Texans (2-0) at Vikings (2-0)
Minnesota showed last week that they are for real with a victory against the 49ers. They gave up a lot of yards but managed 6 sacks, 2 turnovers, and only 17 points allowed against the great San Francisco offense. Superstar receiver Justin Jefferson hasn’t skipped a beat since backup QB Sam Darnold took over – highlighted by a 97-yard TD last week.
They face the reigning AFC South Champion Texans who may be even better than we expected. CJ Stroud looks like an early MVP candidate who has already created a connection with the newly acquired Stefon Diggs. DeMeco Ryans’ defense has been opportunistic so far in 2024. They’re 3rd in the league in sacks and 4th in interceptions.
One of two games between undefeated teams in week 3, this should be a good one. Houston has beaten up some bad teams this year, but they look the part to be involved deep into January. If Minnesota can pull the upset (+1.5 via FanDuel), they should jump up power rankings and be considered one of the NFC’s best with big victories against Houston and San Francisco.
Chargers (2-0) at Steelers (2-0)
A couple of unexpected undefeated teams will do battle in Pittsburgh on Sunday for the Steelers home opener. I expect yinzers to be behind their beloved Steelers in full force making it a hostile environment for the Chargers who are used to that, even in LA. It will be the first time the Pittsburgh faithful get a hands-on look at the new offense under Arthur Smiths direction. Justin Fields once again gets the start and could set his QB1 status in stone with a good showing in front of Steelers Nation.
Jim Harbaugh has his Chargers playing tough football. Leaning heavily on the run game, Los Angeles has blown out their competition thus far in 2024. Their “competition” has a combined record of 1-3 but, the victories have come convincingly with a combined points differential of +35. Franchise QB Justin Herbert hasn’t practiced this week due to a high ankle sprain, so it’ll likely be a game-time decision whether or not he plays. Though the young QB has all the tools to be elite, Harbaugh hasn’t asked that of him. So far, he’s averaging just 137 passing yards per game but is completing 67.4% of his passes. Leaning on the run game and defense; the elite ability of Justin Herbert hasn’t been required yet.
Both teams’ philosophies are to run the ball, control the clock, and play fast, physical defense. At this point, they’ve done just that. These teams are 1st and 2nd in points allowed, and both are in the top 5 in yards allowed per game and rushing yards allowed per game.
The Chargers have been creating big plays through the run game. Resurgent running back JK Dobbins leads the league in rushing and is averaging a whopping 9.9 yards per carry. I don’t expect that to stick through the game against the Steelers defense, but if it does, it’ll be a long, quiet day in Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers are 29th in yards per game and 25th in points at just 15.5 per game. That may be enough to secure victory in this one, but it’s not sustainable throughout the season.
This game will have an old-school, hard-hitting, AFC North feel to it. Just because the Chargers are from out west doesn’t mean they can’t play with the black and blue division. Former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman is calling the plays for the Chargers and he knows what it takes to win a tough football game.
I expect a tight, defensive game that will come down to the last possession. That could give the Chargers the edge if Herbert plays, but don’t count out the game-breaking ability of Justin Fields either. Regardless, this will be an old-school slobber knocker that sure won’t be decided by playing too much 2 high safety on defense.
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