NFL Week 3 Picks: Predicting the Winner of All 16 Matchups

The NFL's second week of the season just went in the books with the Colts and Eagles facing off on Monday Night Football, but the focus shifted to Week 3 for teams moments after their respective games.

In a 16-game season, the time is short for organizations to bounce back from deflating performances from the week prior. While no team has their fate sealed after two weeks, some disconcerting warning signs have cropped up for many clubs this early on in the year.

With a handful of teams opening up divisional play and a number of head-turning matchups, the stakes will be high in Week 3, and the results will begin to shape how the playoff race looks in each conference.

The byes don't begin until Week 4, so it will be yet another packed slate of games for football fans to gnaw on. Here's a look at predictions for all 16 of them.

Away	Home	Time (ET)	Prediction
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Atlanta Falcons	8:25 p.m. (Thur.)	ATL 28-27
Tennessee Titans	Cincinnati Bengals	1 p.m.	CIN 24-16
San Diego Chargers	Buffalo Bills	1 p.m.	SD 20-13
Dallas Cowboys	St. Louis Rams	1 p.m.	DAL 24-17
Washington Redskins	Philadelphia Eagles	1 p.m.	PHI 30-14
Houston Texans	New York Giants	1 p.m	NYG 20-17
Minnesota Vikings	New Orleans Saints	1 p.m.	NO 31-20
Baltimore Ravens	Cleveland Browns	1 p.m.	BAL 27-24 OT
Green Bay Packers	Detroit Lions	1 p.m.	GB 28-21
Indianapolis Colts	Jacksonville Jaguars	1 p.m.	IND 31-17
Oakland Raiders	New England Patriots	1 p.m.	NE 38-13
San Francisco 49ers	Arizona Cardinals	4:05 p.m.	SF 28-17
Denver Broncos	Seattle Seahawks	4:25 p.m.	SEA 30-27
Kansas City Chiefs	Miami Dolphins	4:25 p.m.	KC 17-14
Pittsburgh Steelers	Carolina Panthers	8:30 p.m.	CAR 34-20
Chicago Bears	New York Jets	8:30 p.m. (Mon.)	NYJ 28-24

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons

USA TODAY Sports

Before the season, the Falcons' home affair against the Bucs in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football aspired to be an early-season battle for NFC South supremacy, with both teams making major improvements over the offseason and generating hype.

After two weeks of play, both teams are simply hoping to avoid falling further from the division lead. 

Lovie Smith's career in Tampa Bay has gotten off to a rocky start, with losses to Carolina and St. Louis in his opening two weekends. They were one 10-second runoff from having a chance to kick a game-winning field goal against the Rams on Sunday, but a loss is a loss.

The Falcons posted an inspiring home-opener win in overtime over New Orleans to set the tone in Week 1, but they lost all their momentum with a 24-10 loss to Cincinnati that wasn't as close as the score indicates.

Atlanta's defense has been picked apart so far this season, but the Bucs passing game is a few steps behind that of the Saints and Bengals. Tampa Bay will struggle to establish the run, while Matt Ryan will be hungry to bounce back from a three-interception performance and get back to his Week 1 ways.

Prediction: Falcons win, 28-27

San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills

Harry How/Getty Images

The Chargers washed the sour taste of a late defeat to Arizona in Week 1 out of their mouths in the best way possible—by beating the Super Bowl champs. Now Philip Rivers will have to take on a surging team of a different kind.

After a surprise 2-0 start, the Buffalo Bills will host San Diego on Sunday in a Week 3 affair that will help to decide which of the squads is able to stay near the top of a brutal division. San Diego enters 1-1 and hoping to stay near the Broncos in the AFC West race, while the Bills hold a surprise lead in the AFC East through two games.

Ben Higgins of San Diego's 10News drew sarcasm from the suddenly enticing matchup:

The Bills boast a much-improved defense with a run game that ranks sixth in the league through two games, but a 28th-ranked pass defense is reason for concern—especially against a Chargers passing attack that just carved up the league's best secondary.

Buffalo won't be a pushover this season and could even threaten for a playoff spot, but EJ Manuel won't be able to replicate his early-season success against an underrated San Diego front seven. 

Prediction: San Diego wins, 20-13

Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks

Harry How/Getty Images

For the third time in a little more than seven months, the Broncos and Seahawks will play in a football game—never mind that the NFL wasn't in play during five of those months. 

Yes, it's the rematch we've all been waiting for—Peyton Manning getting another chance to go up against the vaunted Seattle defense and secondary. We got a glimpse of it in the preseason, but this is the real deal. 

Yet, not many expected that one of them would have a blemish on their record after just two weeks of play, and even less figured that to be the Seahawks. They lost 30-21 to the Chargers on Sunday, with Philip Rivers having his way in the passing game against the Legion of Boom secondary.

That same secondary dominated the Broncos' high-powered offense—which put up historic numbers a season ago—to close out last year's championship in a 43-8 beating, but Broncos head coach John Fox warns it's a new year, per the team's Twitter account:

The Broncos will have a point to prove on Sunday, but it will be easier said than done at the always-raucous CenturyLink Field. Manning and the Denver offense will set the tone early on, but struggles to establish a run game against Seattle's treacherous front seven will keep the Seahawks in it.

From then on, it will be up to the Denver defense to come up with a game-saving stop for a third straight week. And I don't like those chances for the Broncos against Russell Wilson.

Prediction: Seahawks win, 30-27

Note: All stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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