Another week, and another big-name quarterback went down in the N.F.L. This time, it was the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger, who was carted off the field with a knee injury. On a more positive note, Tom Brady became only the fourth passer to throw 400 touchdowns, and backup quarterback Brandon Weeden somehow managed to set a Dallas Cowboys record for most consecutive completions. Week 3 also featured big victories for the Cardinals, Seahawks and Broncos.
Derek Carr, right, celebrated after a touchdown by Seth Roberts, No. 10, in the second quarter against the Browns on Sunday.Credit
Jason Miller/Getty Images
The Oakland Raiders are one of the surprise N.F.L. teams of 2015. With a 2-1 record, they have a winning record after three games for just the second time in the last 11 seasons (the Raiders also began 2011 with a 2-1 record).
In Week 1, Oakland was embarrassed in a fashion that has become all too familiar in recent years. The Raiders’ 33-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was their 35th loss by at least 20 points since the start of the 2005 season, the most in the N.F.L.
But the Raiders surprised the Baltimore Ravens last week, and continued that success Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. And with the Bengals now 3-0, the Week 1 loss does not look quite as bad.
Oakland has been powered by an offense featuring three young players who could emerge as the foundation for the next Raiders playoff team: quarterback Derek Carr, running back Latavius Murray and wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Carr, 24, was Oakland’s second-round pick in 2014, and has a 102.4 passer rating through three weeks. Murray, 25, was a sixth-round pick two years ago, and ranks fourth in rushing yards with 248. Cooper, who turned 21 in June, was the fourth overall selection in the 2015 draft, and is coming off back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. If the Raiders wind up hitting on those three picks — and the early returns in 2015 are very good — Oakland’s offense has a very bright future.
Against the Browns, Carr threw for 314 yards, Murray rushed for 139 yards, and Cooper gained 134 receiving yards. It was the first time the Raiders had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver since 2010. But perhaps more impressive, this game marked only the 12th time since 1970 that any franchise had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver, with all three being 25 years or younger.
Add in the standout defender Khalil Mack, the team’s first-round pick last year, who had two sacks Sunday, and the Raiders are suddenly a franchise with some young cornerstones.
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Chase Stuart
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Continued
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was carted off the field after injuring his left knee against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.Credit
Joshua Lindsey/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers took a vicious hit to his left knee against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. He was quickly declared out for the remainder of the game and replaced at quarterback by Michael Vick.
Coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that Roethlisberger was being evaluated and would be sent for an MRI. Several reports on Monday placed Roethlisberger’s timetable for return between four and six weeks.
The Steelers went on to win the game 12-6, but if Roethlisberger were to miss all or most of the season, it would have to be considered a Pyrrhic victory.
In the third quarter, the Steelers were leading 9-3 and Roethlisberger dropped back to pass. Rams safety Mark Barron tumbled toward Roethlisberger, whose knee appeared to hyperextend. He was on the ground for an extended period before being taken off the field on a cart and into the locker room for further testing.
“I tripped over somebody’s feet and on my way down I caught a piece of his leg,” Barron told reporters after the game when asked what happened on the play.
The hit could have consequences for Barron if it is determined to be an illegal play. No penalty was called, and Tomlin said he did not have an issue with the play, but league officials will have to determine if Barron violated the rule, which states:
“A rushing defender is prohibited from forcibly hitting in the knee area or below a passer who has one or both feet on the ground, even if the initial contact is above the knee. It is not a foul if the defender is blocked (or fouled) into the passer and has no opportunity to avoid him.”
The footnotes of the rule state:
A defender cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if he is being contacted by another player.
It is not a foul if the defender swipes, wraps or grabs a passer in the knee area or below in an attempt to tackle him.
At the time of the injury, Roethlisberger was 20 for 24 with 192 yards and an interception. Vick was not asked to do much, going 5 for 6 for 38 yards. Le’Veon Bell, who rushed 19 times for 62 yards in his first game back after a two-game suspension, scored the game’s only touchdown. It was the first game this season in which there were fewer than two touchdowns scored.
Vick, who played last season for the Jets, was signed in August by Pittsburgh to be a backup to Roethlisberger. A former Pro Bowler, Vick has not had a winning record as a quarterback since 2011. At the time of his signing, it was unclear if the 35-year-old could still offer enough production to justify the public relations issues involved with his complicated legal history.
If Roethlisberger misses significant time, the Pittsburgh offense may have to change to one more suited to Vick’s unique talents, which include an incredible ability to scramble and a strong, but inaccurate, throwing arm. The only other quarterback on Pittsburgh’s active roster is Landry Jones, a third-year player out of Oklahoma who has yet to throw an N.F.L. pass.
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Benjamin Hoffman
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Derek Carr, right, celebrated after a touchdown by Seth Roberts, No. 10, in the second quarter against the Browns on Sunday.Credit
Jason Miller/Getty Images
The Oakland Raiders are one of the surprise N.F.L. teams of 2015. With a 2-1 record, they have a winning record after three games for just the second time in the last 11 seasons (the Raiders also began 2011 with a 2-1 record).
In Week 1, Oakland was embarrassed in a fashion that has become all too familiar in recent years. The Raiders’ 33-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was their 35th loss by at least 20 points since the start of the 2005 season, the most in the N.F.L.
But the Raiders surprised the Baltimore Ravens last week, and continued that success Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. And with the Bengals now 3-0, the Week 1 loss does not look quite as bad.
Oakland has been powered by an offense featuring three young players who could emerge as the foundation for the next Raiders playoff team: quarterback Derek Carr, running back Latavius Murray and wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Carr, 24, was Oakland’s second-round pick in 2014, and has a 102.4 passer rating through three weeks. Murray, 25, was a sixth-round pick two years ago, and ranks fourth in rushing yards with 248. Cooper, who turned 21 in June, was the fourth overall selection in the 2015 draft, and is coming off back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. If the Raiders wind up hitting on those three picks — and the early returns in 2015 are very good — Oakland’s offense has a very bright future.
Against the Browns, Carr threw for 314 yards, Murray rushed for 139 yards, and Cooper gained 134 receiving yards. It was the first time the Raiders had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver since 2010. But perhaps more impressive, this game marked only the 12th time since 1970 that any franchise had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver, with all three being 25 years or younger.
Add in the standout defender Khalil Mack, the team’s first-round pick last year, who had two sacks Sunday, and the Raiders are suddenly a franchise with some young cornerstones.
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Chase Stuart
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Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 324 yards against the Lions on Sunday.Credit
Paul Sancya/Associated Press
Peyton Manning finally completed a pass that traveled more than 20 yards in the air, but even with the 45-yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas, it felt like an underwhelming performance for the Denver Broncos' quarterback on Sunday.
Even if Manning was not at his best, his effort, and the effort of his team’s defense, was enough to beat the Detroit Lions, 24-12.
At 39, Manning no longer has the arm strength he once had. Prior to the pass to Thomas, he was 0 for 8 on the season on attempts stretching past 20 yards in the air, and his completion percentage and yards per attempt were both well below his career averages. Despite winning each of his first two games, Manning was dogged with questions about the lack of protection he was receiving, the team’s lack of running game, and whether or not he believes he should have retired rather than come back for another season while learning a new offensive system.
The critics have a point. The Broncos, after setting an N.F.L. record for points in a season just two years ago, entered Sunday night’s game with the league’s lowest ranked offense, and an attempt to focus on the run has failed to yield results.
Now 3-0, Manning’s line for the day was likely not enough to get his critics to back off, but the team did deploy a pistol offense that was fairly productive. He finished the day 31 for 42 for 324 yards and two touchdowns.
The Broncos play the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday.
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Benjamin Hoffman
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Reigning N.F.L. M.V.P. Aaron Rodgers leads the Green Bay Packers against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday.Credit
Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press
Green Bay’s offense has turned into a complicated game of Jenga: Each week it seems another piece is removed, but Aaron Rodgers keeps the team upright. Jordy Nelson is out long term, and last week, the Packers spent much of the game without the star running back Eddie Lacy, who injured his ankle. Rodgers not only won the game but also finished without an interception for an 18th consecutive home start (including playoff games).
“I don’t know what it is, but I think he’s a pretty good player,” Kansas City Coach Andy Reid told reporters when asked about the streak. “You’ve got to start there, right?”
Lacy is listed as probable, as is Davante Adams, and with James Jones continuing his turn-back-the-clock season, the Packers’ offense should be as close to full strength as it will get this season. On a rainy day in Green Bay, that will be too much for the Chiefs to handle.
Pick: Packers
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Benjamin Hoffman
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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd made a catch over San Francisco 49ers cornerback Kenneth Acker on Sunday.Credit
Matt Kartozian/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
If there was any doubt that the Arizona Cardinals had passed the San Francisco 49ers for superiority in the N.F.C. West, it was erased when two of Colin Kaepernick’s first four passes were intercepted and returned for touchdowns.
Things did not get any better from there as the Cardinals embarrassed the visiting 49ers, 47-7, with Kaepernick’s four interceptions representing a career high and the game marking his career low.
The two pick-sixes came in a flurry in the first half, with the Cardinals grabbing a 14-0 lead in the first six minutes. Justin Bethel had the first interception, returning it 21 yards for a touchdown and Tyrann Mathieu, once known as the Honey Badger, took the second one 33 yards for a score. Mathieu had another interception later in the game.
After three consecutive playoff appearances from 2011 to 2013 — including a Super Bowl appearance spurred partly by Kaepernick’s breakout sophomore season in 2012 — the 49ers slide back to 8-8 last season. Meanwhile the Cardinals looked like a serious contender last season before Carson Palmer was lost for the year with an injury.
Palmer is back, and the Cardinals are off to a 3-0 start — and a two-game division lead — while the 49ers are struggling to find their identity after coach Jim Harbaugh was let go despite the team going 44-19-1 in his four seasons.
Kaepernick’s numbers coming into the game were not bad, but Sunday was a total disaster other than a 12-yard touchdown run. Along with the four interceptions, Kaepernick went 9 for 19 for 67 yards, and San Francisco dropped to 1-2.
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Benjamin Hoffman
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“This one was one for the ages, as far as I’m concerned.”
Coach CHUCK PAGANO, of the Indianapolis Colts after his team stormed back from a 27-14 deficit to beat the Tennessee Titans 35-33. Andrew Luck spurred the comeback with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes in a 56-second span.
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Tight end Jimmy Graham celebrated his first touchdown with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.Credit
Joe Nicholson/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Marshawn Lynch did not appear on the Seattle Seahawks’ sideline until midway through the first quarter, and he could not remain healthy enough to stay in the entire game. But his teammates stepped up, helping ease the creeping fears caused by an 0-2 start for the two-time defending N.F.C. champions.
After Seattle looked lost in the first half, three newcomers, Jimmy Graham, Tyler Lockett and Thomas Rawls, took over, easily guiding Seattle to a 26-0 victory over the Chicago Bears.
The win may have come with a cost, however, as Lynch left the game in the third quarter with an injured hamstring and did not return. His status going forward was not announced.
Lynch was questionable coming into the game with an injured calf and did not enter the game until there was 3:09 remaining in the first quarter. He seemed limited, carrying the ball 5 times for 14 yards in the first half. His longest carry went for 8 yards. It helped contribute to an anemic offensive attack by Seattle.
Lockett changed things in a hurry when he took the opening kickoff of the second half 105 yards for a touchdown, setting a Seattle record for longest kick return. A third-round pick this year out of Oklahoma, Lockett seemed to change the entire tone of the game when he easily streaked into the end zone.
Potentially bigger news for concerned Seahawks fans was Russell Wilson finally connecting with Graham, who had struggled to find much of a role in the team’s offense after an offseason trade. A three-time Pro Bowler, Graham scored 51 touchdowns in five seasons for the New Orleans Saints. It was assumed he would step up to be Wilson’s primary target on offense, but in the first two games he had just 7 catches for 62 yards.
Graham finally looked like himself Sunday with 7 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.
The other big news for Seattle was the return of Kam Chancellor, who was activated for the game after holding out for the first two weeks of the season in hopes of getting a better contract. The All-Pro safety, whose absence was considered one of the biggest factors in the team’s slow start, had just one tackle in the game, but the Seahawks benefited from his leadership.
The enthusiasm was tempered somewhat by Lynch’s injury. Luckily for Seattle, Rawls, an undrafted free agent in his first year out of Central Michigan, was ready to step up. He carried the ball 16 times for 104 yards. If Lynch is forced to miss time with his various injuries, Seattle seems well-positioned to remain competitive with Rawls and the veteran Fred Jackson, who the team signed shortly before the season started.
—
Benjamin Hoffman
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden set a franchise record for consecutive completions.Credit
Larry W. Smith/European Pressphoto Agency
Everyone laughed when Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys owner, heaped praise upon Brandon Weeden. The backup quarterback was forced into a starting position last week when Tony Romo broke his left clavicle, and many assumed all hope was lost for the season despite a 2-0 record.
After Weeden set a franchise record for consecutive completions on Sunday, his critics may have to take the week off.
Weeden came on in relief of Romo last week and finished the game 7 for 7 for 73 yards a touchdown. This week he started even better, completing his first 9 passes against the Atlanta Falcons. Combined with five consecutive passes he threw to end last season, Weeden had completed 21 consecutive passes, which was a Cowboys record and just three short of the N.F.L. record, which Donovan McNabb set in 2004.
Weeden’s streak of complete passes was broken up by an interception in the second quarter, but he continued to show incredible accuracy and finished the game 22 for 26 with 232 yards. His record-setting day ended with a 39-28 loss, however, as the Cowboys defense could not do anything to stop Devonta Freeman, the Falcons’ running back. Freeman finished the day with 141 yards and three touchdowns.
Weeden’s final pass of the day hit Terrance Williams in the chest, but the wide receiver let it fall to the ground, turning the ball over on downs and ending any chance of a Dallas comeback.
Weeden had been considered a draft bust after he was selected in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in 2012, but Jones was adamant that the team was in good hands while Romo recovered.
“He’s a thing of beauty on throwing a football,” Jones said in a radio interview last week. “His passing motion and his arm, frankly, you won’t see a more gifted passer, power, accuracy, the entire aspect of it.”
Romo’s injury left Weeden as the only healthy quarterback on the team’s roster, so Jones made a trade with Buffalo for Matt Cassel, but heading into the game there did not appear to be a quarterback controversy. After the loss, and with Cassel getting a chance to practice with the team, Weeden’s status going forward is unknown.
ADRIAN PETERSON, the Minnesota Vikings running back, who torched the San Diego Chargers for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 carries a week after rushing for 134 yards against the Detroit Lions. The rushing touchdowns were Peterson's first since November of 2013.
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Darren Sproles returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown in the first half against the Jets on Sunday.Credit
Al Bello/Getty Images
The last time the Jets began a season with three consecutive victories, it was six years ago, in Rex Ryan’s first season. That team bragged about its swagger and its defense, about its everything — or, the antithesis of the team under Todd Bowles, who demands excellence from his players but expects humility in return. And also perspective.
When asked last week about playing winless Philadelphia on Sunday, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said, “We’re not good enough to look past anybody.”
His remark was prescient. In their 24-17 victory at MetLife Stadium, the Eagles battered the Jets, who in a miserable first half self-destructed on special teams, sputtered on offense and buckled on defense. Unable to handle prosperity — and falling behind by 24 points — the Jets fell into second place behind New England in the A.F.C. East and dropped to 0-10 all time against Philadelphia.
After a week of absorbing praise for their shutdown of the Colts last Monday night, the Jets revealed how much they must improve. They missed tackles, generated little pressure and missed open receivers. If not for several drops by the Eagles’ running backs, the damage would have been far worse. After forcing turnovers at a record pace, with five in each of their first two games, the Jets produced only one takeaway — and then gave the ball right back.
Trailing by 24-7 at halftime, the Jets narrowed the deficit to 10 on a 7-yard catch by Jeremy Kerley with 9 minutes 37 seconds remaining, then regained possession after Demario Davis recovered a fumble. On the ensuing drive, Brandon Bair deflected Fitzpatrick’s pass at the line, and Jordan Hicks grabbed it for the interception.
Nick Folk’s 53-yarder with 2:34 left made it a one-possession game, but the Eagles recovered the subsequent onside kick and ran out the clock.
It was a valiant comeback from an offense that proved how difficult it is for the Jets to win without two critical players, running back Chris Ivory and receiver Eric Decker. The absence of a running game (47 yards on 16 rushes) forced Fitzpatrick to tie a career-high with 58 pass attempts, completing 35 for 283 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
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Ben Shpigel
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Indianapolis Colts tight end Coby Fleener was upended by Tennessee Titans safety Michael Griffin in the first half on Sunday. The Colts, down two touchdowns in the third quarter, came back to win, 35-33.Credit
James Kenney/Associated Press
Tom Brady joined an exclusive club when he threw his 400th career touchdown pass during the New England Patriots game against the Jaguars on Sunday. The quick, 3-yard strike to Danny Amendola in the second quarter put the Patriots ahead, 20-3, and caused the New England faithful to chant Brady’s name as he walked off the field and acknowledged the crowd.
Brady joined Peyton Manning (533), Brett Favre (508) and Dan Marino (420) as the only quarterbacks to throw 400 touchdown passes.
Brady added another touchdown pass against the Jaguars and left in the fourth quarter of a lopsided 51-17 victory. He finished 33 for 42 with 358 yards to go along with the two touchdowns.
The Patriots’ offense has clicked so far this season, leading the N.F.L. through two weeks with an average of 366 yards passing per game. In team offense, the Patriots trail only the Pittsburgh Steelers in total yards (434 yards per game) and the Arizona Cardinals in scoring (34 points per game).
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Sam Manchester
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Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell came up short of the end zone against the Raiders on Sunday.Credit
Aaron Josefczyk/Associated Press
While working through a hamstring injury, the Bills' LeSean McCoy averaged 5.9 yards a carry against the Patriots in Week 2.Credit
Bill Wippert/Associated Press
Don't Miss These Games
1. Buffalo Bills (1-1) at Miami Dolphins (1-1)
4:25 p.m. Line: Dolphins by 2.5
Building a winning team in the N.F.L. can seem like a Sisyphean task, and last week the Bills and the Dolphins had the boulder they were pushing up the proverbial hill roll over them on its way back down. Both were thought capable of having breakout seasons, and in Week 1 they delivered with victories led by huge defensive efforts. In Week 2, it was hard to know which team was more embarrassed: the Bills, who gave up 40 points to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, or the Dolphins, who lost to the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars.
This game will serve as a momentum swing. One team is likely to come away with a 2-1 record and a belief that last week was a fluke. The other will be 1-2 with the optimism of the off-season fading. Should they tie, the A.F.C. East standings will be a tad more confusing to comprehend for the duration of the season.
Health could be a factor in the outcome. The starting running back for each team is listed as questionable, but should the Bills’ LeSean McCoy be active and anywhere near 100 percent, the Dolphins will be in trouble. While working through a hamstring injury, McCoy averaged 5.9 yards a carry against the Patriots and is capable of shredding a Dolphins defense that is struggling mightily against the run even after adding Ndamukong Suh to the team’s talented front seven.
The Bills’ defense will be looking to bounce back, and it is a safe bet that Coach Rex Ryan will have his team motivated and ready after Tom Brady embarrassed them with 466 passing yards.
“The plan has to be better on defense,” Ryan told reporters. “You can’t give up 500 yards and beat anyone.”
Miami’s Ryan Tannehill is a quality young quarterback, but he is not Brady, and a Bills team looking to prove itself is in good position to do just that.
Pick: Bills
2. Atlanta Falcons (2-0) at Dallas Cowboys (2-0)
Line: Falcons by 1
The only matchup of unbeaten teams is not much of a marquee event now that Brandon Weeden is the starting quarterback for the Cowboys in the absence of the injured Tony Romo.
Jerry Jones, the Cowboys’ owner, has seen his effusive praise of Weeden mocked.
“He’s a thing of beauty on throwing a football,” Jones said in a radio interview. “His passing motion and his arm, frankly, you won’t see a more gifted passer, power, accuracy, the entire aspect of it.”
While it is true that Weeden was 7 for 7 for 73 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 in relief of Romo, he has started just eight games since his disappointing rookie season, and his team lost all eight.
The Cowboys will also be playing without Dez Bryant, who is recovering from foot surgery, though there was good news on the Jason Witten front. Witten, who has been dealing with sprained ankles and a sprained knee, practiced Wednesday and said that he expected to play. As beautiful as Weeden’s passes may look to Jones, they still require someone to catch them.
After a pair of comeback wins, the Falcons are healthier than the Cowboys. Quarterback Matt Ryan, who has always been a force at home, will get a chance to even his career record on the road, which stands at 28-29.
Pick: Falcons
3. Chicago Bears (0-2) at Seattle Seahawks (0-2)
Line: Seahawks by 16
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) at New England Patriots (2-0)
Line: Patriots by 14.5
The Jaguars have been an embarrassment for some time, and the Patriots are playing like a team with something to prove, so it makes sense that Las Vegas put a massive 14.5-point spread on the game. But that is not the largest spread of the week: The Seahawks, despite being 0-2, are favored at home by 16 points over the Bears.
One could assume the spread was based on the news that Kam Chancellor ended his holdout for Seattle, but a simpler explanation could be Las Vegas took one look at quarterback Jimmy Clausen and assumed the Bears are toast.
Clausen came on in relief of the injured Jay Cutler last week and managed to make the team’s offense, which looked inept, seem downright terrible. The Bears have not been forthcoming in terms of Cutler’s status, leaving the talented but underperforming Seahawks to have game plans in place for either Chicago’s mediocre quarterback or their bad one.
Presumably the Patriots came up with a game plan to beat the Jaguars, but it may have consisted mostly of reminding each other what time the game starts.
Pick: Seahawks and Patriots
4. Denver Broncos (2-0) at Detroit Lions (0-2)
Line: Broncos by 3
The plan to transition Peyton Manning into a game manager at the helm of a run-based approach is not going well despite the Broncos’ 2-0 record.
Coach Gary Kubiak is known for his love of grinding games out, but C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman have been stuffed for negative yardage on 17 of their 45 carries, leading to the team’s averaging just 65 yards a game on the ground. Manning, despite not having much zip left on his throws, has taken over by calling most of the plays out of the shotgun. It has worked so far, even though the offensive line has given him little protection.
This week things could fall more in line with what Kubiak expects, as the Lions’ run defense is still trying to fill a Ndamukong Suh-size hole in their front seven. Getting Anderson rolling would take a great deal of pressure off Manning, which would go a long way toward making everyone stop talking about how he probably should have retired.
Pick: Broncos
5. San Francisco 49ers (1-1) at Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
Line: Cardinals by 7
The Cardinals quietly built a quality team over the last several seasons only to be overshadowed by the Seahawks and the 49ers. With San Francisco’s vaunted defense having unraveled so thoroughly through retirements and off-field incidents that Eric Reid, a 23-year-old safety, took to Twitter to insist he was not considering retirement, one can almost picture quarterback Carson Palmer holding up the husk of the once-proud San Francisco franchise as the Mortal Kombat video game announcer commands, “Finish him!”
Pick: Cardinals
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Le’Veon Bell (25) returns from a two-game suspension for the Steelers this week.Credit
Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press
The Rest
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at St. Louis Rams (1-1)
Line: Even
DeAngelo Williams tied the Pittsburgh franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a game when he scored three against San Francisco last week. His reward will be a comfortable seat on the Steelers’ bench as the dynamic Le’Veon Bell returns from a two-game suspension and will be right back at the heart of the team’s offense.
“I’m going to play Le’Veon Bell,” Coach Mike Tomlin told reporters during the week when asked about how the workload will be split between Bell and Williams. “We’ll figure that out as we go. If 26 is available to us, we’re going to use him.”
The Rams have struggled against the run, making the one-two punch of Bell and Williams terrifying, especially since Ben Roethlisberger can stretch the field with his passing if St. Louis tries to cheat up front.
Pick: Steelers
New Orleans Saints (0-2) at Carolina Panthers (2-0)
Line: Panthers by 3
Cam Newton is only 26, but the only quarterback who has had more games with both a passing and a rushing touchdown is Steve Young. Last week, Newton had his 25th such game, passing the Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton. The rushing touchdown came on an incredible front flip into the end zone. Unlike the early part of his career, which came with plenty of highlights and quite a few losses, Newton has started to win. A Saints team limping along badly can expect to find itself three games behind the two-time defending champions of the N.F.C. South.
Pick: Panthers
Philadelphia Eagles (0-2) at Jets (2-0)
Line: Jets by 1
Rex Ryan was known more for his enthusiasm than his game-planning in his coaching tenure with the Jets. His replacement, Todd Bowles, approaches things somewhat differently. To him, a 2-0 start to the season means nothing more than the team will win at least two games.
“They know how long of a season it is and this just tells us we can be 2-14 right now,” Bowles told reporters.
Despite his lack of ebullience, Bowles made a strong statement about his happiness with the team’s start when he declared that Ryan Fitzpatrick would be his starting quarterback even when Geno Smith returns from injury.
The revamped Eagles have not played well, but the silver lining is that DeMarco Murray’s injured hamstring should not be much of an issue even if he sits out. The team would be more than capable of finding a replacement capable of matching his 0.52 yards a carry.
Pick: Jets
Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) at Baltimore Ravens (0-2)
Line: Ravens by 2.5
The Bengals’ offense has turned into an embarrassment of riches. The team has a bit of a running back controversy with Giovani Bernard taking much of Jeremy Hill’s playing time in Week 2, but any mixture of the two backs is very likely to be productive, especially with Andy Dalton having a new toy in Tyler Eifert. Eifert, a third-year tight end out of Notre Dame, has put up Rob Gronkowski-like numbers of 13 catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns through two games. That crew will be looking to give the Ravens their first ever 0-3 start.
Pick: Bengals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) at Houston Texans (0-2)
Line: Texans by 7
The Buccaneers are starting a rookie quarterback, Jameis Winston, against a defense that has J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Vince Wilfork and Brian Cushing. Even if the Texans have underperformed, a game at home against an inexperienced quarterback should be just what they need to get the bounce back in their step.
Pick: Texans
San Diego Chargers (1-1) at Minnesota Vikings (1-1)
Line: Vikings by 1
His failings as a head coach have been well documented, but Norv Turner is an accomplished offensive coordinator who is especially dangerous when he has a top running back. Last week, it looked as if Adrian Peterson still has plenty of tread left on his tires and could enjoy a renaissance provided he can keep himself on the field and follow Turner’s game plan.
Pick: Vikings
Oakland Raiders (1-1) at Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Line: Browns by 3
It is easy to see both sides of the Johnny Manziel debate. His champions point to last week’s win and the long connections he has made with Travis Benjamin. They cannot figure out why the team would send him back to the bench. His detractors counter that his early touchdowns to Benjamin in both weeks were followed by a lot of incomplete passes. Luckily for Cleveland fans, the Raiders are in town. Oakland has lost 19 of 20 on the road, and even a win last week could not provide much encouragement for a team that offers almost no defensive resistance.
Pick: Browns
Indianapolis Colts (0-2) at Tennessee Titans (1-1)
Line: Colts by 3
The good news about the Colts’ 0-2 start is that aberrations contributed mightily to Monday night’s loss to the Jets. Frank Gore, one of the most reliable running backs in N.F.L. history, lost a fumble at the goal line. Adam Vinatieri, one of the most dependable kickers in memory, missed a 29-yard field-goal attempt. The odds of those things happening again are slim. The bad news is the team is on the road against the upstart Titans, who seem to have improved immeasurably over last year’s awful showing.