NFL Predictions Week 3: Marquee Matchups That Will Come Down to the Wire

The NFL regular season has been nothing short of crazy, and as fans what else would we want it to be?

Sure, your team may be 0-2 or may have already given you a mild heart attack with a nail-biting win over a team it should have destroyed. 

However, I'd rather have an exciting finish over a dominating victory any day of the week.

With that said, here are some marquee matchups of Week 4 sure to come down to the wire.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

This NFC North showdown is always a good fight, and it will not disappoint this Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Jay Cutler is never going to get old, and for that I guess we can thank Josh McDaniels. The Bears defense typically carries Cutler, and he'll need them to somehow shut down the red-hot Rodgers.

The winner of this game will sit atop the toughest division in the NFL, and even though it is a home game for the Bears, I have to go with the Packers because they have more playmakers and the better QB.

Green Bay 31, Chicago 24

New York Jets at Oakland Raiders

The Jets travel across the country to take on a very talented Raiders team. Oakland's new head coach Hue Jackson has this team believing it can beat anybody, and with a win over the Jets on Sunday it would finally gain some respect.

Oakland struggled to stop the run last week, so keep an eye on how Shonn Greene does. Greene hasn't been explosive so far, but this could be a breakout game for him.

New York's defense will have a hard time slowing down Darren McFadden, and it will be up to Mark Sanchez to make clutch plays at the end.

Jets 28, Raiders 24

Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints

The Texans' new-look defense under Wade Phillips will finally be put to the test against the arm of Drew Brees and the Saints.

Expect a shootout in this game, as both Brees and Matt Schaub will be airing it out early and often. Houston will need others outside of Andre Johnson to step up, and with Arian Foster's status still up in the air, it'll look to Ben Tate to keep producing.

In the end, the NFC will prevail over the AFC because it has the better quarterback. It's a quarterback league, and Brees is one of the best in the game. It's hard to see him losing at home, but the Saints will still give their fans a scare.

Saints 38, Texans 31

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

Chad Ochocinco will finally amount to something for the Patriots, but since the Patriots have a subpar secondary, the Bills have a fighting chance.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Brady have both thrown for seven touchdowns this season, and even though the Bills typically struggle against New England, this offense has proven it can move the ball down the field.

The Patriots will come out on top, but this game will be closer than Brady and Bill Belichick would have liked.

Patriots 34, Bills 28

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This NFC South battle will come down to which quarterback plays better. Matt Ryan struggled on the road in Week 1, but Josh Freeman didn't play all that well in his home opener. 

Both get a chance at redemption this week, and neither wants to start off at 0-1 in the NFC South. The Falcons will rely on Michael Turner just as much as the Bucs will look to LeGarrette Blount to set up the pass. 

Atlanta won both meetings a year ago, but each game was very close. The same will occur in Week 3, with Matt Bryant kicking a game-winning field goal at the end. 

Falcons 30, Buccaneers 27