Five NFL teams on upset alert for Week 3

Week 3 in the NFL has officially kicked off. Therefore, it is time to put some clubs on upset alert.

Whether it be injuries, the weather or just poor performances, some teams favored to win will fall wildly short of that goal.

Others may struggle to even get points on the board.  Meanwhile, a popular NFL franchise will be attempting to break its half century-long road losing record against a specific opponent.

With that, take note of the following five teams that we project will be upset in Week 3.

Tennessee Titans over Oakland Raiders

Both teams are 1-1 after two games. Along the way, Oakland’s defense has given up the farm in yards allowed each week.

It has been so bad that Ken Norton’s defense ranks dead last in pretty much every category.

It is now time for the Titans’ offense to take advantage. Quarterback Marcus Mariota should be primed to put up a stellar performance under these ideal conditions. He will surely add to the four passing touchdowns he already possesses on the season.

Meanwhile, the Titans’ defense has run a tight ship. It ranks 12th against the pass and has ceded only one touchdown through the air and zero on the ground. These unfriendly conditions will spell trouble for Derek Carr and the gang.

Minnesota Vikings over Carolina Panthers

Under adverse conditions, the Vikings will remain undefeated here. In Week 1, Minnesota won primarily because of its defensive efforts. Then, this past Sunday, it was Sam Bradford that led the charge at quarterback.

Bradford looked amazing when he handily outplayed Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Sunday’s win.

Regarding Carolina, it is coming off a huge win against a suspect San Francisco 49ers squad. The Panthers could be pounding some walls against Minnesota’s stingy defense — a defense that has given up a total of only 579 yards and 30 points on the season.

It’s also worth noting that the Vikings are 2-0 despite a lack of a rushing attack. With Adrian Peterson sidelined to injury, maybe Jerick McKinnon can get the ball rolling there.

Carolina has allowed three rushing touchdowns and an average of 106.5 rushing yards per game. It is a sneaky call, but the Vikings will win, sending Carolina to 1-2 on the season.

New York Giants over Washington Redskins

Washington is the only winless team in the NFC East.

Meanwhile, the Giants have pulled out two wins by narrow margins. The first one came against the Dallas Cowboys and rookie signal caller Dak Prescott by the score of 20-19. It wasn’t necessarily a tremendous all-around performance by New York.

Then, this past week, The Giants defeated New Orleans 16-13 without putting up as much as one offensive touchdown.

Instead of barely scraping by, the Giants are going to win by a landslide. They will face a defense that has already surrendered 408.5 yards and 32.5 points per game. Eli Manning and his trio of wide receivers will have a complete field day.

On the other side, Kirk Cousins has reverted to 2014 form. He has thrown only one touchdown compared to three interceptions in two starts. New York’s defense has allowed only one passing touchdown in 89 passing attempts.

The Giants’ offense is primed to post that high-scoring game fans have been itching for.

Los Angeles Rams over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Rams were horrendous mess in Week 1. This was quite the opposite from Jameis Winston’s four-touchdown performance in the season opener. If these two teams were coming off those performances, it would be foolish to pick Los Angeles.

After what we saw from each team in Week 2, it’s a little more likely that the Rams will earn a win come Sunday. Here’s a defense that dealt the Seattle Seahawks a major blow last week, holding Russell Wilson and Co. to just three points. That’s quite the effort right there.

On the other hand, Winston and Co. scored one touchdown in a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week. Winston himself was terrible, committing five turnovers in the game.

This doesn’t even take into account the fact that Tampa’s defense yielded 416 total yards and 40 points to the Cardinals.

Those waiting for Todd Gurley to break out will have to wait no longer. The Bucs’ defense just ceded 101 yards and a score to Arizona. Gurley should have himself a field day here.

At the same time, the Buccaneers are going to have a heck of a time gaining any momentum against Los Angeles’ defense. As a result, the Rams will win by at least a couple of touchdowns.

Philadelphia Eagles over Pittsburgh Steelers

If history keeps repeating, the Eagles will prevail at home against the Steelers on Sunday.

Philadelphia has not lost at home to its cross-state rivals since 1965. If history tells us anything it’s that a rookie quarterback will lead his home team to a third consecutive win to start the season.

Carson Wentz has performed splendidly in the team’s first two games. He has three touchdowns and zero picks. He also seems to looks like a natural leader under center. Even Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin agrees.

The Steelers are also 2-0. But it is worth noting that Big Ben has already thrown three interceptions compared to his six touchdowns. He could fall victim to some Philly jitters. The last time Roethlisberger stepped foot in Philadelphia, was when he nearly had the life sacked out of him back in 2008.

“I remember getting sacked 8 or 9 times. I remember driving home from the airport after that game and thinking to myself, ‘do I want to keep doing this? Do I really want to keep playing football, per pittsburgh.cbslocal.com.”

This is going to be a terrific matchup when the Eagles do the unexpected and dish Pittsburgh its first loss.