(2-0) Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Commanders (1-1)
The unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles take on division rivals the Washington Commanders in Landover, Maryland. The Washington Commanders were disappointing last week as they lost to the Detroit Lions whilst the Eagles scored a statement victory at home to the Vikings. Statistically, both sides are pretty good on offense. The Commanders rank 8th in PSPG, 5th in total YPG and 2nd in passing YPG. Their only problem comes on the ground as they rank 24th out of 32. For the Eagles, they are the 4th highest scorers so far and the number 1 team when it comes to total yards. They rank a 7th in the air and second on the ground which is pretty amazing. Also, the Eagles are the second best on third down conversions whilst the Commanders are third best. Defensively, neither team is particularly great. Washington’s best ranking is 20th (PYAPG), and their worst ranking is 28th (RYAPG). As for Philly, they rank 12th when it comes to allowing passing yards and 20th for the run defense. Overall, this would be a big win for Carson Wentz and the Washington Commanders but it’s going to be tough. The Eagles, on the other hand, should be winning this game. They have a massive opportunity over the next couple of weeks to build a case as one of the best teams in the NFC.
My Prediction: Philly win
(1-1) New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers (0-2)
The Carolina Panthers a mess at the moment. They lost to the New York Giants last weekend and looked weak. A big concern for anyone connected to the Franchise. As for the Saints, they also lost against division rivals Tampa Bay. That was a game that the Saints needed to win if they were going to be considered as a threat for beating the Bucs to first in the division. Statistically, the Panthers have struggled on the offensive side of the ball. The rank 15th in PSPG which is solid but a bit worrying when that’s their highest place. They struggle to pass the ball well, but their biggest issue is on third down conversions, they rank 29th with a 26.1% conversion rate. The Saints aren’t the greatest on offense, but they are a lot better than their opponents. Being the 9th best team when it comes to running the ball is pretty good, but they do struggle to put points on the board (37, 19th). Their biggest concern is also third down conversions as they rank 25th with a 30.8% conversion rate. The Panthers are actually pretty good on defense. They are the third best team when it comes to allowing passing yards which did surprise me. However, they’ve been pretty rubbish at defending the ground game (29th). The craziest part is the fact that they have actually conceded more yards on the ground than in the air which is something I’ve never seen before. The Saints are ok on the defensive side of the ball, they rank 11th when it comes to allowing yards in the air but are 23rd when it comes to defending the run. Overall, a 0-3 start would be pretty disastrous for the Panthers, and they will do everything they can to stop that from happening. As for the Saints, they should be winning this game if they want to be considered as a team that can make the playoffs.
My Prediction: New Orleans Victory
(1-1) Jacksonville Jaguars @ Los Angeles Chargers (1-1)
The Jacksonville Jaguars look to pull off a big upset as they go to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers. The Los Angeles Chargers showed a lot of skill to stay in the game with Kansas City last week, but they will need a little bit more if they are to compete for the top prizes in this sport. They're not far off though. Jacksonville got a very impressive 24-0 victory against division rivals Indianapolis. The Jags are top of their division and despite being the worst team in football for two seasons, they have a genuine shot of winning it given how everyone else has played. When you look at the stats, you can clearly see that the Chargers are very good in the air. They rank as the 5th best and it makes sense given who is at Quarterback. However, they have really struggled on the ground game. They are th3 fifth worst team when it comes to running the ball which is a bit of a surprise. The Jags are the 12th best team when it comes to scoring points which is pretty solid, and they are pretty solid in the rest of their rankings. However, they have struggled a bit more with converting on third down, they are the 20th best in the league and have converted a third of the time. Defensively, the Chargers are very good at defending against the run, only 5 teams are better. They have conceded more points than they would have wanted though, they have conceded 46 points in their 2 games and rank 21st in the league. As for Jacksonville, they are really good on defense. They rank 5th in points allowed 8th in total yards allowed and are the third best at defending against the run which is pretty amazing. They rank 17th when it comes to allowing passing yards but that is still fine. Overall, this is a game that the Chargers should and need to be winning. It’s a game where they could potentially send a message to the rest of their division but, will Justin Herbert be able to play. If he can’t, they could really struggle. Not many people think that the Jags are going to win, and a loss isn’t going to hurt them, but a win would be a massive confidence booster.
My Prediction: Chargers win. If Herbert plays, they win easily, if he doesn’t, it will be a lot tighter
(1-1) Los Angeles Rams @ Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
NFC West Rivals the LA Rams and the Arizona Cardinals face off in what should be an intriguing matchup. The Arizona Cardinals ended up beating the Las Vegas Raiders in overtime last week after a fumble recovery and that definitely should give them a boost heading into Week 3. The Rams also won but they nearly threw it away. They were leading 28-3 yet they only won by 4 points which is a bit concerning. When you look at the stats, neither team sets the league on fire on the offense. The Cardinals are a top 10 side when it comes to scoring points but, they are horrendous on third downs. They have a conversion rate of just 24% and only one team is worse. Opposite to their opponents, the Rams are pretty good on third down conversions, only 3 teams are better. They can’t run the ball though. They are the second worst team when it comes to yards on the ground. On the defensive side of the ball, Arizona are pretty shocking. They have conceded the most points out of any team in the league and are the second worst team when it comes to allowing passing yards. They are also ranked 28th in total yards allowed but they can feel a bit better with a ranking of 13th at defending the run. The Rams are pretty solid, ranking 16th in total yards allowed 16th in PYAPG and 14th in RYAPG. Their only concern is conceding points as the Rams are ranked 27th out of 32. Overall, a loss here for the Cardinals would be a blow, even if we are only in Week 3. LA will believe that they can win and if they do, they can be happy with how their season has started.
My Prediction: Arizona get the W
(0-2) Atlanta Falcons @ Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
Two of the lower rated teams in the league face off as the Falcons take on the Seahawks in Seattle. Seattle were comfortably second best against San Francisco last week and the offense failed to put a single point on the board which is a big concern. Atlanta also lost to a team in the NFC West as they fell short against the Los Angeles Rams. Statistically, the Seahawks have been pretty awful on offense. They are 29th when it comes to scoring points and are the second worst team in total yards including being the worst run team in the league. Being ranked 11th in third down conversions is pretty decent but, a conversion rate of 44.4% isn’t something to boast about. The Falcons are a bit better; they are the 9th highest scorers in the league and have been pretty good when it comes to running the ball (7th best). Their biggest issue is in the air but that isn’t really a surprise (23rd). On the defensive side of the ball, neither team are particularly great. Seattle are in the top 14 for points allowed per game but, a ranking of 25th in total YAPG and RYAPG and then a ranking of 26th in PYAPG is a bit concerning. The Falcons best ranking is 15th in Rushing yards allowed per game whilst their worse comes at conceding points (27th). Overall, Seattle aren't a particularly great team, and these are the types of games that they need to be winning to give them some chance of a decent record. It’s similar with the Falcons as well. A 0-3 start would not be what anyone in that organisation wanted.
My Prediction: Seattle win due to the home crowd
(1-1) Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
Two of the best Quarterbacks of all time face off as Aaron Rodgers takes on Tom Brady in a must watch matchup. Funnily enough, this was my prediction for the NFC Championship game later on in the year. Anyway, Tampa Bay went to 2-0 after beating division rivals the New Orleans Saints to show everyone that they are still the best in the South. The Green Bay Packers got an important bounce back victory as they breezed past the Chicago Bears, showcasing that they are still one of the best teams in the entire league. Quite surprisingly, neither team has been amazing on offense. Tampa Bay’s highest ranking comes in the running game, where they are only ranked 13th. Their biggest struggle has come in earning yards, they rank 25th which is quite low. The Packers, whilst not hitting their usual standards, have still been pretty solid. They are the 6th best team when it comes to running the ball which makes sense as Aaron Jones is a good halfback. They have struggled to score points though; they only have 34 and rank 23rd overall. On defense, both teams are really good, particularly Tampa Bay as they are the number 1 team when it comes to allowing points. They are also the fifth best at allowing yards, the eight best at allowing yards in the air and the ninth best at allowing yards on the ground. Green Bay is also solid, they rank 7th in points allowed, 10th in total YAPG and 4th in PYAPG. However, they have really struggled to defend against the run and a ranking of 27th shows this. Overall. Tampa Bay will want to go 3-0 which would force people to start talking about the Bucs the same way they do about Buffalo and Kansas. A win for the Packers here would be massive and really would be a statement of intent. Whichever teams wins deserves to be called the best team in the NFC.
My Prediction: Bucs over Packers, Brady over Rodgers
(1-1) San Francisco 49ers @ Denver Broncos (1-1)
Russell Wilson has to once again face off against the 49ers in a primetime scenario but, it’s a much different game then he is used too. The Denver Broncos managed to beat the Houston Texans, but it certainly wasn’t the convincing win that they should have had. San Fran, on the other hand, managed to get the comfortable win against Seattle but, the biggest talking point is the fact that Trey Lance’s injury means he is done for the season meaning, Jimmy G is back! Denver have been a pretty good team on offense as they rank 7th in total yards. However, they are the 24th best team when it comes to scoring points which is definitely not a good thing. The Niners are a really good team when it comes to running the ball, in fact, only 3 teams are better than them. Only 1 team is worse than them in the air though. That’s a slight concern but I would expect that ranking to go up over the next few weeks with a more reliable QB. Both teams are incredible on defense. In points allowed, they are both joint third. In yards allowed, the Broncos are the 3rd best whilst San Francisco are the best. In passing yards allowed, Denver are the fifth best whilst the 49ers are the best again and in run defense, the Broncos are the fourth best whilst the Niners are the second. Overall, Denver will hope to win and will need to as they can’t afford to fall too far behind their rivals. As for San Francisco, this would be a terrific win if they are able to accomplish it. It will be tough though.
My Prediction: Really tough to pick, I’ll go Denver
(1-1) Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants (2-0)
The final game of the weekend takes place Monday Night in New York as the Cowboys travel to take on the Giants. In maybe the biggest shock of the season so far, the Giants come into Week 3 2-0. They beat the Panthers last week, but can they keep this run going? As for the Cowboys, they got an important victory against the Cincinatti Bengals last week and will aim to go over 500 this weekend. The Giants offense is a tale of two halves. They are the third worst when it comes to gaining yards in the air but are the fifth best when it comes to running the ball. The Cowboys aren’t very good at any part of the offense. If your best ranking is 21st (PYPG), you are in a bit of trouble. They are the second lowest scorers so far this year and the second worst team when it comes to converting on third down (24%). The Giants are pretty decent on defense, they are the 9th best when it comes to allowing points. They struggle a bit more when it comes to defending against the run but 18th place in that department is still ok. Besides rushing yards allowed per game (19th), the Cowboys are a top 10 defense in the most important rankings. Overall, the Giants going 3-0 would be a genuinely nice story for a team that has struggled for a while. Even if they win, I still don’t think you can talk about them as a playoff contender, but they are certainly trying their hardest to be that. As for the Cowboys, this will be a much tougher game than they original expected when they saw their schedule. However, it’s still a game that they need to win if they are to compete with the Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC East.
Arizona get the w? only if murray is magnificent again