Another week, another list of potential upsets. Week 2 saw quite a few major upsets: the Las Vegas Raiders over the Baltimore Ravens, the New Orleans Saints over the Dallas Cowboys, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Detroit Lions. Not to mention, the Minnesota Vikings over the San Francisco 49ers. In Week 3, there’s potential for more upsets on the way and just like last week, we will give our five teams on upset alert. Among notable games this week: Texans-Vikings, Steelers-Chargers, Chiefs-Falcons, Bears-Colts, and Packers-Titans. Buckle up.
Houston Texans against the Minnesota Vikings
The Texans are two-point favorites this week against the Vikings. Both teams are 2-0 and coming off victories this past weekend. Minnesota had perhaps the biggest upset when they beat the 49ers, 23-17. The Texans are coming off a hard fought win against the Chicago Bears, 19-13. We have Houston on upset alert this week.
Why the Week 3 upset?
The reason why we believe the Texans are on upset alert is because of the Vikings’ defense. As good as the Texans are on offense with a multitude of weapons, led by wide receiver Nico Collins, the Vikings’ defense has given up 23 points combined over the first two weeks and has 11 sacks. It’s the ultimate chess match between a great offense and a great defense.
Pittsburgh Steelers against the Los Angeles Chargers
The Steelers are two-point favorites this week against the Los Angeles Chargers. Both teams are 2-0 and coming off victories this past weekend. Pittsburgh pulled off a road win against the Denver Broncos, 13-6. The Chargers blew out the Carolina Panthers 26-3. We have the Steelers on upset alert this week.
Why the Week 3 upset?
The reason why we believe the Steelers are on upset alert is because the Chargers can match the Steelers’ style of offense: running the football on a consistent basis. Last week, the Chargers ran all over the Panthers’ defense, accumulating 219 yards on the ground. Look for Los Angeles to repeat the same formula this week, against a tough Steelers defense.
Tennessee Titans against the Green Bay Packers
The Titans are two-point favorites this week against the Green Bay Packers. Tennessee is 0-2 coming off another gut-wrenching loss, this time against the New York Jets, 24-17. The Packers are 1-1 coming off a win against the Indianapolis Colts without starting quarterback Jordan Love. Love suffered a knee injury in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Why the Week 3 upset?
The reason why we believe the Titans are on upset alert is because the Packers have done two things extremely well over the first two weeks: run the ball on offense and create turnovers on defense.
Despite Green Bay missing Love last week, the team ran all over the Colts’ defense for 261 yards. While the Titans are certainly tougher to run against, Green Bay has totaled 422 rushing yards the first two weeks. Defensively, the Packers lead the league in interceptions with five. Titans quarterback Will Levis is prone to giving the ball away, so it could be a long day for Tennessee’s offense.
Indianapolis Colts against the Chicago Bears
The Colts are two-point favorites this week against the Bears. Chicago is coming off a disappointing 19-13 loss against the Houston Texans on Sunday night to drop their record to 1-1. The Colts, meanwhile, are 0-2 after losing to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Why the Week 3 upset?
The reason why we believe the Colts are on upset alert is because the Bears’ defense will wreak havoc.
Despite a disappointing offensive output the first two games, Chicago’s defense has held their first two opponents under 20 points and generated four turnovers. The one bright side working in the Bears’ favor is that the Colts have the worst run defense in the league as they gave up 263 yards to the Green Bay Packers. If the Bears get the running game going, it could be a long day for the Colts.
Kansas City Chiefs against the Atlanta Falcons
The Chiefs are three-point favorites this week against the Falcons. The Falcons are coming off a stunning upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-21, on Monday night. Kansas City, on the other hand, is coming off a nail-biting 26-25 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. We have KC on upset alert, once again, for a second straight week.
Why the Week 3 upset?
The reason why we believe the Chiefs are on upset alert is because they are missing a key weapon offensively: running back Isiah Pacheco. He fractured his fibula in last week’s game against the Bengals and will be out for six-to-eight weeks.
Pacheco, being an every down running back and getting the majority of the carries, is what opens up the entire offense. Now, the Chiefs are going with running back by committee for the time being. We shall see what happens.