FRIDAY AFTERNOON QUARTERBACK: NFL WEEK 3

BY ADAM GREENE

Well, it happened. The Carolina Panthers are 3-0 and somehow the sun didn’t explode. If you had told me that the Panthers would open the season undefeated a month ago, I would have assumed you had either suffered a massive head injury or traveled here from another universe in the multiverse, a Marvel’s What If? type scenario where you were from a world where only Uatu, the Watcher, can explain why the Panthers aren’t a moldering sack of garbage.

But, no. This is real. It’s happening. And with their schedule, it could keep happening. Even with Christian McCaffery going down with a hamstring injury, this is a team that could wind up in the playoffs thanks to a slatee that includes just six games against teams that finished 2020 with a winning record. And four of those are against the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of which Carolina has already beaten.

Sam Darnold, even without McCaffery, was fine Thursday night in their 24-9 win over the Houston Texans. He finished 22 of 34 for 304 yards and, most importantly, no interceptions. D.J. Moore caught eight passes for 126 yards and if it had happened against any other team than the Texans, it might mean something. They play at the Dallas Cowboys next week and, as long as Mike McCarthy is coaching on the sidelines instead of running an Iowa Waffle House as is his destiny, anything can happen.

Fun fact: this marks the first Thursday night game where I’ve picked correctly against the spread. It only took me three weeks.

Let’s see if I can keep the magic going.

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (+7.5, O/U: 52)

It’s always fun to see who the final undefeated team in the NFL will be and how long they’ll make it. The 2-0 Cardinals can enjoy their run while it lasts, because after this they have the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns back to back to back. Cardinals 34, Jaguars 20

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (-5, O/U: 48)

The Titans won in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks, the 12^th man fanbase and a seven man officiating crew that reffed the game like they had the Seattle moneyline. Tennessee still managed to get the victory, put their season back on track, and are now set to face a Colts team with Jacob Eason at QB. Titans 45, Colts 10

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM AT BUFFALO BILLS (-7.5, O/U: 45)

Buffalo played like the team everyone expected them to be this offseason in a 35-0 curb stomp of the Miami Dolphins. Washington played better, with a young QB in Taylor Heinicke, that would be working a desk job right now if not for a late season call from WFT in 2020. Is he the next Kurt Warner? Probably not. But he could be the next Brad Johsnon. Unfortunately for him and Washington, Johnson, on his best say, was no Josh Allen. Bills 31, WFT 23

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-3, O/U: 42)

Jameis Winston is a guy that needs a lot of coaching help to succeed on the field. Last week, with the Saints sitting eight coaches thanks to the COVID-19 protocols, Winston took the gridiron alone, with only his wits and talent and we know how that usually goes. The coaches are back this week and I expect Week 1 Jameis to make his triumphant return, denying the media their chance to add one more stitch to Mac Jones’ golden Hall of Fame jacket. Saints 27, Patriots 16

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (-6.5, O/U: 54.5)

For a Chargers team coming off a stinging last minute loss to the Dallas Cowboys, facing a Chiefs team coming off a stinging last second loss to the Baltimore Ravens is not ideal. I like LA. I like them to make the playoffs at the end of the year. I also like them to start the year 1-2. Chiefs 34, Chargers 30

ATLANTA FALCONS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (-3, O/U: 47.5)

Here it is people. If you were looking for the worst game of week 3 you found it in MetLife Stadium. Matt Ryan had the chance to storm back last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but instead turned the ball over twice, serving up pick sixes on a platter complete with side salads, loaded baked potatoes and a top-shelf wine from his favorite sommelier. Daniel Jones did just the opposite, playing his ass off for New York and posting the highest Pro Football Focus QB grade of the week. They still lost. With both these squads 0-2, somebody has to pick up their first win of the season and I’m going with the home team. Grudgingly. Giants 24, Falcons 20

CHICAGO BEARS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (-7, O/U: 45)

The Justin Fields era has officially begun for the Bears against probably the worst possible team to begin it. It’s a good thing that Fields is mobile, because the Browns edge rushers are a couple of the best in the league. Baker Mayfield isn’t 100 percent, but the injury is to his non-throwing shoulder. Lucky for him, he could have Odell Beckham Jr. to throw to with his right arm, taking the spot belonging to Jarvis Landry, who’s on IR. Browns 31, Bears 20

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT DETROIT LIONS (-8.5, O/U: 50)

You could call this game the Stupid Bowl, after both these teams unleashed two of the dumbest quarterback plays of the season in Week 2. For the Ravens, it was Lamar Jackson purposefully vaulting into the end zone untouched in what would, by sheer luck, turn into a victory over the Chiefs, injuring his hip in the process. Because what you really want from Jackson as your QB is have him limited with what he can do with this legs. As for Detroit, you had maybe the old school NFL Films Football Folly of the year when Jared Goff dropped back to pass and forced his own fumble by patting the ball too hard with his left hand. Honestly, there may not be a more apt play to sum up Goff’s career at this point. Either way, one-legged Lamar or not, the Ravens are gonna kill em. Ravens 45, Lions 16

CINCINNATI BENGALS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-3, O/U: 43)

Both teams are coming off losses, but Cincinnati has to feel they let their game against the Bears get away. The final score was 20-17, with a Joe Burrow pick six turning out to be the difference. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh didn’t bother showing up against the Las Vegas Raiders until the fourth quarter. Cincinnati walked all over the Steelers less than a year ago with Ryan Finley at QB. Still, I like Pittsburgh at home. Steelers 27, Bengals 23

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (-4, O/U: 44.5)

The sky isn’t falling with Jacoby Brissett at QB for the Dolphins, but it’s a gut punch when they were getting what they’d hoped out of Tua Tagovailoa. Meanwhile, for the Raiders, Derek Carr has suddenly become the scariest player to bet against in the league. I say it stays that way. Raiders 34, Dolphins 24

NEW YORK JETS AT DENVER BRONCOS (-10.5, O/U: 41.5)

Another week, another awful Jets loss coming with Von Miller already circling contract incentives while watching film of New York’s offensive line. The knock on Teddy Bridgewater for years was that he was too eager to check down, but maybe that had more to do with the teams he was on, since he’s airing it out in Denver. Perhaps he just needed to play farther away from sea level. Broncos 38, Jets 13

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (+1, O/U: 55.5)

This game opened with the Rams as -1 favorites, but the bettors couldn’t stand for that. Now, Los Angeles is the underdog in its own house facing a team they knocked off 27-24 on the road a year ago. Tampa Bay  dispatched the Falcons with ease, but the Rams are an entirely different animal. And games like this, with perhaps NFC home field at stake, are exactly why Sean McVay and Los Angeles traded for Matthew Stafford in the first place. Rams 30, Bucs 27

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (+1, O/U: 54.5)

It’s so rare for the Seahawks to be involved in just a regular football game that, at this point, a Sasquatch could streak the field and all I’d do is complain that the Fox camera crews panned away as he was tackled by security. This game should not be close, so the books making it a one-point affair is taking the chaos that comes with four quarters of Seattle football into account. I’m still saying they cruise. It could be in an alien spacecraft, but they’ll cruise. Seahawks 38, Vikings 23

Last week

Straight up: 11-5

Against the spread: 7-9

Season

Straight up: 21-11

Against the spread: 16-16

The NFL season is underway and the Week 3 Schedule is up and taking bets at BetOnline.AG.

Follow our BetOnline Twitter account for the latest sports news and betting odds, and stay tuned on the Instagram feed for more good information too