(1-1) Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns (1-1)
This week's Thursday Night Football matchup sees two 1-1 sides from the AFC North face off as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cleveland Browns in Ohio. The Browns come into this game after a very disappointing collapse against the New York Jets. The Browns were winning the game by 13 points with less than 2 minutes to go but multiple errors ending up seeing them come out on the losing side. As for Pittsburgh, they were poor and lost at home to the New England Patriots. By the looks of it, it won’t be long before Kenny Pickett become QB1 in Pittsburgh. Statistically, the Browns are pretty good on offense, particularly when it comes to running the ball as they are ranked first on yards per game. They are also ranked 4th in 3rd down conversions which is a big positive. Defensively, they are ranked 26th in points allowed per game (PAPG) which isn’t great, and they don’t have a great pass defense either, ranking 25th. However, they have a very good run defense as they are ranked 4th in the whole league. As for the Steelers, they are ranked in a woeful 30th place when it comes to total yards per game. The throwing side of the ball is slightly worse than the run game, but neither are very good. 15th place on 3rd down conversions isn’t too bad but they should be aiming for more than 40%. Defensively, Pittsburgh are pretty solid when it comes to points per game as they sit 12th in the league (18.5) but, they are ranked 25th on overall yards allowed and are particularly bad at defending pass attempts (30th). Overall, the Browns will look to make it 2 wins out of 3 this weekend. The Steelers also have the same aim so this game should be quite close.
My Prediction: Browns win out on Thursday Night
(0-1-1) Houston Texans @ Chicago Bears (1-1)
Soldier Field plays host to a matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans. The Bears were comfortably second best against Green Bay and the biggest concern for Chicago is the fact that they were unable to score after the first quarter. The Texans also suffered their first loss of the season against the Denver Broncos. Statistically, both teams have scored 29 points in total this season. Offensively, both teams are pretty poor. Chicago are ranked 32 out of 32 when it comes to yards on offense. They haven’t even averaged more than 100 hundred yards in the air which is awful. A positive for them is they are ranked 8th in rushing yards per game which is pretty good. A success rate off 28.6% on 3rd down conversions is pretty bad. Houston are ranked 28th in total YPG, 22nd in passing YPG and 27th in rushing YPG so they really aren’t very good on that side of the ball. Something that’s even more shocking is the fact that the Texans have a worse conversion rate on third downs than Chicago do (25%). They rank 30th in that department. On the defensive side of the ball, they are both pretty solid when it comes to points per game with Houston being ranked in 9th whilst Chicago are in 12th (18, 18.5). However, only 1 team is worse than Houston when it comes to total yards allowed and they are 26th when it comes to passing yards allowed. The Bears are a bit better, 22nd in total yards allowed and a very good seventh place when it comes to yards allowed in the air. Neither side knows how to defend against teams running the ball though as Houston are ranked 30th whilst the Bears are ranked 32nd. The Texans are rated as the worst team in football but that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to get a result in this game. As for the Bears, they aren’t much better. If you're looking to watch high quality football, I don’t think this game is the one for you.
My Prediction: Chicago should win, it would be a disaster if they didn’t
(0-2) Las Vegas Raiders @ Tennessee Titans (0-2)
Two sides that both reached the playoffs last year find themselves looking for their first win of the season as the Raiders take on the Titans in Tennessee. The Tennessee Titans were the number 1 seed for the AFC last year and last week, they were decimated by the Buffalo Bills. After the first quarter, the Titans failed to add to the score sheet. As for the Raiders, they were 20-0 up at half time and yet they failed to get the win. A fumble recovery for a touchdown saw the Raiders lose the game in overtime. Statistically, the Titans are ranked 28th in PSPG. They are also in a pretty poor 29th place in total YPG, 26th in passing YPG and 24th in rushing YPG which is concerning given the fact that they have arguably the best running back in the entire NFL on their roster. Tennessee are also not that great when it comes to 3rd down conversions (26th). As for the Raiders, they are ranked 21st in PPG and a pretty worrying 30th in rushing yards per game. However, ranking 9th when it comes to throwing the ball and 7th when it comes to 3rd down conversions is pretty good. Defensively, both teams aren’t great. The Raiders are ranked 24th compared to Tennessee’s 30th on points allowed per game whilst both sides are pretty even on total yards allowed (LV-23rd, TT-25th). Tennessee are slightly better when it comes to passing yards (17th) but are terrible when it comes to rushing yards (31st). As for the Raiders, they are 28th in PYPG and 16th in RYPG. Overall, the Titans need to get a win. The positive for the Titans is that the division that they are a part of is pretty poor, so they still have a chance even if they go 0-3. As for the Raiders, they need to win this game, particularly when you consider who else is in their division.
My Prediction: Raiders win
(2-0) Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts (0-1-1)
The Kansas City Chiefs aim to make it a hattrick of wins to start the season against a winless Colts. The Colts were horrendous against the Jags, and they lost 24-0 as a result of it. 24-0 to a team that’s been the worst side in football for the past two seasons. They look like a team that isn’t ready to compete. As for the Chiefs, they won out in a very competitive and exciting game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Wins like that showcase just how good the Chiefs really are. Statistically, the gulf between the two sides when it comes to scoring points is scary. The Colts have scored the least number of points of anyone in the league (20) whilst the Chiefs are the second highest scorers with 71 points. On offense, the Colts strongest point is on PYPG. They are ranked 9th in that department. Their biggest weakness though is on 3rd down conversions where they rank 23rd which still isn’t awful. Their defense performs the best against the rush as they rank 9th. Their lowest ranking actually comes on points allowed per game. They are ranked 17th in this category which tells me the results are making the Colts look worse than they actually are. As for the Chiefs, points scored per game is where they are at their best. The worst part of their offense is on the running side as they rank 16th in RYPG. When it comes to the defense, they are best at defending against the run (11th) and their biggest struggle comes at defending the pass (21st). This does kind of make sense though given the fact that they have played against Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert in the first two weeks of the season. Overall, a win here for the Colts would be a major, major boost for the whole organisation. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are the second-best team in the NFL right now and they will be very annoyed with themselves if they fail to pick up the W.
My Prediction: Chiefs win. Why, because they are just too good
(2-0) Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins (2-0)
This is an exciting one. The only game this weekend that guarantees an unbeaten side going into Week 4 takes place as division rivals the Buffalo Bills take on the Miami Dolphins at the Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Dolphins pulled off a stunning 21-point comeback victory to silence both the Baltimore crowd and the Tua Tagovailoa haters. As for the Bills, they destroyed the Titans in what was a scary message to the rest of the league. Statistically, these teams are incredible on offense. The Dolphins are ranked 4th in points scored per game, 2nd in total yards and 1st in Passing YPG. The Bills are then ranked 1st, 4th and 4th respectively. The Bills are also the best team when it comes to 3rd down conversions (60.9%). On the defensive side of the ball, Miami have struggled a bit more. Their highest ranking is 17th in the rushing yards allowed per game category and their worst ranking is 23rd and that refers to passing yards allowed per game. That’s a little bit worrying given how good the Bills offense is. Another thing that is incredibly worrying for the Dolphins is the Bills defense. They are ranked 2nd in points allowed per game, 2nd in total yards allowed per game, 2nd in passing yards allowed per game and are the best when it comes to rushing yards allowed. It’s frightening how good this team is. Overall, the Dolphins would love to go 3-0 but it’s going to be hard. Tua will need to be at his very best if Miami have any chance of getting a result. As for the Bills, playing the Dolphins in Miami is going to be tough but so far this season, they have dismantled two teams that were incredibly talented last season so I would be shocked if they lose here. Can anyone beat Josh Allen and the Bills right now?
My Prediction: Buffalo win. Why, because they are just too good
(1-1) Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings (1-1)
The Minnesota Vikings were comfortably beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football and need to bounce back this weekend whilst the Detroit Lions got a very good victory at home to the Washington Commanders and are aiming to build on it. Statistically, the Vikings aren’t that great on the offensive side of the ball. Their biggest strength comes in the air, but a ranking of 16th doesn’t fill you with much confidence. Their biggest issue is scoring points, they are ranked 25th with just 30 points in total over two games. The Lions, on the other hand, are pretty good on the offensive side of the ball. They rank second for points scored, third for total yards and third in total rushing yards. Ranking 19th for total passing yards isn’t the greatest but they are clearly able to get on with it. Defensively, the Vikings are pretty good when it comes to limiting points scored against them (6th best) but the amount of yards they allow is pretty worrying (4th worst). Unlike the offense, Detroit’s defense isn’t very good. Their highest ranking is 26th (RYAPG) and they are the second worst team when it comes to allowing points. At least you know that the Lions’ games are going to be exciting. Overall, this is a game that Minnesota need to be winning if they want to be playing in the postseason. As for Detroit, they are the underdogs coming into this, but I feel that they definitely have a chance in this game if the offense is up for it again.
My Prediction: Vikings win a high scoring encounter
(1-1) Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots (1-1)
Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens take on Mac Jones’ New England Patriots in what should be a good game. The New England Patriots got a very important first victory last time out against the Pittsburgh Steelers whilst the Baltimore Ravens threw away a 21-point lead at home to the Dolphins. In my predictions, I had the Ravens making the AFC Championship game and for 3 quarters, they looked like a team that could go very far indeed. However, their fourth quarter performance is the complete opposite of that. No matter how good the Dolphins played, you cannot allow that to happen. When you look at the stats, it is clear to see that the Patriots don’t have the greatest offense like they once did. Their best ranking actually comes on 3rd down conversions (7th) but even still, only converting 50% of the time is not something to brag about. They are pretty terrible when it comes to scoring points, they are the 4th worst team in that department with a total of just 24 points. They also struggle when it comes to gaining yards with the offense (23rd). The Ravens are very good at scoring points, they are the 4th best funnily enough with an average of 31 PSPG. Their biggest struggle on offense is in the run game, as they rank 18th out of 32. Defensively, the Patriots are really good. They are the fourth best team when it comes to allowing yards and if their worst ranking is 9th (PYAPG), they’re doing all right. The Ravens have really struggle on offense. They are the worst team when it comes to both passing yards allowed and total yards allowed. They are pretty good at defending the run though as they rank 8th best in the league. Overall, a win for New England would be big, particularly as the Dolphins and the Bills are facing one another. As for Baltimore, they need to forget about how last week’s game ended and play how they did in the first seven quarters of the season. If they do that, they should be just fine.
My Prediction: A win for Baltimore
(0-2) Cincinatti Bengals @ New York Jets (1-1)
I don’t think many people would have predicted that the Jets would come into this week 3 matchup with a better record than their opponents the Cincinatti Bengals. Well done if you did though. The Bengals suffered a second loss of the year against the Dallas Cowboys which was a disappointing result given how poor the Cowboys were in week 1. The Jets however, pulled off an incredible 13-point comeback in the final 2 minutes to give everyone connected to the Franchise a big boost. Stats wise, the Bengals have been average when it comes to their offense. They are best when it comes to throwing the ball but even then, they are 10 teams who are better including their opponents. Their biggest problem comes with being able to score points, they rank 19th with 37 points. The Jets are the third best team when it comes to passing yards in the league which is very impressive. However, they don’t run the ball as well as other teams (they are ranked 23rd). On the defensive side of the ball, the Bengals are pretty good. They rank 7th when it comes to total yards allowed. Also, their biggest struggle is allowing points but even then, they are 15th so it’s still pretty solid. For the Jets, they have found it tough to defend. They are ranked 25th when it comes to points allowed per game which is a slight concern. They’re pretty solid at defending the pass though (14th best). Overall, the Bengals need to get their first win, and this is a big opportunity for them to get it. The Jets, on the other hand, will try and continue the momentum that they earnt last week.
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