Week 2 is in the books, and we’ve experienced a lot of action in the first couple of weeks. The Packers dominated their Commanders in their win. The biggest headline from Week 2 must be Joe Burrow going down with a toe injury. The injury required surgery, and he’ll miss anywhere between 12 to 14 weeks. My Week 2 record was 10-6, which has my overall record at 21-11. My winning percentage dips down a little from 68.75 to 65.6%, with the goal still being at 70%. The Miami Dolphins falling to the New England Patriots was my first defeat. My second loss came when the 49ers defeated the Saints with Brock Purdy missing the game. The Seattle Seahawks used their stout defense to go to Pittsburgh and defeat the Steelers for my third defeat. Indianapolis used a field goal as time expired to beat Denver for my fourth loss.
The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch for my fifth loss. The Eagles blew out the Chiefs and thought the Chiefs wouldn’t start the season 0-2. The resilient Tampa Bay Bucs went to Houston and beat the Texans for my sixth and final loss. I’ll be predicting all the games once again this week. Check out Trav’s NFL Week 3 predictions for 2025 season.
The Thursday Night game will feature a matchup between AFC East rivals. The winless Miami Dolphins will head to Buffalo to take on the Bills. The Dolphins have opened their season with a pair of losses. Miami was picked to finish second in my AFC East predictions at the beginning of the season. If the Dolphins have another loss, that could be the beginning of changes being made. Can Miami pull off the upset? Buffalo has started the season with a 2-0 record after a couple of tough wins. Josh Allen didn’t have his usual MVP performance against the Jets, but the run game took over. The Bills are dealing with some injuries on the defensive side. With the injuries, can the Bills defense pressure Tua into turnovers? I’m expecting a big game from Josh Allen in another win for the Bills. Buffalo Win 31-21
The Green Bay Packers will hit the road and head to Cleveland to battle the Browns. Green Bay dominated in their wins over Detroit and Washington. The defense is looking like one of the best in the league after a pair of games. The offense has looked great also, but they are dealing with a couple of injuries at the wide receiver position. The Packers have become the favorites in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl after two games. Cleveland is headed in the opposite direction of the Packers. The Browns are 0-2, and changes should happen if they lose this game. Shadeur Sanders and Dillion Gabriel sit behind Joe Flacco, and one of them should play. With Deshaun Watson coming back next season, the Browns need to see what they have moving forward. The Packers should easily win this one. Green Bay Win 24-13
The Indianapolis Colts will head to Tennessee to face the Titans in an AFC North matchup. The Colts have surprised a lot of people with their 2-0 start. Daniel Jones has resurrected his career with this Colts team. Jones has thrown for almost 600 yards in two games, and Jonathan Taylor has rushed for over 230 yards. The defense has only given up an average of 18 points in those games. Are the Colts legit? Tennessee has begun this season with a pair of losses, and opposing defenses have frustrated Cam Ward. Tennessee has one of the worst offenses by scoring 31 points in two games. The defense isn’t much better by allowing 53 points in two games this season. This is another tough matchup for the Titans, but they’ll keep it close, and still fall. Indianapolis Win 27-20
The Cincinnati Bengals will travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. Cincinnati is off to one of its better starts in years. The Bengals are 2-0 but will be without Joe Burrow for the Foreseeable future. Burrow is expected to miss about three months after having toe surgery. Jake Browning will take over as the starting quarterback. Browning has experience as their starter after Burrow suffered a previous injury. Can Browning lead the Bengals to a 3-0 record? Minnesota is dealing with an injury to its quarterback. J.J. McCarthy has a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. Carson Wentz steps in as the new starter for Minnesota. The defense of the Vikings is better than the Bengals one. I’m going with the Vikings to win in a close, low-scoring game. Minnesota Win 20-17
The Pittsburgh Steelers will make a trip north to New England to face the Patriots. Pittsburgh is coming off a less-than-stellar performance in its loss to Seattle. The Steelers offense stalled against the tough Seahawks defense. The defense is one of the worst scoring units in the league, giving up 63 points in two games. Pittsburgh must find a run and passing game and get DK Metcalf involved. Can Pittsburgh turn things around? New England pulled off the win in Miami against the division rival Dolphins. Drake Maye had arguably his best game as a pro. The defense made key plays at the end of the game to secure the win. The defense still allowed Tua to pick them apart throughout the game. This is a tough game to pick, but I’m picking the Steelers to win on the road. Pittsburgh Win 24-20
The Los Angeles Rams will make another trip to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. This is a rematch of their close Divisional Round game last season, where the Eagles won. This is the third meeting between these two teams since last season. In both games, Saquon Barkley rushed for career highs against this Rams team. The Rams will do everything in their power to make sure Barkley doesn’t beat them. Los Angeles is one of the teams expected to challenge Philly in the NFC. The Eagles defense has been on point, but the offense hasn’t looked good. The pass game has been nonexistent, but if they’re going to win, they need to show up. It feels like the Eagles have been on the brink of losing a game despite being 2-0. It’s hard to beat a team three times in a row, so I’m picking the Rams. Los Angeles Win 27-21
The New York Jets will travel south to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers. The Jets have started the season 0-2 and are in need of a win. Justin Fields will miss this game because he suffered a concussion in the Buffalo game. New York did lose to Buffalo 30-10, and the Bills ran the ball down the throats of New York. Tyrod Taylor will make the start for the Jets, and he’s a quality backup for New York. Tampa Bay enters this game with a 2-0 record after two close wins over Atlanta and Houston. The Bucs have used their running game to control the games. Tampa Bay continues to show a championship pedigree despite not playing its best football. I’m picking the Bucs to find a way to win their third consecutive game. Tampa Bay Win 24-17
The Las Vegas Raiders will head to Washington to battle the Commanders. Both teams enter this game with a 1-1 record. Las Vegas fell to the Chargers on Monday Night and only scored nine points. A week after setting a franchise record in passing yards, Geno Smith threw three picks. Ashton Jeanty has mentioned that he’s not getting enough touches, also. The defense is doing its job, seeing that they’re tied for fifth in scoring defense. Washington is coming off a loss in Green Bay after winning their home opener. The big news out of Washington is the availability of Jayden Daniels. Daniels is dealing with a sprained knee, and Marcus Mariota may get the start. The Commanders defense has been effective, but with the Daniels injury and Ekeler missing the season is troublesome on offense. I’m riding with the Commanders to still win. Washington Win 21-17
The Atlanta Falcons will travel a little north to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers. The Falcons defense showed how good it could be during their Sunday Night game in Minnesota. Atlanta got after J.J. McCarthy the entire game and only held the Vikings to six points. On offense, Kyle Pitts is starting to show why he was drafted so high as a tight end. Bijan Robinson continues to show why he’s one of the best running backs in the league. After ending last season on a high note, the Panthers have begun this season 0-2. Chuba Hubbard has gotten off to a slow start, and Bryce Young’s QBR is below 30. The defense has given up at least 26 points in both losses. This feels like a must-win for the Panthers, but I’m picking the Falcons to win. Atlanta Win 31-21
We have a battle between AFC South foes as the Houston Texans head to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. Houston was my pick to win the AFC South this season, but they have started the year 0-2. The Texans have the worst scoring offense in the league. The passing offense is bottom five, and they average under 100 yards on the ground. The good thing about the Texans is their defense because they’re one of the best in the league. Jacksonville lost to Cincinnati last week, and that put them at 1-1. Jacksonville is currently the best in the league when it comes to rushing. They are in the middle of the pack when it comes to the passing game. Can Brian Thomas Jr. shake off his tough start to the season? I’m rolling with the Texans to find a way to win. Houston Win 24-23
We have a major matchup between two great AFC West teams. The Denver Broncos head to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers. Both teams made my top 5 AFC teams heading into the new season. Denver is coming off a tough loss in Indianapolis on a field goal as time expired. After a rookie season where Bo Nix had limited turnovers, he’s thrown three picks in two games. The defense was one of the best a season ago, but it fell to the middle of the pack after two games. Justin Herbert has begun the season on a mission and proven to be one of the best QBs in the league. Quentin Johnston looks like he’s close to breaking out and being a legit No. 1 receiver. The defense will suffer after losing Khalil Mack, but they will win this one. Los Angeles Win 24-21
The New Orleans Saints will take a trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks. New Orleans dropped their first two games against two other NFC West teams. The Saints fell to Arizona and San Francisco at home. They hit the road for the first time this season and don’t have a win to show for. The offense is struggling as they’ve only put up a total of 34 points in those two games. The defense is on the field too much to be effective. Seattle is coming off an impressive road win in Pittsburgh. The Seahawks frustrated Aaron Rodgers all day in the win. The offense is starting to click with Sam Darnold at the helm. After seeing the Seahawks play, this team could surprise some teams, and they should win this one. Seattle Win 27-17
We have the Dallas Cowboys making a trip north to Chicago to take on the Bears. Dallas is coming off an impressive win in their home opener against the Giants. Dak threw for over 360 yards in the win, and the run game looked better. The defense couldn’t stop Russell Wilson, seeing he threw for 450 yards. The Cowboys defense looks like it’ll be an issue all season. Can they contain the winless Bears and their struggling offense? Chicago is coming off a blowout loss on the road against Detroit. The defense ranks last in scoring, and we knew they would after giving up 52 points. Chicago and their offense could get back on track against this Dallas defense. Can the Bears finally get their first win of the season? I’m picking the Bears in an upset to beat the Cowboys. Chicago Win 31-27
We head out west as the Arizona Cardinals will travel to San Francisco to face the 49ers. The Cardinals and Niners are two of three unbeaten teams in the NFC West. Arizona defeated the Saints and Panthers in their first two games. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense are averaging 170 yards in the air. The defense ranks in the top 10 in scoring, but they did play Carolina and New Orleans. Are the Cardinals legit, or was it due to playing a pair of mediocre teams? San Francisco enters this game undefeated despite the injuries. Mac Jones relieved the injured Brock Purdy and threw for almost 280 yards and 3 TDs in their win. Can the Niners win another without Purdy and George Kittle to remain undefeated? I’m going with the Niners to beat Arizona and remain atop their division. San Francisco Win 24-20
We have the Sunday Night game as the Kansas City Chiefs head to New York to meet the Giants. We have a battle between two 0-2 teams. The Chiefs lost their first two games against the Chargers and Eagles. Kansas City ranks in the bottom 10 when it comes to scoring offense. The Chiefs are averaging below 20 points in their first two games. If that’s not enough, Patrick Mahomes leads the team in rushing. New York began their season with a pair of losses to rival NFC East teams. The Giants lost to Washington and Dallas on the road. Will this being their home opener, how will they fare? Can Russell Wilson have another career game in passing? How will the defense play against a desperate Patrick Mahomes? It’s hard to envision the Chiefs starting the season with a 0-3 record, so I’m picking them. Kansas City Win 23-17
We have the Monday Night game, and this could be a potential Super Bowl matchup in a few months. The Detroit Lions will head to Baltimore to face the Ravens. After Detroit lost its opener in Green Bay, people questioned this team. Last week, they looked like the Lions from the past couple of years after scoring 52 points. The offense looked like they were back in sync. The defense still has some holes in it, seeing that they’re allowing 24 points per game. Baltimore had a disappointing Week 1 loss in Buffalo to open the season. The Ravens were my top team in the AFC heading into this season. It feels like they’re poised to break through and make the Super Bowl. They will face a tough Lions team, and I’m picking the Ravens to take care of business at home. Baltimore Win 38-31
What do you think about my NFL Week 3 picks for the 2025 season? What games would you pick differently? Below, you can check out my playoff matchups based on my picks. Leave some feedback below about anything related to my NFL Week 3 picks for the 2025 season.
