2024 NFL Week 3 Predictions, Picks: Back Chargers to cover, Lions-Cardinals Over
As we look ahead to NFL Week 3, it’s necessary that we take a quick look back at how the teams I’m backing fared in Week 2.
The Cardinals, for example, got off to a hot start against the Rams last week, but will their game against the Lions this week mirror that?
And Pittsburgh, with Justin Fields at quarterback, is 2-0. Can the Steelers keep it rolling with a win at home against the Chargers?
Let’s dive into it.
Chargers @ Steelers (1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS)
The Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers are both 2-0 after two weeks.
Both teams have won their games in the image of their head coaches. Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers have won by controlling the line of scrimmage, rushing the football, smart passing by Justin Herbert and a swarming defense. Mike Tomlin’s Steelers have won with defense and a turnover-free offense that does just enough.
However, the Steelers have one offensive touchdown and eight field goals in their two games. And that is why the Chargers are winning this game.
Pittsburgh faced Kirk Cousins and Bo Nix in its first two games. The defense was able to harass both of those QBs into poor play and put those offenses behind the chains. Well, the Chargers have two outstanding offensive tackles and a quarterback who’s much better than Cousins or Nix.
I do not believe the Steelers defense can play its style of game against the Chargers offense.
On the other side, the Steelers offense just can’t put the ball into the end zone. LAC’s defense should control the Steelers offensive line, and I would not expect lots of points from Pittsburgh in this game.
Give me the Chargers +2.
PICK: Chargers (+2) to lose by fewer than 2 points, or win outright
Panthers @ Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS)
Carolina has benched quarterback Bryce Young after two weeks in the new season and just 19 games into his career. The Panthers traded for the opportunity to draft Young in 2023, and it appears the new coaching staff and front office have given up on him.
Now, veteran Andy Dalton will take over.
I’ve been in those meeting rooms when you’re playing with a quarterback who you know can’t help the team win and then, when the quarterback change is made, the juice to the offense comes back. That juice might not last longer than a week or two, depending on the results on the field, but I know the Panthers offense will come out firing on Sunday in Vegas.
Carolina added offensive linemen, receivers and running backs in free agency. I would expect those targets to see the ball this weekend. Also, the Raiders will not know what the offense will be with Dalton.
Las Vegas beat the Ravens on Sunday, after overcoming a 10-point deficit. It was a remarkable win for the Raiders and probably a performance that’s unlikely to be duplicated the rest of the season. They will enter the game Sunday on a high but also possibly a tad overly confident after that win. The Raiders know the Panthers stink, and it’s human nature to have a let-down with a bad team coming to town.
So I’m wagering on the Panthers offense starting fast with the Raiders being too sure of themselves coming off Week 2.
Give me the Panthers first half +3.5.
PICK: Panthers (+3.5) to trail by fewer than 3.5 points at halftime, or lead
Lions @ Cardinals(4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX and FOX Sports app)
After the Lions lost 20-16 to Tampa Bay last week, their head coach Dan Campbell went to the podium and put the loss on him.
He said the team improved from Week 1 to 2, but that he was the reason the team didn’t get the win.
Whether that’s true or not, his team will take that personally.
The Lions players love Campbell’s ownership but also don’t want to let their coach down.
The offense was just meh on Sunday and settled for too many field goals. We will see a better performance on Sunday against a Cardinals defense that’s not very good. We can’t put too much stock into Arizona’s defensive performance against the Rams in Week 2, since Los Angeles was missing multiple offensive linemen and its top skill players.
But the Arizona offense might be another story.
Rams-Cardinals kicked off between the end of the early window of games and the marquee matchup of Chiefs–Bengals at 4:25 p.m. So, before anyone realized the game had even started, AZ already had 14 points with two Kyler Murray touchdown passes to rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Cards scored another handful of touchdowns to reach 41 points. They also scored 28 points against the Bills in Week 1.
The moral of the story is that this offense is going to score on everyone.
All Arizona’s games will eclipse the Over. The Lions pass defense allowed the Bucs to average 15.4 yards per reception on Sunday in a loss. So the Cardinals are going to score a ton.
I like the Over in this game.
PICK: Over 52.5 points scored by both teams combined
Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz.
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