NFL Week 3 Predictions: Two Undefeated Teams Fall, Broncos Win Thriller Over Rams

I don't usually want to write any team off after watching it play just two games, but guys, I'll be honest, I don't think the Dolphins are going to make the playoffs this year, and now that I'm looking at their schedule, I'm not sure they're even going to win a game.

I know we're only two weeks through the season, but I'm starting the 0-17 watch now.

If you're wondering how bad the Dolphins have been this year, just consider this: They're the only team that has yet to hold a lead in a game. Forget winning, they haven't even HELD A LEAD. We are heading into Week 3 and they have not been in the lead for even a single second this season. If you can't hold a lead, you can't win. That's how you end up 0-17.

That's a rough stat for Dolphins fan, but if you're a Falcons fan or a Chargers fan, you can't laugh, because your team might be worse.

The Falcons haven't run a single play in the red zone this year. I don't know if they're doing red zone work in practice, but if they are, they can just skip over that this week and work on something else. It's almost impossible to go the first two weeks of the season without getting into the red zone a single time. As a matter of fact, the Falcons are the first team in 18 years to make it through the first two weeks without running a red zone play.

And then there's the Chargers.

> The Chargers are the second team in NFL history to lose back-to-back games by double digits with both coming at home against teams that had a sub-.200 win pct the previous season. The other was the 1926 Racine Tornadoes (Oct. 10-17), who played just one more game before folding. — OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 21, 2026

The Chargers have literally set football back 100 years. My takeaway from that stat is that the Chargers are essentially one game away from folding their franchise, and to be honest, that might be for the best.

So did I pick against the Chargers, Falcons and Dolphins this week? Let's get to the Week 3 picks and find out.

Actually, before we get to the picks, here's a quick reminder that you can check out the weekly picks from every CBSSports.com NFL expert by clicking here . I get 1.7 cents every time someone clicks through on that link, so make sure to click early and often. But I also get docked 1.7 cents every time I get a pick wrong, so it all evens out.

Let's see how much I'm going to lose this week.

NFL Week 3 picks

Texans (0-2) at Colts (0-2)

- Sunday, 1 p.m. ET on CBS (Stream on Paramount+ )

Somehow, a game between two WINLESS teams might be my favorite game on the schedule this week. Actually, now that I'm looking at the entire Week 3 schedule, this is probably closer to my fourth favorite game, but that's still pretty high for a matchup involving two 0-2 teams.

- The Colts are 0-2 because the NFL scheduling department hates them: Their first two games of the season came against Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes . - The Texans are 0-2 because the NFL scheduling department also hates them: Their first two games of the season came against Josh Allen and Joe Burrow .

There's a good chance that the Colts and Texans are both actually good, but we just don't know it yet, because the NFL scheduling department threw them under a bus to start the season.

Out of these two teams, I'm probably more worried about the Colts. This team hasn't won a game since Nov. 9. They lost Alec Pierce to an injury in Week 2 and he won't be able to play this week, so that means the Colts' passing game will be taking a hit. This feels like a week where Jonathan Taylor is going to be getting a lot of work, but I'm not sure that's a good thing with the Colts about to face one of the best defenses in the NFL.

Not only does Houston have what should end up being a top defense, but this year, the Texans have the offense to go with it. I know, that seems like a crazy thing to say with the Texans coming off a game where they scored just SIX POINTS, but they shot themselves in the foot against the Bengals . They had a missed field goal, a separate botched field goal snap and a failed fourth-and-inches in Bengals territory. If one or all of those things go their way, it's a different game.

Although they struggled to score, they did just fine in Week 1 by putting up 31 points against the Bills . I'm starting to think the C.J. Stroud found a time machine and went back and kidnapped the 2023 version of himself, because that's what he's looked like this year. He's thrown for 627 yards through two weeks, which is the second-highest number in the NFL, and a big reason that's happened is because he's been playing smart football. The Texans likely won't have Nico Collins this week, but Stroud didn't have him in Week 2 and he still managed to throw for 353 yards.

This is the third time in the past four seasons that the Texans have started 0-2 and on the previous two occasions (2023, 2025), they made the playoffs. I'm starting to think they're going 0-2 on purpose.

PICK: Texans 27-24 over Colts

Vikings (2-0) at Buccaneers (0-2)

- Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox (Stream on Fubo -- try for free)

My favorite game to play every week is to try and guess who the Vikings ' starting quarterback is going to be.

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, except in Minnesota. If the Vikings have proven one thing over the past 12 months, it's that they can win games no matter who's under center. As a matter of fact, with their win over the Bears in Week 2, they became the first team in NFL HISTORY to win four straight games with four different starting quarterbacks.

Let's check out the list:

2025 -- Week 17 starting QB: Max Brosmer 2025 -- Week 18: J.J. McCarthy 2026 -- Week 1: Kyler Murray   2026 -- Week 2: Carson Wentz

At this point, they should just start someone new every week. I think Jimmy Garoppolo is available in free agency. Call him.

Actually, the Vikings don't need to call anyone and that's because Kyler Murray will be returning to the field on Sunday after playing just three possessions in Week 1.

Whether it's Murray, Wentz or anyone else, it almost doesn't matter who the Vikings have at QB because their defense is so dominant. This is a team that will happily win games 9-3, just like it did on Sunday.

The Vikings' defense is one of the best in the NFL: The unit is fun to watch and I'm not just saying that because one of their players celebrated a turnover in Week 2 by doing the "Hot Dog" dance.

> I thought I recognized this dance 😂😂 @rodgers_isaiah | @Vikings pic.twitter.com/VOlNzijGV1 — Dustin (@Dust_Vikings) September 20, 2026

If you have a kid under five, the Vikings are now their favorite team just because of that celebration.

I trust the Vikings' defense more than almost any other defense in the NFL right now, but I think their offense is going to struggle in Tampa Bay. At 0-2, the Buccaneers ' season is essentially on the line: Over the past 30 years, no NFC team has started 0-3 and rebounded to make the playoffs. It's put up or shut up time in Tampa and if the Bucs don't win this game, they might start looking to see if there's any fine print in Baker Mayfield's contract to see if they can get a refund on his extension. I don't think NFL contracts work like that, but it doesn't hurt to check.

I think the desperate Bucs somehow find a way to pull off the upset here.

PICK: Buccaneers 19-16 over Vikings

Ravens (1-1) vs. Cowboys (1-1) in Brazil

- Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS (Stream on Paramount+ )

For the first time ever, the NFL is playing a game in Rio De Janeiro and the best part about that is the fact that I now get to remind you about the time I played an extra in a movie that took place in Rio De Janeiro. I was a train passenger in "Fast Five" and my train in the movie was headed to Rio, but I'm not actually sure if it made it, because the train got blown up by Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.

> I've seen every Fast and the Furious movie and as someone who played a key role in Fast Five, I can personally attest to the fact that it's the best one in the series https://t.co/4lQNomUGjL pic.twitter.com/BBopsqGeO1 — John Breech (@johnbreech) April 14, 2021

After my performance, most people thought I was going to be the next George Clooney, but I decided to pursue the much more glamorous life of being an NFL writer. And this game is where that decision is finally going to pay off big time, because I'm definitely the only NFL Media member who has ridden a fictional train to Rio, which basically makes me the only expert you can trust on an NFL game being played there. And let's not forget, this game is on CBS. It's like my entire professional life has come full circle.

Speaking of circles, I feel like the Ravens ' offense is going to run circles around the Cowboys . The Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year, and although they did make personnel improvements this offseason, I'm not sure those have actually helped. Through two weeks, the Cowboys have given up the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL and if you can't stop the run, the Ravens are the last team you want to be facing.

With Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson on their offense, the Ravens have averaged 155 yards per game on the ground, which is the fifth-highest number in the NFL through two weeks. I'm still convinced that the only reason the Ravens lost in Week 2 is because they apparently forgot that Henry existed. The Ravens only gave Henry FIVE CARRIES in the second half against the Saints . The Ravens were leading by double digits at halftime and when you're leading by double digits, that's the perfect time to lean on your future Hall of Fame running back, but Baltimore refused to do that.

I think new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle has learned his lesson and he'll be giving the Cowboys a VERY healthy dose of Henry. I will be betting the Over on whatever the number the oddsmakers throw out when it comes to the total number of carries for Henry.

These are two high-flying offenses and the only thing that will slow them down is if the field isn't in great condition, but that's certainly not a concern this week, right? RIGHT?

> The Ravens and Cowboys are scheduled to play in Brazil in eight days. There are reportedly concerns about the quality of the field there. https://t.co/ZeJVje1ikO — ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 19, 2026

If the field isn't in great condition, I'm not sure who would get the advantage there, but I'm taking the Ravens either way.

PICK: Ravens 34-27 over Cowboys

Raiders (2-0) at Saints (1-1)

- Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS (Stream on Paramount+ )

Out of all the games in Week 3, this one intrigues me the most and that's mostly because I still have no idea what to make of either team.

On the Raiders ' end, I have to admit, I think I might have been wrong about them this year. After they beat Miami in Week 1, I wasn't impressed, because everyone beats the Dolphins. Heading into Week 2, I thought they were going to get a reality check against the Chargers, but apparently, the Raiders don't do reality checks. Instead, they've somehow created a bizarre new reality where they actually win games. I'm never been more convinced that we live in a simulation.

As for the Saints, if they had converted a two-point conversion on the final play of the game in Week 1 against the Lions , they'd be 2-0 right now, but they didn't.

One reason the Saints are so hard to figure out is because it's like they forget how to play football during the first half. They've only scored six total points in the first half this season, which is tied with the Browns for the fewest in the NFL. Even the Dolphins -- THE DOLPHINS -- have more first-half points this year than New Orleans.

If you've ever seen a movie that's so boring over the first 45 minutes that you almost turn it off, but then you keep it on because it starts to get crazy over the final 45 minutes, that's basically every Saints game. Tyler Shough currently leads the NFL wit

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-3-picks-score-predictions/)._