NFL Week 3 picks and predictions: Why Texans, Packers are a smart play
Lorenzo Reyes is locked and loaded for Week 3 in the NFL and provides us with the smartest bets of the weekend.
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Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season features the first “Monday Night Football” doubleheader of the year, wrapping up with the Washington Commanders (1-1) taking on the Cincinnati Bengals (0-2).
Washington earned the first win of the Dan Quinn era in Week 2 despite not scoring a touchdown. The Commanders kicked six field goals to beat the New York Giants 21-18. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels entered Week 3 at third in the league in completion percentage (75.5%) among starting quarterbacks. The Commanders also boast the league’s fifth-best rushing attack, partly thanks to Daniels’ mobility.
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Cincinnati sits at a surprising 0-2 after losing to New England in Week 1 and Kansas City in Week 2. This continues a September slump for the Bengals; they’re 3-7 in September since the start of the 2022 season. Wide receiver Tee Higgins may be back in the lineup after missing the first two games with a hamstring injury. On the other side of the ball, Cincinnati’s pass defense has stepped up well so far in 2024 and sits second in the league in yards allowed per game (128.5).
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This will be the first game since 1981 to feature two former LSU Tigers starting at quarterback. Washington won the last meeting between these teams 20-9 back in Week 11 of the 2020 season. Here’s what you need to know about Commanders-Bengals.
The Commanders vs. Bengals game will wrap up the first “Monday Night Football” doubleheader of the 2024 NFL season at 8:15 p.m. ET.
The Bills and Jaguars will also be playing Monday night, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30.
The second game of the doubleheader between Washington Commanders vs. Cincinnati Bengals will be broadcast on ABC.
Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentary), and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter) will be on the call for ABC’s broadcast.
Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff’s predictions for the second “Monday Night Football” Week 3 matchup:
Robert Griffin III holds the current record for most rushing yards in a rookie season by a quarterback. He accomplished this in 2012 with Washington, earning the honors of Offensive Rookie of the Year. RGIII had 120 rush attempts, leading the NFL with 6.8 yards per rush. Jayden Daniels is on pace for over 220 rush attempts and over 1,100 rushing yards. That would exceed Lamar Jackson’s 147 rushing attempts for the most in a rookie season.
Higgins is expected to make his season debut against the Commanders on “Monday Night Football.” He missed the first two weeks of the season while dealing with a hamstring injury, but Bengals coach Zac Taylor indicated the veteran wideout would be at 100 percent for Monday’s game.
Higgins recorded 42 catches, 646 yards and five touchdowns for the Bengals in 12 games last season. He missed five games because of rib and hamstring injuries.
We have a complete list at every position:
The Bengals are the only winless team in the AFC North, but a win on Sunday Night Football against the Commanders can create a three-way tie for second. The Steelers are off to a surprising start, joining the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Vikings as the only undefeated team through three weeks.
Steelers 3-0
Ravens 1-2
Browns 1-2
Bengals 0-2
With a win on Sunday Night Football, the Commanders can tie the Eagles for first place in the division. The Cowboys have disappointed, losing two in a row at home against the Saints and Ravens.
Eagles 2-1
Commanders 1-1
Giants 1-1
Cowboys 1-2
The weather could affect the Bengals’ game against the Commanders early on. The temperature should be perfect, in the 70s during game time. However, there is a chance of rain and thunderstorms from 6-8 p.m. in the area of Paycor Stadium.
According to the Weather Channel, winds will max out at 5 mph, but there is a chance of storms early.
The Commanders-Bengals game features something NFL fans haven’t seen in decades: a matchup between two former LSU quarterbacks. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and national championship with the Tigers in 2019. Washington rookie Jayden Daniels won the Heisman in 2023 before going No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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The NFL’s top 18 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the league’s highest-paid player on Sunday morning, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million deal. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the first non-quarterback on the highest-paid list after striking a four-year, $140 million contract extension this offseason.
The Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders were dining in style ahead of their Monday Night Football game at Paycor Stadium.
Several Bengals and Commanders players, including quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, visited a Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Sunday night, according to an X post from the local restaurateur. The Bengals and Commanders coaching staff, owners, general managers, retired players, and the ESPN broadcast team also dined at the local steakhouse, per Ruby’s post.
Ruby did not specify the locations the teams visited or whether they were dining together or separately.
“As a restaurateur, it’s gratifying to have both the Commanders and Bengals dine with us tonight,” Ruby wrote. “Thank you all. Our guests enjoyed seeing you.”
The Bengals are favorites to defeat the Commanders, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
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These teams first played each other in the 1970 NFL season, with Washington winning 20-0. They’ve played 11 games total against each other, with a perfect split of 5-5-1.
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