Week Three in Review (2013)

By: Matt Harmon

Reviewing my picks
My record: 8-8

• Well I clearly regressed from the first two weeks, but there were a ton of surprising outcomes. I do not feel bad missing on the Colts and Browns, because I certainly was not the only one who thought those games were locks. The Packers game was another that I do not feel too bad about missing. Check out the review of that game for why it was so weird. I need to quit on my love for the Rams though, as the burned me for the second week in a row, and I just cannot forgive such a treason. In the end, this was a pretty fluky week, and hopefully I can rebound next week along with some of the disappointing teams in the NFL. 

Kansas City Chiefs- 26 at Philadelphia Eagles- 16
Reviewing the Game:

• I guess I should have been more confident about my pick. The Eagles came in with a ton of hype surrounding their offense, but the Chiefs defense looked like the far superior unit for most of the game. Michael Vick looked too much more like the turnover, mistake prone passer we have seen the last two seasons than the dynamic threat he was the first two weeks of this season. A huge reason the Chiefs were able to stymie the Eagles offensive attack was the disruption caused by their pass rushers. Justin Houston came through with 3.5 sacks, while Dontari Poe was a consistent problem in the backfield and Tamba Hali required a ton of attention from the Eagles. These three players combine to give the Chiefs a really aggressive and dynamic trio of pass rushers up front. Still, it is hard to tell just how good this Chiefs team is despite this win and their 3-0 start. With how much the Eagles tried to give this game away with turnovers and mistakes, the Chiefs should have won this game by about thirty points, but the contest was close throughout. Questions still remain around this Chiefs offense, and one has to wonder if a better defense can put the clamps on this rather bland group. Congratulations to Andy Reid for beating his former team. I am sure he enjoyed that and the classy reception he got from the Eagles fans at the stadium.

Matchup to Watch: DeSean Jackson vs. Brandon Flowers

• This matchup really did turnout to be a key to the game. Jackson has been on a tear all season, but only came up with three catches for 63 yards tonight. Flowers did an excellent job of keeping him quiet for most of this game, but did let Jackson loose for one 40 yard bomb down the sidelines. With Vick being harassed up front and Flowers taking away Jackson, you have to be concerned that a blueprint was developed for slowing down the Eagles offense. This is still an offense with mostly small, speed type players, so maybe this physical brand of defense is a primary component in shutting them down.

San Diego Chargers- 17 at Tennessee Titans- 20
Reviewing the Game:

• The Chargers had the lead going into the fourth quarter, but in typical Chargers fashion found a way to lose the game. It is not a good sign that this problem, which haunted the Norv Turner era Chargers, has carried over into the new regime. For the Titans, they stole this victory away on a last second Hail Mary from Jake Locker to rookie Justin Hunter. The good news is that this was probably Jake Locker’s most efficient game since his rookie season. He still was not very good, but baby steps can be encouraging.  
  

Matchup to Watch: Antonio Gates vs. Zach Brown

• Brown was the player covering Gates on his first quarter touchdown. Even though he gave up the score, I thought Brown actually had good coverage on the play. Brown only came away with a single tackle in this game, and id not make any splash plays. It seems Gates got the better of him on a few occasions. 
  

Cleveland Browns- 31 at Minnesota Vikings- 27
Reviewing the Game:

• Some of what the Browns did to get this win was a little fluky; they scored on a fake field goal and executed a fake punt. However, we should not take much away from them. In the face of a ton of criticism in the wake of the Richardson trade, the Browns pulled out a win. Brian Hoyer tossed three interceptions, but had a decent day overall.  Two impressive young pass, Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron, catchers showed off their immense talent. The Browns defense continued their strong season by shutting keeping Adrian Peterson in check. Christian Ponder is a tough, gritty player who can do some things for you, but he still struggles way too much and costs his team games. As the Vikings fall to 0-3 the calls for his benching will only get louder. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Mitchell Schwartz vs. Brian Robison

• Robison collected a sack in this game, but this was still an encouraging performance for the struggling Schwartz. Numerous times he managed to move Robison away from Hoyer, and as a result Hoyer was able to locate Cameron and Gordon downfield a number of times. 
  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 3 at New England Patriots- 23
Reviewing the Game:

• Well this went just about as we expected. The Buccaneers were really never in this game, and looked like the inferior team all day. Josh Freeman struggled again, and completed well under 50% of his passes; inexcusable. Tom Brady threw a horrific interception in the end zone, but otherwise finally looked to have some rapport with his new receivers. Kendrell Thomkins had two nice touchdown catches and Aaron Dobson actually managed to hang on to seven passes. The Patriots defense has flown under the radar with everyone talking about the offense’s struggles, but this unit looks really good. All that young talent they have been drafting is finally coming around.    
  

Matchup to Watch: Stevan Ridley vs. the Bucs front seven

• Ridley was outshined by Brandon Bolden, and lost work to LeGarrette Blount of al people. It was odd to see this since he did not have any fumbles, but clearly the coaching staff does still not trust him. Ridley is a very talented player, and, despite some of their success on this day, is a much better player than Bolden or Blount. 
  

Houston Texans- 9 at Baltimore Ravens- 30
Reviewing the Game:

• I said that the Texans might finally get burned with their spotty and inconsistent play, and that is exactly what transpired. The score does not tell the truth about this game, as both offenses struggled all day. Even though they scored thirty points, the Ravens only had one offensive touchdown; their other points came from field goals, and scores of an interception and punt return. The Texans defense actually played well, but their offense up a pretty poor showing. The Ravens defense took a ton of heat after their Week One debacle against the Broncos, but that certainly looks like an aberration now. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Ed Reed vs. Joe Flacco

• As I expected, Reed was a nonfactor in this game with a nondescript three tackles. Unfortunately the Ravens offense is so dull and undermanned right now that they never made any splash plays to take advantage of the declining Reed. 
  

St. Louis Rams- 17 at Dallas Cowboys- 31
Reviewing the Game:

• All right, I am done with picking the Rams. Their defense was once again a hug let down, and let the Cowboys basically do whatever they wanted. The Rams showed us they still have a lot of growing up to do. I have harped on the Cowboys for their inability to run the ball, but going against his favorite punching bag team, DeMarco Murray finally broke out. Seriously, it feels like he has at least an eighth of his career rushing yards against the Rams. The Cowboys need to see that their division is ripe for the taking, and if they play like this, it will be theirs. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Dez Bryant vs. Cortland Finnegan

• The Cowboys were running the ball so well that Tony Romo was able to spread the ball around; completing all three of his touchdowns to three different receivers. Dez Bryant still made some noise, and he made Finnegan look silly on his two-yard opening touchdown. Finnegan looks to have lost a small step. 
  

Arizona Cardinals- 7 at New Orleans Saints- 31
Reviewing the Game:

• This was another game in Week Three that looked like a total mismatch. This one was never close as Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham rolled the Cardinals defense all day long. Graham is good and he might be the toughest offensive players for defenses to try and stop in the NFL right now. Carson Palmer was harassed by the Saints pass rushers all day, in particular Cameron Jordan who looks like a stud, and consequently threw two interceptions. The Saints looked elite today, the Cardinals looked like they have a ways to go. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Rob Housler vs. Kenny Vaccaro

• Housler only managed to only snare one pass in his debut game for the Cardinals. Vaccaro looked as active as ever, and even grabbed one of the Carson Palmer interceptions. Advantage goes to the rookie.  
  

Detroit Lions- 27 at Washington Redskins- 24 
Reviewing the Game

• If it is going to happen for the Redskins soon, it was not this day. Outside of a DeAngelo Hall interception return, this historically bad defense was terrible once again. The offense still is not playing to its full potential, but they once again fell behind early and had to divert form the running game and play fakes that make this offense go. Robert Griffin once again produced most of his numbers in garbage time, but this was by far his best game of the year. The Lions really look like a good team, and I have to talk about my boy Joqiue Bell. I opined on Twitter (@BackyardBanters) back in August that Bell would easily overtake Mikel LeShoure for the number two running back job this year and thrive. That came to fruition this year, and today he got the start in place of Reggie Bush and showed the solid qualities that have made me like him for years. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Calvin Johnson vs. Redskins corners

• As expected Johnson thrived with seven catches 115 yards and a touchdown. The mismatch of talent in this matchup was on display al day.  
  

Green Bay Packers- 30 at Cincinnati Bengals- 34
Reviewing the Game:

• This was another sloppy game. The Bengals jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, but committed four total turnovers that helped the Packers score thirty unanswered points. However, Aaron Rodgers actually looked like a mere mortal on this day, tossing two picks and getting heated with Mike McCarthy on the sidelines. Hid offensive line let him down, but most of the pressure was on Rodgers as he showed his bad habit of holding on to the ball too long over and over again. This was a weird game, but it should not be held against the Bengals. This is the type of game we have to see this young team win in order to believe in them.  
  

Matchup to Watch: Bengals defensive line vs. Packers offensive line

• I mentioned that Rodgers held on to the ball too long on a number of occasions, but this was still the mismatch I expected it to be. Defensive end Michael Johnson led the charge, collecting a sack and a half. Johnson took rookie, David Bahktiari to school pretty much all day. 
  

New York Giants- 0 at Carolina Panthers- 38
Reviewing the Game:

• Um, wow, I did not expect this at all. I trusted the veteran Giants team to b the ones to right the ship in Week Three, but it was the Panthers who did that, and more. Carolina finally opened up the offense for Cam Newton and he responded very well. Newton made a number of big time throws, tough runs, and converted red zone opportunities. The Giants were unable to take advantage of a beat up Carolina secondary because the Panthers were constantly in the Giants backfield; Manning was sacked seven times, and six in the first half. The Panthers can carry this momentum into their bye week. The Giants on the other hand, look finished. 
  

Matchup to Watch: David Wilson vs. Panthers front seven

• David Wilson could not get going once again. He actually had a touchdown run, but it was called back due to a penalty. Wilson spent most of his day trying to dodge the Panthers defensive lineman blowing him up in the backfield.

Atlanta Falcons- 23 at Miami Dolphins- 27
Reviewing the Game:

• The Dolphins hung around all game and eventually Ryan Tannehill took them down the field to win the game. Tannehill has been spectacular all season, and if you haven’t been all along, it is time to consider him right up there with all the other young star quarterbacks. You cannot kill the Falcons too much for this loss; on the road against what looks like a really good team. However, with injuries piling up, and a lack of depth, this team may start to fade into the background. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Matt Ryan vs. Brent Grimes

• Ryan and Julio Jones had their usual moments, but Grimes still held his own. I hate to say it, but this Falcons team would look a lot better with Grimes still on it.  
  

Indianapolis Colts- 27 at San Francisco 49ers- 7
Reviewing the Game:

• This was by far the most shocking outcome of the game. I did not give the Colts much of a change, but they went out on the road, and basically beat up on a team that is supposed to be the toughest kids on the block. The best part was, Andrew Luck did not even have to have an all-time type game, it was his running game and defense that won this game. The Colts defense essentially shut down Kaepernick and the 49ers offense. The Niners defense looks overrated, Aldon Smith is leaving the team, and this offense does not look good at all. It may be time to worry for the 49ers.
  

Matchup to Watch: Trent Richardson vs. the 49ers front seven

• Richardson popped in an early touchdown, but we have to talk about Ahmad Bradshaw. He looked like a guy wanted to prove that his team did not need to trade for Richardson. He ran with authority and showed us that he will remain a factor.  

Jacksonville Jaguars- 17 at Seattle Seahawks- 45
Reviewing the Game:

• Lets make this brief. Sometimes expected blowouts in the NFL do not always go to script, but today it went exactly like we expected. The Jaguars never stood a chance, and the Seahawks just simply took care of business. In a very rare sighting in the NFL, the Seahawks had their backups in by the third quarter, and they looked better than the Jags starters. Sad. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Cecil Shorts vs. Richard Sherman

• Shorts is becoming the King of Garbage time for wide receivers. As always, he put up a nice stat line with eight catches for 143 yards, but almost all of that came when the game was all but over. Shorts is a nice player, but do not kid yourself into thinking he won this matchup with Sherman. 
  

  


Buffalo Bills- 20 at New York Jets- 27
Reviewing the Game:

• The narrative coming into this game was that E.J. Manuel was the solid, poised rookie that was in control of his team, and Geno Smith was not ready to lead his. Well, the opposite on this day at least. Despite two interceptions and an inexcusable amount of Jets penalties, Smith tore up a depleted Bills secondary with numerous deep shots to Stephen Hill and a revitalized Santonio Holmes. Bilal Powell also ruled the day running the ball, and the Jets offense looked much improved all around. As for the Bills, it was clear Rex Ryan’s defense got the better of him. Manuel was sacked a whopping eight times and never looked in rhythm. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Stevie Johnson vs. Antonio Cromartie

• Johnson got his, with six catches for 86 yards, but he was moved around the formation and Cromartie really did not shadow him as Revis used to. It still needs to be said that Cromartie has completely remade himself into a shutdown level corner however. 
  

  


Chicago Bears- 40 at Pittsburgh Steelers- 23
Reviewing the Game:

• The score of this game kind of went back and forth. At first the Bears were up big, and then the Steelers came fighting back on the back of Antonio Brown and his nine catches for 196 yards and two scores. In the end it was not enough, as the Bears were still able to control this game. This was the best game the Steelers have played offensively but defensive touchdowns by the Bears negated the good work. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Jay Cutler vs. Troy Polamolu

• The Steelers defense did not let the Bears offense explode or anything, but it was remarkable how efficient they let them be. Butler completed a high number of passes and the running game paced the offense. A big play by Troy would have been nice considering how many the Bears defense pulled in.    
  

Oakland Raiders- 21 at Denver Broncos- 37
Reviewing the Game:

• This was another game that pretty much went to script. The Raiders were able to do some nice things here and there, but the team that would emerge victorious in this game was never in doubt. Peyton Manning continued his torrid start to the season with another 300 plus padding game and three more touchdowns. Denver just looks pretty unstoppable right now, and even though you could argue they have not played a good team yet, they still are not exactly letting them hang around either. Terrelle Pryor looked pretty good all game, but had to leave late with a concussion. Here’s to hoping he can return quickly, because he made plays all night even when his receivers let him down. 
  

Matchup to Watch: Lamarr Houston vs. Chris Clark

• Houston collected a late sack of Peyton Manning in which he clearly beat Clark, but overall Clark handled himself pretty well against the stud Raiders pass rusher. Manning gets the ball out so quickly and on time to where it needs to be he will always mask a deficient line, but if the Broncos continue to get this level of play out of Clark, they should be very pleased.