Via Indianapolis Colts on Twitter

NFL week three is finally around the corner win many divisional and headline matchups slated to kickoff Sunday. Our team at TWSN lists out their bold predictions that go against the grain of the public.

Daryan Martin:

Derrick Henry Will Have Less Than 50 yards Rushing and Zero Touchdowns This Week

Many fantasy owners and Tennessee Titans fans are frustrated with the lack of production from Derrick Henry. Henry has 34 rushing attempts for 107 yards and one touchdown in two games. Going into week three Tennessee is facing an offense with high scoring potential in the Las Vegas Raiders. Ryan Tannehill has been struggling in the young season as he was benched for rookie quarterback Malik Willis in a blowout loss against the Buffalo Bills. Opposing defenses prioritize stopping Henry to force Tannehill to have to make game winning throws. Tennessee’s signal caller has not shown the ability to make winning plays and that trend will continue in week three. Henry will face seven to eight man boxes this Sunday, which will make him ineffective in the run game. Fantasy football owners should exhaust other options instead of playing Henry if possible.

The New England Patriots Will Beat the Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens rank 32nd in passing defense heading into their week three matchup against the New England Patriots. Baltimore has four defensive backs listed on their injury report as questionable for Sunday’s contest. Underperforming play from the Ravens secondary plus injuries is a recipe for disaster. 

Mac Jones will have to throw the ball to keep up with Lamar Jackson’s high scoring offense and he will be successful. Jones’ has the ability to stand in the pocket under pressure and deliver accurate passes to his receivers. New England has a top four defense this season, so if they can limit the Ravens explosive plays and create at least one turnover they will win. This game will be close, but New England will edge out the victory over Baltimore by three points.

Isabelle McCarthy:

Washington Commanders Upset 

The Washington Commanders are facing the Philadelphia Eagles this week. The division games are extremely close. Getting Kam Curl back is a key part to the defense. The Commanders offense could perhaps make the Eagles defense spread out this time, compared to last week where the Vikings offense mainly consisted of Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson. Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel can be a big threat to the Eagles corners, especially with rookie Dotson who has been solid. I really think the Commanders defense line is perhaps a good matchup for the Eagles offensive line, but the Eagles defensive line is also overpowering compared to the Commanders offensive line. It will really depend on the motivation Carson Wentz will have, especially in a revenge game where he will face the Eagles for the first time. I really think Wentz will want to stick it to his old team and will limit turnovers. Also, Jalen Hurts will definitely be ready to take a win against a division opponent, but may not have the urgency Wentz will have. I think this game will be close, and perhaps the Commanders will surprise us. 

Buccaneers and Packers Score Under 40

Aaron Rodgers vs Tom Brady is always a great matchup, but with hardly any receivers to throw to, how entertaining will the game be? I truly think this will be a defensive game, as Sammy Watkins has been placed on the injured reserve, Chris Godwin is out, and the Tampa Buccaneers will be without Mike Evans due to a suspension. The Green Bay Packers have Randall Cobb, Christian Watson, and Marcedes Lewis all listed as questionable as well. In all fairness, this will not be a high scoring game whatsoever, and defensive games will typically lead that way. Even with Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady being the center of attention, Brady is also dealing with a finger injury on his right hand (throwing hand). It’ll be exciting to see the two defenses go at it, as these two teams will be fighting in their own divisions and aren’t exactly the favorites to win. I have the Packers winning by a field goal this weekend, with the score being 20-17. 

Elie Gaffen:

The Indianapolis Colts Will Beat The Kansas City Chiefs

The Indianapolis Colts through two weeks have showed that this might be a disastrous year for them after pretty much losing to two inferior divisional opponents by tying with the Houston Texans and being shut out by the Jacksonville Jaguars. After these two bad showings, what makes me think they’ll beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs?

The Colts will finally play at home in week three after traveling down to Houston and then Jacksonville. Starting off the first two weeks not only away but having to travel a lot could be a reason for the Colts early season struggles. Not only will the home crowd get them fired up but they’ll also feel a sense of urgency to win and tweak the aspects of their game play that isn’t working.

On the Chiefs side, I think this is a throw away game for them. I usually like fading teams that are in a look ahead spot to a better opponent the following week. In the Chiefs case, they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first time since their 2021 super bowl loss. If you guys don’t remember that super bowl, the Chiefs lost to the Buccaneers by over three touchdowns so I know they are itching to play this game. Overall, I view this week as a trap game and I think the Colts take care of business and get some respect back on their name. 

The Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams score over 30 points each

Every time these teams match up with each other, the game ends up being electric and this one in particular I think will be special down to the final seconds. The Rams have scored at least 30 points in nine out of their last 11 meeting with the Cardinals. The Cardinals on the other hand haven’t had the same amount of offensive success although close. 

Through two weeks this season, the Rams have given up a combined total of 58 points. For the Cardinals, they’ve given up a combined total of 67 points through two weeks. Both teams have struggled on defense so far this season, and I think it continues through this matchup. I think we get an extremely close electric game for the ages. This is a game that can hit overtime on a 34-34 score. Take all the overs you can get in this game because it’s going to be a fun one with the potential to be the game of the year.