The Denver Broncos, 1-2, will travel to Tennessee to face Chris Johnson and the 2-1 Titans. Broncos QB Kyle Orton has had an impressive start to the season, to say the least, and while Chris Johnson may not be posting the ridiculous statistics people expected, he has still looked like the best running back in the league this side of Adrian Peterson thus far in 2010.
On offense, these teams are almost polar opposites; while Denver has found success through the air with a ragtag group of receivers, Tennessee has run the ball 34 times per game, third most in the NFL.
The undefeated Pittsburg Steelers will play host to the 2-1 Baltimore Ravens. With backup QBs Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch at the helm, the Steelers have beaten down the Falcons, Titans and Buccaneers, all teams with winning records. It seems as though the steel curtain is in full force this season, only allowing 33 points thus far. Baltimore’s defense is top notch as well, giving up 41 points in 2010.
Scoring chances in this matchup will come sparingly, so this game may be decided by which team’s offense capitalizes on those opportunities.
Under the command of veteran QB Donovan Mcnabb, the Washington Redskins, 1-2, have looked inconsistent after three weeks. They started the season with a victory over the Cowboys, then followed that up with a tough loss to Houston and a poor performance against St. Louis. Maybe what the Redskins need is another divisional matchup, and in week four, they’ll get one as they face off against the 2-1 Philadelphia Eagles. It will be interesting to see how far Mcnabb’s will to win can carry the Redskins in this game versus his former team, who is now led by versatile Michael Vick. Though Vick has looked much improved at the QB position from his years in Atlanta, he has won two games against Detroit and Jacksonville, two of the worst pass defenses in the league.
Who would have thought that the Chicago Bears, 3-0, would be the NFC North leaders after defeating Green Bay on Monday Night Football? In fact, they are now the only team in the NFC to be undefeated. Maybe just as surprising is how the New York Giants, 1-2, are playing to begin the season. The Giants only win of the year came against Carolina, and even then, Eli Manning was picked three times.
However, they will be playing at home, so expect to see the Giants fight hard to get back to relevancy.
The New England Patriots, 2-1, haven’t seemed like the same Patriots from recent memory, mainly because they aren’t. New England has a very young defense this season, and it has showed, allowing 82 points, in which 30 of those points came against the Buffalo Bills. The Miami Dolphins, 2-1, have proved so far in 2010 that they will be a force in the AFC, both on offense and defense.
Despite falling short of a victory, QB Chad Henne had a great game against the Jets defense on Monday night en route to scoring 23 points. However, if the Patriots defense can shape up in time for the Dolphins, Tom Brady and his high powered offense will find a way to win.
Daniel Feingold can be reached at minaret.sports@gmail.com.