Monday 28 September 2015 00:38, UK
Sky Sports News' Richard Graves previews and gives his predictions for Week 3 of the NFL.
A divisional clash is always a big deal but in light of what went down in Philly on Sunday night, this contest takes on added significance with both teams surely feeling the NFC East is there for the taking.
The New York Giants are still looking for their first win of the season and yet, arguably should be undefeated. They've blown 10 point, fourth quarter leads in both games though! Better clock management from the coaching staff and QB Eli Manning must be a priority for a team, who've got the playmakers and clearly demonstrated an ability to engineer game winning positions only to shoot themselves in the foot by making inexplicably bad game decisions.
The Redskins are one of the surprises so far in 2015. Everyone was ready to dismiss them coming into this season but they've been competitive through two weeks and outside of Dallas are the only team to have won a game in this division. While offensively they've spluttered, the Redskins defense has played surprisingly well and outshone the more heralded St. Louis Rams defensive unit last weekend, in a 24-10 win. Even so, it's still tough to take the Redskins on the road in a short week. The Giants have enough weapons in the air and on the ground and should grab their first win of the year.
Pick: New York Giants
It's been a bad start to the season for the New Orleans Saints - 0-2 to kick off the year and defeat at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must have hurt! The same Bucs team which shipped 42 points against rookie QB Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 were a different proposition in New Orleans and the Saints had no answer for them. Rob Ryan's defense has already conceded 57 points this year - only five teams have conceded more through two weeks and the Superdome, once a fortress for the Saints, is now anything but. The news didn't get any better for them on Monday when they learned QB Drew Brees is set to spend a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a shoulder injury last weekend. That means Luke McCown will get the start against a Carolina Panthers team who's quarterback put their offense on his back in the win over Houston.
Cam Newton threw two TDs and scored on a spectacular effort himself on Sunday. His ability to make plays with his legs was a constant threat - rushing for 76 yards on 10 attempts - and he was able to get enough production from his limited receiving corps to maintain the Panthers' perfect start.
Now with the depleted Saints rolling into town they have a real opportunity to put daylight between themselves and the Saints in the NFC South. For New Orleans, the challenge is simply to stop Cam Newton - easy enough said, much harder to achieve.
Pick: Carolina Panthers
Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins - Live on Sky Sports 2, 9.15pm
These AFC East rivals have invested in their defense through the off season as they attempt to close the gap on New England but both lost last weekend. The Bills managed to get to within a score of the Patriots in the fourth quarter but no closer. Far from being discouraged though, there's plenty to like about the way Buffalo have started this season. They forced two more turnovers to help get them back in the game against New England and then young QB Tyrod Taylor led them on three unanswered scoring drives. This is a team which looks primed to get better and better.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins have been a little underwhelming through the opening two weeks. They struggled for three quarters against the Redskins and then lost to a late field goal in Jacksonville - contributing to their own demise by conceding a personal foul penalty during that Jaguars game winning drive. During that defeat the play of wide receivers, Jarvis Landry and Rishard Matthews were bright spots for Miami. Both receivers finished with over 100 receiving yards and QB Ryan Tannehill was able to move the offense, finishing with 359 passing yards and two TDs.
This is a huge game for both teams as they seek to establish their credentials as playoff contenders with everyone else interested to know how they'll bounce back from Week 2 disappointments
Pick: Buffalo Bills
Denver Broncos @ Detroit Lions - Live on Sky Sports 2, 0.30am (Monday)
Following all the talk of Peyton Manning's demise after Week 1, things didn't appear to be getting any better early in their Week 2 showing against the Kansas City Chiefs with Manning throwing a Pick 6 into the arms of rookie CB Marcus Peters. That was a turning point, as Denver reverted to a hurry up offense and Manning smartly led them on a touchdown drive. No question, his arm strength isn't what it once was but Peyton Manning is still a quarterback to be respected in this league. Aligned with a much improved defense, which was once again pivotal in last week's win, the Broncos continue to sit on top of the AFC West with a perfect 2-0 record.
For the Detroit Lions it's a very different story. Banged up, bruised and battered, two games on the road have yielded two defeats and at the time of writing there are question marks hanging over QB Matthew Stafford's status for this weekend's game,with HC Jim Caldwell admitting Stafford was being hit too many times through two games and is now feeling the effects.
The Lions defense appears to be suffering without Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley to generate pressure through the middle and Haloti Ngata struggling for fitness. Against a Broncos team that's showed plenty of character on both sides of the ball already this year, it's difficult to see how the Lions can overcome a Denver side which are relishing and proving their critics wrong.
Pick: Denver Broncos
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
The Bengals outlasted the Chargers to stay undefeated with a 2-0 record on Sunday while the Ravens suffered a shock defeat in Oakland and are still searching for their first win of the season.
Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton is enjoying having an improved receiving core to target. WR AJ Green continues to haul in spectacular touchdown grabs, a fit again Marvin Jones found the end zone against San Diego as did TE Tyler Eifert. On the ground the Bengals are also posing problems. When starting running back Jeremy Hill lost two fumbles on Sunday, he was replaced by Giovanni Bernard, who ran for 123 yards on 20 carries.
Things aren't quite so rosy in Baltimore. A week after Cincinnati went into Oakland and thrashed them by 20 points, the Ravens lost in a shootout to the Raiders, 37-33. The positive from this is offensively they were able to score three TDs a week after Denver kept them out of the end zone. The negative, the Ravens secondary was torched by WRs Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, who both finished the game with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. Without doubt LB Terrell Suggs is the heartbeat of this defense and losing him for the season is a huge blow but one the Ravens must overcome. While on paper everything would point to another Cincinnati win, this is an AFC North clash and it's in Baltimore where the Ravens - and particularly QB Joe Flacco - are a different proposition. Baltimore have a 12-4 regular season record when playing at home in the last two years but one of those four losses came in the 2014 season opener...against the Bengals!
This will likely be a close game with less than a score deciding it. Home advantage may prove to be the difference
Pick: Baltimore Ravens
Oakland Raiders @ Cleveland Browns
The Browns and the Raiders both find themselves with a 1-1 record heading into Week 3 after both enjoyed big home wins last weekend.
Jonny 'Football' Manziel finally showed the talent that Cleveland spent a first round draft pick on in 2014 as he found WR Travis Benjamin with touchdown passes of 60 and 50 yards in their win over the Titans. While Derek Carr linked up with rookie WR Amari Cooper for his first NFL touchdown - a 68 yard completion. Encouraging signs for Oakland, who've now got a deep threat and in the form of Latavius Murray, a potent threat on the ground as well.
All too often, the green shoots of recovery have flattered to deceive with this franchise and they still have some improving to do if they are to convince the doubters that this Oakland Raiders team are the real deal. A trip to the dawg pound and a win in Cleveland would be further evidence they are moving in the right direction. However, the Browns have a stout defense and it'll be interesting to see what last Sunday's win has done for Manziel's confidence and play - that's if he gets the start. Cleveland have already made it clear that this remains Josh McCown's team once the QB clears concussion protocol.
Pick: Cleveland Browns
Atlanta Falcons @ Dallas Cowboys
Two sides who are unbeaten. Two sides who sit on top of their division but two sides who appear set to head in different directions.
The Atlanta Falcons surprised many with a good opening weekend win over Philadelphia and then backed it up on the road against the New York Giants. Now for the third straight week they take on an NFC East team but it's already taken on a very different look to what might have been expected just two weeks ago.
The Dallas Cowboys have also beaten the Eagles and the Giants but their wins have come at a cost. QB Tony Romo, WR Dez Bryant and LB Randy Gregory are all now injured and a team who were tipped to be Super Bowl contenders are now without their two best players for at least the next two months - and that's not even including Orlando Scandrick, the Cowboys's best cornerback who was lost for the year in pre-season. So this is now Brandon Weeden's team - a man who's won just five of his 21 NFL starts and a man who somehow has to spark an offense which has struggled through seven of eight quarters of football this season.
On the plus side for Dallas, their much criticised defense has been outstanding! They shut down Odell Beckham Jr on Week 1 and then shut down the entire Eagles offense last weekend, limiting them to just one TD and a field goal. If Dallas are to overcome the loss of key players in the next two months, this is the unit which will likely carry them. Can they shut down Julio Jones - the Falcons wide receiver who has already wracked up 276 receiving yards and two TDs this year? That's Sunday's challenge
Pick: Atlanta Falcons
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Houston Texans
After the Week 1 debacle against the Titans some pundits were already marking the Buccaneers down as contenders for next year's No 1. overall draft pick...but they have other plans. Rookie QB Jameis Winston played well, leading his team to a 26-19 win in New Orleans, completing 14 of 21 passing attempts for 207 yards and a TD and ran a touchdown in himself for good measure. So this will be a good test for the young signal caller as he lines up, opposite one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL.
For the Houston Texans, defense hasn't been the problem...it's been their lack of production on offense. After just one game, Ryan Mallet was named their starter at QB, replacing Bryan Hoyer. Mallet ran for a score and threw for a TD, throwing just one interception but couldn't engineer a scoring drive with the game on the line. As in Week 1, the Texans struggled to get anything going on the ground with Chris Polk getting the lion share of the carries but managing to gain just 38 yards on 14 attempts.
The question is, which Tampa Bay Buccaneers team will show up on Sunday? The one that came to play last weekend will have a good chance to secure back-to-back wins, but concentration lapses, missed tackles and poor execution will open the door for a Houston Texans team desperately seeking a first win of the year JJ Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and co will look to feast
Pick: Houston Texans
San Diego Chargers @ Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson was quiet in Week 1. In Week 2 he was a beast against the Detroit Lions, wracking up 192 total yards as Minnesota recorded a 26-16 win. QB Teddy Bridgewater looked much sharper than in the Week 1 loss in San Francisco as he threw one TD and ran another in himself. Offensively, this is what was expected of the Vikings before the season began.
Like the Minnesota Vikings, the San Diego Chargers hold a 1-1 record heading into this match up. After storming back to beat the Lions in their opening game, QB Phillip Rivers attempted to engineer another late comeback, finding WR Malcolm Floyd with a 40 yard TD pass to pull to within a score of the Bengals. Any hopes of victory though were snuffed out when Vinny Rey intercepted him in the final minute. Rookie RB Melvin Gordon showed some impressive bursts, averaging 5.5 yards per carry from 16 attempts but WR Keenan Allen struggled after an impressive Week 1 performance, gaining just 16 yards on two receptions. Also of concern will be Giovanni Bernard's production for the Bengals. He averaged over six yards per carry on the ground and now the Chargers face Adrian Peterson in the Vikings backfield.
Pick: Minnesota Vikings
Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots
The defending Super Bowl champions are off to a perfect 2-0 start and with everyone talking up the Buffalo Bills last week, the Patriots did what the Patriots do best. They went into Ralph Wilson stadium and got the win! QB Tom Brady threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-32 win over the Bills. While no one has yet found a way to contain TE Rob Gronkowski. He hauled in another touchdown and finished the game with 113 receiving yards.
Even so, like the Pittsburgh Steelers on opening night, the Bills were able to move the ball on the Patriots defense and scored 32 points in the process.
This weekend's opponents don't possess the same offensive fire power as either the Bills or the Steelers though and it's difficult to see how the Jaguars roll into New England and take the win. That being said, the Jags were able to contain the revamped, much talked about Miami Dolphins defense and do just enough to get a first win of the season last weekend. Second year WR Allen Robinson was outstanding, scoring two TDs and finishing the game with six catches for 155 yards. If Jacksonville are to have any success against the Patriots, he will again be the focal point of their aerial attack while rookie RB TJ Yeldon will need to establish the ground game.
Pick: New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Jets
If you listen carefully, you can still hear the cacophony of noise ringing out of Philadelphia. The Eagles were booed out of their own stadium on Sunday after a performance which Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman described as "embarrassing" and "as poor a performance as I can remember seeing in this league!" Dallas limited the Eagles to just a FG through three quarters, shutting down the running game (DeMarco Murray gained just two yards on 13 carries) and forcing four turnovers - including a blocked punt returned for a TD.
The performance led HC Chip Kelly to declare "we've got to assess everything...that includes everybody; coaches, everybody." He's right. Chip Kelly is the man who showed the door to star wide receivers, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin along with running back, LeSean McCoy. Not to mention Pro Bowl offensive lineman, Evan Mathis. How they could have done with him as the Cowboys defensive players seemed to be renting the land in the Philadelphia backfield, they spent the much time in it! All of this compounded on Tuesday with the news that LB Kiko Alonso (the other side of that LeSean McCoy trade) now faces an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering a partial tear of his ACL in his left knee.
Kelly and his team need to respond. It won't be easy against a Jets defensive unit which has conceded a league best 17 points in two games. If QB Sam Bradford thought he was under pressure against Dallas then watch out in New York! The Jets also lead the league with a +8 turnover differential. Philadelphia have already given the ball away five times his season. A short week to prepare for the Jets should help the Eagles as should the absence of WR Eric Decker, who's expected to miss this week with a knee injury sustained on Monday night.
The Jets are 2-0 for the first time since 2011. Already, this appears to be a must win game for the Eagles but their offense will have to play much better against a defense which is much better than the Dallas unit, Philly couldn't handle
Pick: New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers @ St. Louis Rams
Pittsburgh's season is up and running - and in impressive fashion. They dominated the San Francisco 49ers last weekend with RB DeAngelo Williams and WR Antonio Brown having huge games! Williams bagged three touchdowns while Brown grabbed one for himself as he finished the day with 195 receiving yards and the Steelers scored 43 points. This week they throw RB LeVeon Bell back into the mix! When it's firing, this is a potent offensive unit.
It makes for an intriguing contest then as they head into St. Louis to face a Rams defense which some argue has the best defensive line in football. They couldn't do enough to stop Kirk Cousins and the Redskins at the weekend though. Disappointing, following an outstanding display in their OT win over Seattle a week earlier. Offensively, the Rams were restricted to just 213 yards and failed to establish a running game. That could be helped if the Rams decide their firstround draft pick, Todd Gurley is fit to make his NFL debut against the Steelers - he'll likely be a game time decision.
This should be a good contest with Pittsburgh holding a slight advantage, possessing the better playmakers
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans
Alarm bells are ringing in Indianapolis. Two games have yield two defeats and in Monday night's loss to the Jets they turned the ball over five times! It's only the second time in Andrew Luck's four year NFL career, he's suffered back-to-back defeats but thanks to the mediocre standard of the AFC South, a win over divisional rivals, Tennessee would calm everyone's nerves. Without a doubt though, even at this early stage of the season, there are concerns over the performance of the Colts receiving core and their inability to get separation from opposing defensive backs.
The Titans came back down to earth with a resounding thud in Cleveland. A week after QB Marcus Mariota threw four TDs in the first half of their win over Tampa Bay, he threw just two all game against the Browns. In truth, it was a game the Titans were never really in as Jonny Manziel exposed their secondary with two long TD passes. Still, the Titans do appear a much improved team compared to 12 months ago and a shock win over the Colts would lead to greatly raised expectations around Tennessee. The key word here though is, shock!
Pick: Indianapolis Colts
San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals
In Week 1 the 49ers defense swarmed to the ball and shut down Adrian Peterson. In Week 2 that defense was left at home as the 49ers travelled to Pittsburgh and were blown out. The Steelers dominated with QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Antonio Brown to the fore while DeAngelo Williams rumbled in for three TDs on the ground. Heading into the desert to face NFC West rivals, Arizona requires the Week 1 49ers to return or they'll face a similar fate to last Sunday.
The Cardinals appear to have drafted a gem in rookie RB David Johnson. He took the opening kick off 108 yards for a TD in Chicago and then showed a nice turn of pace to score a rushing TD as well. Coupled with veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald ending his touchdown drought (he scored three against the Bears) things have started well this season for the Cardinals, who sit on top of the division with a 2-0 record.
As always in the NFC West this will be a physical contest. Defensively these teams should match up well but offensively, there remains glaring question marks over Colin Kaepernick's ability to engineer touchdown drives on a consistent basis and if Arizona are able to shut down the 49ers' running game then watch out..it could be a long day for Kaepernick
Pick: Arizona Cardinals
Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks
QB Jay Cutler's hamstring problem is the latest injury to beset the Chicago Bears. Already without wide receiving duo, rookie Kevin White (PUP list) and Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) now they head into Seattle with backup QB Jimmy Clausen set to start. On the back of two straight defeats, Matt Forte their only real offensive weapon and a backup quarterback who's looked nervous at best so far.......to say this isn't an ideal match-up for Chicago is an understatement.
The Seahawks poor start to the season is a surprise but they showed signs of life against the Packers on Sunday and surely it can only be a matter of time before a resolution is reached with Pro Bowl safety, Kam Chancellor. This is also their first home game of the season against opponents who appear to be there for the taking. If Chicago could engineer a victory in the Pacific North West, it would be the shock of Week 3!
Pick: Seattle Seahawks
Monday September 28
Kansas City Chiefs @ Green Bay Packers - Live on Sky Sports 1, 1.30am (Tuesday)
The Chiefs defense has been impressive through the opening two weeks of the season, dominating the Texans before causing Peyton Manning and co plenty of problems. To lose in the manner they did to Denver - a Jamaal Charles fumble returned for a TD in the final 30 seconds - will have been hugely disappointing. They've had more than a week to prepare for a trip to Green Bay but the task is no less daunting. The wait goes on for the Chiefs to fire a touchdown pass to a wide receiver (currently 18 games) and that, you feel is something that will have to change if they're to come away from Lambeau Field with a win.
The Green Bay Packers, already without WR Jordy Nelson, lost star RB Eddie Lacey early in their win over Seattle, but still didn't miss a beat. As long as Aaron Rodgers is on the field, this team is tough to beat and once again he found veteran WR James Jones for a TD on Sunday night as the Packers improved to 2-0, winning 27-17.
If the Chiefs are to cause an upset, they'll have to get pressure on Rodgers. The bad news for them is it looks likely Lacey will be good to go is week, meaning they'll have to respect Green Bay's running game as well.
Pick: Green Bay Packers
