The Touchdown Three: Week 3

By Paul Mainwaring

Striving for Perfection

Well that was much better wasn’t it? I rode my luck to get a push in the Bears game, but you can never complain about a 2-0-1 week. The next challenge is to go 3-0. Is this the week to do it? Well let us get to my picks so I can show how I intend to get to 3-0 in Week 3.

Week 2: 2-0-1

Overall Record: 3-2-1

Raiders @ Vikings -8

If you don’t already know, I am a Washington fan. When I hear (especially Vikings fans) talk about Kirk Cousins, I laugh. It is like they thought he would change when he moved. Let’s  us all be honest, that is naïve. Kirk is great against the bad teams and horrific against the good ones, he has been like that his entire career, and I have the scars to prove it.

After 5 quarters of the Raiders season everything was great. They had won their first game and were beating the Chiefs, then the Chiefs woke up. It wasn’t pretty after that with Mahomes throwing 4 TDs in one quarter. I think the Raiders have exceeded my expectations so far, but that would not be hard.

Cousins has a career 29-12-2 record against teams without a winning record. The Raiders are 1-1, therefore I am taking the Vikings.

Saints @ Seahawks -4

Week 3, Taysom Hill

One of the worst phrases in sports is ‘Don’t worry they will be back next year’. After the blown call in the NFC title game everyone thought the Saints would be back, but now with Brees injured and turning 41 soon the Saints’ window is closing fast.

I saw the below on Twitter after the Seahawks win last week and I have to marvel at the energy of Pete Carroll.

He is a great coach, and he has his team rolling at 2-0. I have issues with Russell Wilson, but none of them are on the field and he was at his best Sunday and that bodes well for the rest of the season.

With Bridgewater starting I just don’t think the Saints can score enough to keep up with the Seattle. Take the Seahawks here.

 

Steelers +6.5 @ 49ers

I could start this by moaning about Kyle Shanahan for not caring about my fantasy team (I have Breida) but I won’t, instead I will compliment him on an almost perfect offensive gameplan versus the Bengals that meant the 49ers are 2-0 after 2 East Coast road games. I don’t think Jimmy G has been great in the first couple of weeks but his team are winning and he is 10-2 as a starter, these are 2 habits he should really try and keep up.

So the Killer B’s are all gone after Big Ben was put on IR this week. I could go into the disappointment Steeler fans should feel given how little they have done in the past few years with all the talent, but instead I will look forward. They drafted Mason Rudolph to replace Ben, and although it is early he moved the offense better than Ben did against the Seahawks. They also have proven talent in Connor and Smith-Shuster, and have drafted well on defense and this I believe is the most important thing. It is time for the defense to step up and help the offense out.

I am not sure their records represents either team fully here and given that I expect this to be close. As it will be close I am taking the Steelers and the points in this one.

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Paul Mainwaring

NFL Analyst

A former UKEndzone writer, Paul has been dragged out of an enforced retirement to give his thoughts on the NFL and anything else  he can slide past the editorial team.

Paul is most famous (infamous?) as Mainz one half of Waxing Lyrical. alongside his Partner in Crime Neil ‘Dutts’ Dutton.

Find him @MAINZEY7 where all manner of sports are on the menu.

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