The New York Jets have won back-to-back games against the New England Patriots for the first time since the 2008-2009 seasons following their 24-3 victory on Thursday: it’s truly the end of an era in New England.
Not many Jets fans would have thought that this would have occurred even a year ago after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 last season. We are now in a bold, new world.
Speaking of bold, what surprising or stunning things could go down in Week 3? Come on down and take a gander at five bold predication’s for the remainder of Week 3.
The back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have won eight straight games including the playoffs, which is the longest active streak in the NFL today.
However, the Chiefs are vulnerable. They are one of just two teams in the NFL to have a 2-0 record while trailing in each game along with the Seattle Seahawks. Kansas City is actually in a league of their own when it comes to teetering on the edge of defeat after narrow wins against the Ravens (by a toe) and the Bengals (end of game field goal).
- They’re the only 2-0 team with a negative turnover margin (-2)
- They’re the only 2-0 team that’s been outgained in both games
- They have the smallest scoring margin of any 2-0 team (+8)
Two of the Chiefs’ top playmakers also have serious issues or struggled. Running back Isiah Pacheco suffered fractured fibula in Week 2 against the Bengals, and future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce totaled only one catch for 5 yards against Cincy — his fewest catches in a game since Week 1 of the 2018 season at the Chargers.
Their defense is also not ideally equipped to face the Falcons’ top playmaker in running back Bijan Robinson, the first Atlanta running back with 100 or more scrimmage yards in each of the first two games of a season since Michael “The Burner” Turner in 2011. Robinson’s 5.7 yards per touch this season are the third-most in the NFL among the 12 players with 40 touches so far in 2024.
The Chiefs are slightly below average in run defense, allowing 129.5 rushing yards per game — 18th in the NFL. They’re also allowing 4.8 yards per carry, 21st in the NFL. Robinson runs wild, opening up the offense for Kirk Cousins and Co. while keeping Patrick Mahomes off the field. Falcons knock of the champs in Atlanta on Sunday night.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is balling out. His 270.7 passing yards per game in his young career rank as the sixth-most in NFL history. Since his rookie year in 2023, Stroud has been elite at throwing the football deep downfield, ranking third in the league in yards per pass attempt (8.1), and second in air yards per pass attempt (8.8). Stroud’s 43 completions of 25 or more yards since entering the NFL last year are tied for the second-most in football with Jordan Love, trailing only Brock Purdy’s 51.
In order to make deep throws, you need time to throw. That’s evidence by Stroud’s 3.03 seconds average time to throw, the ninth-longest in the NFL. He has been sacked seven times in 2024 as a result, tied for the sixth-most in the NFL.
That’s not ideal as he and the 2-0 Texans hit the road to play the 2-0 Minnesota Vikings, the NFL’s early leader in sacks (11), quarterback hits (19) and co-league leader in quarterback pressures (36) this season. Their 11 sacks are the most through two games in team history, and they are up 6.6% in their quarterback pressure rate from last year (32.1%) to this year (38.7%), the third-largest increase in pressure rate in the NFL. Wildly, this positive shift is occurring despite the second-largest decline in the NFL in blitz rate from an NFL-most 50.7% to 33.3% in 2024, the sixth-most in the league.
So what’s the change? They drafted Alabama All-America edge rusher Dallas Turner 17th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, and they signed Houston Texans 2023 sacks leader Jonathan Greenard (12.5) and veteran edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel (two sacks and one pick six in 2024) after the departure of four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter to the Texans in free agency. Sam Darnold’s improved play buoyed by quality offensive line play, Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones and 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson are enough as the Vikings defense overruns the Texans’ offensive line.
It’s been a rough go for the Carolina Panthers. They went an NFL-worst 2-15 in 2023, but they didn’t have the 2024 NFL Draft’s first overall pick because they traded the rights for that pick away to the Chicago Bears a year ago to select Alabama Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
It may be early, but it’s clear it was the wrong move with Stroud still on the board. How bad was Young’s start to life in the NFL? Well, he averaged the third-fewest passing yards per attempt (5.4) in NFL history (minimum 500 pass attempts) and the second-worst touchdown pass rate (1.9%) in NFL history (minimum 500 pass attempts).
This week, the Panthers face a hard-nosed Las Vegas Raiders defense built in the image of coach Antonio Pierce, a Super Bowl-winning inside linebacker with the New York Giants. They have allowed only 17.2 points per game since Pierce took over prior to Week 9 last season, and that is the second-fewest in the NFL in that span, trailing only the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 16.1 points per game during that time.
However, the Panthers are going to beat them. Why? Simply because of the upgrade their offense will receive going from one of the worst statistical quarterbacks in NFL history to 36-year-old, steady veteran Andy Dalton, a three-time Pro Bowler in his hey day with the Cincinnati Bengals. Dalton is quietly the Bengals’ all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 204 from 2011 to 2019. He will be making his second start as a Panther, and he threw for 361 yards in his sole start with Carolina in Week 3 at the Seahawks last season.
Young’s career high is 312 pass yards and his the only 300-yard passing game of his career. It’s also the only game of his career with 250 or more passing yards. That day back in Week 3 last year, wide receiver Adam Thielen caught 11 of Dalton’s 33 completions (33.3%) and totaled 145 receiving yards. That is more than any Panthers receiver had in any of Young’s starts last season.
The upgrade from Young to Dalton will shock the Raiders as the Panthers win their first game of the season.
Joe Burrow, Bengals start march toward NFL history
The Bengals can be the first team in NFL history to finish with a winning record after an 0-2 start in three straight seasons. In 2022, they became the first of two teams (also the 2023 Houston Texans) since the NFL expanded the playoff field to 14 in 2020 to reach the postseason after starting 0-2. Yes, they are favored to beat the Washington Commanders on Monday. This is an exception of a bold prediction in that it isn’t only about Week 3. Cincy wins its first game of the season en route to another winning season and a playoff appearance, making NFL history in the process.
Quentin Johnston beats rookie year TD total vs. stingy Steelers defense
Wide receiver Quentin Johnston’s rookie season in 2023, after being the 21st overall pick in the draft, was a struggle. He only had two receiving touchdowns the entire year as he struggled to find a role in former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s offense. The 2024 season has already been a massive improvement since he had two receiving touchdowns last week at the Panthers.
On Sunday, he catches his third touchdown of 2024 for a career high in a season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the second-best scoring defense in 2024 (eight points per game allowed). Here’s a breakdown of why the Chargers offense has the edge.
