Bold predictions for NFL Week 3 including the Cowboys offense finding their groove against the rival Eagles and the Browns running and running.
Not that fans haven’t already been treated to some fantastic games through the first two weeks, but NFL Week 3 is going to deliver some truly special moments. From good teams playing one another to major storylines taking over, the excitement should be building throughout the week.
In Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season, we get perhaps two of the best teams in the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meeting. We also get the upstart Browns being the opponent for Justin Fields making his first career start with the Chicago Bears. And if that weren’t enough, an NFC East matchup between the Cowboys and Eagles in addition to a budding rivalry between the Packers and 49ers is also on the slate.
This is the type of week that really sets its hooks into NFL fans, if you somehow have avoided that already. So, to preview what’s ahead for NFL Week 3, we have 20 bold predictions for the slate of games from Thursday to Sunday. We start with the battle of contenders.
20. Rams thrash Buccaneers by 20 points in NFL Week 3
For starters, I’m just in on the Rams. While the Los Angeles defense may not be playing as well as they did under Brandon Staley, they’ve still been one of the best in the league. And the effect Matthew Stafford has had on the offense has been palpable. On any day, they have a shot at home against the defending champion Buccaneers.
But the fact of the matter is that Tampa Bay is starting to take hits they really didn’t last year. Injuries are starting to slowly build in the secondary and then wide receiver Antonio Brown tested positive for COVID-19. That starts to chip away at a team that brought back all its starters but doesn’t have great depth. The Rams will make them pay for that as they make a statement performance in Los Angeles.
19. Browns sack Justin Fields 4+ times
As expected on the heels of Andy Dalton’s injury, rookie quarterback Justin Fields will be making his first NFL start on Sunday as the Bears visit the Browns in Week 3. That debut is going to be much-hyped, as it should be. Fields gives this team the most upside in 2021 and for the long term. But that doesn’t mean he’s not going to have to take his lumps and Cleveland can give them to him.
The Bears offensive line gave up four sacks in 1.5 games with Dalton and two with Fields at quarterback. For as good as the rookie is, he still holds the ball a little too long as of right now as he tries to pick up the speed of the game. When Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney are getting into the backfield, that’s not going to work out. As such, the Browns will feast on a mediocre-to-bad offensive line and take the rookie to the turf at least four times on Sunday.