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