2024 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 3

Miami Dolphins (1-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (2-0)

Sunday, September 22, 4:05 PM ET

It took the Seattle Seahawks every second of their four quarters against the New England Patriots, but they ultimately got the job done. And we saw a lot of good things from quarterback Geno Smith in his second game under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.

The Seahawks haven’t exactly faced off against the toughest gauntlet of opponents to start the year, but that’s not going to matter at the end of the season if they keep on racking up enough wins. First-year head coach Mike Macdonald is 2-0 and now has a home game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, and this is a Dolphins team that is going to have to operate without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

In other words, it’s a golden opportunity for the Seahawks to get off to a 3-0 start to the season and start taking advantage of the other teams in the NFC West slipping up a little bit early on this year.

And as far as the Miami Dolphins are concerned, this is a great chance for Mike McDaniel to prove exactly why the organization extended him as the head coach of the team. He wasn’t extended just because of the way he’s helped revive Tua Tagovailoa’s career. He knows how to put players in positions to succeed offensively.

The Dolphins got smashed against the Bills on a short week last week, but they’ve had some extra time to get Skylar Thompson ready to compete here and even though the folks in Vegas like the Seahawks at home by 6.5 points, I could see this being a closer game than people think.

I am still going to roll with the Seahawks at home, but I think the Dolphins cover.

Prediction: Seahawks win 26-22