Two fantastic weeks of football have come and gone, and now, we’re onto the third week of the ’22 NFL season.
Who does Alex have taking home a W in week 3?
Picks with Alex – week 3 of the 2022 NFL season (Sunday)
Early window
Bills @ Dolphins
Winner: Bills
Analysis: Through the first 2 weeks of the season, Buffalo has looked virtually unbeatable. Josh Allen is the early MVP favorite, and after his four touchdown showing against Tennessee last Monday, it isn’t too hard to see why. That said, Tua had an unreal outing himself last week, tossing six passing touchdowns in a comeback victory against Baltimore. Still, given the Bills’ elite defense, in addition to the superior Josh Allen, Buffalo should handle their business in Miami.
Bengals @ Jets
Winner: Jets
Analysis: The reality is, the Bengals are the better team – or at least should be. This season, however, they aren’t. Joe Burrow went from attending a Super Bowl to being on the losing side of games against Mitchell Trubisky and Cooper Rush in a matter of half a calendar year. If the Joe Burrow from one season ago shows up, instead of the Joe Burrow who logged five turnovers against Pittsburgh during week 1’s divisional showdown, Cincinnati can steal a win. However, the other Joe, Joe Flacco, is fresh off of a four touchdown performance against Cleveland. If momentum means anything at all, J-E-T-S.
Raiders @ Titans
Winner: Raiders
Analysis: Tennessee finished the ’21 season as the first seed in the NFC. Las Vegas acquired the league’s top wideout this offseason. And still, both of these clubs started the year 0-2. One, or both, have to continue being winless after this bout. Will it be the team who lost in overtime last week, or the one who suffered a 7-41 blowout? Momentum is the theme; Las Vegas earns their first win of the season.
Saints @ Panthers
Winner: Saints
Analysis: If you know me, you know I’m low on Baker Mayfield – and the Panthers in general, for that matter. I may just roll with each team Carolina faces throughout the entirety of the season. On the other side of things, Jameis Winston is coming off of an atrocious outing against Tampa Bay. Predicting a winner here is hard; in fact, I almost look at it as which team will be less bad. That said, I take it back to me rolling with whichever squad Carolina squares off with.
Ravens @ Patriots
Winner: Ravens
Analysis: It’s easy to look at the negatives for Baltimore last Sunday – after all, the team held a 21 point lead after three quarters, and still failed to close the deal. That said, there were still plenty of highs for the Ravens in that contest. Lamar threw for three touchdowns; a mark Mac Jones hasn’t hit in both of his two games combined. The former MVP also picked up an additional 116 yards on the ground, with yet another score. This week, Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick referred to Lamar as “The type of player that’s an MVP candidate”. He certainly has a point.
Lions @ Vikings
Winner: Vikings
Analysis: Minnesota is the clear better team, that’s the harsh truth for Detroit. The second bit of harsh truth is this contest is a regular ol’ early Sunday game, so don’t expect Kirk’s horrific Monday night performance against Philly. Cousins led teams may have a 2-10 record on Monday, but the 55-47-2 record under him during Sunday ballgames is much more respectable. More to the point, Detroit doesn’t have a Darius Slay to keep Justin Jefferson in check.
Eagles @ Commanders
Winner: Eagles
Analysis: It’s pretty hard to go against the Eagles right now. Almost impossible, actually. Last week, Philly held the talented Vikings’ offense to only one score. On the other side, Washington couldn’t do much against Detroit until it was too late and their fate was already sealed. All the same, this is certainly one to tune into as Carson Wentz faces his old Super Bowl winning team for the first time since being dealt. If Wentz manages to put it together and best his former squad, the NFL world will go crazy.
Chiefs @ Colts
Winner: Chiefs
Analysis: It’s hard to find a person who’s been higher on Indy than me heading into the ’22 season, but the team has been disappointing up to this point. Kansas City, on the other hand, has been just as dominant as everyone [should’ve] expected. Mahomes opened up the year by tossing five touchdowns against Arizona, proving he didn’t need All-Pro Tyreek Hill to produce wins. With the Chargers in town, who many see as the top dog in the AFC West, K.C. once again took care of business. 3-0 start to the season? For my money, yes.
Texans @ Bears
Winner: Texans
Analysis: Texans might be winless up to this point, but they’ve gone toe-to-toe with two teams that should’ve been well out of their league. In week 1, Houston even managed to control a large majority of the showdown against their division rivals in Indianapolis, although it ended in a tie. If there’s one thing we should know about Chicago, the Colts and Broncos are entirely different animals. Literally.