Young Guns - Week 3

Week 3 in the NFL: Vegas cleans House?
Vegas always wins. Everyone knows that. But this week, the matchups and game lines are, well, extra-unbeatable? I'm already 0-1 with the Eagles (cough Vick) soiling themselves in one of the worst TNF games in recent history. With that, let's attempt to analyze the upcoming wreckage.

JAGS@SEAHAWKS- I initially wrote a bunch of sarcastic stuff here. Then I erased it. There are actually 4 legit questions here:
1.) Can the Jags score any points at all?
2.) How long will Pete keep his starters in?
3.) Will this make AND break fantasy weeks single-handedly?
4.) Russell Wilson apparently really likes Chipotle. I mean who doesn't. But what does he order?

COLTS@49ERS - 49ERS. T-Rich shipped to Indy. Everybody (including myself) was shocked and many people (I'll admit myself at first) vaulted the Colts into instant contention. But let's step back and be realistic. Indy lacks a strong defense and has problems on the O-line. And while T-Rich is definitely an upgrade, the 49ers have an elite defense and after being humiliated by the Seahawks (B-E-A-utiful!) they will be looking to make a statement at home, particularly by shutting down elite YOUNG GUN Andrew Luck and the super-hyped, so far under-performing Richardson. Ratings should be through the roof on this one.

BILLS@JETS- Oh good grief. I flipped a coin and it came up Bills.


RAIDERS@BRONCOS- Boys, this is my LOCK pick for the week. No, I'm not locking the Seahawks. This is about principle. Let's go #BroncoNation
Another terrible MNF game...

CHARGERS@TITANS- TITANS. Both teams are capable of playing the upset card. Both are capable of blowing late leads. And both are capable of ripping out any fan's heart, throwing it down in the endzone and doing the Mexican hat dance around it. I have to take the Titans here, and I'm hoping YOUNG GUN Justin Hunter steps in for Britt and has a strong game. He oozes talent but questionable character. Finishing strong at the end of the preseason, Titans fans could be in for a treat. BTW, Jake Locker actually looks ok when you watch guys like Christian Ponder and Blaine Gabbert...

CARDS@SAINTS- SAINTS. There isn't much to write here. The Saints are back. The Saints are not the Lions. The Saints are home. The Saints win.

LIONS@SKINS- LIONS. On paper, Detroit should win this game. But that is the case with a fair amount of the Lions' games (AZ)... They are the freaking Lions. That means a group of talented, undisciplined individuals who collectively find any way possible to lose, and most of the time opting for the most heart-wrenching, unpredictably frustrating scenario. RG3, Alfred Morris, and the Skins look terrible this year. TERRIBLE. Calvin should have an absolute field day against a weak Skins secondary good for 2 TDs and a lot of yardage. That said, I won't be surprised if they lose. But I'd also be surprised if Washington won. So aside from bias and sarcasm, you have to like Detroit in this matchup.

BEARS@STEELERS- BEARS. The Steelers' offense is horrible. They have a good defense. The Bears have a strong offense AND a strong defense. It's simple math.

PACKERS@BENGALS- PACKERS. I've made no attempt at hiding my love for the Bengals this year. YOUNG GUNS Tyler Eifert and Gio Bernard are already contributing to a well-balanced offense and a strong defense can keep them in any game. That said, Dalton is no Rodgers. And while A.J. is the second best receiver in the game, the Pack have tons of options led by WR Randall Cobb and a running game that while not stellar, is still much, much better than recent years and gives the best QB in the world an even more dynamic offense.

GIANTS@PANTHERS- GIANTS. Coughlin won't go 0-3. Cam Newton will. David Wilson has been a Fantasy nightmare, and has made me look particularly bad in my advice to friends. But this kid is too good to keep failing and I expect him to get most of the carries and right some of his wrongs against the Panthers. It's going to be ugly, but I think NY comes out on top.

FALCONS@DOLPHINS- UPSET PICK. FALCONS. The Dolphins are playing well, led by YOUNG GUN Ryan Tannehill. YOUNG GUN Lamar Miller had his first legit game in Week 2 and I expect him to get better as the season goes on. But I don't see them beating Matty Ice and Julio Jones. This will be a really fun game to watch, especially with Miami being home gunning for 3-0. Julio with another big game and a couple bonus points for my Pick'em league.

TEXANS@RAVENS- MY WASH GAME. Anyone will tell you that this is the toughest game of the week to predict. The Texans are a really good football team, but they aren't playing like one. YOUNG GUN DeAndre Hopkins just had a monster game that included 2 TDs, the second necessary to beat the Titans in OT??? Then there is the defending champ, who I believe is an 8-8 team this year. Look for YOUNG GUN Bernard Pierce to make a statement with Ray Rice hurt. This guy is good. Really good. But he's going against a strong defense. (Just for fun, I'll go with the Texans)

RAMS@COWBOYS- COWBOYS Another game I wanted to use for my WASH pick. On paper the Boys should win with star RB Demarco Murray healthy and elite WR Dez Bryant seemingly having his head screwed on somewhat. But they just lost to the Chiefs. The 3-0 Chiefs?? It's the apocalypse. Wait, that would be the Jags starting 3-0. But pretty darn close. The Rams are really underrated with lots of YOUNG GUNS, led by super-rookie Tavon Austin having a strong game in Week 2. Hard fought game here, but it's still the Boys' game to lose at home.

BUCS@PATS- PATS. This game has upset written all over it. Doug Martin is due for a breakout game. The Pats offense was terrible against the Jets. But NE has a strong defense this year and I still have faith in YOUNG GUN Aaron Dobson. The real X-factor for me? The Bucs are having a lot of locker room issues. No team needs that, especially an average-at-best one. I'll stick with Brady.

BROWNS @ VIKINGS- Um. The Vikings are favorites at -6.5?? Don't tell me Weeden makes any real difference. TRich was already under-performing. The wild card is definitely, without a doubt, returning YOUNG GUN Josh Gordon. This guy is amazingly underrated, and anyone would do well to pick him up in Fantasy, especially with the departure of TRich. If I was going to bet games, I would bet Cleveland to cover. Not win, but cover. I have to take AP in this one. VIKINGS win a close, ugly football game.