NFL 2024 Week 4 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The week that was Week 4 brought forth some intriguing storylines. Such storylines like, close games in East Rutherford, a go-ahead field goal in Atlanta, an almost comeback in Indianapolis and Green Bay and a blowout in Baltimore. All this and more in this week's recap post!

NFL Week 4 Freaky Stat

The Falcons victory over the Saints is the 2nd win where the Falcons won a game without scoring zero touchdowns but also scored two or more defensive/special teams touchdowns. The first time was the Falcons winning a game against the Detroit Lions in 1977.

NFL Week 4 Recap

Dallas 20, NY Giants 15: TW: Cowboys

Dallas pulls of a win despite a missed kick and one last Giants drive. Dak Prescott hit 22 of 27 passes for 221 yards and wo touchdowns. The first touchdown went to Rico Dowdle for his only catch in the game for a 15-yard score. The second went of course to CeeDee Lamb for a 55-yard deep pass to the left side of the field that increased the Cowboys lead to 14-6. Rico Dowdle had 11 carries for 46 yards. CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 98 yards. Brett Aubrey hit 2 of 3 field goals despite missing the field goal that would've given the Cowboys an eight point lead in the 4th quarter. Dallas had 293 total yards in the game. Daniel Jones had a quiet night as he hit 29 of 40 passes for 281 yards with an interception. It was an even quieter night for the G-men as Devin Singletary had 14 carries for 24 yards. They had 24 rushing attempts for a net total of 24 yards with an average of 1.1 yards/play. Ouchies. Malik Nabers had a solid game for a second consecutive game with 12 catches for 115 yards. Just unfortunate that he didn't get a touchdown catch. Greg Joseph was the lone contributor to the offense with five field goals for the Giants. The longest was from 52 yards. I mean at least he didn't miss one. New York had more total yards than Dallas in this one with 303 total yards. There might be some conversations around the water cooler over the under thrown balls that Daniel Jones was throwing and how they really missed a lot of chances to win this game. For the Cowboys, they get a semi-bye week with a 2-2 record but also have to deal with the loss of Micah Parsons for a possible length of time. For the Giants, they drop to 1-3 with their schedule not getting any easier. 

Next week: 
Dallas: @ Pittsburgh (Sunday night)
NY Giants: @ Seattle

TW: 1-0

Denver 10, NY Jets 9: TW: Jets

Rain came to East Rutherford and it was a sloppy one for both teams. Bo Nix hit 12 of 25 passes for 60 yards with a touchdown. The only touchdown for either team came on a 8-yard touchdown to Cortland Sutton. Javonte Williams had 16 carries for 77 yards. Sutton had the leading receiver honors with three catches for 60 yards in the game. Denver had 186 total yards in the game. Aaron Rodgers hit 24 of 42 passes for 225 yards. Breece Hall had eight carries for 34 yards. Hall had a chance to get a score but the Broncos defense kept him from seeing any daylight. Mike Williams had four catches for 67 yards. Greg Zuerlein had field goals from 23, 35 and 40 yards. Coming into the game, the Jets offense had scored three touchdowns each, they had none of that in this game. For the Broncos, they magically have a two-game winning streak after starting 0-2 and people writing them off. For the Jets, they drop to 2-2 and leave the New Jersey rain for London. 

Next week: 

Denver: vs Las Vegas
NY Jets: @ Minnesota (Sunday morning)

TW: 1-1

Cincinnati 34, Carolina 24: TW: Bengals

Andy Dalton takes on the team that drafted him back in 2011. Joe Burrow hit 22 of 31 passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The interception came on the final drive for the Bengals in the 3rd quarter. Ja'Marr Chase and Zack Moss had the two touchdown catches from Burrow. Bengals fans had to hold their breath for one second as Burrow's own lineman stepped on his ankle. Joe would stay in the game regardless. Chase had three catches for 85 yards to be the leading receiver for the Bengals. Chase Brown had 80 yards with two touchdowns. Cincinnati had 373 total yards in the game. Andy Dalton had 25 of 40 passes for 220 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Johnny Hekker played quarterback for a moment on a fake punt but was a failure as the pass was dropped. Diontae Johnson caught a pass and Xavier Legette had the other passing touchdown that he caught. Chuba Hubbard had 18 carries for 104 yards with a touchdown run. Carolina would tie the game once in the 2nd quarter but would not lead at any point in this one. Diontae Johnson was the Panthers leading receiver with seven catches for 83 yards. Carolina had 375 total yards in the game. For the Bengals, they are winless no more as they get to 1-3 on the season. For the Panthers, their one-game winning streak comes to an end and drop to 1-3.

Next week: 

Cincinnati: vs Baltimore

Carolina: @ Chicago

TW: 2-1

Jacksonville 20, Houston 24: TW: Texans

The Texans defense forces a fumble to give them the win. Trevor Lawrence hit 18 of 33 passes for 169 yards for two touchdowns. The two touchdowns went to Brian Thomas Jr  and to Christian Kirk. It was an improvement for Lawrence who had a rough start to the season. Tank Bigsby had seven carries for 90 yards in the game with a 58 yard run being the longest in the game for the spotted cats. Brian Thomas Jr had six catches for 86 yards. The Jaguars defense just couldn't get stops in this game. Jacksonville had 313 total yards in the game. CJ Stroud had 27 of 40 passes for 345 yards with two touchdowns. The touchdowns went to Nico Collins and Dare Ogunbowale. The Ogunbowale touchdown was the go-ahead score that gave the Texans a 24-20 lead with 18 seconds left in regulation. Cam Akers had 53 yards with 13 carries for the Texans Stefon Diggs got to play running back for a moment and scored a 6-yard touchdown for his first career rushing touchdown. The play looked like a trick play pass but Diggs found a hole. Nico Collins could not be stopped as he caught 12 passes for 151 yards. Houston had 435 total yards in the game. I think the reason why it was close was the penalties by Houston. They were flagged 12 times for 93 yards. Ouch for them. For the Jaguars, they drop to 0-4 in a shock to them. For the Texans, they get to 3-1 on the season. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Indianapolis

Houston: vs Buffalo

TW: 3-1

LA Rams 18, Chicago 24: TW: Rams

The Bears win against the Rams. Matthew Stafford hit 20 of 29 passes for 224 yards with an interception. The interception came on the last Rams drive of the game. Kyren Williams had 19 carries for 94 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown came on a 3-yard run that would cut the Bear lead to 17-15 but missed on the ensuing 2-point conversion.  Tutu Atwell was the leading receiver for the Rams with four catches for 82 yards with a 25-yard play being the longest game for the Rams. Caleb Williams hit 17 of 23 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore. The first Bears touchdown came on a Roschon Johnson run to the right where he followed the big offensive lineman in for the score. Johnson had 26 yards on seven carries. Dandre Swift had 93 yards rushing with 16 carries. Swift was also the leading receiver with seven catches for 72 yards. Busy day for him. Total yards for the teams were 322 for the Rams and 264 for the Bears. Penalties were big for the game as the Rams were penalized six times for 44 yards while the Bears were flagged 10 times for 84 yards. Both teams were sacked three times in the game. For the Rams, they drop to 1-3 on the season. For the Bears, they beat the Rams for the first time since the 2018 season as they get to 2-2 on the season. 

Next week: 
LA Rams: vs Green Bay

Chicago: vs Carolina

TW: 3-2

Minnesota 31, Green Bay 29: TW: Vikings

The comeback that never was. Sam Darnold hit 20 of 28 passes for 275 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Josh Oliver were the recipients of the passes from Darnold. The interception came on the first drive of the 3rd quarter. Aaron Jones made his return to Green Bay and didn't disappoint. He carried 22 times for 93 yards. Jordan Addison played running back for a score from a 7-yard play. Justin Jefferson not surprisingly, was the leading receiver for the Purple People Eaters with six catches for 85 yards. Minnesota had 374 total yards in the game. Jordan Love hit 32 of 54 passes for 389 yards with four touchdown passes with three interceptions. The first two interceptions came on the 1st half while three of the four touchdown passes came on the 2nd half. Jordan Reed caught one, Dontayvion Wicks caught two and Tucker Kraft caught the other touchdown. Braeden Narveson would have issues with hitting field goals as he missed from 37 and 49 yards. Josh Jacobs had a decent game with nine carries for 51 yards. Jordan Reed was the Packers leading receiver with seven catches for 139 yards. Along with the three interceptions, the Packers also fumbled that lead to a Vikings field goal. Green Bay had 465 total yards in the loss. At one point, the game was at a 28-0 Viking lead at halftime. For the Vikings, they stay undefeated for another week as they get to 4-0. For the Packers, they drop to 2-2 on the season. Jordan Love also came back after missing the last two games with an injury.

Next week: 
Minnesota: vs NY Jets (Sunday morning)

Green Bay: @ LA Rams

TW: 4-2

New Orleans 24, Atlanta 26: TW: Saints

Yoiunghoe Koo called game. Derek Carr hit 28 of 36 passes for 239 yards with an interception. The picked pass came on the Saints 1st drive of the 2nd quarter. Taysom Hill was utilized a lot in this game as he rushed for two touchdowns for 24 yards. Alvin Kamara had a touchdown run with 19 carries for 77 yards. Chris Olave had eight catches for 87 yards in the game. The Saints were on fire during the 1st quarter with 14 of their 24 points coming in the first 15 minutes. After that the Saints scored just twice on a field goal and a touchdown. New Orleans had 366 total yards in the game. Kirk Cousins had 21 of 35 passes completed for 238 yards with an interception on the 2nd drive of the 1st quarter that lead to a Saints touchdown. Atlanta's special teams got a boost in scoring with a Rasheed Shaheed muffed punt that ended up recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Tyler Allgeier had eight carries for 60 yards. Drake London had six catches for 64 yards in the game. The Carr interception would also score a touchdown as Troy Andersen ran it back for 47 yards for the pick-six. Younghoe Koo had four field goals in the game where the kicker hit them from 53, 44, 42 and 58 for the go-ahead score. Atlanta had 315 total yards in the game. For the Saints, they drop to 2-2 as they have a two-game losing streak for the season. For the Falcons, they get to 2-2 on the season. 

Next week: 
New Orleans: @ Kansas City (Monday night)
Atlanta: vs Tampa Bay (Thursday night)

TW: 4-3

Philadelphia 16, Tampa Bay 33: TW: Eagles

Baker Mayfield was serving up delicacies of baked eagle in Tampa. Jalen Hurts hit 18 of 30 passes for 158 yards with a touchdown pass and a touchdown run on 20 yards rushing. The passing touchdown went to Paris Campbell on a 1-yard pass play in the 2nd quarter that cut the Buccaneer lead to a 24-7 margin. Saquon Barkley had 84 yards rushing on 10 carries. Dallas Goedert had seven catches for 62 yards with seven catches. Baker Mayfield hit 30 of 47 passes for 347 yards with two touchdowns. Mike Evans and Troy Palmer were the players that caught those passes with Palmer catching the first one. Bucky Irving had 10 carries for 49 yards with a touchdown. Rachaad White had similar numbers with 10 carries with 49 yards but no tuddy for him. Baker Mayfield had 10 yards with a touchdown. Mike Evans had eight catches for 94 yards. Tampa Bay had 445 total yards in a bounce back effort from them. Outside of football, the Glazer Family donated $1 million to the aid and relief of those affected by Hurricane Helene. For the Eagles, they drop to 2-2 on the season. For the Buccaneers, they improve to 3-1 after losing badly to the Broncos last week. 

Next week: 
Philadelphia: Bye
Tampa Bay: @ Atlanta (Thursday night)

TW: 4-4

Pittsburgh 24, Indianapolis 27: TW: Steelers

Pittsburgh suffers loss #1 as a familiar face saves the day for the Colts. Justin Fields hit 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards with a touchdown pass to Pat Friermuth. Fields also rushed for two touchdowns with 55 yards rushing and had 10 carries. George Pickens had seven catches for 113 yards. Pittsburgh had 404 total yards in the game. Anthony Richardson started this game for the Colts. Richardson had three of four passes completed for 71 yards. He would leave the game after taking a couple of hits, eventually coming out of the game with a hip injury. Joe Flacco came into the contest. Flacco hit 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards for two touchdowns. Josh Downs and Andrew Ogletree were the recipients of the Flacco passes for six points. Jonathan Taylor would find daylight as he ran over the Steelers defensive front for 88 yards with a touchdown on 21 carries. Michael Pittman had six catches for 113 yards with a 32-yard play being the longest for the Colts. The Colts had 358 total yards in the game. Pittsburgh did have a chance to win it but a Justin Fields pass was incomplete to Van Jefferson on a 4th down and 11 play on the Steelers 41-yard line. For the Steelers, they are undefeated no more as they drop to 3-1. For the Colts, they improve to 2-2 on the season. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Dallas (Sunday night)

Indianapolis: @ Jacksonville

TW: 4-5

Washington 42, Arizona 14: TW: Cardinals

Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury gets his revenge against his former employer. Jayden Daniels hit 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Pretty efficient as he only had three incompletions and then the interception. The touchdown went to Terry McLaurin on a goal-to-go situation for a 10-yard play that brought the score to a 35-14 score with a 2-point conversion. Washington's running game was the real hero with Brian Robinson Jr. getting 21 carries for 101 yards with a touchdown to get the Commanders on the board with 5:17 in the 1st quarter. Jeremy McNichols had eight carries for 68 yards with two touchdowns from 7 and 29 yard plays. Even Jayden Daniels took part in the rushing touchdown festivities with 47 yards on the day with a 9-yard touchdown. Olamide Zaccheaus had six catches for 85 yards giving him leading receiver for Washington. By the end of the game, the Commanders had 42 points with 449 total yards. Kyler Murray had 16 of 22 passes for 142 yards with a touchdown to Marvin Harrison Jr. It came on the first drive of the game for Arizona that resulted in a 2-yard short pass to the left for the Cardinals. They would not score again until the 3rd quarter. The 2nd touchdown went to James Conner for a 6-yard run up the middle that cut the Washington lead to a 27-14 lead. Conner finished the game with 18 carries for 104 yards. Marvin Harrison Jr had five catches for 45 yards. Arizona had 297 total yards in the game with 26:38 of ball possession time. For the Commanders, they improve to 3-1 and hold 1st place in the NFC East. For the Cardinals, they drop to 1-3. 

Next week: 
Washington: vs Cleveland

Arizona: @ San Francisco

TW: 4-6

New England 13, San Francisco 30: TW: 49ers

San Francisco takes care of business against wobbly New England. Jacoby Brissett hit 19 of 32 passes for 168 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown went to Austin Hooper that cut the San Francisco lead to 20-10. The interception will be mentioned later. Rhamondre Stevenson had 13 carries for 43 yards with a 13-yard run being the longest in the game. Antonio Gibson was the leading receiver for the Patriots with three catches for 67 yards with a 50-yard play being the longest play for the Pats. At the end of the game the Patriots put up 216 total yards. San Francisco put Jacoby Brissett through hell with six sacks. Brock Purdy hit 15 of 27 passes for 288 yards with a touchdown pass to George Kittle. The Kittle touchdown came on a deep pass where he dealt with three Patriots defenders and somehow caught the pass. The interception didn't really matter. Jordan Mason continued his stellar season as he ran over the Patriots with 24 carries for 123 yards with a touchdown. Fred Warner played spy on a defensive play and Jacoby Brissett threw it to him and ran it back for a 45-yard pick six. Jauan Jennings was the leading receiver for the 49ers with 3 catches for 88 yards with a 45-yard play being the longest for him. Deebo Samuel had a 53-yard play but had three catches for 58 yards. When it was all said and done, the Niners had 431 total yards in the game. It was really a game of one offense dominating the other but the ball possession time was close. For the Patriots, their season drops to a 1-3 record. For the 49ers, they get back to playing .500 football with a 2-2 record after two straight losses to Minnesota and Los Angeles Rams.

Next week: 
New England: vs Miami 

San Francisco: vs Arizona

TW: 5-6

Cleveland 16, Las Vegas 20: TW: Raiders

Cleveland mistakes doom them against Las Vegas. DeShaun Watson hit 24 of 32 passes for 176 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Blake Whiteheart was the recipient of the pass from Watson for six points. It was the only touchdown for the Brownies. The interception came on the first drive of the 3rd quarter for Cleveland. Jerome Ford had 10 carries for 58 yards with a 35-yard run being the longest run play in the game. Jerry Jeudy had six catches for 72 yards to be the Browns leading receiver.  Rodney McLeod would pick up a fumble and ran it back for a score to help the Browns scoring. The fumble happened on a 3rd down and 1 play for the Raiders. Unfortunately Dustin Hopkins went wide left on the point after attempt. That was one mistake. The other mistake came on an offensive holding penalty that negated a big play. Cleveland had 241 total yards in the game. Gardner Minshew had 14 of 24 passes completed for 130 yards. The Raiders touchdowns would be players on their first carry. The first touchdown came to Tre Tucker for a 3-yard run to the left. The other went to Dre Turner who also went to the left for a 18-yard run to the end zone. Alexander Mattison had five carries for 60 yards with a 24-yard run being the longest for the Raiders on offense. Jakobi Myers had five catches on 10 targets for 49 yards. My summation of the game is that the Browns love to shoot themselves in the foot and they had their chances to win this game. For the Browns, they drop to 1-3 with two straight losses for them. For the Raiders, they improve to 2-2 on the season. 

Next week: 
Cleveland: @ Washington

Las Vegas: @ Denver

TW: 6-6

Kansas City 17, LA Chargers 10: TW: Chiefs

The Chargers scored 10 points and then the Chiefs scored 17 unanswered. Patrick Mahomes hit 19 of 29 passes for 245 yards with a touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy for a huge 54-yard play. Xavier Worthy finished the game with three catches for 73 yards in the game. Mahomes did throw an interception that lead to a Chargers field goal. Samaje Perine would score the 2nd touchdown for the Chiefs that lead to a 2-yard run up the middle that resulted in the final score. Kareem Hunt was the leading rusher with 14 carries for 69 yards (heheh nice). Travis Kelce finally got to be part of the offense as he caught seven balls for 89 yards. Kansas City had 329 total yards, 16 first downs and converted nine of 16 3rd downs. Justin Herbert hit 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards with a touchdown to Ladd McConkey for a 7-yard play. A Cameron Dicker field goal gave the Chargers the 10-0 lead after the first quarter. They would not score again the rest of the game. JK Dobbins would not get a lot of yardage but he had 14 carries for 32 yards. Ladd McConkey had five catches for 67 yards. The Chargers had 224 total yards in the game. Los Angeles offense would put on six of their eight drives, they would have a field goal miss and a turnover on downs in the game. For the Chiefs, they improve to 4-0 and stay undefeated for another week. For the Chargers, they head into the bye week with a 2-2 record with two straight losses. 

Next week: 
Kansas City: vs New Orleans (Monday night)

LA Chargers: Bye

TW: 7-6

Buffalo 10, Baltimore 35: TW: Ravens

The Bills get a taste of their own medicine in a blowout loss to the Ravens. Josh Allen had 16 of 29 passes for 180 yards with three sacks. The lone touchdown went to Ty Johnson for a 3-yard score that cut the Ravens lead to a 21-10 score. James Cook had nine carries for 39 yards in the game. Khalil Shakir had four catches for 62 yards in the game. Buffalo who had the highest scoring offense coming into this game was held to 10 points with 236 total yards. Lamar Jackson hit 13 of 18 passes for 156 yards with two touchdowns. Justice Hill and Derrick Henry were the recipients of the passes from Jackson. Derrick Henry had 24 carries in the win with a whopping 199 yards and a touchdown. He also had 10 receiving yards with the touchdown. Lamar Jackson had 54 yards rushing on six carries with a touchdown in the game. Justice Hill was the leading receiver with six catches for 78 yards. Safe to say that the Ravens crushed the Bills hopes in this game with 35 points scored with 427 total yards with the defense only allowing just three 3rd down conversions. The previous week, the Bills put the smack on the Jaguars with 47 points scored. Back to the drawing board for them. For the Bills, their undefeated season ends with a 3-1 record. For the Ravens, they are back at 2-2 with two straight wins after dropping the first two games. 

Next week: 

Buffalo: @ Houston
Baltimore: @ Cincinnati

TW: 8-6

Tennessee 31, Miami 12: TW: Titans

The Titans win one in Miami. Will Levis would start this game for the Titans with 3 of 4 passes for 25 yards. He would leave the game with a shoulder injury. The Titans turned to former Steeler Mason Rudolph to provide help to the offense. Off the bench, Rudolph hit 9 of 17 passes for 85 yards in the game. Tony Pollard was the leading rusher with 22 carries for 88 yards with a touchdown. He had a 41-yard run that was the longest in the game. Tyjae Spears had 15 carries for 39 yards with a touchdown as well. The Titans defense got a safety on a Tyler Huntley pass that was ruled intentional grounding. It was enforced in the end zone. Nick Folk hit five field goals in the game. DeAndre Hopkins had two catches for 31 yards and Tyler Boyd had two catches for 31 yards as well. Tennessee had 244 yards. Tyler Huntley started this one for the Dolphins. He hit 14 of 22 passes for 96 yards in the loss. He also had the lone touchdown for the Dolphins on a 1-yard run that cut the lead to a 22-12 score. He lead the team in rushing yards with 40 yards on eight carries. Jaylen Waddle had four catches for 36 yards in the game. Miami had 184 total yards in the game. The Dolphins lost this game due to a poor gameplan and bad offense and poor discipline. Both teams had their offensive ineptitude as both teams combined 4 for 24 on 3rd down and had 18 flags for 167 yards combined. For the Titans, they get their first win of the season and improve to 1-3 with a bye week. For the Dolphins, their season gets worse with a 1-3 record. 

Next week: 
Tennessee: Bye

Miami: @ New England

TW: 9-6

Seattle 29, Detroit 42: TW: Lions

The Lions knock the Seahawks off their undefeated perch. Geno Smith would throw a lot in this game. He hit 38 of 56 passes for 395 yards with a touchdown and in interception in the game. The touchdown went to AJ Barner. Rushing game wise, Kenneth Walker ran over the Lions defense with 12 carries for 80 yards with three touchdown runs with a 28-yard run being the longest in the game. DK Metcalf was the leading receiver with seven catches for 104 yards. The Smith interception was grabbed by Kerby Joseph in the final Seahawks play of the game. Jared Goff hit a perfect 18 for 18 on 292 passing yards with two touchdowns. Have to think that the minimum attempts is 25. Amon Ra St. Brown played quarterback for a moment and hit a touchdown pass of his own on a seven-yard play. The Goff touchdown went to Jameson Williams for a huge 70-yard score that opened the game up quite a bit. The St. Brown touchdown went to Jared Goff for a 7-yard score. Detroit's running game would score three touchdowns. Jahmyr Gibbs had 14 carries for 78 yards rushing with two touchdowns. David Montgomery had 12 carries for 40 yards with a touchdown. Jameson Williams was the leading receiver with two catches for 80 yards. The 100% completion percentage is also the first since 1942 where the Giants beat the Redskins with just one pass attempt. Both teams had their offensive yardage and scoring in this game. Seattle had 516 total yards with 29 points scored while the Lions had 389 total yards with 42 points. For the Seahawks, they are undefeated no more with a 3-1 record. For the Lions, they head into the bye with a 3-1 record.

Next week: 
Seattle: vs NY Giants

Detroit: Bye

TW: 10-6

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 10-6

Total: 44-20

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 5 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

Rest in Peace

Pete Rose

(1941-2024)

NFL 2024 Week 4 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The regular season is 17% complete and with it there is no defined team that stands out in the pack. The games that I'm keeping an eye on this week is the Cowboys-Giants, Broncos-Jets, Vikings-Packers, Chiefs-Chargers and Seahawks-Lions.

Week 4 Preview

The fourth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in East Rutherford, New Jersey and wrap up in Detroit, Michigan. The week features a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. There will be a Thursday night game, eight early games four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. For matchups, there will be five division matchups, two AFC-NFC matchups, five AFC matchups and four NFC matchups. CBS will have the doubleheader and FOX will carry the single, regional game. No teams are on a bye this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 4 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern. TW is me 

Dallas (1-2) @ NY Giants (1-2) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Cowboys

The Cowboys lost to the Ravens and the Giants beat the Browns last week. Dallas has been in a roller coaster of a start to the season. They won handily against the Browns, lost badly against the Saints and almost beat the Ravens. Despite this, I think they should be able to handle the Giants at least by 10 points. New York finally got off the skid and Daniel Jones threw a lot of passes to rookie Malik Nabers. For once, the Giants didn't turn the ball over. The win against Cleveland wasn't without mistakes. One such mistake was on the opening kickoff where the G-men fumbled and lead to a Browns score. They found a way to win and got a win. Had the Giants lost, I think the game against Dallas would be a bit of a lopside one. Maybe the Giants make this one a bit of an interesting one. 

All-time series: Cowboys lead 75-47-2

Denver (1-2) @ NY Jets (2-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jets

The Broncos and Jets won last week as the Broncos beat the Buccaneers and the Jets beat the Patriots. Denver finally found a way to win last week and upset the previously undefeated Buccaneers. They did it with a gameplan that was safe for rookie Bo Nix to go to. The throws he made were nice and easy with a sprinkle of deep throws. The test this week is can they repeat the same success against one of the toughest defenses in the league. The Jets showed the world that they can compete and win big. The Jets really took over and never let up against New England. The defense really shut them down and let the offense do its job and Aaron Rodgers looked like his old self. I think the matchup for this game is the Broncos offense and the Jets defense. The game will be the first time that Aaron Rodgers plays against Sean Payton. Payton last year made comments regarding how the previous head coach did a poor job in Denver. The previous head coach being Nathaniel Hackett. 

All-time series: Broncos lead 22-18-1

Cincinnati (0-3) @ Carolina (1-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals

The Bengals lost to the Commanders and the Panthers beat the Raiders last week. Cincinnati had a chance to win last week against Washington. Their defense really couldn't stop the Commanders offense and even let rookie Jayden Daniels only have two incompletions in that game. They could have a great game on offense where Joe Burrow can get three touchdown passes but still lose. Defense needs to play better for sure. Carolina looked lost with Bryce Young at the helm. Needing a change to boost offense and to save their season, the Panthers brass choose Andy Dalton for that boost. The Red Rifle didn't disappoint. The Panthers scored 36 points and lead to a road win, a first for Carolina since 2022. Uffdah. I also realize that Andy Dalton was drafted by Cincy so there's that. If the Bengals want to get back into playing well to get to a playoff spot, they need to win this game. Like all hands on deck sort of ordeal. I'll take the Bengals.

All-time series: Series tied 3-3-1

Jacksonville (0-3) @ Houston (2-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Texans

The Jaguars lost to the Bills and the Texans lost to the Vikings last week. Jacksonville has been on a skid since last year by at least since last November. Their offense just looks off and Trevor Lawrence just looks lost. It's weird even that Doug Pederson was picked to be the person that would fix him. The first season together looked like that when they won a playoff game. It doesn't make sense. Houston fell back to earth against Minnesota. CJ Stroud looked mortal and saw ghosts. Ghosts that were wearing Purple uniforms that caught interceptions from Stroud. The Texans should be able to win this one but if turnovers are like the ones last week, might be seeing the Jaguars get win #1. 

All-time series: Texans lead 29-15

LA Rams (1-2) @ Chicago (1-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Rams

The Rams beat the 49ers and the Bears lost to the Colts last week. A duel between the veteran Matthew Stafford and the rookie Caleb Williams. The Rams got a big win against rival San Francisco. They never gave up and came back from not one but two 14-point deficits. The Rams have a special back in Kyren Williams who might be a big factor for them winning this game. Chicago has had its ups and downs in this young season. The book is still out on Caleb Williams but he did get his first two touchdowns in his career last week. The Bears key will be stopping on defense and giving their offense a chance. Despite the turnovers, the Bears offense is starting to look up a bit. The Rams defense isn't quite as good as they have been so there might be some hope. I still like the Rams as experience would say otherwise. 

All-time series: Bears lead 54-39-3

Minnesota (3-0) @ Green Bay (2-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings

The two teams won last week as the Vikings beat the Texans and the Packers beat the Titans. A rivalry renews as a new chapter begins. Minnesota has been impressive so far with no Kirk Cousins throwing footballs. They've done it with Sam Darnold having a career renaissance. Of course it helps when Justin Jefferson catches footballs and goes a long way with that football. Sometimes for six points. The defense has been the most improved part for Minnesota's success. Green Bay has been holding steady through the storm that is without quarterback Jordan Love. Malik Willis has been playing steady football for them and at times playing well. The defense as well has been playing superb as well. I think the Vikings have been the most impressive team between the two. I'll take the Vikings. 

All-time series: Packers lead 66-58-3

New Orleans (2-1) @ Atlanta (1-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints

The Saints lost to the Eagles and the Falcons lost to the Chiefs last week. The rivalry renewed. Derek Carr and the Saints had a bit of a struggle to score points last week against Philly. Prior to that game the Saints were the highest scoring offense in the NFL and then they were held to 12 points last week. Derek Carr was off by a bit and Alvin Kamara was held to under 50 yards. Atlanta had its struggle against Kansas City but had a chance to win last week. Thus sending the Chiefs to undefeated 3-0. The Falcons offense is much better at passing offense with the addition of Kirk Cousins. Atlanta's running back tandem of Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson is a help as well. It feels a bit of a toss-up matchup as both teams are quite similar. I'll take the Saints based on past performances on offense. 

All-time series: Series tied 55-55

Philadelphia (2-1) @ Tampa Bay (2-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles

The Eagles beat the Saints and the Buccaneers lost to the Broncos last week. Philadelphia had a bit of a skid against Atlanta two weeks ago. While they didn't blow out New Orleans, they did keep the highest scoring offense in the NFL to 12 points. The defense prevailed and really knocked the Saints out of tune. Saquon Barkley rebounded after a dropped pass that would've lead to a score against Atlanta as he scored two touchdowns and carried the Eagles to victory. Tampa looked really good the first two weeks of the season. Then the Broncos came into sweltering Raymond James Stadium and really knocked them around. Baker Mayfield looked mortal. The run defense kind of got smacked around as well as all the scoring that Denver did was by the run. Not also to mention that field goals helped Denver as well. It's kind of a toss-up game but I'm leaning more towards the Eagles. 

All-time series: Buccaneers lead series 12-11

Pittsburgh (3-0) @ Indianapolis (1-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers

The Steelers beat the Chargers and the Colts beat the Bears last week. Pittsburgh has looked solid on offense. They may have found their quarterback. Justin Fields wasn't throwing darts but he was being a game manager. The offense realizes that if they put up 17 to 20 points, their defense will take care of business and hold opponents to 10 points. They're not quite the 1970's Steelers or the Super Bowl winning teams in the 2000's but they're quite unique. Indianapolis got on the winning column last week. Granted by a five point margin against Chicago. The Anthony Richardson experiment is I feel is more of a C- on the grading scale. That might be putting it lightly. The running game really bailed the Colts out last week. Jonathan Taylor had a great game. The Colts passing game will need to really put up solid drives and keep the Steelers defense on the field as much as possible. Knowing where TJ Watt is at all times will be key. If he causes havoc early, then I think the Steelers will take it. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 27-7

Washington (2-1) @ Arizona (1-2) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Cardinals

The Commanders beat the Bengals and the Cardinals lost to the Lions last week. Washington saw a good game from their offense last week. Jayden Daniels only had two incompletions last week against Cincinnati. The Bengals defense isn't no slouch either despite giving up 38 points to Washington. The running game had a good game as well. If they can stay the course they should be good to go against Arizona as their defense isn't as good. The Cardinals offense really looked pedestrian against the Lions. The Lions defense is very solid. I feel this game will be a shootout if anything. I do find the Cardinals offense is a bit better than the Commanders I think. The sample size for Daniels as a passer is small as he only has two touchdowns so far. It's a real toss-up but I'll go with the Cardinals. 

All-time series: Commanders lead 77-47-2

New England (1-2) @ San Francisco (1-2) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: 49ers

The Patriots lost to the Jets and the 49ers lost to the Rams last week. The Pats are in a bit of a bind. Their offense is mostly based on running the ball. Thus becoming a one-dimensional team. The reason why is that their pass blocking is non-existent. One such example is that if you're a linebacker you get a hole so big that you get a free pass to hug the quarterback. It's pretty bad. Checkdowns and screens are the only way to get the ball out of the quarterback's hands. San Francisco is currently experiencing a two-game losing streak since blowing out the Jets on Monday night in Week 1. The losing streak is an effect of their injuries. The biggest one is Christian McCaffrey. The depth for the star running back has been astounding. Jordan Mason has helped out a lot and took advantage of the opportunity. I hate to say it but if the 49ers were down to a 2nd string team, I think the Patriots will still lose. I'll take the 49ers. 

All-time series: 49ers lead 9-5

Cleveland (1-2) @ Las Vegas (1-2) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Raiders

The Browns lost to the Giants and the Raiders lost to the Panthers last week. Cleveland had a bit of a letdown last week. They had a good start to the game against New York via a turnover on a kickoff and scoring a touchdown on the next play. The offense is a bit hurt but help should eventually come to the Brownies. DeShaun Watson's season has been meager. He hasn't thrown an interception since throwing two in Week 1. He has been more of a game manager at least in a way. The defense is really good so they can't be all that bad. Las Vegas has been a roller coaster of a season so far. The season had a drubbing by the Chargers, an upset against Baltimore and a blowout against Carolina who had the Red Rifle manhandle the Raiders defense. The Raiders I think have been dealing with an adjustment to Gardner Minshew at quarterback and a new plethora of running backs for them to utilize. The wide receiving corp has stayed the same. I think the loss to Carolina was a bit of a wake up call to the Raiders, I'll take them in a safe bet. 

All-time series: Raiders lead 17-10

Kansas City (3-0) @ LA Chargers (2-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs

The Chiefs beat the Falcons and the Chargers lost to the Steelers last week. Kansas City played a tough game against Atlanta. Their offense didn't quite look that great but they did score more points than the other team. A lot of controversy over the lack of production from Travis Kelce so far. The tight end has just eight catches for 69 yards (heheh nice). He's still under contract so I would eventually assume that he will get going. It'd be nice for the Chiefs to increase the rushing numbers a bit but Isiah Pacheco is out for a bit due to injury. Los Angeles has had a good start so far. Then the injury to Justin Herbert happened. After he left the game, the Chargers were helpless. The assumption is that Herbert won't play in this game and Taylor Heinicke will go. The sample size is very small for the folk hero Heinicke. He has some experience in playing some big games however. The Chargers will need to rediscover the running game from JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards. If Taylor Heinicke can keep Patrick Mahomes off the field, then they might have a shot to win. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead 69-58-1

Buffalo (3-0) @ Baltimore (1-2) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Ravens

The Bills beat the Jaguars and the Ravens beat the Cowboys last week. Buffalo is now the highest scoring offense in the league right now. They have maintained an average of 37.3 points/game. They've done it with MVP numbers for Josh Allen who has nine total touchdowns. Of course the rest of the team has four touchdowns. James Cook is taking on a bigger role of the offense. Khalil Shakir has been a solid contributor to the wide receiver corp. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have the highest average total offensive yardage with 430.3 yards/game. That's insane. The record would make you think that the Ravens are a run of the mill team. They have had some struggles in terms of closing games, such as the Raiders game and nearly blowing a 28-6 lead to Dallas. 

All-time series: Ravens lead 6-5

Tennessee (0-3) @ Miami (1-2) (ESPN; 7:30 pm): TW: Titans

The Titans lost to the Packers and the Dolphins lost to the Seahawks. Tennessee is sadly what their record shows. They haven't gotten a win so far this season. Turnovers have been the name of the game for them on offense this season. Will Levis needs to cut down on the turnovers. Levis has a decent group of wide receivers to throw to but it ain't going to be successful if he can't get the ball to them. Pass protection has also been a factor to the winless Titans. Miami has looked lost without Tua Tagovailoa. He was out last week due to a concussion he suffered in Week 2 against Buffalo. Skylar Thompson didn't do a whole lot to help the Dolphins win last week against Seattle. The run offense didn't help out either. They also need to get more production on offense obviously. If Tua actually gets to play in this game, they need to allow him to wear a bubble wrap around his uniform. I'll take the Titans in a risky bet. 

All-time series: Dolphins lead 21-19

Seattle (3-0) @ Detroit (2-1) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Lions

The Seahawks beat the Dolphins and the Lions beat the Cardinals last week. The other Monday night game features an interesting matchup. Both teams are well known to each other in the regular season. As of recently the Seahawks have had the upper hand over the Lions. The Seahawks have an undefeated record but their record is a bit suspect. They beat a Denver team still finding themselves, beat a Patriots team that got blown out last week and whooped a Dolphins team without Tua. As much as I want to think that the Seahawks are legit, I just don't trust them as much as I would want to. It feels more like a step on the brakes a bit on Seattle. Despite this, I do think their offense is very balanced and I like Geno Smith not being a gun slinger. He has an offense that can back him up. The Lions have had some wrinkles along the way. Their offense hasn't yet have a dominating effort. Jared Goff hasn't had a game where he hasn't thrown an interception and has had one game where he threw over 300 yards. It is weird for him to play hero ball. The Lions defense has really kept them at a 2-1 record. I just keep waiting on the Lions to finally blossom. Maybe this game will be the one where it'll make the rest of the league fear the kitty. 

All-time series: Seahawks lead 13-5

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

CBS Early

Denver @ NY Jets
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Minnesota @ Green Bay
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Jacksonville @ Houston

Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Jason McCourty

Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

CBS Late

Kansas City @ LA Chargers
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Cleveland @ Las Vegas

Beth Mowins, Ross Tucker, Jay Feely

FOX Single 

Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay

Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

New Orleans @ Atlanta

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

LA Rams @ Chicago

Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez

Cincinnati @ Carolina

Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston

New England @ San Francisco (Late)

Joe Davis, Greg Olson

Washington @ Arizona (Late)

Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2024 Week 4 Maps

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Total: 34-14

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 4 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Week 3 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The week that was Week 3 featured some insane storylines. Such storylines like Aaron Rodgers coming back to MetLife, The Broncos surpassing the Bucs to get their first win of the season, a turnover fest in Indianapolis, a near comeback in Dallas, and a rout in Buffalo. All those games and more in this week's recap.

NFL Week 3 Freaky Stat

Week 3 of the NFL was about parity. Of the nine teams that started at 2-0, only five teams remain undefeated at 3-0. The NFC finished up the 10-game interconference slate with the AFC with a 6-4 record. 

NFL Week 3 Recap

New England 3, NY Jets 24: TW: Patriots 

Aaron Rodgers looks like him old self and everything went wrong for the Pats. Jacoby Brissett hit 12 of 18 passes for 98 yards. The 3rd overall draft pick Drake Maye got to see his debut in this game. He hit 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards. Antonio Gibson was the leading rusher with 29 yards on five carries. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for six carries for 23 yards. Demario Douglas was the leading receiver for the Patriots with seven catches for 69 yards. New England had 139 total yards of offense. The Patriots couldn't sustain drives a whole lot as they had just 11 first downs, 19:56 time of possession and 2 of 11 on 3rd down and their quarterbacks were sacked seven times. Aaron Rodgers looked like his old self in this game. He hit 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards with two touchdowns. Alan Lazard and Garrett Wilson caught the passes from Rodgers for six. Braelon Allen was the leading rusher for the Jets with 55 yards. Breece Hall ran it in to the endzone for a score while getting 16 carries for 54 yards. Tyler Conklin had 93 yards receiving with five catches. For team stats, the Jets had 400 total yards, had 27 first downs, 10 of 15 on 3rd down conversions and had just over 40 minutes of ball possession. Pretty dominating effort. For the Patriots, they drop to 1-2 and have a weekend to ponder if they should stick with Drake Maye or go with Jacoby Brissett. For the Jets, they get to 2-1 for the first time since 2015. 

Next week: 
New England: @ San Francisco
NY Jets: vs Denver

TW: 0-1

Chicago 16, Indianapolis 21: TW: Colts

The Colts hold off the Bears at home. Caleb Williams would get used a lot as he hit 33 of 52 passes for 363 yards with two touchdowns but also tossed two interceptions. Rome Odunze caught the first touchdown for the 1st touchdown for Chicago. Cole Kmet caught the other for the last score for the Bears. Roschon Johnson carried the ball eight times for 30 yards. Dandre Swift carried 13 times for 20 yards. Rome Odunze was the leading receiver with six catches for 112 yards. Anthony Richardson would have a rough game as he hit 10 of 20 passes for 167 yards with two interceptions. Despite the lack of a strong passing game, the Colts running game would carry the day. Jonathan Taylor had 23 carries for 110 yards with two touchdowns. Trey Sermon had two carries for 16 carries. Alec Pierce had one pass caught for 44 yards to be the leading receiver for the Colts. The lack of a running game costed Chicago in this game and a lack of a passing game almost blew it for the Colts. For the Bears, they drop to 1-2 on the season. For the Colts, they are winless no more as they get to 1-2 on the season. 

Next week: 
Chicago: vs LA Rams
Indianapolis: vs Pittsburgh

TW: 1-1

Denver 26, Tampa Bay 7: TW: Buccaneers

The Broncos upset the Buccaneers on the road. Bo Nix the passer hit 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The runner had nine carries for 47 yards with a touchdown. Jaleel McLaughlin scored the 2nd touchdown on a run play to the right where the runner made a deke move that made any ankle freak out. Wil Lutz hit four field goals in the game. Tyler Badie was the leading rusher for the Broncos with nine carries of his own with 70 yards. Turnovers helped the Broncos in this game as they took a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Courtland Sutton caught seven passes for 68 yards to be the leading receiver for Denver. Broncos had 352 total yards in the game. Baker Mayfield had a trying time in this game. He hit 25 of 33 passes for 163 yards with a touchdown pass to Chris Godwin but also tossed an interception on the Bucs 2nd drive of the game. Bucky Irving had nine carries for 70 yards to be the leading rusher for the Buccaneers. Chris Godwin was the leading receiver for six catches with 53 yards. Tampa Bay had 223 total yards in the game. Along with the interception, the Bucs fumbled the ball. Pass protection broke down as Baker Mayfield saw Broncos players seven times for 31 yards lost. For the Broncos, they proved the doubters wrong as Bo Nix and Denver get their first win of the season. For the Buccaneers, their hopes of going 3-0 for the first time in 20 years will not happen as they drop to 2-1. 

Next week: 

Denver: @ NY Jets
Tampa Bay: vs Philadelphia

TW: 1-2

Green Bay 30, Tennessee 14: TW: Packers

Malik Willis wins it for the Green and Gold. Willis hit 13 of 19 passes for 202 yards with a touchdown to Emanuel Wilson. He also rushed for a touchdown in the game with 73 yards and six carries. Christian Watson had two catches for 67 yards with a 37 yard play being the longest in the game. Titans mistakes were the cause of the Packers win as the secondary had two interceptions with Jaire Alexander getting a pick-six and Xavier McKinney stealing the ball and Titans hopes. Green Bay had 378 yards of offense in the game. Will Levis had a tough one as he hit 26 of 34 passes for 260 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Nick Vannett caught the first touchdown that tied the game at 7-7 in the 1st quarter. The 2nd touchdown went to DeAndre Hopkins for 11 yards in the 3rd quarter that cut the Packer lead to 27-14. The deficit wouldn't begin for Tennessee as Tony Pollard was the leading rusher with six carries for 14 yards. DeAndre Hopkins caught six passes for 73 yards. Tennessee's mistakes cost them in the game but put up 237 total yards in the game. For the Packers, Malik Willis gets his revenge over Tennessee who traded him to Green Bay as the Pack improve to 2-1. For the Titans, they drop to 0-3 as Bill Callahan's men are still looking for a win. 

Next week: 
Green Bay: vs Minnesota

Tennessee: @ Miami (Monday night)

TW: 2-2

Houston 7, Minnesota 34: TW: Vikings

Anything that could go wrong for the Texans, did go wrong for them in Minneapolis. CJ Stroud hit 20 of 31 passes for a touchdown to Cam Akers but also threw two interceptions. The touchdown came in the 3rd quarter. With the game out of reach for a comeback, the Texans turned to Davis Mills and hit 7 of 12 passes for 79 yards. Cam Akers rushed for 21 yards on nine carries. Stefon Diggs caught 10 passes for 94 yards and even tossed a pass for 13 yards in his return to Minnesota where he was drafted and played for. Houston put up more yardage than the Vikings with 296 total yards but the score would tell a different story. Sam Darnold was superb in this game as he hit 17 of 28 passes for 181 yards for four touchdowns. Of the Vikings that caught the passes they were: Justin Jefferson for one, Aaron Jones for one, Justin Nailor for one and Johnny Mundt for the other touchdown. Aaron Jones rushed for 102 yards with 19 carries. Justin Jefferson would play this game despite having some injury issues last week. He had six catches for 81 yards. Minnesota had just 274 yards of offense in the game. They would put the hurt on the Texans. For the Texans, their undefeated season ends as they drop to 2-1. For the Vikings, they improve to 3-0 and stay unbeaten. 

Next week: 
Houston: vs Jacksonville
Minnesota: @ Green Bay

TW: 3-2

LA Chargers 10, Pittsburgh 20: TW: Steelers

The Chargers drop to 2-1 on the season. Justin Herbert hit 12 of 18 passes for 125 yards with the Chargers lone touchdown. The touchdown happened on a defensive breakdown by the Steelers for a 27-yard play that went to Quentin Johnston. Herbert suffered an injury during the game. Taylor Heinicke the folk hero of Washington, came in and hit 2 of 2 passes for 24 yards. JK Dobbins, the leading rusher through two weeks, was held to 44 yards. Ladd McConkey and Johnston had 44 yards receiving with McConkey getting three catches and Johnston getting two. Los Angeles had 168 yards of offense in the game. Justin Fields hit 25 of 32 passes for 245 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Fields touchdown went to Calvin Austin III in the 4th quarter. The interception came on the Steelers 2nd drive in the 3rd quarter. Justin Fields rushed into the endzone for the Steelers first touchdown in the 3rd drive of the game. Najee Harris had 18 carries for 70 yards. Calvin Austin III had four catches for 95 yards. Pittsburgh had an efficient offense as they had 346 yards of offense. The Chargers inability to sustain drives was a cause of this game and will have to see if they can survive without Herbert. For the Chargers, they drop to 2-1 on the season. For the Steelers, they keep up and stay in the undefeated column as they improve to 3-0. 

Next week: 
LA Chargers: vs Kansas City

Pittsburgh: @ Indianapolis

TW: 4-2

NY Giants 21, Cleveland 15: TW: Giants 

Giants mistakes early won't falter them as they survive a Browns comeback. Daniel Jones didn't take the L in this game. He hit 24 of 34 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns. The two went to rookie Malik Nabers who was spectacular in this game. Devin Singletary rushed for the other touchdown for the G-men with 16 carries for 65 yards. Nabers had a breakout game as he caught eight passes for 78 yards. He even had a pass that was almost intercepted that he somehow took it away from the Browns defender for the reception. New York had 340 total yards in the game. DeShaun Watson had 21 of 37 passes for 196 yards with two touchdowns. Amari Cooper was the Browns player that caught the two passes from Watson. He finished the game with seven catches for 86 yards in what he declared was a slow start for him. Jerome Ford had 10 carries for 37 yards. Cleveland had 217 yards of offense in the game. The early mistake came on the opening kickoff where the Giants fumbled the run back. A play later, the Browns were up 7-0 with the first touchdown. For the Giants, despite the first misstep, they are now 1-2 as they won a game in 2024. For the Browns, they drop to 1-2 on the season. 

Next week: 
NY Giants: vs Dallas (Thursday night)
Cleveland: @ Las Vegas

TW: 5-2

Philadelphia 15, New Orleans 12: TW: Saints

The fiery Saints offense cools down against Philadelphia. Jalen Hurts hit 29 of 38 passes for 311 yards with an interception. The interception happened on a Eagles redzone trip where the passer threw it into the endzone. Saquon Barkley, the person who dropped a potential game-winning pass last week, would put it into overdrive. He rushed for 17 carries with 147 yards with two touchdowns. The Barkley touchdowns were from 65 and 4 yard plays. Of the 311 yards that Hurts threw 170 of them went to Dallas Goedert who caught 10 passes, with a 61-yard play being the longest in the game. Derek Carr would fall back to earth in this game. He hit 14 of 25 passes for 142 yards with a touchdown to Chris Olave but also tossed an interception. Alvin Kamara, who was unstoppable last week against Dallas, rushed for 26 carries for 87 yards with no touchdowns. Chris Olave had six passes caught for 86 yards. Total yards for both teams didn't tell the whole story as Philly had 460 total yards and the Saints had 219 total yards. For the Eagles, they get back to above .500 football with a 2-1 record. For the Saints, their undefeated season ends as they drop to 2-1. 

Next week: 
Philadelphia: @ Tampa Bay
New Orleans: @ Atlanta

TW: 5-3

Carolina 36, Las Vegas 22: TW: Raiders

Andy Dalton sours the Raiders in their home opener. Dalton replaced Bryce Young earlier this week in an effort to jumpstart the Panthers offense. He hit 26 of 37 passes for 319 yards with three touchdown passes. Diontae Johnson, Chuba Hubbard and Adam Thielen were the players that caught the passes from Dalton. Chuba Hubbard had 21 carries for 114 yards in the game. Miles Sanders took part in the scoring fiesta with a touchdown of his own while getting seven carries and 17 rushing yards. The Panthers put up 437 total yards in the game. Gardner Minshew started for the Raiders. He hit 18 of 28 passes for 214 yards with a touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers for the 2nd touchdown for Las Vegas. Aidan O'Connell gave it a go and hit 9 of 12 passes for 82 yards with a touchdown pass to Tre Tucker that gave the Raiders their 3rd touchdown. Zamir White had 10 carries for 34 yards. Alexander Mattison was the 1st touchdown on a 2-yard run up the middle that gave them a 7-7 score. Tre Tucker was the leading receiver for the Raiders with seven catches for 96 yards. The Raiders had 331 total yards in the game. Lackluster offense would be the Raiders for this game as they would not score in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The Panthers would score 27 points in the first three quarters. For the Panthers, they get their first road win since 2022 and their first win in 2024 as they get to 1-2. For the Raiders, they drop to 1-2 on the season. 

Next week: 
Carolina: vs Cincinnati
Las Vegas: vs Cleveland

TW: 5-4

Miami 3, Seattle 24: TW: Seahawks

The Seahawks go on cruise control against the Dolphins. Skylar Thompson started for Miami and wasn't much of a factor. he hit 13 of 19 passes for 107 yards. Tim Boyle would see some playtime and he hit 7 of 13 passes for 79 yards. Devon Achane was the leading rusher for Miami with 30 yards rushing on 11 carries. Tyreek Hill caught three passes for 40 yards. One bright spot for Miami was a Dwayne Eskridge play that resulted in 30 yards that was the longest play for the fishes. Miami would muster just 205 total yards in the loss. Jason Sanders hit the lone field goal from 23 yards in the 1st quarter. Geno Smith hit 26 of 34 passes for 289 yards with a touchdown pass to DK Metcalf. Metcalf caught four passes for 104 yards with the 71-yard play being the touchdown. For consecutive weeks, Metcalf comes up with the big play for a touchdown. Smith hit two interceptions unfortunately. Zach Charbonnet was the leading rusher for the Seahawks with two rushing touchdowns on 18 carries for 91 yards. Seattle's offense had 370 total yards in the game. Both teams had issues with sustaining drives as Miami had 1 for 12 on 3rd down and Seattle had 3 of 11. Discipline was an issue as well as Miami had 11 flags for 85 yards and Seattle had 11 flags for 92 yards. Dolphins pass protection broke down a lot as Seattle had six sacks on Dolphins quarterbacks. For the Dolphins, they drop to 1-2 on the season. For the Seahawks, they continue on as they are the lone undefeated team in the NFC West with a 3-0 record. 

Next week: 
Miami: vs Tennessee (Monday night)
Seattle: @ Detroit (Monday night) 

TW: 6-4

Baltimore 28, Dallas 25: TW: Ravens

The Dallas comeback that never happened. Lamar Jackson hit 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards with a touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman for a 13-yard play that increased the Raven lead to 21-3. Derrick Henry was unstoppable as he rushed for 151 yards with two touchdowns on 25 carries. Both touchdowns were from 1 and 26 yard plays. Lamar Jackson participated in rushing touchdowns with a 9-yard play. Jackson had 14 carries for 87 yards in the game. Nelson Agholor was the leading receiver with one catch for 56 yards. Baltimore had 456 total yards in the game. At one point, the Ravens had a 28-6 lead at the start of the 4th quarter. Dak Prescott was quiet for the first three quarters but finished with 28 of 51 passes for 379 yards with two touchdowns. The touchdowns went to Jalen Tolbert for 15 yards and Kavontae Turpin for 16 yards. Prescott would also run it in for a score that eventually got the scoring fest going for the Cowboys. Rico Dowdle was the leading rusher with 8 carries for 32 yards. Jake Ferguson was the leading receiver with six catches for 95 yards. Dallas had 412 total yards. The Cowboys cut the lead down to 3 and needed the defense to hold the Ravens to give the ball back to them. A Lamar Jackson 10 yard rush on 2nd down and 9 would seal the victory for the Ravens. For the Ravens, they avoid the choke and get to 1-2 on the season. For the Cowboys, they drop to 1-2 but at least didn't get blown out. 

Next week: 
Baltimore: vs Buffalo (Sunday night)
Dallas: @ NY Giants (Thursday night)

TW: 7-4

Detroit 20, Arizona 13: TW: Lions

Jared Goff and company rebound against the Cards. Goff hit 18 of 23 passes for 199 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Amon Ra St. Brown caught one for a touchdown and Jahmyr Gibbs caught the other touchdown. The interception happened on Detroit's 2nd drive in the 3rd quarter. David Montgomery had leading rusher honors with 23 carries for 105 yards with a touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs had 16 carries for 83 yards. Amon Ra St. Brown caught seven passes for 75 yards for the leading receiver for the Lions. Detroit had 373 total yards of offense where the rushing yards was 188 and passing yards were 185. Kyler Murray hit 21 of 34 passes for 207 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Marvin Harrison was the recipient of the pass from Murray for six points. Kyler Murray also rushed for 45 yards with five carries. Michael Wilson caught eight passes for 64 yards and Harrison Jr. caught five passes for 64 yards. Arizona had 277 total yards in the game. Points were at a premium in this game as the Lions points came in the first half and the Cardinals points were a bit more spread out. For the Lions, they rebound after last week's debacle against Tampa to improve to 2-1. For the Cardinals, they fall back down to below .500 football for a 1-2 record. 

Next week: 
Detroit: vs Seattle

Arizona: vs Washington 

TW: 8-4

San Francisco 24, LA Rams 27: TW: 49ers

Rams rookie kicker Joshua Karty helps avenge some demons for the Rams against rival San Francisco. Brock Purdy hit 22 of 30 passes for 292 yards with three touchdowns. Jauan Jennings caught all three passes from Purdy. The Jennings touchdowns came on 13, 4 and 31 yard plays. Jordan Mason, who had been a household name in the Bay Area, had 19 carries for 77 yards. Fairly productive game. Of the 292 yards thrown by Purdy, 175 of them went to Jennings who caught 11 passes. For fantasy football owners, he had 46 points. San Francisco had 425 total yards in the game. Matthew Stafford hit 16 of 25 passes for 221 yards with a touchdown pass to Kyren Williams. The pass was a 15-yard play up the middle in a redzone trip for Los Angeles. Kyren Williams was also a factor in the run game with 24 carries for 89 yards and two tuddies. The scores were from 3 and 4 yard plays. The latter play tied the game for the Rams with the point after. Tutu Atwell caught four passes for 93 yards with a 50-yard play being the longest in the game. The Rams had 296 total yards in the game. The Karty field goal came with 5 seconds left in the game on a 37-yard field goal that gave the Rams the 27-24 lead. They would come back from 14 point deficits twice in the game. For the 49ers, they drop to 1-2 on the season. For the Rams, they are winless no more as they pick up dub #1 with a 1-2 record. 

Next week: 
San Francisco: vs New England

LA Rams: @ Chicago

TW: 8-5

Kansas City 22, Atlanta 17: TW: Chiefs 

The Chiefs survive against the Falcons. Patrick Mahomes hit 26 of 39 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The first touchdown went to Rashee Rice for 13 yards in the 2nd quarter. The 2nd touchdown went to JuJu Smith-Schuster who was cut by New England in the preseason. Carson Steele rushed 17 times for 72 yards. Isiah Pacheco was injured last week. Rashee Rice was the leading receiver with 110 yards and caught 12 passes. Travis Kelce had four catches for 30 yards. Kansas City had 345 total yards in the game. Kirk Cousins had 20 of 29 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Drake London's touchdown came on a 14-yard play where London was wide open in the endzone due to a defense miscommunication. Tyler Allgeier had seven carries for 32 yards. Bijan Robinson had the other offensive touchdown for Atlanta on a 1-yard run to the left. Drake London was the Falcons leading receiver with six catches for 67 yards. Darnell Mooney had eight catches for 66 yards. The Falcons had a chance to score late in the game. On a 4th down and 1 play Bijan Robinson tried to run in the same direction as his touchdown earlier but the Chiefs were ready as Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal came to tackle him for a 3-yard loss, turning the ball over on downs. For the Chiefs, they improve to 3-0 and stay undefeated for another week as they haven't lost since Christmas Day of last year. For the Falcons, they drop to 1-2 on the season. 

Next week: 
Kansas City: @ LA Chargers

Atlanta: vs New Orleans

TW: 9-5

Jacksonville 10, Buffalo 47: TW: Bills

Buffalo tramples over Jacksonville at home. Trevor Lawrence hit 21 of 38 passes for 178 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. Brenton Strange was the recipient of the pass from Lawrence. Mac Jones, the former Patriots quarterback, played a bit in this game as he hit 5 of 8 passes for 22 yards. Travis Etienne had 11 carries for 68 yards. Christian Kirk caught eight passes for 79 yards. It was a game that the Jaguars really needed to play well in. At halftime, the Jags were held to under 100 total yards, by the end of the game, they had 239 yards. Josh Allen hit 23 of 30 passes for 263 yards with four touchdowns. Of the players that caught the passes form Allen were: Khalil Shakir for one, Dalton Kincaid for one, Keon Coleman for one and Ty Johnson for the other. Mitchell Trubisky threw a pass for 3 yards in the game. Josh Allen rushed for 44 yards with six carries. James Cook and Ray Davis rushed for touchdowns in the game and had 39 yards rushing and 22 yards rushing respectively. Khalil Shakir had six catches for 72 yards. Buffalo had 388 total yards in the game. For the Jaguars, they drop to 0-3 and haven't won a game since New Year's Eve of last year in a win against Carolina. For the Bills, they improve to 3-0. 

Next week: 
Jacksonville: @ Houston
Buffalo: @ Baltimore (Sunday night)

TW: 10-5

Washington 38, Cincinnati 33: TW: Bengals

A shootout that ends in favor of Washington. Jayden Daniels hit 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards with two touchdowns. It was a breakout game for Daniels that looked alright during the first two weeks. Terry McLaurin caught one pass and Trent Scott caught the other pass. Washington's running game got the scoring going as Jayden Daniels scored a touchdown run while getting 39 yards. Austin Ekeler had 35 yards rushing with a touchdown. Brian Robinson also rushed for 33 yards with a touchdown. Terry McLaurin caught four passes for 100 yards. Washington had 356 total yards in the game. Joe Burrow had a good game as he hit 29 of 38 passes for 324 yards with three touchdown passes.  Ja'Marr Chase caught two passes from Burrow and Andrei Iosivas had the other touchdown. Zack Moss had 12 carries for 58 yards with a touchdown run. Chase Brown was the leading rusher for Cincy with 62 yards on seven carries. Zack Moss had 58 yards rushing with a touchdown. Ja'Marr Chase had six catches for 118 yards. The Bengals outproduced the Commanders in total yards with 436 total yards. For the Commanders, they improve to 2-1 with the win that feels like a coming out for Jayden Daniels. For the Bengals, the loss was a heartbreaking one as they drop to 0-3. 

Next week: 
Washington: @ Arizona
Cincinnati: @ Carolina

TW: 10-6

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Total: 34-14

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 4 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

Rest in Peace, Eugene "Mercury" Morris

(1947-2024)

NFL 2024 Week 3 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming soon upon us yet again. The first two weeks are in the books and we have seen the first step in the marathon that is the NFL regular season. The games I'm keeping an eye on for this week are: Patriots-Jets, Texans-Vikings, Chargers-Steelers, Ravens-Cowboys and Chiefs-Falcons. In this post I'll do a Week 3 preview, the picks for the games and the Early & Late TV Broadcasting pairings for Week 3. Let's get to work!

Week 3 Preview

The 3rd week in the National Football League's regular season will start in East Rutherford, New Jersey and finish up in Cincinnati, Ohio. The week features a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. There will be a Thursday night game, seven early games, five late games, a Sunday night game and two Monday night games. Week 3 features 10 AFC vs NFC contests, two division matchups, two AFC matchups and two NFC matchups. No teams are on a bye this week. CBS will have the regional, single game and FOX will carry the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks! 

Week 3 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern. TW is me 

New England (1-1) @ NY Jets (1-1) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Patriots

The Patriots lost to the Seahawks and the Jets beat the Titans last week. Week 3 starts with a somewhat intriguing matchup in the AFC East. New England comes off a gut-wrenching loss to Seattle. They had their opportunities to score touchdowns in the game but sadly missed them. At least they played a competitive game against a really good team. New England's defense needs to get better. The Jets last week got a big win in the Aaron Rodgers era. Their offense put up enough points in the win against Tennessee but I feel they could've been better. The defense took to task and kept the Titans from really coming back into the game and tying it. New York should just be better on offense but something seems off with them. I'll take the Patriots. 

All-time series: Patriots lead 74-55-1

Chicago (1-1) @ Indianapolis (0-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts

Both teams lost last week as the Bears lost to the Texans and the Colts lost to the Packers. Another week, another AFC South opponent for the Bears. Chicago last week had their opportunities to win as they really were the least penalized team. Pass protection really broke down for Chicago as Caleb Williams was sacked seven times. They need to get better in that department and Williams needs to get the ball out quicker. The Colts last week against Green Bay didn't do so bad but they didn't do great either. Anthony Richardson so far has more interceptions than touchdowns in two games thus far. If they can cut back on the turnovers they can possibly win a game. Alec Pierce has been a solid contributor to the offense thus far. I think if there's an opportunity for the Colts to get into the win column, it'll be this game. If Indy's defensive line ravages the Bears, it'll be a long day for them. 

All-time series: Colts lead 25-19

Denver (0-2) @ Tampa Bay (2-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers

The Broncos lost to the Steelers and the Buccaneers beat the Lions last week. Denver and bad starts is like a beautiful marriage that no one wants. Sadly for Broncos fans, they're likely used to it by now. I think the issue with them is that their offense expects Bo Nix to do many great things but he is just a rookie. He does deserve some of the blame though. Tampa is off to a great start. They had a big win against a great Lions team that were picked to win (yeah I know I picked Detroit). Confidence has to be riding high with them for sure. The season has been a bit of a weird one where underdogs have won a bit. I think I'll take the Buccaneers. 

All-time series: Broncos lead 7-3

Green Bay (1-1) @ Tennessee (0-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers

The Packers beat the Colts and the Titans lost to the Jets last week. Green Bay had a big win against the Colts in a game where they didn't have Jordan Love at quarterback. Malik Willis did alright, he wasn't Aaron Rodgers out there but he wasn't Brett Favre on a bad day either. He got a touchdown pass and that was really all that was needed. The Packers defense really helped win last week. They can have a decent shot to win against Tennessee. The Titans have had their chances to win games and/or play competitive ball. They lost both of their games by a 24-17 score (kind of weird). If the Titans score more than 17 points, they might actually win a game. I think the Packers are the better team on offense with the talent they have outside of the quarterback. Jordan Love won't likely play in this one. 

All-time series: Titans lead 8-6

Houston (2-0) @ Minnesota (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings

The Texans beat the Bears and the Vikings beat the 49ers last week. Houston has cruised along so far in this young season. They haven't looked the best that some people have expected. Penalties were a factor in last week's win against the Bears as they had 12 infractions. DeMeco Ryans will have to have his troops more disciplined against a very formidable opponent. Minnesota had a solid win against San Francisco. They took charge on defense and made the 49ers offense uncomfortable and they made the most of their offense on a 97-yard deep play to Justin Jefferson. Jefferson did have a quadriceps injury during the game and he might be inactive for this game. Which could be a troubling sign. Minnesota has yet to lose to Houston in their series. Keep in mind that the Texans 1st season was in 2002. I'll take the Vikes in a safe bet. 

All-time series: Minnesota leads 5-0

LA Chargers (2-0) @ Pittsburgh (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers

The two teams won last week as the Chargers beat the Panthers and the Steelers beat the Broncos. Home opener for the Yinzers. The Chargers ahve been the most impressive team thus far as they really went from a passing team where Justin Herbert threw for 40 to 50 times to a ground and pound team under the leadership of Jim Harbaugh. They face a stiff test as they take on the vaunted Steelers defense. Pittsburgh and defense has been a cornerstone for the franchise since probably day one. At least in the 1970's it was. Justin Fields has done enough to help the offense but I feel the Yinzers want more from him and that he can't become the next Ben Roethlisberger. Russell Wilson has yet to play for the Steelers which most people seem to forget a bit. This is a toughie but I think the Steelers will try to win it by forcing Justin Herbert to beat you. It's a tall task but I'll take the Steelers. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 24-11

NY Giants (0-2) @ Cleveland (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants

The Giants lost to the Commanders and the Browns beat the Jaguars last week. New York has had a rough go of it in 2024 so far. They've spent most of the last few seasons with an 0-2 mark with the exception of the 2022 season. Their offense has been lackluster and just hasn't played very good football. Daniel Jones deserves some of the blame with his turnovers. The Browns found some drive and beat a solid Jaguars team on the road. Their defense made a few stops and their offense helped out a defense that needed the offense to pick up the slack. DeShaun Watson actually played a game where he didn't totally shit the bed and even scored a rushing touchdown. I feel it's bound to happen for the Giants to win a game and I'll take them. 

All-time series: Browns lead 28-22-2

Philadelphia (1-1) @ New Orleans (2-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints

The Eagles lost to the Falcons and the Saints beat the Cowboys last week. Philadelphia really had a chance to put the nail on the coffin in the Falcons but a dropped pass by Saquon Barkley really reversed the fortunes of that game. Enough for the Eagles defense to give up a game-winning touchdown with less than a minute to go. Not also to mention Jalen Hurts throwing a pick when the Eagles still had a chance to hit a game-winning field goal. New Orleans had a big win against the Cowboys. It gave Cowboys fans PTSD of last January in the loss against Green Bay. The Saints currently have the highest scoring offense putting up 45.5 points/game in two games. They've done it with a big total offense with the 3rd ranked total yardage in 405.5 yards/game. I think the game will bring those stats a bit lower but I think the Saints will take it. 

All-time series: Eagles lead 19-16

Carolina (0-2) @ Las Vegas (1-1) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Raiders

The Panthers lost to the Chargers and the Raiders beat the Ravens last week. Carolina made a big bold step in benching Bryce Young in favor of the journeyman quarterback Andy Dalton. Yep he's still in the league. The push for change was somewhat needed as Young seems lost at times and the offense has sputtered to a halt. I think the Panthers will put up some better numbers but the Raiders defense will keep them in check I think. Las Vegas hung around and beat the Ravens and sent them to their 0-2 record last week. They really did it with a defense and offense that mostly featured the passing game. As well as scoring three straight drives in the 4th quarter. Maybe the Panthers can pull off the upset after going 0-2 to start the year but I'll take the Raiders. 

All-time series: Raiders lead 4-3

Miami (1-1) @ Seattle (2-0) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Seahawks

The Dolphins lost to the Bills and the Seahawks beat the Patriots last week. Miami lost in a big way last week. Not just the game either. Tua Tagovailoa will be out for this game with a concussion suffered from a hit by Damar Hamlin. If the Dolphins were smart he should not play at all or at least for over a month. The guy doesn't know how to slide. Skylar Thompson will get the start for the Dolphins. I think he should do okay-ish. He still has an offense that is still solid. He just has to throw it to them. Seattle is coming off a tough win against the Patriots. New England gave a bit more of a fight than Seattle probably wanted to admit. Suffice to say, they are 2-0 in the Mike MacDonald era. Seattle has done it with their offense and a bend but don't break defense. Geno Smith has had a solid year so far in 2024 with 498 passing yards with two touchdown passes. I don't trust Skylar Thompson enough to give him the nod to win this one. I'll take the Seahawks. 

All-time series: Dolphins lead 10-6

Baltimore (1-1) @ Dallas (1-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Ravens

The Ravens lost to the Raiders and the Cowboys lost to the Saints last week. Baltimore really faltered last week against Las Vegas. They had a game where they should've won it and ran out the clock. Fortunately they have a shot to beat one of the better teams in the NFC. I think the Ravens just need to gameplan around Micah Parsons who can wreck havoc if you let him. Dallas suffered one of the roughest losses so far this season. The Saints win over them in a 44-19 rout was reminiscent of the Packers rout last January. Turnovers were a bit of a factor for the Boys so if they want to win this one, they need to limit it to a zero. The running game of the Ravens will give Mike Zimmer, the Cowboys defensive coordinator, work cut out for him. I'll take the Ravens. 

All-time series: Ravens lead 5-1

Detroit (1-1) @ Arizona (1-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Lions

The Lions lost to the Buccaneers and the Cardinals beat the Rams last week. Detroit kind of had a letdown last week. Their offense which usually does well only put up 16 points last week. The offense deserves the blame as Jared Goff hit two interceptions in the loss. Despite the loss, the Lions defense kept the Bucs to 20 points. So if the offense can actually play well, they should win games. Arizona had a big surprise as they didn't just win against the Rams, they ran them out of the stadium with a 41-10 win. The biggest loss in the Sean McVay era in Los Angeles. Kyler Murray is hitting it on all cylinders with a running and passing game that is playing really well. James Conner had a great game and Marvin Harrison Jr. finally broke through and had a monster game last week. I think the biggest challenge for the Lions is the matchup between the secondary and Marvin Harrison Jr. if they can force everyone else to beat you, I think they should take care of business. I'll take the Motor City Kitties. 

All-time series: Lions lead 35-28-6

San Francisco (1-1) @ LA Rams (0-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: 49ers

The 49ers lost to the Vikings and the Rams lost to the Cardinals last week. San Francisco fell back to earth last week in the loss to Minnesota. to make matters a little worse is that Christian McCaffrey is hurt and on the Injured Reserve. Have no fear 49ers fans, Jordan Mason has been a steady replacement for the star running back. Brock Purdy has stayed relatively the same but could use some more touchdowns under his belt. Los Angeles suffered probably the biggest loss in the Sean McVay era. The defense really got outplayed against a Cardinals team that looks nearly unstoppable. Matthew Stafford to needs to get going as well as the Rams offense has sputtered a bit. It doesn't help that Puka Nacua hasn't played a lot if not at all this season. Worser news for the Rams was the news that Cooper Kupp is on the IR. Safe to say the two teams are feeling the hurt. I'll take the 49ers. 

All-time series: 49ers lead 78-69-3

Kansas City (2-0) @ Atlanta (1-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Chiefs

The Chiefs beat the Bengals and the Falcons beat the Eagles last week. The defending champs didn't look so hot last week against Cincinnati. Still they managed to come back and win it with some luck. They gave up the ball quite a few times in the win. Goes to show how they can play ugly but still manage to win. Atlanta managed to get a win against a good Eagles team. They also had some luck on their side. That luck being Saquon Barkley dropping a pass that the Eagles are paying good money for him type of dropped pass. Atlanta I think is still searching within themselves on what kind of team they are as well as Kirk Cousins adapting to his new surroundings. The Cousins-London connection is something to behold though. I'm kind of torn between these two. I do think that the Chiefs are the better team but they need to stop turning it over and not play stupid football. I'll take the Chiefs. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead 7-3

Jacksonville (0-2) @ Buffalo (2-0) (ESPN; 7:30 pm): TW: Bills

The Jaguars lost to the Browns and the Bills beat the Dolphins last week. Jacksonville has been a train wreck since their collapse late last year. They should be better than they are but are somehow 0-2 for the season. Jacksonville's offense has been off by a bit as Trevor Lawrence is hitting just above 50% of his passes and he hasn't gotten better. The Jags have a chance to get their season going but they are facing a tough challenge. Buffalo last played on the 12th of September and this game will be played on the 23rd. They'll have quite a bit of rest for this one. Is it possible that the Bills will feel the rust in this game, maybe. Josh Allen certainly hasn't missed a beat so far in 2024. Passing two touchdowns and rushing for two touchdowns as well is helpful as well. Maybe some rust will happen but I feel Buffalo will win. 

All-time series: Jaguars lead 10-9

Washington (1-1) @ Cincinnati (0-2) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Bengals

The Commanders beat the Giants and the Bengals lost to the Chiefs last week. Washington didn't score a touchdown at all last week. Not even one. All of the scoring was seven field goals from Austin Seibert. They even did it with 425 total yards of offense of all things. Washington has done it with a balance of offense on pass and run. It seems that it is helping with Jayden Daniels' development. Cincinnati has been on a torrid start since 2020 as they are 1-9 since that season. They did run into some tough luck in playing tough opponents but this season they had a good chance to put the Patriots to bed before they really effectively shut down the Bengals offense. Last week against Kansas City, they looked like they might win there again and Burrowhead might become a reality again. Then the Bengals bungled and let the Chiefs comeback and beat them. I'm staring at the play of the pass interference where the defender hit the wide receiver. You had better luck letting him try to catch the ball and then make the tackle. Sadly this isn't the case. I think the Bengals will find a way to win as they usually have had their a-ha moment and go on a roll. Or they just lay down and take a cat nap. I'll take the Bengals. 

All-time series: Series tied 5-5-1

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

CBS Single 

LA Chargers @ Pittsburgh 

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Houston @ Minnesota
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Chicago @ Indianapolis
Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Jason McCourty

Miami @ Seattle (Late)
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Carolina @ Las Vegas (Late)

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta 

FOX Early

Philadelphia @ New Orleans
Joe Davis, Greg Olson

NY Giants @ Cleveland
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Green Bay @ Tennessee
Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston

Denver @ Tampa Bay

Tim Brando, Matt Millen

FOX Late

Baltimore @ Dallas

Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

San Francisco @ LA Rams
Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez

Detroit @ Arizona

Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL Week 3 Maps

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Total: 24-8

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week # Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom