of had a letdown game against Kansas City. They had the opportunity to really take it to them in the redzone but miscues took them off that. Let alone their offense producing some big plays but not showing it in the scoreboard. Its a long shot for the Texans to win but I'll take the Jaguars.
Indianapolis (1-1) @ Baltimore (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Colts beat the Texans and the Ravens beat the Bengals last week. Indy lost their rookie quarterback to concussion symptoms so it will be Gardner Minshew's turn to ride the ship. They will need to put up points against Baltimore. It seems like a tough time for them. The Ravens got a measure of revenge against the Bengals. Cincy was the class of the division last year and this year might be a bit different in the AFC North. I personally like the multi-headed monster in the Ravens offense over the Colts defense.
LA Chargers (0-2) @ Minnesota (0-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Chargers
Both teams lost last week as the Chargers lost to the Titans and the Vikings lost to the Eagles. The Chargers seem to never find the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of wins. At one point their offense gave them a considerable lead against Tennessee. Like most losses in the past 12 months, it has been the defense that has let them down. For the Vikings, they are similar to the Chargers, they have a stellar offense. What they are different is that they have somewhat of a competent defense that has more of a bend but don't break them to it. They're 0-2 in close games this year compared to the solid record in one-score games last year. I think the loud atmosphere will be a factor as well as the aforementioned reasons. I'll take the Vikes.
New England (0-2) @ NY Jets (1-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Colts beat the Texans and the Ravens beat the Bengals last week. Indy lost their rookie quarterback to concussion symptoms so it will be Gardner Minshew's turn to ride the ship. They will need to put up points against Baltimore. It seems like a tough time for them. The Ravens got a measure of revenge against the Bengals. Cincy was the class of the division last year and this year might be a bit different in the AFC North. I personally like the multi-headed monster in the Ravens offense over the Colts defense.
LA Chargers (0-2) @ Minnesota (0-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Chargers
Both teams lost last week as the Chargers lost to the Titans and the Vikings lost to the Eagles. The Chargers seem to never find the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of wins. At one point their offense gave them a considerable lead against Tennessee. Like most losses in the past 12 months, it has been the defense that has let them down. For the Vikings, they are similar to the Chargers, they have a stellar offense. What they are different is that they have somewhat of a competent defense that has more of a bend but don't break them to it. They're 0-2 in close games this year compared to the solid record in one-score games last year. I think the loud atmosphere will be a factor as well as the aforementioned reasons. I'll take the Vikes.
New England (0-2) @ NY Jets (1-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Both teams lost last week as the Patriots lost to the Dolphins and the Jets lost to the Cowboys. New England is now at 0-2 for the first time since 2001. What they get to face is their old rival in the New York Jets. They have lately dominated their rival in the last few times. The Patriots key to winning this game will have to be them scoring more than just the 2nd half. If they can put up 24 to 30 points in this game they have a great shot to win it. For the Jets, they had an expecting showing in a rough loss to the Cowboys. As such they were expected to lose. Aaron Rodgers won't play in this game but Zach Wilson will go in his stead. He has yet to get a win against Bill Belichick. Until proven otherwise, I don't see the Patriots faltering in this one but they need to get going eventually.
New Orleans (2-0) @ Green Bay (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Saints
The Saints beat the Panthers and the Packers lost to the Falcons last week. New Orleans has shown that they can do some damage with their offense and their defense can handle some of the better teams in the NFL. I do question how well they can play against a surprising Packers offense and a defense that is not too bad themselves. Jordan Love had played well in the first two weeks as his first year as a full-time starter. He has had some lacking production from the running game but hopefully Aaron Jones will return in this game. Jordan Love has thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions in the season so far. It could be a challenge for the Pack but I think they'll pull it out by a field goal.
Tennessee (1-1) @ Cleveland (1-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Titans beat the Chargers and the Browns lost to the Steelers last week. Tennessee got off to a slow start but their offense would get going. Ryan Tannehill did not even throw an interception in that win either. A miracle if you say so. Cleveland played meager football last week against Pittsburgh. They made a lot of mistakes, including the first play of the game turning into a pick-six. The loss also meant a season-ending injury to Nick Chubb who has been the driving force for the Browns running game in the last few seasons. Jerome Ford will have to take the reins and take charge if the Browns want to win this game. I'll take the Titans and Derrick Henry.
Carolina (0-2) @ Seattle (1-1) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Panthers lost to the Saints and the Seahawks beat the Lions last week. Carolina has gotten off to the not greatest of starts in 2023. Their offense has put up some numbers but last week's loss to New Orleans they had a slow start where they didn't score a touchdown until the last few minutes in the game. They'll need to come out firing in this game. Seattle has had a interesting start to the season, a loss to the Rams (which granted they might've not won) and a win against Detroit. They can certainly play among the best teams but how well can they play against one of the weaker teams in the NFC. I feel leaning towards the Seahawks would be best but don't sleep on the Panthers.
Chicago (0-2) @ Kansas City (1-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Bears lost to the Buccaneers and the Chiefs beat the Jaguars last week. Chicago has gotten off to a tough start in 2023. Which is somewhat of a expectation as the team wasn't expected to make noise. They seemed to have the game against Tampa in hand but the Fields interception that lead to the Bucs pick-six was the nail in the coffin. Kansas City has looked a bit off in the title defense. They did not great against Detroit and they managed to do enough to win against Jacksonville. Chicago is not a pushover but they aren't the 1985 Bears either. They'll need to start limiting the penalties and turnovers to win. I'll take the defending champs but honestly the Bears could make this a challenge.
Dallas (2-0) @ Arizona (0-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys beat the Jets and the Cardinals lost to the Giants last week. Dallas has come out firing so far in 2023. They have put up 70 points in two games. The emergence of Tony Pollard as the #1 starter at running back has been fun to see. Dak Prescott has yet to throw an interception. No mistakes have been made at all for the Cowboys in general. Arizona did put up 28 points on the Giants last week. The points would not be enough as the Giants put up 31 and won the game. If they want to keep putting up points in the game they need to score on all four quarters in the game. James Conner has been a nice back to have in the Cardinals schemes. Joshua Dobbs will need to play his best game of the season to have a shot to win this one. The Cardinals defense is not bad so they could have a chance. I don't like it but I'll take the Cowboys.
Pittsburgh (1-1) @ Las Vegas (1-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Raiders
The Steelers beat the Browns and the Raiders lost to the Bills last week. Pittsburgh got a huge boost to their season by playing some solid football on both sides of the ball. Their offense was still shaky at times but they have seemed to gel when it matters most. If their offense can get to 20 points it feels like its game over for the opposition. The Raiders offense has gotten off to a shaky start as well with similar numbers to the Steelers in terms of passing and running game. Last week proved that Jimmy Garoppolo isn't quite confident in facing against good defenses. I think the Raiders will struggle in this game so I'll take the Steelers.
Philadelphia (2-0) @ Tampa Bay (2-0) (ABC; 7:15 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Eagles beat the Vikings and the Buccaneers beat the Bears last week. The first of two Monday night games this week. Both teams posses two good passing games and receivers. Philly possesses a solid offensive line and running game which Tampa does not at times. The book on Baker Mayfield is kind of shaky since his days in Cleveland. I think we will learn quite a bit about the Buccaneers and how well they can play against the defending NFC champs. I'll take the Eagles.
LA Rams (1-1) @ Cincinnati (0-2) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Rams
The Panthers lost to the Saints and the Seahawks beat the Lions last week. Carolina has gotten off to the not greatest of starts in 2023. Their offense has put up some numbers but last week's loss to New Orleans they had a slow start where they didn't score a touchdown until the last few minutes in the game. They'll need to come out firing in this game. Seattle has had a interesting start to the season, a loss to the Rams (which granted they might've not won) and a win against Detroit. They can certainly play among the best teams but how well can they play against one of the weaker teams in the NFC. I feel leaning towards the Seahawks would be best but don't sleep on the Panthers.
Chicago (0-2) @ Kansas City (1-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Bears lost to the Buccaneers and the Chiefs beat the Jaguars last week. Chicago has gotten off to a tough start in 2023. Which is somewhat of a expectation as the team wasn't expected to make noise. They seemed to have the game against Tampa in hand but the Fields interception that lead to the Bucs pick-six was the nail in the coffin. Kansas City has looked a bit off in the title defense. They did not great against Detroit and they managed to do enough to win against Jacksonville. Chicago is not a pushover but they aren't the 1985 Bears either. They'll need to start limiting the penalties and turnovers to win. I'll take the defending champs but honestly the Bears could make this a challenge.
Dallas (2-0) @ Arizona (0-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys beat the Jets and the Cardinals lost to the Giants last week. Dallas has come out firing so far in 2023. They have put up 70 points in two games. The emergence of Tony Pollard as the #1 starter at running back has been fun to see. Dak Prescott has yet to throw an interception. No mistakes have been made at all for the Cowboys in general. Arizona did put up 28 points on the Giants last week. The points would not be enough as the Giants put up 31 and won the game. If they want to keep putting up points in the game they need to score on all four quarters in the game. James Conner has been a nice back to have in the Cardinals schemes. Joshua Dobbs will need to play his best game of the season to have a shot to win this one. The Cardinals defense is not bad so they could have a chance. I don't like it but I'll take the Cowboys.
Pittsburgh (1-1) @ Las Vegas (1-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Raiders
The Steelers beat the Browns and the Raiders lost to the Bills last week. Pittsburgh got a huge boost to their season by playing some solid football on both sides of the ball. Their offense was still shaky at times but they have seemed to gel when it matters most. If their offense can get to 20 points it feels like its game over for the opposition. The Raiders offense has gotten off to a shaky start as well with similar numbers to the Steelers in terms of passing and running game. Last week proved that Jimmy Garoppolo isn't quite confident in facing against good defenses. I think the Raiders will struggle in this game so I'll take the Steelers.
Philadelphia (2-0) @ Tampa Bay (2-0) (ABC; 7:15 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Eagles beat the Vikings and the Buccaneers beat the Bears last week. The first of two Monday night games this week. Both teams posses two good passing games and receivers. Philly possesses a solid offensive line and running game which Tampa does not at times. The book on Baker Mayfield is kind of shaky since his days in Cleveland. I think we will learn quite a bit about the Buccaneers and how well they can play against the defending NFC champs. I'll take the Eagles.
LA Rams (1-1) @ Cincinnati (0-2) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Rams
The Rams lost to the 49ers and the Bengals lost to the Ravens last week. The 2nd game of the Monday night doubleheader as well as a Super Bowl reunion. The Rams have looked improved so far in 2023. The Bengals not so much. Los Angeles stomped on the Seahawks and only lost a close game against the rival 49ers. Cincy did bad against two division rivals in the Browns and Ravens. Their investment in the offensive line hasn't proven to be as satisfactory as it seems. The defense has also let them down a bit. The Joe Burrow to Ja'Marr Chase combo has only yielded to 10 catches for 70 receiving yards. I think if they can limit the passing game of the Rams and throw quick passes the Bengals got a decent shot to win. It's risky but I'll take the Bengals.
Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings
Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings
Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings
FOX Early
Atlanta @ Detroit
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth
New Orleans @ Green Bay
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma
LA Chargers @ Minnesota
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez
Houston @ Jacksonville
Chris Myers, Robert Smith
Chris Myers, Robert Smith
FOX Late
Chicago @ Kansas City
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson
Dallas @ Arizona
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston
CBS Single
New England @ NY Jets
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo
Denver @ Miami
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green
Buffalo @ Washington
Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan
Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan
Tennessee @ Cleveland
Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta
Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta
Indianapolis @ Baltimore
Beth Mowins, James Lofton, Jay Feely
Beth Mowins, James Lofton, Jay Feely
Carolina @ Seattle (LATE)
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis
Records
Cardinal Viking:
2023:
Week 1: 10-6
Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 10-6
Total: 20-12
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2
My record:
2023:
Week 1: 9-7
Week 1: 9-7
Week 2: 11-5
Total: 20-12
2012: 164-90-2
2013: 162-92-1
2014: 172-83-1
2017: 164-92
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1
2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2022: 166-103-2
See you either after the Monday night game or on Tuesday for the Week 3 Recap post! Enjoy the games!
-Tom
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