NFL: Week 3 Predictions

My 2009 NFL Record: 8-8

The Marquee Matchups

Atlanta Falcons (2-0) @ New England Patriots (1-1)

The Patriots have not looked like the Patriots at all in the first two weeks of the 2009 NFL season. Flustered by Rex Ryan’s varied blitz packages, Tom Brady and the Pats were held to a paltry 3 field goals – all in the first half – last week in the Meadowlands. And they needed a bit of luck to escape week 1 against the Bills… this team is very fortunate they aren’t 0-2 right now.

The Pats were without Welker in that game against the Jets and his status is questionable for this game as is Randy Moss. If New England doesn’t have either of them, an already tough game looks even bleaker.

Even though it’s not their strength, the Pats would be wise to emphasize their running game against a team that lost one of their starting tackles in week 1 and ranks 19^th in rushing yards allowed.

History is not on the Falcons’ side – it rarely is. The Patriots have not lost back to back games since November of 2006, a span of 41 games. And Brady has an uncanny ability to follow up poor outings with superb games.

The Falcons will hang tough early, but expect the Pats to pull away late

My Prediction: Patriots 31, Falcons 17

San Francisco 49ers (2-0) @ Minnesota Vikings (2-0)

A lot of people expected the Vikings to be contenders this year, with AP, a stout defense and the addition of a Hall of Fame Quarterback (Favre). Not many expected the same of the Niners, who are also 2-0.

The matchup to watch for in this game is the 49ers stout run defense (ranked 3rd) vs. Adrian Peterson and the Vikings rushing attack, which ranks second (behind the Cowboys) with 169 rushing yards per game. Peterson might have revenge on his mind, as his worst game of his career came against the Niners in 2007, rushing for 3 yards on 14 carries.

The Vikings will have their hands full with San Francisco’s Frank Gore, who’s coming off a 207 yard rushing performance last week against Seattle.

These teams are pretty evenly matched and I see this game coming down to one thing – play at the Quarterback position. Brett Favre can still make plays with the short and medium passing game that the Niners cannot. Shaun Hill is the prototypical game manager – won’t make mistakes, but he won’t drive you down the field to win the game either.

This game will be won in the trenches, but I think Minnesota’s extra element (passing) will be enough to keep the 49ers aggressive blitzing defense off balance.

My Prediction: 49ers 17, Vikings 24

The Rest of the Pack

Indianapolis Colts (2-0) @ Arizona Cardinals (1-1)

My Prediction: Colts 34, Cards 30

Washington Redskins (1-1) @ Detroit Lions (0-2)

My Prediction: Redskins 31, Lions 34 *Upset Special*

Green Bay Packers (1-1) @ St. Louis Rams (0-2)

My Prediction: Packers 27, Rams 10

Tennessee Titans (0-2) @ New York Jets (2-0)

My Prediction: Titans 16, Jets 13

Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) @ Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)

My Prediction: Chiefs 17, Eagles 30

New York Giants (1-1) @ Tampa Bay Bucs (0-2)

My Prediction: Giants 38, Bucs 14

Cleveland Browns (0-2) @ Baltimore Ravens (2-0)

My Prediction: Browns 6, Ravens 31

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) @ Houston Texans (1-1)

My Prediction: Jags 17, Texans 14

Chicago Bears (1-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

My Prediction: Bears 14, Seahawks 17

New Orleans Saints (2-0) @ Buffalo Bills (1-1)

My Prediction: Saints 37, Bills 24

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)

My Prediction: Steelers 19, Bengals 14

Denver Broncos (2-0) @ Oakland Raiders (1-1)

My Prediction: Broncos 23, Raiders 10

Miami Dolphins (0-2) @ San Diego Chargers (1-1)

My Prediction: Dolphins 27, Chargers 21

Carolina Panthers (0-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

My Prediction: Cowboys 30, Panthers 14

NFL: Week 2 Predictions

The Marquee Matchups

New York Giants (1-0) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-0)


The Dallas Cowboys open up their new stadium hosting their bitter rivals, the New York Giants. Both teams opened their seasons with comfortable wins. Tony Romo and the Cowboys have faired well in their recent matchups with the GMen, going 4-2 against them in the past 6 meetings. I think the key for the Giants in this game will be to establish the running game and getting pressure on Tony Romo and not allowing him to make plays outside the pocket, which is where he excels most. But I don’t think they’ll do either one of those things in this game.

It’s hard to see Dallas losing their first game in their brand new billion dollar stadium. I think the Giants are ultimately a better football team, but Dallas should win this game.


My Prediction: Giants 23, Cowboys 27



Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) @ Chicago Bears (0-1)



Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears are coming off a rough week. Not only did they lose a close game to the rival Packers on the strength of 4 Cutler interceptions, they lost veteran linebacker and leader, Brian Urlacher, for the season. The Steelers enjoyed a close win on ring night over the Titans, but they lost one of the best safties in the game in Troy Polamalu (for 3-6 weeks). I think both defenses are good enough to overcome the loss, but Roethlisberger has far more weapons to utilize than Cutler does. Neither team runs the ball all that well and I don’t expect that’ll change in this game

Cutler struggled with the Packers’ zone blitzing 3-4 scheme last week. Now, he’ll be facing another 3-4 defense; one that blitzes more often and effectively than any team in the league – the Pittsburgh Steelers. Expect a close defensive battle throughout, and the Bears will be desperate for a win, but I expect the defending champions to make the big plays on both sides of the ball.

My Prediction: Steelers 16, Bears 10



New England Patriots (1-0) @ New York Jets (1-0)



The Pats didn’t look very sharp for much of their season opener against the Bills (down 24-13 with 5 minutes left) until Brady led them to 2 touchdown drives, with a game changing Bills fumble sandwiched in-between the two scores, sneaking out a 25-24 victory. The win preserved a 12 game winning streak for NE against Buffalo. They’ll be looking to extend an 8 game winning streak in the Meadowlands against the Jets this Sunday afternoon. Brady has always done pretty well against the Jets secondary, throwing 15 TD’s and only 6 interceptions in 14 career games against New York (11-3).

On paper, the Jets appear to be an improved team from last year. Their running game is explosive (190 rushing yards in wk 1), their defense is swarming against both the run and the pass. They’re at home. And had so many of their players not opened their mouths recently (Kerry Rhodes remarking that the Jets intend on “embarrassing the Pats”), I might have given them a chance in this game against a Patriots squad that is clearly still working out the kinks. Eh, not anymore. They’ve just awoken a sleeping Giant. Expect the Patriots to win by at least 20 points.


My Prediction: Patriots 41, Jets 14


The Rest of the Pack


Baltimore Ravens (1-0) @ San Diego Chargers (1-0)




My Prediction: Ravens 24, Chargers 27


Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) @ Buffalo Bills (0-1)



My Prediction: Bucs 10, Bills 24


Cleveland Browns (0-1) @ Denver Broncos (1-0)



My Prediction: Browns 21, Broncos 17


New Orleans Saints (1-0) @ Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)



My Prediction: Saints 24, Eagles 14 * Note – this is only if McNabb does not play *


Arizona Cardinals (0-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)



My Prediction: Cards 31, Jags 20


Saint Louis Rams (0-1) @ Washington Redskins (0-1)



My Prediction: Rams 3, Redskins 17


Carolina Panthers (0-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (1-0)




My Prediction: Panthers 13, Falcons 23


Minnesota Vikings (1-0) @ Detroit Lions (0-1)


My Prediction: Vikings 27, Lions 35 *Upset Special*


Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) @ Green Bay Packers (1-0)



My Prediction: Bengals 17, Packers 40


Houston Texans (0-1) @ Tennessee Titans (0-1)


My Prediction: Texans 13, Titans 27


Oakland Raiders (0-1) @ Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)



My Prediction: Raiders 16, Chiefs 13


Seattle Seahawks (1-0) @ San Francisco 49ers (1-0)



My Prediction: Seahawks 21, 49ers 23


Indianapolis Colts (1-0) @ Miami Dolphins (0-1)



My Prediction: Colts 24, Dolphins 20