Sunday Morning Under the Helmet: What To Watch For in NFL Week Three

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Is it Week Three already?

Yes, it is, and it should be one hell of a weekend.

Today we'll preview the week's most intriguing matchup, take a look at which "no-name" players will put up bigtime stats, and finally we'll predict the day's best upset (oh, and this one will surprise you!).

Matchup of the Week:  49ers (2-0) at Vikings (2-0)

This game will be as close as you can get to old-school football when teams depended on defense and running the ball to win games.

These two teams do both very well.

Adrian Peterson leads the Vikings offense with his physical, hard-nosed running style.

Nobody can stop Peterson, right? Wrong! Last time these two teams went head-to-head, the Niners held Peterson to a career-low three rushing yards. If they do that again this week, they'll be 3-0.

On the Niners' side, Frank Gore dominates the ground game. Gore ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries last week versus Seattle.

Defensively, both teams rank in the top seven in total defense and are more than capable of shutting down the run, so points could be hard to come by.

If the defenses are able to mute their opponents' rushing attack, the game will come down to which quarterback plays better.

For Minnesota, Brett Favre has yet to be asked to win the game and has gotten by with the dinking and dunking. But at some point, he's going to need to chuck the ball down field and make plays. Is he still capable of doing that?

Shaun Hill may also be called on to make the game-winning plays this week. Hill has been solid so far this year but could struggle against the pass rush of the Vikings who rank third in sacks.

San Francisco head coach Mike Singletary, Mr. Old-School himself, has turned this Niners team into a rough and tough, team much like his '85 Bears. And so far it has worked—the 49ers have won six of their past seven under Singletary going back to last season.

The Vikings will be making their regular season home debut this week. They're 17-5 in their last 22 home openers but the Niners lead this series with a 22-20-1 overall record (including playoffs).

Prediction: 49ers win 16-7

Small Names, Big Games

Once again, we'll take a look at three non-superstars who will post big numbers in Week Three.

Tim Hightower (RB, Arizona)

Tim Hightower is the No. 1 running back in Arizona. Hightower has been very good in both Week One and Week Two despite losing touches to rookie Chris "Beanie" Wells.

In two starts this season he's totalled 220 yards from scrimmage on 38 offensive touches.

This week, Hightower goes against an Indianapolis defense that has allowed 353 yards (ranked third in NFL) rushing in two games.

Look for Hightower to have a big game, not just on the ground, but also catching the ball out of the backfield.

Mario Manningham (WR, New York Giants)

Here's a question for you: Is Larry Fitzgerald ranked in the top five in receiving yards? No. Andre Johnson? No. Calvin Johnson? Randy Moss? Terrell Owens? No, no...and no.

But Giants receiver Mario Manningham is in the top five in receiving yards (208 yards). And to go along with that he's 10th in receptions (13) and tied for second in receiving touchdowns (2).

Manningham has been the playmaker and go-to guy in the passing attack for Eli Manning and the Giants thus far in this young 2009 season.

The Michigan product goes against a Tampa Bay defense that ranks 27th against the pass in week three.

Expect another impressive performance from Manningham this afternoon.

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