NFL Week 3 Picks: Chargers-Vikings Shootout; Bengals In Trouble?

It's that time of the week again, as NESN.com's Mike Cole and Ricky Doyle return to give their NFL Week 3 picks.

We have now seen two weeks of football, and as expected, it's hard to make too many definitive statements. However, with nine 0-2 teams, we could start to get a much better idea about which teams already are looking at a lost season.

There might not be a better example of that than the Sunday matchup between the Vikings and Chargers in Minnesota, where two teams who opened the season with Super Bowl odds of 40-1 or shorter now are basically fighting for their seasons.

Or how about the Bengals? Cincinnati is staring 0-3 in the face before a Monday night matchup with the Rams in which Joe Burrow might not even play.

Mike and Ricky navigated those waters as they made their Week 3 ATS picks. Before getting into those picks, here's how the guys fared in Week 2.

Here are their NFL Week 3 picks.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 21

New York Giants at (-10) San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET
Mike: 49ers.
Ricky: 49ers.

Even if you want to call the Giants' comeback win over the Cardinals last week impressive, it kind of disregards the fact they were down 28-0 ... to the Cardinals. This matchup feels much closer to the Week 1 showdown with Dallas, a game the Giants obviously lost 40-0. San Fran should roll. --MC

SUNDAY, SEPT. 24

Indianapolis Colts at (-8) Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m.
Mike: Ravens.
Ricky: Colts.

Don't overreact to the Colts' quarterback situation, with Gardner Minshew replacing an injured Anthony Richardson. Minshew is a viable backup. The Ravens are more banged up right now, continuing a years-long trend in Baltimore. A soggy forecast could make for an ugly game. --RD

Tennessee Titans at (-3) Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.
Mike: Titans.
Ricky: Browns.

Hard to make sense of either of these teams through two weeks, so I guess there are worse ideas than taking the points with Mike Vrabel. The Browns, despite their impressive Week 1 performance, might be an auto-fade for the time being given just how bad Deshaun Watson has looked. Maybe it gets better as the season progresses, but losing Nick Chubb for the year probably won't help. --MC

Atlanta Falcons at (-3.5) Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.
Mike: Falcons.
Ricky: Falcons.

Fun rookie running back matchup here, with Bijan Robinson of the Falcons and Jahmyr Gibbs of the Lions. Robinson and Gibbs were selected eighth and 12th, respectively, in the 2023 NFL Draft. This game could be decided by who isn't available, though, as Detroit is dealing with several key injuries. There certainly appears to be value on the upstart Falcons catching points as the market adjusts to who they were, who they are and who they could be. --RD

New Orleans Saints at (-2) Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m.
Mike: Packers.
Ricky: Packers.

The Packers are gonna be a hard team to handicap all season, and Week 2 was a perfect example of that. They're pretty good, but the growing pains are undeniable, and there are going to be weeks where it blows up in their face. Given how good New Orleans' defense has been, this could be one of those weeks. However, the Packers defense should thrive against offenses that struggle to run the ball or have immobile quarterbacks. They should be able to pin their ears back against Derek Carr and eke out a low-scoring win in their home debut. --MC

Houston Texans at (-10) Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.
Mike: Texans.
Ricky: Texans.

This feels like a potential lookahead spot for the Jaguars, playing an inferior divisional opponent with back-to-back London games on the schedule in Weeks 4 and 5. Take the points. --RD

Denver Broncos at (-6.5) Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m.
Mike: Broncos.
Ricky: Broncos.

The Broncos will probably find a way to lose this game. There's an undeniable stink on them, even with Sean Payton calling the shots, and the Dolphins are getting Super Bowl buzz. However, the Dolphins eked out a Week 1 win in Los Angeles before holding on to beat the Patriots last week. The two wins haven't exactly been decisive. Meanwhile, Denver is 0-2 but has just a minus-3 point differential. They're good enough to keep it close even if they're not good enough to win it outright. --MC

Los Angeles Chargers at (-1) Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.
Mike: Vikings.
Ricky: Chargers.

The only thing we can say with certainty: This game will come down to the wire and probably end in weird fashion. That's just how these teams operate, even stretching back before this season. All told, the Chargers still seemingly have the better roster. LA in a shootout. --RD

(-2.5) New England Patriots at New York Jets, 1 p.m.
Mike: Jets.
Ricky: Patriots.

This could be a Chicken Little game for the Patriots. Yes, New England has won 14 straight against the Jets. Yes, Zach Wilson stinks. And yes, I said this week on "The Spread" that you should not bet the Jets. But go back and look at the two matchups last year. In the first, a moronic roughing the passer penalty took a game-changing Jets touchdown off the board. In the second, the Patriots broke a 3-3 tie in the final seconds with an 84-yard punt return touchdown (that maybe should have been called back). The Jets have been competitive against the Patriots -- they just need to get rid of those back-breaking plays. Why not now? --MC

(-6.5) Buffalo Bills at Washington Commanders, 1 p.m.
Mike: Commanders.
Ricky: Commanders.

This is a different kind of challenge for Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, who rallied Washington to comeback victories against Arizona and Denver (two inferior opponents). But it won't be a walk in the park for Bills QB Josh Allen, either, as the Commanders' pass rush is no joke. Toss in some sloppy weather, and the under feels like the real play here. --RD

Carolina Panthers at (-6) Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m.
Mike: Seahawks.
Ricky: Panthers.

The Panthers' greatest strength is their defense, but they come into this game with major injury concerns on that side of the ball. Linebacker Shaq Thompson and cornerback Jaycee Horn are on injured reserve. After opening with Atlanta and New Orleans, this is the most talented offense they have played so far. It doesn't help that Bryce Young is already hobbled by an ankle injury. Even with a healthy Young, there's a good chance the Seahawks would get right against the 28th-ranked offense by DVOA. --MC

(-12) Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m.
Mike: Cardinals.
Ricky: Cardinals.

Maybe the Cowboys get caught peeking ahead to Bill Belichick's Week 4 arrival and a road primetime matchup with the 49ers in Week 5. Or maybe they win by 100. Just feels a little trappy at that number. --RD

Chicago Bears at (-12.5) Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m.
Mike: Chiefs.
Ricky: Chiefs.

It's obviously a huge number to lay with a team that hasn't looked especially dominant, at least not yet. However, it's the Chiefs' defense that really is worth noting here. KC has allowed just 23 (offensive) points through two weeks against Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence, two QBs ranked in the top five highest-graded so far by Pro Football Focus. Now, here comes Justin Fields, who's leading an inept offense and spouting off about coaching, while weird rumors swirl around defensive coordinator Alan Williams' departure. The Bears are even more of a mess than usual, and it's hard to see how they can give the Chiefs anything resembling a game. --MC

Pittsburgh Steelers at (-2.5) Las Vegas Raiders, 8:20 p.m.
Mike: Steelers.
Ricky: Raiders.

Everyone is overrating Pittsburgh's defense because of how much the unit popped on "Monday Night Football" in Week 2. The Browns still outgained the Steelers in that game, averaging 5 yards per play, and would've emerged victorious if not for four turnovers, including a fourth-quarter fumble-return TD. The Steelers' offense, meanwhile, has serious flaws, beginning with its ability to protect Kenny Pickett. --RD

MONDAY, SEPT. 25

(-5) Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:15 p.m.
Mike: Eagles.
Ricky: Eagles.

It's not surprising to see Philly struggle to put forth a 60-minute effort through two weeks. The Eagles rested their starters in the preseason, and this team is far more concerned with peaking for the postseason than looking good in September. That being said: Tampa Bay is the NFL's worst 2-0 team. --MC

Los Angeles Rams at (-2) Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m.
Mike: Bengals.
Ricky: Bengals.

Honestly, without knowing Joe Burrow's status, who the heck knows? The dropoff from him to Jake Browning obviously is significant. But the Bengals are in desperation mode. They absolutely need this. --RD