The NFL season is off and running, as 2 of the 18 weeks are in the books. It’s too early for the contenders and pretenders to start showing their colors, but Week 3 could shed more light on which teams are realistic contenders. However, numerous teams are dealing with important injuries that will definitely impact their play for the next few weeks. Before we get into the Week 3 storylines, let’s look back at Week 2 and the major storylines that arose. And, of course, we have two best bets to lock in now for the action-packed Week 3 slate.
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Week 2 Biggest Stories
Week 2 was an interesting one. We saw rivalries renewed, major upsets, and plenty of rookie blunders in what turned out to be a low-scoring week. With everything that happened from Thursday Night Football to Monday Night Football, it was hard to narrow down the Week 2 storylines to just a few. In the end, these were the most important storylines from Week 2.
Is it too early to worry about the Cowboys defense?
Alvin Kamara fantasy owners were smiling ear-to-ear on Sunday. The Saints running back shredded the Cowboys defense for 4 touchdowns, over 100 rushing yards, and over 50 receiving yards. The number of holes in the Dallas defense was truly concerning, and Derek Carr exploited that as he went 11/16 for 243 yards and a touchdown.
New Orleans needed to punt just one time during the entire game. In the end, the Saints scored 44 points with 432 yards of total offense. It was a bad week for the Cowboys on both sides of the ball, but the real question becomes: is this the new norm, or was Week 2 an outlier?
Caleb Williams struggles… again
The #1 overall pick has not had the ideal start to his NFL career. After a rough showing in Week 1 against the Titans, Caleb Williams was set for his first primetime game in Week 2 against the Texans on Sunday Night Football. The bright lights of primetime were far too much for Williams, who completed just 23 of 37 passes for 174 yards and 2 interceptions.
Williams doesn’t seem to have any chemistry with his receiving corps and crumbled in the pocket when Houston pressured him. The rookie holds just a 56.1% completion rate and is still looking for his first touchdown as he heads into Week 3.
Injuries, injuries, and more injuries
Consider yourself very lucky if your fantasy football team is without an injury. Plenty of superstars have already suffered injuries this early in the season, which has caused some teams to panic.
Just to name a few, the 49ers placed Christian McCaffrey on the IR and Deebo Samuel is sidelined with a calf injury, the Chiefs placed Isiah Pacheco and Hollywood Brown on the IR, the Rams placed Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua on the IR, and the Eagles are prepared to play without A.J. Brown for several weeks. Prepare for offenses to look a lot different in Week 3.
Looking ahead to Week 3
Week 3 begins with the matchup between the Patriots and Jets, and there are multiple things to keep an eye on this week. Which teams stay undefeated? Which teams pick up their first win? Or which teams will crumble with their superstars injured? That’s the theme for our Week 3 storylines.
All eyes are on Brock Purdy in Week 3
These next few weeks are going to say a lot about Brock Purdy. The former Mr. Irrelevant has been fortunate to be surrounded by several elite playmakers, which has made his transition to starting quarterback pretty seamless.
The ability to hand it off to Christian McCaffrey and let him run wild is a true blessing for Purdy, but that changes in Week 3. McCaffrey is out for the next few weeks, and Deebo Samuel will miss this week’s game with a calf injury. That leaves Purdy with Jordan Mason in the backfield, with Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle as his top options. So, will Purdy be able to succeed even with his top 2 playmakers out? Or is the talent around him the reason for his success?
First look at the Dolphins without Tua Tagovailoa
Week 2’s edition of Thursday Night Football took an unfortunate turn when Tua Tagovailoa hit the ground hard and had to leave the game. The Miami QB1 was diagnosed with yet another concussion, and he’s set to miss the next few months. His absence leaves Skylar Thompson in charge of the offense (at least for the time being).
Thompson came in for Tua for a few series at the end of Week 2, but this is the first look at Miami’s game plan with Thompson at quarterback. Everyone knows that he will be scanning the field for Tyreek Hill, so it’ll be up to Thompson to spread the ball out and get Jaylen Waddle more involved. Or, is this the type of game where De’Von Achane could get 25 touches? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
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NFL Week 3 Best Bets
Atlanta Falcons +3.5 (-110)
Sunday Night Football will once again feature the Atlanta Falcons in a primetime spot. Atlanta lost to the Steelers in Week 1 in a game that Kirk Cousins barely moved in the pocket. It brought up a lot of questions about his Achilles, but he silenced those queries with an excellent performance in MNF against the Eagles.
Bijan Robinson dominated the Eagles strong defensive line, and Cousins took full advantage of Philadelphia's weak secondary. Atlanta’s next opponent will be the Chiefs, who just lost Isiah Pacheco to an injury. Kansas City has a huge hole in the backfield, and their receiving corps has been anything but impressive. Stick with the surging Falcons on Sunday Night Football.
Buffalo Bills -5 (-110)
Buffalo went into Miami on a short week and dominated the Fins for a 21-point win in Week 2. Granted, Tua Tagovailoa left the game in the second half because of an injury, but the Dolphins were beaten on both sides of the ball even with Tua in the game.
The Bills will put their 2-0 record on the line against the Jaguars in Week 3, and I’m confident they can add another win to their record. Trevor Lawrence hasn’t looked all that impressive, and Travis Etienne Jr. hasn’t been too productive from the backfield. If Buffalo’s defense performs like it did in Week 2, covering a 5-point spread shouldn’t be too difficult for the Bills.
