NFL Picks Week 3: 5 Games That You Must Watch

Week 3 sits on the horizon and though it is early, several interesting plots are starting to build steam.

This week, there are an abundance of games with the potential to define teams with playoff aspirations.

Five games in particular stand out as having the potential to alter division standing, momentum and perception, four of which are division rivalries.

Without further adieu, let's take a quick preview at the five games that you must watch for Week 3. Folks, weeks like this are why God gave us multiple video output cards.

Houston @ New Orleans 1:00pm (ET)

Be honest.  Raise your hand if you thought Houston would enter Week 3 as the league's top scoring and passing defense.  Hell, who even believed they'd be tops in either category in any individual week?

Well, football fans, they are.

Even odder, they're passing offense is ranked 22nd in the league.

Houston got a break in 2011 with the Colts reeled by the loss of Peyton Manning and the play of Kerry Collins.  But they aren't squandering the opportunity, playing exceptional defense and top 10 offense en route to a 2-0 start.

Meanwhile the Saints come into the game 1-1 following a dominant victory over the Chicago Bears.  They're loss came at the hands of the Green bay Packers, and the Saints were in the game until the final play.  

They will come into Sunday's contest the fifth ranked scoring and passing offense to face the defense that tops the league in those rankings.

The Saints need this game to stay tied in the NFC South with the winner of the Atlanta @ Tampa Bay contest later in the day.

New England @ Buffalo 1:00pm (ET)

Right about now every defensive coordinator in the league is wondering if there is a way to stop the Patriots and Tom Brady.

Tasked with that chore this week will be the 2-0 Buffalo Bills.  Yet one has to wonder why the Bills aren't getting some more attention.  They are the league's top scoring offense, after all.

Buffalo has built that ranking off of the back of their top-ranked rushing attack and efficient play from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Offense isn't their only game, though.  They also boast the ninth-best scoring defense.

New England will look to fend off the upstart Bills with their own high octane offense that includes the league's top passing attack.  

One key the Bills will try to exploit, though will be the Patriots 31st ranked passing defense.

Will the Bills topple the mighty Pats?  Or will New England continue their AFC Dominance?

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay 4:15pm (ET)

Atlanta was thought to be a Super Bowl contender and the NFC South was thought by some to be the toughest division in the NFC.

After an 0-4 opening week for the division, the Saints, Falcons and Bucs are scrambling to take the top spot.  All three won their Week 2 contests and this game could very well determine who sits on top of the South with New Orleans playing the aforementioned early game.

Experts had high hopes for Tampa before the season began, but the lockout initiated a slow start for the young Bucs.

Meanwhile the Falcons had their own struggles early, being dominated in their opener against the Chicago Bears.

This game could come down to the Falcons top 10 ranked rushing attack vs. the Bucs 31st ranked run defense.

When the dust clears, who will step into the spotlight in the NFC South?

Green Bay @ Chicago 4:15pm (ET)

In the first rematch of last year's NFC Championship Game, the Packers will return to Soldier Field to take on the Bears.

Last year these teams met for three hard-fought defensive struggles in which no game was decided by more than seven points.

The Pack enter with the league's fourth-ranked scoring offense to face the Bear's No.9 scoring defense.

But the most concerning story may be Chicago's horrible offensive line and lackluster passing game against the Packers basement-dwelling pass defense.  The loss of Nick Collins can only make the 32nd-ranked unit worse.

Can the Bears bounce back from a shellacking at the hands of the Saints?  Can the Packers overcome the loss of their Pro Bowl safety?  Will Jay Cutler live another week?

Tune in and find out.

Washington @ Dallas 8:30pm Monday (ET)

OK, honesty time again?  Who thought the the Redskins would be leading the NFC East at any point in the season?  

How about this one:  Who thought Rex Grossman would be the guy leading the team on the top of the NFC East?  You can put you hands down.  Nobody believes you.

The Redskins will attempt to extend their storybook start one more week as they take on the Cowboys in Dallas on Monday night.

And their chances of staying on top are there.

The Cowboys will be playing without Tony Romo, who suffered a punctured lung (like him or not, he is one tough SOB) in his performance in the Cowboys overtime win Sunday.

Add to that the fact that the Redskins enter the game ranked in the top 10 in rushing offense, scoring defense and run defense and you get a team that's playing good football.

And Rex Grossman is playing good football, rejuvenated by the Shanahan system.

But don't expect the Cowboys and their second-ranked run defense to just lay down.  The Redskins will have to work to stay undefeated.

Now it's your turn, ladies and gentlemen. Step up to the soapbox below and tell us what you think of these games.  Give us your predictions or tell us how dumb we were to miss the game you think will be the game to watch.  Sound off!