Four Winless NFL Teams That Will Get First Win in Week 3

Some teams start out 0-2 because they are bad.  Some teams start out 0-2 because they have a tough opening schedule or injuries.  There are currently seven 0-2 teams in the young NFL season.  Three of those teams, the Seahawks, Chiefs and Colts have no chance at winning their first game this week, but the other four teams have a good shot at beginning to turn around their season with a win this week.

The Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton leads the NFC in passing yards.  Steve Smith leads the NFL in receiving yards, and yet somehow the Carolina Panthers have started the season 0-2.  Look for them to get their first win of the season this week at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The Jaguars will be starting a rookie quarterback of their own in Blaine Gabbert, and there is no way he has the same early success Newton has had.  The Panthers will win this one going away.

The Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins have been putting up good offensive numbers in every category except for the most important one—points scored.  They currently rank 10th in total yards per game, 9th in passing yards per game and 8th in rushing yards per game.  Their problem is that they have only scored 18.5 points per game.  They have also drawn two tough opponents in the first two games playing the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans.  The opponent isn't nearly as tough this week when they face the Cleveland Browns.  The Dolphins do have to travel to Cleveland, which is never easy, but look for them to win the game on a late field goal.

The Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings came very close to getting their first win of the season last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The Bucs needed 14 fourth quarter points to beat Minnesota 24-20.  This week the Vikings draw the Detroit Lions who have started the season 2-0.  The Vikings will need to rely on a healthy dose of Adrian Peterson to win the time of possession battle and keep Matthew Stafford on the sideline.

The St. Louis Rams

The good news for the St. Louis Rams is that the NFC West is a bad division.  That means 0-2 is not that big of a hole for them.  They have started off the season against two teams, the Eagles and Giants, that are very likely to be among the top teams in the NFC when the season ends.  Their task does not get much easier this week when the Baltimore Ravens come to town, but Sam Bradford is ready to prove that he is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league and lead his team to victory.