NFL 2017-18 Week 3 Predictions

Okay, the season is starting to take shape. We have an early glimpse of teams that are doing as well as expected (the Raiders, Steelers, and the Falcons are the best examples), the teams that are surprising at least some people with how well they are ding (the Lions and the Chiefs would be the best examples here), the teams that are doing as poorly as expected (the Jets and the Browns would be the prime examples of these), and the teams that are surprising some with just how poorly they are playing thus far (the Colts and, unfortunately, the Giants would be prime examples of this). 

Yet, the season is far from over, and these trends still might reverse themselves. Week 3 is upon us now, starting with a NFC West game later today, and another early game in London to kick things off on Sunday.

As for my predictions, well, I also got off to a rough start in week one, getting eight right and seven wrong. Last week, I got 11 right and five wrong. Better, but still quite a few wrong. 

Can I do better with my picks this weekend? Time will tell, of course.

So, here are my predictions for week 3:

Thursday Night Football - L.A. Rams at San Francisco - Last year, the 49ers won only two games all season long. Unfortunately for the Rams, both of those wins came against them. In fact, the 49ers might have done the Rams no favors last season, not only sweeping them, but also in being the last place team in the division, which meant that the Rams could not even excel at being the worst team, only really bad. San Francisco had a higher draft pick, and Los Angeles went through the turmoil of a coaching change and some personnel change. Now, Los Angeles had an impressive debut this season, obliterating the Colts and looking sharp. But they came back down to earth last week in losing at home to Washington. Now, they have their first chance at revenge against the Niners, but they will have to try and win on the road in San Fran. Still, San Francisco has some serious issues on offense, as they are one of two teams that I know of who have yet to score a touchdown this season (the other being the Bengals). The Rams might be inept, but they are not that inept, and they have had an entire offseason to prepare themselves not to repeat the embarrassment of being swept by an otherwise winless team. I am predicting the Rams to take this one on the road in San Fran. My pick: L.A. Rams

Baltimore at Jacksonville at London's Wembley Stadium - Jacksonville got lucky in week one and caught the Texans by surprise. But last weekend, the Titans exposed them, limiting their offense and exposing weaknesses on their defense. Now, they have to face a very tough Baltimore Ravens team that may be having some issues on offense themselves, but who also seem to have a legitimately wicked defense. Frankly, it is hard to see how the Jaguars can win this one, as almost every advantage that comes to mind seems to favor the Ravens getting off to a 3-0 start. My pick: Baltimore

Atlanta at Detroit - This suddenly feels like a feature match for this week! The Falcons are off to a solid start, avoiding an upset at Chicago in week one, and then stomping on the Packers last weekend. Once again, they play an NFC North team this week, but it should be their toughest test yet, because the Lions look really, really good thus far. They beat the Cardinals in week one, and then went on the road and dominated the Giants on the road last Monday. Their offense has looked very good in the process, and Matthew Stafford could be a candidate for the MVP award this season if he continues to play like this. They have home field advantage, and they have to feel hyped for what is now a huge game. Tough one to call, but I'm going to have to go with the home team here. My pick: Detroit

Cleveland at Indianapolis - Two winless teams go after each other, both pursuing their first victories of the season. The Colts have home field advantage, but with so many question marks on their offense without Luck, it is questionable how much of a home field advantage it really is. For Cleveland, two tough losses to the Steelers and the Ravens have nevertheless revealed that this team might not be as embarrassing as they seemed to be last year. This might be an upset pick, but I will do ahead and predict that the Browns will get past Indy for their first win of the season in this one. My pick; Cleveland  

Denver at Buffalo - The Broncos look good again. Their defense is predictably tough, and Siemian seems to be coming into his own as the starting quarterback. Denver won their first two games, although both of them were in Denver. Now, they go on the road to Rich Stadium (or whatever it is called these days) to face the Bills. But at least it is not December or later, with that trademark frigid weather. The Bills won their first game against the Jets, but then fell short in a tough game against Carolina. They have a tough defense, not having yielded a touchdown yet. That will likely change this weekend, but can the Bills actually pull off a win? This is a tough game to call, but I suspect that the Broncos are the better team, and so it is hard to predict against them. My pick: Denver

Houston at New England - The Patriots lost a tough surprise game in week one, but if their victory over the Saints signified anything, it is that they are back. And the Texans look filled with issues and question marks, as their offense looks predictably atrocious thus far. They had a very embarrassing loss in week one, followed by an ugly win. Their defense is good, but the offense is a liability. Historically, they have never done well against the Patriots, especially up in Foxboro. Frankly, it is hard to see that changing for this upcoming weekend. My pick: New England 

Miami at N.Y. Jets - The Dolphins earned a tough win against the Chargers last weekend, largely due to a missed field goal. They are on the road again, but they take on the likely cupcake team of the AFC, the Jets. I would love to say that I could in good conscience boldly predict the Jets to win this one, but it is difficult to see it happening. They got walloped in Oakland last weekend, and both their offense and defense looked pathetic. They will likely play better this weekend, but good enough to pull off a win against Miami? Not likely. My pick: Miami

New Orleans at Carolina - How will the Panthers do with Olsen in the line-up? Well, that question will begin to be answered in this game, as the winless Saints come to town. New Orleans has the talent on offense, but their defense, once again, looks very bad. They cannot be feeling too good, after dropping both of their first two games. Carolina has a lot of question marks, but they have a familiar opponent coming into their home stadium. This will be a surprisingly close game, and in fact, I will go out on a limb and go ahead with an upset prediction here. My pick: New Orleans

N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia - The Giants are in trouble here. They have dropped both of their first two contests, and now have to go to Philly, a team that seems to be brimming with confidence. Often, the Giants struggle in Philadelphia, and as much as I would like to suggest that this time will be different, it appears that the G-Men have a lot of issues to iron out, and especially on offense. Hard to see them pulling this one off, and that means that the Eagles should win, and the Giants will fall still farther behind in the NFC East. My pick: Philadelphia

Pittsburgh at Chicago - Years ago, this might have been a slugfest between two heavyweights specializing in strong defenses and conservative, run-oriented offenses. That is not so much the case this time, as the Steelers have an explosive offense (as well as a solid defense), while the Bears have...well, they have limited talent on both offense and defense. The Bears have home field advantage, but that appears to be the only advantage that they have here in this game. My pick: Pittsburgh

Tampa Bay at Minnesota - The Vikings are hard to figure. They beat the Saints in week one, but the Steelers made short work of them. Still, Minnesota is not an easy place to play, and it will be the first real test for Tampa. Going on the road to take on a team of the Vikings's caliber will be a huge challenge for them. The Vikings have the talent and home field advantage to win, but I will go out on a limb and predict a Bucs victory in this one. My pick: Tampa Bay 

Seattle at Tennessee - Wow! Tough game to call! Seattle is a good team, but they are clearly going through some issues. And the Titans are up and coming, but this will clearly be a tough test for them. They have to feel confident after beating up on the Jaguars last week. But will that be enough to knock of the Seahawks? Seattle still has their defense, but nothing else is looking especially good for them right now. I suspect that the Seahawks are still the better team, and should sneak out a tough win here in this one. My pick: Seattle

Cincinnati at Green Bay - The Packers have an explosive offense and the considerable home field advantage going into this one. The Bengals have a disappointing team that seems on the verge of some major collapse. Some players from Cincy last week were evidently suggesting that Colin Kaepernick should be their quarterback, which is not exactly a vote of confidence for Andy Dalton. If this team does not do something soon, this season will likely spiral out of control. However, it is difficult to see them pulling this one off, or even really keeping it close. My pick: Green Bay 

Kansas City at L.A. Chargers - The Chargers are losing games once again in strange fashion, much like they did last season. They now get to host perhaps the hottest team in the league in the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, KC has a solid offense with a strong running game, and they have an innovative coach in Andy Reid. The Chargers right now have talent, but some major issues. They should keep it close, but somehow, I see another strange loss with something truly bizarre preventing them from winning this one yet again. My pick: Kansas City 

Oakland at Washington - These two teams do not meet very frequently, yet they will take the field together on Monday Night in Washington. The Raiders still look like they are justifying their status in the minds of many experts as one of the elite teams, and a serious contender for the title this season. Washington earned themselves a good, tough road win against the Rams last weekend, but Oakland? Even with home field advantage against them, the Raiders will prove to be a challenge, one that I suspect Washington will not be up to the task to meet. My pick: Oakland