I want to begin issues off right here by noting that I realized a vital lesson in Week 2 and that lesson is that it’s best to NEVER flip off an NFL sport early. I do not care if your home is burning down, discover a approach to go away the sport on, as a result of should you flip it off, there is a 100% likelihood that you will miss some form of loopy comeback.
Working example: With the Giants trailing the Cardinals 28-7 within the second half, I virtually turned off the sport so I might clip my finger nails (which was far more thrilling than something the Giants had been doing at that time), however fortunately, I did not, as a result of the Giants ended up profitable 31-28.
I additionally virtually turned off the Commanders sport once they had been trailing 21-3 to Denver, however then I remembered that they had been taking part in the Broncos and nobody is aware of tips on how to blow a lead higher than the Broncos. I’ll by no means be turning off a sport early ever once more. Properly, until it is the Bears. It hurts my head to look at them play.
One factor that does not damage my head is making picks, so let’s get to these.
Really, earlier than we get to the picks, this is a fast reminder you could take a look at the weekly picks from each CBSSports.com NFL knowledgeable by clicking right here. The explanation it’s best to click on over and take a look at the opposite specialists this week is to see how badly Jamey Eisenberg embarrassed everybody. Jamey is a senior fantasy author right here at CBSSports.com, however apparently, we have to make him our senior playing author, as a result of he is been crushing it towards the unfold this yr with a file of 19-12-1 by two weeks.
I might need to begin copying his picks. Simply kidding. I’ve the second-best file, I need not copy anybody. If something, they need to copy me. OK, let’s get to the picks for actual this time.
NFL Week 3 picks
N.Y. Giants (1-1) at San Francisco (2-0)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon Prime)
I solely have one rule in terms of making NFL picks and that rule is that I’ve to choose towards Daniel Jones every time he is taking part in in prime time. For the higher a part of a decade, Andy Dalton was the laughingstock of primetime soccer, however I am fairly certain that honor now belongs to Jones, who might be going to ultimately ask the NFL to cease placing him in primetime video games.
Over the course of his profession, Jones has a file of 1-10 in prime time, which features a 40-0 loss to the Cowboys in Week 1. In these 11 video games, Jones had thrown extra interceptions (15) than touchdowns (12) and the Giants 10 losses have come by a median of 12.4 factors.
Sadly for Jones, issues aren’t going to be getting any higher this week as a result of the Giants are going through a matchup nightmare on Thursday night time. When you’re the Giants, the best approach to take stress off of Jones is to get your run sport going, however that possibility is probably going going to be off the desk since Saquon Barkley will not be taking part in after struggling an ankle damage in Week 2.
Because of this the Giants offense goes to single-handedly revolve round Jones, which looks as if a catastrophe ready to occur. Jones has already been sacked 10 instances this yr, which is the second most within the NFL, and that whole would possibly double on Thursday night time with a banged up Giants offensive line going through a 49ers protection that features the reigning defensive participant of the yr (Nick Bosa). Asking the Giants offensive line to cease Bosa is like asking me to cease a bus on the interstate with my naked fingers. It is simply not going to finish properly.
As you’ll be able to in all probability already inform, I do not assume this sport goes to finish properly for the Giants.
The choose: 49ers 31-17 over Giants.
Tennessee (1-1) at Cleveland (1-1)
1 p.m. ET (CBS)
If there’s one group within the NFL that has perplexed me greater than some other, it is undoubtedly the Titans. With regards to choosing their video games, I am 2-0 towards the unfold, however I am 0-2 straight-up. Once I assume they will zig, they zig, however once I assume they will zag, they eat Fruit Loops. I’ve acquired them 50% discovered, which suggests 50% of the time, I don’t know what is going on on with this group.
I have never been this confused for the reason that first time I watched “Tenet.”
The Browns performed on Monday night time in Week 2, which suggests they’re going to be heading into the Tennessee sport on a brief week and let me simply say that Derrick Henry is the final man I wish to be attempting to sort out if I am coming off a brief week.
The Browns have among the best pass-rushes in soccer, however that does not actually do you any good when the opposite group is not throwing it and I do not assume we’ll see them throw too many passes on Sunday (Ryan Tannehill solely threw 24 passes in Week 2). The Titans are at their greatest once they’re in a position to shorten the sport, which is mainly their sport plan each week. They run the ball and run the ball and run the ball to maintain the clock working, after which earlier than you realize it, it is the fourth quarter and also you’re down three and you don’t have any concept what is going on on any extra. And that is when their protection punches you within the mouth. That is Mike Vrabel soccer in a nutshell.
The Titans have a superb protection, and thru two weeks, I’ve not seen a single factor from Deshaun Watson that makes me assume he can transfer the ball towards a superb protection. Additionally, the lack of Nick Chubb appears like a intestine punch to this group and so they would possibly want greater than every week to get better from that.
The Browns need to play on a brief week after an emotional loss, which looks as if the right spot for the Titans to enter Cleveland and steal a win.
The choose: Titans 19-16 over Browns
Since I am 0-2 choosing Titans’ sport this season, I will not blame you if you wish to take a look at another person’s choose for this sport, and should you do this, I might definitely click here to take a look at the SportsLine Mannequin, which is leaning Underneath on the full, and it additionally says one facet of the unfold hits in over 50% of simulations! You undoubtedly must see it earlier than locking in your individual picks.
L.A. Chargers (0-2) at Minnesota (0-2)
1 p.m. ET (Fox)
I don’t know the way it occurred, however a sport that includes two winless groups is perhaps the most effective sport on the schedule this week. Properly, it won’t be the most effective, but it surely ought to definitely be probably the most entertaining. For one, you might have the Chargers, who discover a new approach to lose each week. Let’s examine what that new manner was in Week 2:
That could be very artistic, Chargers. For a second, I did not assume it was potential for them to provide you with a brand new approach to lose, however then they did.
As for the Vikings, they’re virtually as entertaining because the Chargers and that is as a result of each sport they play in is determined by one rating. Final yr, that was a superb factor, as a result of the Vikings received all their one-score video games, going 11-0. This yr, the regulation of averages lastly caught as much as them and so they’re now 0-2 in one-score video games. The regulation of averages at all times will get you. I realized that in faculty.
By two weeks, the Chargers have given up extra passing yards than any group within the NFL, and now, they need to face the group that has arguably the most effective large receiver within the league in Justin Jefferson. I am unsure what the NFL file is for receiving yards in a sport, however Jefferson would possibly get it in a single quarter towards the Chargers. OK, so I regarded up the file and it is 336 yards. I do not assume Jefferson will get that in a single quarter, however he would possibly get it in a single half.
This sport appears like a shootout ready to occur with the Vikings solely profitable after the Chargers invent one other not possible approach to lose. If the Chargers do lose this sport and drop to 0-3, Brandon Staley’s sizzling seat goes to be the identical temperature because the floor of the solar.
The choose: Vikings 34-31 over Chargers
New Orleans (2-0) at Inexperienced Bay (1-1)
1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Out of all of the video games in Week 3, this one intrigues me probably the most and that is principally as a result of I nonetheless don’t know what to make of both group. The factor in regards to the Packers is that I am nonetheless not precisely certain how good they’re this yr. They in all probability must be 2-0, however they don’t seem to be, as a result of their protection had a complete meltdown within the fourth quarter towards the Falcons in Week 2 (Inexperienced Bay was main 24-12 within the fourth earlier than dropping 25-24).
I wish to imagine in Jordan Love, however I am unsure if I can. Sure, he has the best QB score within the league and sure, he is tied for the NFL lead in landing passes by two weeks, however he additionally completely melted down within the fourth quarter towards the Falcons, going 0-for-6 in crunch time. When you’re studying this proper now, you accomplished as many fourth quarter passes as Love did in Week 2 and when random individuals on the web are finishing as many passes as you within the fourth quarter of a sport, that is undoubtedly not a superb factor.
Additionally, I am unsure I can belief Jordan Love as a result of he tried to run what would possibly go down because the worst QB sneak of all-time.
If you cannot run a QB sneak, I am unable to belief you to run something. Though Love has regarded good by two weeks, the Saints would be the greatest protection that he is confronted this season and I might see him struggling. The Saints protection has solely given up one landing all yr and that got here in rubbish time, so I am not even certain it counts.
After spending the primary two video games of the season on the highway, this would be the Packer’s house opener and I hate choosing towards them of their house opener, so I am not going to do it. Shock! I am taking Inexperienced Bay. I feel these groups are fairly even, however I give the slight edge to the Packers as a result of the Saints acquired dealt a brutal hand by the NFL schedule-maker: They need to play on the highway on a brief week.
They needed to play a highway Monday sport in Week 2, and now, they’ve to show round and play on the highway once more in Week 3. They’re the one group within the NFL this yr that has to play on the highway following a highway Monday sport, so I feel what I am saying is that the schedule-maker clearly hates the Saints.
The choose: Packers 23-20 over Saints.
L.A. Rams (1-1) at Cincinnati (0-2)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Bengals have solely performed two video games and their total season is already beginning to crumble. When you learn these picks recurrently, you realize that I am a Bengals homer and let me simply say that my panic stage is at DEFCON 3, which I feel is the center DEFCON, however I am unable to say for certain, as a result of I am unable to ever keep in mind how the DEFCON quantity system works and I am too lazy to Google it.
The purpose right here is that I am feeling concurrently optimistic and pessimistic about the remainder of their season.
On one hand, I am not involved in any respect, as a result of the Bengals have made it a behavior of falling on their face to begin the season. That is Joe Burrow’s fourth yr within the NFL and his profession file through the first two weeks of the season is 1-7. Meaning the Bengals virtually at all times lose their first two video games, after which they virtually at all times get better. As a matter of truth, they began 0-2 final yr earlier than making all of it the way in which to the AFC title sport.
That being mentioned, this yr feels barely completely different. The 0-2 begin this yr is worse as a result of the Bengals misplaced two divisional video games. Additionally, Burrow has been unhealthy: In keeping with our analysis group, he is 0 for 12 on passes of 15 or extra air yards this season. Principally, he cannot hit the large play, which is a large a part of the Bengals offense.
Oh, and let’s not neglect that Burrow aggravated his calf damage, which suggests if he is on the sector this week, he isn’t going to be 100%. Not solely is Burrow need to cope with his calf damage on Monday night time, however he’ll be going through Aaron Donald, who’s just about the final person who any quarterback desires to face, particularly once they’re hobbled.
This appears like a make-or-break sport for the Bengals season. Though Burrow tends to battle within the first two weeks, he at all times appears to determine issues out by Week 3 and that is Week 3, so I’ll say he figures issues out simply sufficient to beat the Rams. If for some cause Burrow would not play because of his calf damage, I’ll 100% be altering this choose to the Rams, however for now, I am taking the Bengals.
The choose: Bengals 23-20 over Rams.
NFL Week 3 picks: All the remaining
Lions 24-17 over Falcons
Dolphins 27-20 over Broncos
Patriots 20-17 over Jets
Payments 30-23 over Commanders
Jaguars 27-17 over Texans
Ravens 31-20 over Colts
Seahawks 30-20 over Panthers
Chiefs 34-23 over Bears
Cowboys 30-16 over Cardinals
Steelers 19-16 over Raiders
Eagles 27-24 over Buccaneers
Final Week
Finest choose: Final week, I predicted that the Falcons would beat the Packers in a thriller and guess what occurred? The Falcons beat the Packers in a thriller. Now, did I do know that Freddie the Falcon was going to dump cheese throughout a Packers fan? In fact, I did. The very first thing they train you in mascot faculty is that you just at all times must have a bucket of cheese prepared in case it’s good to pour it on a Packers fan.
Clearly, Freddie the Falcon paid very shut consideration throughout his time at mascot faculty.
Worst choose: I am unsure what I used to be consuming final week, but it surely will need to have been one thing sturdy, as a result of I in some way satisfied myself that the Texans had been going to beat the Colts. Going into the season, the final consensus was that Houston was going to be one of many worst groups within the NFL this yr, however I selected to disregard the final consensus and choose the Texans to beat the Colts. In my protection, once I discovered that the final consensus would not like pineapple on pizza, I finished trusting it. Pineapple is without doubt one of the three greatest toppings you could placed on a pizza and I can’t be satisfied in any other case. If the Texans had performed nearly as good as pineapple tastes on pizza, they might have received by seven touchdowns, however they did not. If the Texans had been a pizza topping, they’d be anchovies.
Picks Document
Straight up in Week 2: 11-5
SU total: 19-13
In opposition to the unfold in Week 2: 9-6-1
ATS total: 18-13-1
You’ll find John Breech on Facebook or Twitter and if he isn’t doing a kind of issues, he is in all probability consuming consuming a bucket stuffed with nacho cheese with Freddie Falcon.
