I was pleased that I improved upon my picks record last week by going 12-4. With all of the Trent Richardson drama this week in Cleveland, it might be an unusual week for Browns fans to get back in the zone of watching football right away. My Week 3 NFL picks are below; feel free to share your general thoughts on this week's games in the comments section.
Week 3 Games | Explanation | Pick | ||
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Andy Reid vs. Chip Kelly: The NFL Network got a major score to secure this game on their schedule. Andy Reid, now coaching the turned-around, 2-0 Chiefs, will do battle against his former team, the Eagles, who now employ offensive gu....STOP! I've been reprimanded by Chip Kelly for not getting to the point fast enough. Very well, then. The fast-paced Eagles offense will triumph, with a better defensive effort this week too. Eagles 28, Chiefs 20 |
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Rob Ryan's Defense Actually Working? Carson Palmer is having exactly the type of impact I thought he would on the Arizona Cardinals (although I'm sure Bruce Arians is helping too). On first glance, you might think that this game would be a shootout, and it could still be. Oddly, Rob Ryan has this Saints defense playing very well, though. I expect Drew Brees to get hotter against a struggling Cardinals' defense too. Saints 31, Cardinals 17 |
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Rebound Time for RGIII: The first halves of games for the Redskins have been abysmal. The defense can't stop anybody, Robert Griffin III can't move the offense, and before Washington knows it, they are down four possessions. I think they'll get it together this week, though, with Griffin looking more comfortable early on and more sustained drives involving the rushing attack being dialed up. Redskins 23, Lions 20 |
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Slow Start for the AFC North: The Packers' offense has been 2-for-2 to begin the season, even though they only have one win to show for it. I thought the Bengals could run away from the AFC North this year, but Andy Dalton isn't off to the type of positive start that I expected from him. Even if the Bengals had been hot, this would be a tough game for them to come away with. Packers 28, Bengals 24 |
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Exposing the Ravens' Weaknesses: This is quite a polarizing game to predict. For two straight weeks, the Texans have appeared to be on the verge of losing to two teams (Chargers and Titans) who weren't expected to be powerhouses, only to stage last-second, heroic comebacks. I absolutely loved the emergence of DeAndre Hopkins to close out last week's game -- it's exactly what this Texans team needs. The Ravens didn't look like a very good football team, even in a win over Cleveland. Texans 23, Ravens 14 |
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Ouch: I am judging this game purely on performances this season for two 0-2 teams. The Panthers lost a tight game at home to perhaps the best defense in the NFL, the Seahawks. Then, they gave up a game-winning touchdown with two seconds to play on the road to the Bills last week. Ouch. The Giants are giving up an average of 38.5 points per game through two weeks. Double ouch. Panthers 17, Giants 16 |
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Surprising Teams Collide: These are the two surprising teams in the NFL after two games. We didn't expect much from either team, but Philip Rivers seems to have a renewed energy in San Diego that we haven't seen for years, and the Titans have shown quite a bit of fight under Mike Munchak to start the year. The safer pick seems to be who is playing better at quarterback right now, and that's Rivers (over Jake Locker). Chargers 24, Titans 19 |
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Pick'em: This seems like your flip of the coin game of the week. Unfortunately for Jeff Fisher, I am opting not to flip a coin, and will instead continue my season-long vendetta against him for his ill-advised comments toward Bernie Kosar. Cowboys 14, Rams 13 |
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Tough Secondary Will Keep it Close: The Buccaneers are a team that has had a pretty comparable start to the season as the Browns. Their defense has played well enough to win twice, but their offensive production just hasn't been cut out, and there is controversy surrounding the team. Maybe the Buccaneers have had it worse, losing twice via game-winning field goals. Then again, they didn't just trade Doug Martin away or anything. Anyway, the Patriots are still looking for better offensive production, but that'll be tough against this Buccaneers secondary. Patriots 20, Buccaneers 17 |
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Upset of the Week: Props to Joe Philbin and the Miami Dolphins. I wasn't a believer in their team heading into the season, but it looks like their offseason moves -- even after dumping their best offensive player from a year ago (Reggie Bush) -- are paying off. I like what their defense has been able to do, and with Steven Jackson out for the Falcons, I think their pass-happy approach will cost them. Dolphins 24, Falcons 21 |
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Some Things Just Aren't Right: Geno Smith. E.J. Manuel. One of those quarterbacks will start the season at 2-1. Meanwhile, the Browns don't have Brandon Weeden this week, and could start the season at 0-3. Yep. Jets 16, Bills 13 |
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The Debut of Trent Richardson in Indy: Do you know what is kind of cool about this game? Not only is it a nice AFC vs. NFC matchup, but it takes place after the Browns game as CBS' primary game, so most Browns fans will immediately get to watch the debut of Trent Richardson in a Colts uniform. He will help them down the road, but not this week against a 49ers team seeking redemption after last week's egg. 49ers 35, Colts 17 |
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Blowout of the Week: The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Arizona Cardinals 58-0 last year. This one could be just as glorious. Seahawks 38, Jaguars 3 |
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Exposing the Steelers' Weaknesses: Granted, I don't like Ben Roethlisberger, but I admired the fact that he tried to single-handedly will the Steelers to a victory over the Bengals last week. Unfortunately for him, the rest of his offense is just that bad, and they'll be taken to task at home again by a good-looking Bears team. Bears 27, Steelers 13 |
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Broncos to Continue Their Dominance: The Raiders have played better than I expected through two games, and I attribute that to some surprising play from Terrelle Pryor. I think teams will catch on to him soon, though. Besides, this week, they are facing the AFC's best team and don't stand a chance. Broncos 34, Raiders 14 |
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Something Has to Give: For the second week in a row, the Browns are facing a winless team. The Vikings have put points on the board, but can't stop anybody on defense. The Browns have put no points on the board, but have been able to hang tough on defense. What will happen when those two epic scenarios collide? Find out on Saturday when I do my complete game review. |
TBD |
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Pokorny's Week 2 NFL Picks Record: 12-4
Pokorny's 2013 NFL Picks Record: 22-10
Survivor Pick: I am 2-0, having picked IND and CIN. This week, I am going with the Seattle Seahawks as they destroy the Jacksonville Jaguars. It might seem a little early to use the Vikings up, but I am nervous about too many other games this week.