NFL 2020, Week 3

Seriously, how good are the prime time games this week?!  Packers-Saints in a rematch of that great playoff game on Sunday night, then the best Monday night matchup ESPN has had in years with Chiefs-Ravens (which evidently the NFL's reward for how well the virtual draft went).  Those two are such good games, in fact, that I'm willing to overlook the fact they subjected us to Dolphins-Jaguars on Thursday.

Thursday Night: Jacksonville (Loss)

Bears (2-0) at Falcons (0-2): Chicago-They haven't exactly run the NFL gauntlet, but the Bears are 2-0 after victories over the Lions and Giants.  The Falcons, meanwhile, decided that they didn't actually want to win last week in Dallas, so they didn't.  (How else can you explain why they socially distanced themselves from the football in the fourth quarter?)  That's the type of loss that can cost you later in the season, especially in an NFC South that projects to be very competitive at the top.  The question is: Will they fall to 0-3?

Rams (2-0) at Bills (2-0): Rams-The Rams didn't just go into Philadelphia and beat the Eagles last week.  They went into Philadelphia and CRUSHED the Eagles!  Now they make their second straight cross-country trip for a matchup with the Bills.  Buffalo is 2-0, but this is their first real test after playing the Jets and Dolphins in their first two games.  Let's see if the back-to-back 1:00 games have any impact on the Rams.  I'm guessing no.

Washington (1-1) at Browns (1-1): Cleveland-It's hard to judge both of these teams.  The Browns got crushed in Baltimore, then rebounded to beat the Bengals four days later.  Washington, meanwhile, upset Philadelphia in its opener before losing in Arizona.  So I still can't really put my finger on what I think the future holds for either one.  Since the game is in Cleveland, I'll go with the Browns.

Titans (2-0) at Vikings (0-2): Tennessee-What happened to the Minnesota Vikings?  They were a popular pick to make the playoffs, maybe even win the NFC North.  Yet through two games, they look nothing like one.  They had no defense in Week 1 against Green Bay, and their offense forgot to travel to Indianapolis last week.  Now they take on a Titans team that has won both of its games by a combined five points.  But, hey 2-0 is 2-0!  The Vikings really need this one, but I think Ryan Tannehill does his thing again and game manages Tennessee to another victory.

Raiders (2-0) at Patriots (1-1): New England-Allegiant Stadium is gorgeous!  I think I may even like it better than SoFi.  I can only imagine what it'll be like once the Black Hole fills it up!  Anyway, that was an impressive win over the Saints, a team nobody thought they would beat.  Was it a statement win?  It might've been.  If they follow it with a win in New England it definitely would be.  And, I couldn't let this fun fact pass me by: the last time Jon Gruden took the Raiders into Foxboro, a dynasty was born.  Yes, that's right, Gruden's last game in New England as Raiders coach was the Tuck Rule Game!

49ers (1-1) at Giants (0-2): San Francisco-After seeing virtually their entire starting lineup injured against the Jets, the 49ers return to the scene of the crime for a matchup with the Giants.  The Giants, of course, have a major injury of their own to deal with, as Saquon Barkley tore his ACL and is lost for the season.  Seeing as 85 percent of the Giants' offense runs through him, that's really going to be problematic.  Especially since they scored only 16 and 13 points in their first two games.

Bengals (0-2) at Eagles (0-2): Philadelphia-There isn't a single person who thought the Eagles would enter this game at 0-2.  The most common prediction was that they'd be 2-0 when they faced Cincinnati.  The Bengals, I must say, are significantly better.  They lost each of their first two games, but were competitive in both and arguably should've won both (especially the Charger game).  They'll keep this one close, too, but it's almost a must-win for Philly.  They know they can't start 0-3, and they'll play like it.

Texans (0-2) at Steelers (2-0): Pittsburgh-Has any team had it tougher than Houston to start the season?  The Texans are 0-2 through absolutely no fault of their own.  They just had the unfortunate task of playing the Chiefs, then the Raiders.  It doesn't get any easier this week, as they have to travel to Pittsburgh for a matchup with the resurgent Steelers.  The good thing is that, even if they lose and fall to 0-3, their three hardest games will be out of the way, so the playoffs are still a real possibility.

Jets (0-2) at Colts (1-1): Indianapolis-Most NFL power rankings have the Jets at either No. 31 or 32 after the first two games.  Understandably so, since their offense was virtually nonexistent against the Bills and 49ers.  Now they go to Indianapolis, where the Colts rebounded nicely after that surprising loss to Jacksonville by dominating Minnesota last week.  Has Phillip Rivers found his groove with his new team?  Perhaps.  In any case, they can't afford a letdown against a team they should beat.

Panthers (0-2) at Chargers (1-1): Chargers-Do you also think the Chargers' team doctor wanted Justin Herbert to play so bad that he intentionally committed malpractice by injuring Tyrod Taylor?  I'm not sure Taylor gets the starting job back.  Because Herbert sure looked like he belongs against the Chiefs.  So what if the Chargers lost!  Herbert should get his first NFL victory this week, as lowly Carolina pays a visit to SoFi Stadium.

Buccaneers (1-1) at Broncos (0-2): Tampa Bay-At some point, Denver's gonna have to hold on to one of those fourth quarter leads, right?  That was their problem last season, and it's been the same story so far in 2020, as the Broncos suffered one-possession losses to Tennessee and Pittsburgh.  Now their old friend Tom Brady visits.  And I think this week will be more of the same for the Broncos.  Denver has the lead in the fourth quarter, but Brady marches the Bucs down for the game-winning field goal in the last minute.

Lions (0-2) at Cardinals (2-0): Arizona-Last season, these two met in the opener, and Kyler Murray led that crazy comeback that resulted in the game ending in a tie.  It was then that the Cardinals knew they have someone special on their hands.  And he's continued to live up to the hype ever since.  To the tune of an impressive 2-0 start this season.  Make that 3-0, as they take on a Lions team that hasn't looked very good at all so far.

Cowboys (1-1) at Seahawks (2-0): Seattle-Is it too early to start the Russell Wilson for MVP talk?  Because he's been outstanding in Seattle's first two games.  He'll need to keep it up, too.  Because the NFC West is loaded!  It's a good thing the Cowboys managed to come back last week.  They didn't want to be 0-2 while making their second West Coast trip in the season's first three weeks.  Although, the Cowboys won the last time they went to Seattle, and with no fans in attendance, the 12th Man obviously can't have an impact.  This should be one of the best games of the week.  And the winner will have a potentially important playoff tiebreaker.

Packers (2-0) at Saints (1-1): New Orleans-At the end of the game last Monday night when it was clear the Raiders were going to win, Steve Levy spouted off the most fascinating stat.  As good as they've been over the past few years, they haven't started 2-0 since 2013, which is just crazy!  Also crazy is the amount of points the Green Bay Packers have put up in their first two games.  Look for a shootout in the Superdome.  This could be one of those games where whoever has the ball last wins.

Chiefs (2-0) at Ravens (2-0): Kansas City-Saving the best for last!  I just wish this game was later in the season.  Not only is it the defending Super Bowl champions against the team that had the best record in the league last season, you've got the last two MVPs (and new faces of the league).  Remember that Monday night game the Chiefs played against the Rams at the LA Coliseum a few years ago?  I think this one can be just as classic as that one!  And the winner will have a huge edge, knowing that they'll have the tiebreaker over the other.  I know it's early, but could this determine AFC home field (and the only AFC bye)?  Quite possibly.  Either way, this game should be awfully entertaining.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 13-3
Season: 26-7