Tag: Week 3

Chargers open as favorites over Panthers in Week 3

The Los Angeles Chargers are seen as favorites heading into their Week 3 battle with the Carolina Panthers.

The Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) are looking to get back on track after suffering defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) last Sunday.

Going into this weekend’s contest, the Chargers are 6.5-point favorites over the Carolina Panthers (0-2) in Week 3 of the 2020 regular season, per BetMGM.

Rookie quarterback Justin Herbert got the surprise start in Week 2, taking the defending Super Bowl champions to overtime. Unfortunately, they were unable to prevail, falling to the Chiefs by the score of 23-20.

Meanwhile, the Panthers dropped their second straight contest after the Buccaneers’ defense was too much for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and company, forcing Carolina into four turnovers in their 31-17 loss.

Sunday’s matchup will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Weather forecast for Dolphins’ Week 3 showdown with Jaguars

Weather forecast for Dolphins’ Week 3 showdown with Jaguars

The bad news for the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 is that the team is on the road for a short week of Thursday Night Football. The good news for the Miami Dolphins in Week 3? The travel is about as short as it could possibly be for the NFL’s most southeastern team — Miami travels just a short stretch up the coast to play the Jacksonville Jaguars. Given Miami’s exposure to the elements, the Dolphins will have no disadvantages in the Florida heat either — but will the weather cooperate for a clean game of football to be played in Week 3?

Here is the current forecast for Miami’s Week 3 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars

Location: TIAA Bank Field — Jacksonville, Florida

  • Temperature at kickoff: 78 degrees
    • Feels like: 82 degrees
  • Percent rain: 5%
  • Humidity: 73%
  • Wind: 10 mph

If things get wild and crazy in Week 3, we won’t be able to blame the weather for any of the insanity. You couldn’t ask for a better night for some football, and so the Dolphins must execute and make sure they’re more airtight on defense than they’ve shown through the first two weeks of the season. The Dolphins should be entering into Week 3 desperate for a win and knowing that the elements aren’t going to throw this team any curveballs that could throw focus and attention to detail out the window offers Miami some simple peace of mind. Thursday night will be all about the Dolphins and whether or not they execute. If they do, they can gather that first win of the season. If not? Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Lions keep the same foursome protected on the practice squad as Week 2

The Lions have been very consistent in who they protect on the practice squad

Being on an NFL practice squad often comes with inherent job insecurity. But for three members of the Detroit Lions 16-man practice squad, the team has valued them enough to protect them from being poached by other teams in all three weeks of the 2020 NFL season to date.

Just as they did in Week 2, the Lions protected the following four players:

  • QB David Blough
  • RB Kerrith Whyte
  • TE Isaac Nauta
  • CB/Gunner Dee Virgin

Blough, Nauta and Virgin were also all protected in Week 1. Whyte took Jonathan Williams’ spot as the protected RB in Week 2. Williams was released from Detroit’s practice squad on Tuesday.

The protecting of practice squad members is a new wrinkle in the roster construction for 2020. All the practice players are subject to waivers following Sunday’s game, but the Lions can then protect four of them from being signed by another team after Tuesday’s waiver deadline.

Thus far the claiming off waivers of practice squad players has been almost nonexistent. Not a single player who was on a practice squad in Week 2 was tabbed in the claim period this week, per the NFL’s transaction wire.

Chiefs protect two practice squad players ahead of Week 3

A running back and a cornerback have been protected by Kansas City ahead of Week 3.

The Kansas City Chiefs have protected a pair of players on their practice squad ahead of their Week 3 meeting with the Baltimore Ravens on “Monday Night Football.”

According to the NFL’s transaction report, the Chiefs have protected RB DeAndre Washington and CB Chris Lammons. A new feature of NFL practice squads this year is the ability to protect players from poaching each week. Teams can choose up to four new players to be protected every Tuesday.

Last week, the team opted to protect Braxton Hoyett, who was elevated to the active roster against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. He played in place of the injured Khalen Saunders who was placed on IR ahead of the game.

The Chiefs suffered two injuries during Sunday’s game at both the running back and the corner position. Darrel Williams suffered an ankle injury and Antonio Hamilton suffered a groin injury. If Brett Veach follows the same path as last week, Williams and Hamilton could be made inactive, hopefully avoiding IR with their respective injuries. Washington and Lammons are likely to be standard elevations on Saturady ahead of the game, providing depth at the two positions where the team sustained injuries.

Washington was a free agent acquisition this offseason. He played college football with Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech and is a solid pass-catching back. He should provide a nice change-of-pace to Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darwin Thompson.

Lammons spent the 2019 season on the Chiefs’ practice squad. He has some versatility to his game with the ability to play both safety and the slot corner position, which is that same role that Hamilton played for Kansas City.

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Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is ‘definitely in the zone’ to start 2020

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson told ESPN that he is “definitely in the zone” regarding his mindset on the 2020 season.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has compiled nine touchdown passes through the first two weeks of the 2020 NFL season and is already being pegged as an MVP candidate. Only Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has surpassed that many TDs in two weeks with 10 in 2018.

Despite the coronavirus outbreak and related concerns over the offseason, Wilson said he has been ready to go since the Seahawks’ last postseason defeat against the Packers. Judging from his blazing hot start to the season, Wilson certainly came into 2020 prepared.

“Yeah, I think that, definitely in the zone,” Wilson said during his post-game press conference. “Locked in. Focused. Dialed in. My teammates are too. It’s a great group of men like I said. I’ve been ready to play since the last time we had our last game in Green Bay. Every day it’s my mindset, just my performance, team and everything else, just everything that we put into it is just getting ready and trying to be great.”

Although he is one of the game’s best signal-callers, Wilson stated he always tries to find areas in which to improve.

“I think that I have an obsession with this thought process of always trying to find more,” he said. “There’s always – be on this constant
quest for knowledge, be on this understanding that I want to continue to push myself in just the fundamentals, the simple things of the game all the way to the fun parts of throwing the ball in certain spots and all that stuff too.”

Wilson will seek to continue his stellar play in Week 3 when the Seahawks play the Cowboys at CenturyLink Field at 1:25 p.m. PT.

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Vegas Watch: Lions open Week 3 as 5 1/2 point underdogs at Cardinals

Examining the open betting odds for the Detroit Lions (0-2) Week 3 game at the Arizona Cardinals (2-0).

According to BetMGM, the Detroit Lions (0-2) open Week 3 of the 2020 season as five and a half point underdogs as they prepare to travel to the desert to face off with the Arizona Cardinals (2-0).

The Cardinals beat the defending NFC champion 49ers 24-20 in Week 1, then doubled up Washington 30-15 in Week 2, while the Lions lost a last-second game 27-23 to the Bears in Week 1, then got doubled-up themselves in Week 2, losing to the Packers 42-21.

The betting line seems a bit low considering both teams appear to be headed in opposite directions. In this week’s Touchdown Wire’s Power rankings, the Lions dropped to 29th, while the Cardinals climbed to 9th overall. Stay tuned to Lions Wire to see if there is movement ahead of Sunday.

BetMGM has a lot of various bet lines to wager on in this game, but here’s a look the basic concepts most would be interested in, including the Moneyline, points spread, and over/under.

Moneyline

Lions +215
Cardinals -250

Spread

Lions +5.5 -110
Cardinals -5.5 -110

Over/Under

Total points scored Over Under
54.5 -110 -110

There will also be a considerable amount of player prop bets added throughout the week, including touchdowns scorers, first player to score, quarterback passing props (yards, touchdowns, interceptions, attempts, completions, longest completion), running back props (rushing yards, attempts, rushing + receiving yards), and receiver props (receiving yards, receptions, longest reception).

[Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.]

AFC West standings: Broncos in last place entering Week 3

The Broncos are the only team in the AFC West without a win through two weeks of play.

After being hit hard by injuries, the Denver Broncos have started the season 0-2 and they’re the only team in the AFC West without a win this season. Here’s a look at the current AFC West standings:

Team Record Net Points
Kansas City Chiefs 2-0 17
Las Vegas Raiders 2-0 14
Los Angeles Chargers 1-1 0
Denver Broncos 0-2 -7

After losing starting quarterback Drew Lock to a shoulder injury, the Broncos are falling in NFL power rankings, too. Denver is ranked No. 24 this week after coming in at No. 16 after Week 1.

Jeff Driskel is expected to start while Lock is sidelined and Blake Bortles will likely serve as Driskel’s backup.

Up next for Denver is a home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) in Week 3. The Broncos won’t face a division opponent until Week 7 when they host the Chiefs. They’ll face the Raiders for the first time in Week 10 and the Chargers for the first time in Week 11.

To view Denver’s complete regular season schedule, click here.

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Broncos fall in NFL power rankings following Drew Lock’s injury

With Drew Lock injured, the Broncos are falling in NFL power rankings.

With starting quarterback Drew Lock set to miss 2-6 weeks with a right throwing shoulder injury, the Denver Broncos (0-2) aren’t getting much love from the national media in NFL power rankings.

The Broncos dropped to No. 24 in Nate Davis’ latest NFL power rankings for USA TODAY Sports this week. That’s a big drop after being ranked No. 16 last week.

Here is Davis’ commentary with Denver’s ranking:

They’ve caught bad breaks on injury front. But QB Jeff Driskel is no slouch and could keep Denver competitive while Drew Lock nurses his bum wing.

Jeff Driskel is set to start in Lock’s place in Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Either Blake Bortles or Brett Rypien will serve as Driskel’s backup in Week 3.

Bortles is undergoing COVID-19 testing and if all goes well, he could join the team on Friday, two days before Denver’s showdown with the Bucs. If he’s cleared to join the team before this weekend, Bortles might be the QB2 at home against Tampa Bay.

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NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Lions continue to fall in national eye

Examining where the Detroit Lions stand in the latest national power rankings.

After a heartbreaking loss in Week 1 and an implosion in Week 2, the Detorit Lions continue to drop in the national power rankings and questions are alreading swirling around how long coach Matt Patricia can hold onto his job.

Let’s take a look at where the Lions stand in the national eye.

USA Today: 28 (Previous 23)

“They simply can’t close, now the first team in league history to lose four consecutive games in which they’d held a double-digit lead.” — Nate Davis

Touchdown Wire: 31 (Previous: 26)

“Give Matt Patricia this: The Lions’ head coach is now a part of NFL history. On Sunday, the Lions blew an early 14-3 lead to the Packers, and in doing so, became the first team in the 100-year history of the league to blow double-digit leads in four straight games (per the Elias Sports Buerau). Last week, they made Mitchell Trubisky look like Aaron Rodgers in the fourth quarter with their injured secondary and misbegotten man coverage. This week, Aaron Rodgers didn’t need any help looking like Aaron Rodgers. The Lions cashiered Jim Caldwell after the 2017 season because they were tired of 9-7 results. Patricia is 9-24-1 in his third season. Outside of Adam Gase, there isn’t a more fireable coach in the NFL right now.” — Doug Farrar

NFL: 29 (Previous: 28)

“The Lions have no idea how to close out games and it’s going to get people fired. Detroit, which held a 14-3 advantage early in the second quarter against the Packers on Sunday, dropped its fourth straight game where it had a double-digit lead, a first in NFL history, according to Elias. The Lions now have blown seven double-digit leads in losses since the start of last season. Obviously, this is a poor reflection on head coach Matt Patricia, and the talk around his job security will continue to amplify with the Lions now riding an 11-game losing streak dating back to 2019. In fairness to Patricia, he continues to deal with injuries that are keeping some of his best players off the field on both sides of the ball. Still, the lack of urgency and discipline is hard not to trace back to the man in charge.” — Dan Hanzus

ESPN: 27 (Previous: 25)

“Under-the-radar fantasy standout: RB Adrian Peterson. It feels really strange putting a future first-ballot Hall of Famer in this category, but Peterson — acquired two weeks ago — leads the team in rushing yards and is averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He is going to get work every week — although it’ll often be in the form of a committee with Kerryon Johnson and D’Andre Swift — and still seems have the burst to break off the occasional big run, like he did Sunday with a 25-yard run to the outside. Is he an RB1? No. Is he intriguing as a flex play or an RB play in deeper leagues? Absolutely.” — Michael Rothstein

CBS Sports: 27 (Previous 26)

“They’ve had a ton of injuries, which They’ve had a ton of injuries, which showed up in the loss to the Packers. But how long does Matt Patricia have to turn it around?” — Pete Prisco

Sports Illustrated: 25 (Previous: 24)

“Matt Patricia and the rest of Patriot Midwest are desperately fighting to keep their tenure alive. Will a healthier roster lead to more success down the road, or is the team throwing away the last several prime years Matt Stafford has left?” — Conor Orr

Sporting News: 31 (Previous: 30)

“The Lions are really crumbling around Matthew Stafford as no Kenny Golladay has hurt and their defense is about to doom Matt Patricia.” — Vinnie Iyer