Hello, Guest!

 

- Week 3 Predictions: Key Divisional Match-Ups

Chris Pokorny September 23, 2006
Chris Pokorny
PFC Owner & Writer

Tell Chris your opinion.

-
It's Week 3 of the regular season, and this could possibly be the toughest week you can predict all season long. There are so many divisional games that everyone should be glued to, and every one of them could easily go either way. After having a 12-4 record last week, it's not easy to say that I'm confident in my picks heading into this week.

The bye weeks begin this week, meaning it won't be possible to watch a team like the Oakland Raiders get dismantled due to their poor quarterback situation. It may already be do-or-die time for many teams, who could very well be on their way to a 0-3 record. Without wasting any more time, let's get to this week's Games of the Week.

(Red = Prediction)

Please, No Torn ACL This Time
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
This is the game that was highly anticipated in the playoffs last year, but was ruined after Carson Palmer tore his ACL right away. Palmer has come back the first two weeks of the season and played very well with the Bengals, but Ben Roethlisberger can't say the same about his first game of the season last week against the Jaguars. Roethlisberger was very tentative in his decision making, and Willie Parker could not get anything going in the running game. Palmer has succeeded without No. 2 wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who is scheduled to return this week.

This game will not be a walk in the park for either team: it'll be a battle that you will not want to miss. Roethlisberger will no doubt have his offense moving the ball more efficiently than last week, and the defense will not let Palmer pick them apart at will. The Bengals' defense is notorious for creating turnovers, but the Steelers will not make more than one turnover against Cincinnati. Palmer will benefit from having Houshmandzadeh back, and their high-power offense will muster enough to pull out a victory in the fourth quarter, taking a huge two-game lead over the Steelers in the division.

Breaking the Streak
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts
Every time these two teams meet, it's always close, with the Colts coming out on top. The Jaguars are coming off one of their best defensive performances in years, after shutting out the Pittsburgh Steelers. It'll be too tough to shut out the Colts, but it's not out of the question to create some costly turnovers. The Colts will be without Adam Vinatieri and receiver Brandon Stokley, but Manning can still throw it all day long to Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne. Meanwhile, the Jaguars may be without receiver Matt Jones.

The Colts have the advantage at home heading into this game. The Colts' running game started to get things going last week, but the ground game is not nearly as good as it was with Edgerrin James last year. The Jaguars completely shut down Willie Parker this past week, meaning Manning will have to make sure he is able to establish his connection with Harrison and Wayne early on. The Jaguars' offense will stay in the game, but once the Colts get on top, they'll be fighting from behind most of the game. Jaguars lose by a touchdown, but they may take the second matchup later in the season.

Revenge on the Mind of Eli
New York Giants vs. Seattle Seahawks
This game is the NFC equivalent to the playoff re-match of the of the Bengals and Steelers. Eli Manning did not end the year on the right foot last year, and is looking to avenge a poor performance. As far as this year goes, the Seahawks have yet to peak offensively, despite being 2-0. The Giants peaked at the right time last week, completing an unbelievable comeback in overtime. This game features the top two running backs in the NFC, both of which are featured in their offense's gameplan significantly.

This game should turn out to be a shootout, as the Seahawks will finally get their offense going as they please. Deion Branch will make his debut, but the story will be the matchup between Tiki Barber and Shaun Alexander. Expect both men to break off huge runs, with the defenses playing well enough to make sure things don't get too out of hand. The Seahawks will establish the running game late in the game when the score is tied, and run off enough clock to kick a game-winning field goal as time expires.

Return to the Superdome
Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints
Originally, I was going to book the Broncos vs. Patriots game as the final game of the week, but I changed my mind due to the surprise success of the Saints thus far. Not only is this game back in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina last year, but the Saints have started the season at 2-0, by winning two games on the road! Reggie Bush didn't exactly shine last week, but Drew Brees has already shown why he was the right decision for the Saints. Brees' decision making has been tremendous thus far, while the Saints defense has had its ups and downs.

Meanwhile, the Falcons have started the season playing better than the team that reached the NFC Championship two years ago. The Falcons' running game has been unbelievable, to the point where the passing decisions that Michael Vick does make, actually make sense. The Saints' defense is not good enough to prevent Warrick Dunn, Vick, and Jerious Norwood from running the ball all day long, and the Falcons' defense will control the game enough to prevent Brees from hitting the big play. Falcons win convincingly after having success after halftime.

And now, the rest of the week...

Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Before the season started, I would've thought this would have definitely been a game of the week, with both teams being 2-0. Instead, one of them will go to 0-3, while the other will still have some hope left at 1-2. The Panthers have at least played manageably well, and have an excuse of being without Steve Smith. The Buccaneers have just played bad all around, managing only three points offensively on the season. With Smith finally back to practicing, he'll be a game-time decision. I'm banking on him playing, allowing the Panthers to run away with this game.

Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings
This is another game that was capable of being a game of the week, but that's what happens when there are so many exciting divisional match-ups in one week. This game should not be a high-scoring game, as both offenses will try to manage the ball safely and let their defenses do the talking. The Bears' defense is just downright nasty, but Brad Johnson is too much of a veteran to make any foolish plays. With that said, he won't be able to make enough plays for the win, as the Bears will win a game that could easily end with only a couple of field goals on each side.

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions
It's only fitting that the Packers lose their first two games at home, and then go on to win on the road. Brett Favre won't be able to match his performance from last week, but he is still playing with a better offense than last year. The Lions' offense has not done anything whatsoever with Mike Martz as the coordinator, but they'll be able to muster something this week. Ahman Green will do well enough in the running game to give Green Bay a surprise win, but it won't mean much if they can't beat tougher competition.

New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills
In yet another divisional game, I'm taking the Jets to upset the Bills. Both of these teams have started the season way better than I thought they would, with one win a piece. The Jets have relied on solid gameplay from Chad Pennington, while the Bills' have relied on the strong play of their secondary. The Bills' offense has not played well enough under J.P. Losman, and have only managed two touchdowns through the first two games. Pennington will count on his receivers to come up with first downs against the Bills' secondary, because he won't be able to connect on the big play as he did a week ago.

Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins
If Daunte Culpepper can't even do anything against the Titans' defense, then you can officially call his acquisition a failure to begin the season. The Dolphins' defense has played well enough to go 2-0 or 1-1, but Culpepper has not been able to make the big play or even manage the offense consistently. The Titans' quarterback situation lacks too much chemistry to compete yet, meaning they should be in for another long day.

Washington Redskins vs. Houston Texans
Want to know something interesting? This is the only inter-conference game this week. And, if it weren't for Clinton Portis returning, I probably would have picked the Texans to win this game. Portis' presence will be a huge relief for the Redskins, who should be able to get their offense back on track. The Texans still aren't good enough to match up against most teams, and will find themselves losing big-time on the road.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns
This is my upset special of the week, since the Ravens have played great defense and the Browns have struggled all around so far. The Ravens won on the road Week 1, but let's not forget that they had lost 11 straight before that, including a road loss to the Browns last year. The Browns are going to open things up with the passing game early finally, which may not be a bad thing after their running game has struggled so far. The Ravens will be upset in the fourth quarter, as the Browns score a touchdown near the end of the game.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers
Don't expect the same fate for the Eagles that the Rams suffered a week ago. McNabb will absolutely pick apart the 49ers defense, in what should be the blowout of the week. San Francisco will play well offensively, but won't be able to keep up with McNabb, who is seeking revenge after his team collapsed against the Giants a week ago.

St. Louis Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals
The Rams' offense has been a big disappointment so far, including an upset loss to the 49ers last week. The Cardinals offense has shown that they are a threat to score at anytime, despite Kurt Warner being on his tail most of last week. This game will be high-scoring affair, but until Bulger shows that he is in sync with the offense again, it's tough to pick the Rams to win, since they won't be able to match their defensive performance from Week 1.

Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots
I still have faith that Jake Plummer will perform better than he has over the past two weeks, but technically, just throwing one touchdown would be a better performance for Jake. The Patriots have dominated in the ground game with the one-two punch of Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney, while Tom Brady is learning to move on without Deion Branch and David Givens. The Broncos will stay competitive, but won't be able to upset the Patriots twice in a row. New England wins a close game.

There you have it, my predictions for the third week of the regular season. Last week, I took the Baltimore Ravens as my survivor pick over the Oakland Raiders, and it paid off. The obvious choice this week would be to take the Eagles, but I already chose them Week 1. Instead, I'm forced to take the Washington Redskins over the Houston Texans. It's a risk since Washington is winless so far, but with Portis returning, I don't see them losing, even if it is on the road.

Predictions Record to Date: 20-12
Last Week: 12-4
Survivor Streak: Won 2 (Phi over Hou, Bal over Oak)

What have I done? I have picked eight teams to win on the road this week, which is something that doesn't happen very often. With all of the key divisional match-ups all in one week, we're bound to see some of the most intense games we've seen this season. Even in a game like the Panthers and Buccaneers, where both teams are 0-2, it should be an exciting contest. Make sure you do not miss a second of action this week.

-Chris Pokorny


Do you have an opinion on this article? Do you want direct fantasy football advice from one of our writers? You can e-mail us at pokorny@pfcritics.com. Be sure to label your subject line appropriately so we don't think it is spam. Please include your name (can be a screename), city and state. We guarantee a response to any questions or comments you have, and will publish them in our next mailbag session if appropriate.
Sponsors
NFL tickets and Super Bowl tickets

Meet Doc's Advisory Board for:


PFC Pick'em
- The 2008 PFCritics Pick'em Challenge is now open for registration. Join Now and win big! Sponsored by sportsbettingstats.com
Add to My Yahoo!
Topsites
PFCritics.com

© 2004-2024 PFCritics.com. All Rights Reserved.