2011 NFL Survivor Pools: Week 3 Picks and Analysis

Mac is fat on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Benjamin Linus is back on TV with Jesus Christ. John Locke and Jin are back on the same show again (ironically in Hawaii, where Lost was taped). Ashton Kutcher is the new Charlie Sheen and Modern Family won some more Emmys.

Who even thought the NFL was entering Week 3? I did, but I don’t trust some of the popular picks of the week.

The Chargers should be 0-2 and Rivers is excelling at throwing interceptions. They face a desperate Chiefs team that has gone in the complete opposite direction they expected to. Dexter McCluster and Thomas Jones are not a bad duo to replace the fallen Jamaal Charles, and Matt Cassel is capable of beating this team.

Another popular pick I don’t like is the Ravens over the Rams.

Joe Flacco has been below average and they just lost to the Titans in Week 2. Baltimore only managed to get two first downs on the ground in that game and couldn’t score on a crucial goal line stand in the fourth quarter.

The Rams, like the Chiefs, are a team that had high expectations this season and are still without a win. Sam Bradford is throwing the ball well and Steven Jackson is listed as a game-time decision. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense has some jump to it and I think they can pull off a win over Baltimore.

Week 3 Games I Like

New England Patriots over the Buffalo Bills

The Bills are 2-0 after an eye-opening blowout of the Chiefs in Week 1 and an epic back-and-forth comeback win over the Raiders in Week 2.

Throw it all out the window.

The Patriots are in town and the tide will change. Tom Brady is 17-1 all-time against the Bills. His team holds the NFL’s longest active win streak against any team at 15 over the Bills, who haven’t topped New England since 2003. I’m sold.

Detroit Lions over the Minnesota Vikings

I’m sticking with the Lions all season. Stafford, when healthy, is a top NFL quarterback and he’s proving it to all of us.

Unfortunately, they are traveling to a place where they have not had recent success. They have lost their last 13 games in Minnesota, dating back to 1997, and have won only four of their last 26 in the series.

But Donovan McNabb is done in my opinion, Percy Harvin can’t get going and Adrian Peterson is carrying the Vikings on his shoulders.

The Detroit Lions average 37.5 points per game and the Vikings 18.5. I'm going with the Lions and a 38-21 score.  

Arizona Cardinals over the Seattle Seahawks

My third straight away team victory. I don’t normally pick away teams, especially in conference games, but Seattle has shown us one thing through two weeks—they can’t win.

They had a late game lead against San Francisco in Week 1, but their special teams failed them. They were dominated in Week 2 by a spiteful Steelers team, and now they have a Cardinals team coming to town that has a lot of weapons.

Kevin Kolb is holding his own, Beanie Wells is surprising us all and Larry Fitzgerald is a game changer. Seattle is averaging 8.5 points per game this season, so even if Arizona has an off day, they can potentially win with only 10 points on the board.

Carolina Panthers over the Jacksonville Jaguars

Risk pick of the week here. Cam Newton has 854 passing yards through two games but zero wins to show for it. The once successful duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart is non-existent, as Newton also leads the team in rushing.

So when push comes to shove, Newton is all the Panthers have.

On the other side, rookie Blaine Gabbert is making his first career NFL start. We don’t know much about him but he’s got plenty of video on how to score against the Panthers.

Two games of NFL experience are better than none, though, so look for Cam Newton and the Panthers to squeak this one out.