WHO'S BLUFFING? - NFL WEEK 3

NFL fans worldwide have flooded blogs with comments about which teams they feel are the real deal. While some proclaim the reasons their favorite teams are struggling on early progression, others boast of how certain 2-0 teams are Super Bowl bound. Needless to say, real NFL followers know that the night is still young and that the season is just getting started. Before we resume America's favorite game this afternoon In Week 3, we'd like to highlight a few key match-ups that may turn out to be thrillers.

(Sept. 19, 2015 - Source: Adam Bettcher/Getty Images North America)

(Sept. 16, 2015 - Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America)

In the Sunday Night Football game, the winless Detroit Lions host their first home game against the Denver Broncos. The Lions finished last season with an impressive 11-5 season record but have gotten off to a unwanted 0-2 start. Their first 5 season opponents ; Chargers, Vikings, Broncos, Seahawks and Cardinals are all  potent contenders who make Detroit's chances of starting 0-5 very probable. Detroit natives are hoping that the Lions will defend the den and get a win Sunday night at Ford Field. In order to do such, they'll need to get the running game going for HB Joique Bell. The Lions horrendous 9/23 third down conversion statistic explains why they have been absolutely awful on Defense. They have to find a way to get rest for their defense or things will only get worse from here. Denver does not plan on stopping their 2015 season climb to the top of the AFC Conference. The 2-0 Broncos have allowed opponents a total of 267 passing yards this season and a 10% third down conversion rate. Expect physicality from this showdown. Unless the Lions can get off to a great offensive start, this may turn out to be a low scoring defensive game. Tune in for Sunday Night Football at 8:25 p.m. E.T tonight on NBC for action.

(Sept. 19, 2015 - Source: Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America)

(Sept. 16, 2015 - Source: Peter Aiken/Getty Images North America)

Monday night The Kansas City Chiefs head to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. The 1-1 Chiefs can make a statement by defeating QB Aaron Rodgers on his home field in the primetime lights and will do such if they can control the tempo and pile on the points. Green Bay, even with the loss of WR Jordy Nelson, continue to pour on touchdown after touchdown through the passing game. QB Aaron Rodgers enters Week 3 with a 128.4 passing rating and a 2-0 Packers record he plans on improving. Packers running back Eddie Lacy suffered an ankle sprain against the Seahawks Sunday night but with X-rays negative, Lacy returned to practice Friday and is probable for Sunday's match-up. This game is hard to call but I'll go with Kansas City 30-27. Kickoff for the game is Monday at 8:25 p.m. E.T on ESPN.

Other notable match-ups
(Predicted Winners Highlighted)

Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (0-2) 1:00 p.m. M&T Bank Stadium

Philadelphia Eagles (0-2) @ New York Jets (2-0) 1:00 p.m. Met Life Stadium 

THE WEAKEST LINK - BEST IN NFC EAST

Week 3 of the 2015 NFL season continues with Thursday Night Football tonight.  At 8:00 p.m. E.T the Washington Redskins will head to Met Life stadium to match up with their division rivals' the New York Giants. It's hard to predict how the NFC East division will turn out. The current division lead is being held by the 2-0 Dallas Cowboys who now will endure most of the remaining part of the season without both QB Tony Romo and WR Dez Bryant. Their immediate adversary, the 1-1 Washington Redskins haven't given conference opponents a reason to fear them as a threat quite yet but they alongside with other division teams have the opportunity to make a statement in Week 3. While Washington will be looking to gain tread in the NFC East, the New York Giants will be looking to get their 1st win of the season. One thing both of these teams are not looking to do s be labeled as the NFC East weakest link.

(Sept. 19, 2015 - Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)

New York definitely had hopes on powering one of the most potent offensive passing games going into the 2015 Regular season. Giants receivers WR Victor Cruz and WR Odell Beckham Jr. still have the opportunity to produce a incredible offensive season but thus failed to get it done. Not only have the New York Giants produced a measly 2 TD passes on the season, they have been unable to get their defense off the field during games. Over the first two games of the season, the Giants have given up 52 first downs and 702 offensive passing yards. In order for the Giants to get the win tonight (I don't see that happening), they will have to run up the scoreboard with their passing game as they did last season when they defeated the Redskins 45-14.

(Sept. 19, 2015 - Source: Rob Carr/Getty Images North America)

Washington's 1-1 season record is due highly to the positive output they continue to get from HB's Alfred Morris and HB Matt Jones. While Morris has recorded 180 yards on 43 attempts over the first two games of the season, Jones has brought his contribution as well with 151 yards on 25 attempts. The combination of these young talented players is something the Washington offense can thrive itself on in the NFC going forward. Tonight against the Giants, look for head coach Jay Gruden to pound the ground with his tough rushing attack and push the Redskins to the 21-14 victory.

NFL WINLESS TEAMS THUS FAR

Though we are only two games into the 2015 NFL Season, not a single one of the 32 franchises are content with having a loss on their record. Certainly even the teams with a 2-0 record know how quickly that could vanish and those teams with 0-2 records understand that the season could fade fast if precaution is not applied. This week teams will review some game film to see what strategic methods need to be enforced and better executed. Though some bizarre circumstances allowed certain teams to remain undefeated (hence the Thursday night game between Kansas City and Denver), undoubtedly a win is a win and a loss is a loss. Speaking of losses, let's discuss some teams who surprisingly have yet to get a win in 2015.

(Sept. 19, 2015 - Source: Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America)

The 12th man has yet to make his debut in 2015. The Seattle Seahawks have yet to play a home game at Century Link Field and also have yet to get a victory. They haven't played completely terrible but their inability to get HB Marshawn Lynch rolling in the running game has forced Seattle's defense to spend far too much time out on the field. In Sunday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers, Seattle lost the time of possession battle 33:18 to 26:42. Lynch had an unimpressive 41 yards on 15 carries and the Seahawks surrendered 92 yards on 6 penalties. SS Kam Chancellor must possibly be filled with a sorta haughtiness as he continues to hold out of play until the franchise re-establishes his contract to something more lucrative. Next week the Seahawks will be up against the Chicago Bears and will likely get things back on track to register their first win of the season.

(Sept. 20, 2015 - Source: Rich Schultz/Getty Images North America)

Chip Kelly expertise off-season acquisitions and Eagles roster renovation has produced him zero wins thus far. Even with their division rival Dallas Cowboys missing WR Dez Bryant and QB Tony Romo (who got injured in the second half) yesterday afternoon, the Eagles still produced only one touchdown and their second loss of the season. HB DeMarco Murray's rushing statistics are thus far showing just how unwarranted a franchise tag was for him. On 21 attempts Murray has produced 11 yards in 2015. In the city of brotherly love, the Eagles may need to find answers to their mediocrity and soon. They'll face the New York Jets on the road this weekend.

(Sept. 19, 2015 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America)

The Baltimore Ravens have not been 0-2 since 2007 before head coach John harbaugh arrived. How they allowed the Oakland Raiders to produce 37 points and 350 passing yards must make Ravens fans worldwide cringe. Their Defense was unable to stop the Oakland passing game yesterday while in week 1 they simply produced not a single offensive touchdown. Whether offensive coordinator Marc Trestman has brought an non-winning spirit into the Bal So Hard headquarters is up for question indeed but in a NFC North division the Ravens will need to turn it on and fast. Joe Flacco's 384 yard passing performance was still not enough to get Baltimore its first win of the season. They'll host the Cincinnati Bengals next week at home in a crucial Week 3.

AFC WEST SHOWDOWN

The first Thursday Night Football showcase features two AFC West rivals. The Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos will face off at Arrowhead Stadium to see who can make  a statement by grabbing the division lead. Both clubs came out of Sunday with victories and will be looking to start their 2015 NFL season with a 2-0 record. The game starts at 8:25 p.m. E.T and is scheduled to showcase on both CBS and the NFL Network. Now that the we have covered the practicals, let's preview tonights match-up and discuss what we can expect.

(Sept. 12, 2015 - Source: Scott Halleran/Getty Images North America)

The Kansas City Chiefs kept the Houston Texans on their heels all Sunday afternoon. Their defensive onslaught led the Texans to a 3/14 3rd down conversion rate in the 27-20 victory. Their intense pass rush, rendered 5 sacks leaving Houston's QB Brian Hoyer's white jersey marked with green grass stains. Kansas City produced 27 points in week 1 and will likely register alike numbers this week against a Broncos defense that isn't quite as good as the Texans. Expect Kansas City to get the win  by the score of 24-17.

(Sept. 12, 2015 - Source: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images North America)

Denver looked rather uneasy against the veteran Baltimore Ravens this weekend. Not that Baltimore should be taken lightly by any measure, but Broncos fanatics and many analyst expect Denver to take the AFC West with ease this season. They were able to defeat the Ravens without a single offensive touchdown Sunday by the score 13-19. Tonight, the Broncos will have to find a way to get their running game going. If they get caught in too many long yardage situations Peyton Manning will find himself tasting a mouthful of grass in primetime lights. Unless the Denver defense can muscle up a complete shut down of the Chiefs offense, a victory at Arrowhead is quite doubtful for the Broncos.

NFL ENRICHMENT - SHOWS WE ENCOURAGE NFL FANS TO WATCH

Now that the 2015 NFL regular season is underway, it is quite imperative that NFL fans have access to sources keeping them updated on what's going on league wide. Though sports writers, as fans we as well as our readers make a striving effort to stay enlightened and sharpened on what's going on with the 32 teams that make America's favorite game. Most know about the online sources available so let's talk about a few NFL shows we feel help refine the NFL fans knowledge of the game.

NFL PLAYBOOK - For roughly 10 seasons, NFL Playbook has been a quality show for NFL fans to watch. Hosted by NFL Hall of famers like Sterling Sharpe, Shaun O'hara, Brian Baldinger and more, NFL Playbook takes a inside look at NFL Match-ups during both the NFL Playoffs and Regular Season. Schedule programming for "NFL PLAYBOOK" was during the 2014 season every Friday at 9:00 p.m. E.T. News regarding it's continuation have not been presented on the NFL.com website as of yet but if resumed we encourage NFL fans to tune into this show. It will not disappoint.

(Photo credit/Ben Liebenberg)

NFL GAMEDAY MORNING - Scheduled every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. E.T, NFL household retirees and analyst give their insight on weekly scheduled regular season games. Laughs, analysis, reports, breaking news, predictions and exclusive interviews make this shows easily one of the best every Sunday morning. The show is exclusively aired on NFL Network.

(Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

NFL LIVE - ESPN's NFL Live has been giving NFL fans something to rave about for over a decade.  Trey Wingo, Jerome Bettis, Darren Woodson, Tedy Bruschi and plenty of others edify viewers on which NFL teams are flying under the radar, injury reports, stats, analysis and more. NFL Live airs specifically on ESPN Monday - Friday at 4:00 p.m. E.T.

PENDING OFFENSE - NFL KICKOFF 2015

8:30 p.m. E.T. is the set time for kickoff of the 2015 NFL season. Tonights match-up is between the Super Bowl defending champion New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both teams are projected playoff contenders going into 2015 and will be looking to make a statement in this AFC conference match-up. For those who have been observing the off-season moves made by both NFL teams in tonights contest this article may be a little re-intiration. For those who haven't, lets analyze both teams and discuss what we can expect from tonights game.

Let's just say "offense." Obviously WR Reggie Wayne was offended after being released by New England at the end of the pre-season for reasons only God knows. Not nearly as offended as Colts fans are that Patriots QB Tom Brady escaped punishment for his deflation shenanigans earlier this year. What better way to rub it in than to participate in the first game of the regular season under the primetime lights. The Patriots are historically known to be at the top of the league year in and year out. Tonight expect the Patriots to render around 300 plus total yards on an inexperienced Steelers defense who regardless of what they've verbally expressed, are likely to suffer some serious issues on that side of the ball this season. No SS Troy Polumalu, No  CB Ike Taylor, no DE Brett Kiesel means youngsters like LB Ryan Shazier and CB Antwon Blake will have to turn it up a notch for the Steelers. They'll definitely be tested against a powerful offense tonight. Hopefully they won't receive a gashing coordinators around the league will exploit throughout the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't the only party within this contest with defensive vulnerability. During the off-season the Patriots said goodbye to DT Vince Wilfork, CB Darielle Revis and CB Brandon Browner. Reconciliation is a necessity for a New England  secondary that was highly feared last season. Now, the only fear worth mentioning is in regards to who they can find to defend Steelers superstar Antonio Brown in tonights game. Brown has flown under the radar for about three seasons but is arguably a top 5 wide receiver in the entire league. QB Ben Roethlisberger  and head coach Mike Tomlin led a co-op Steelers offense to a 2nd ranking in total yards last season. If not for a costly HB Le'Veon Bell injury, the Steelers would have likely played in the AFC Championship. Though the Steelers will be without Bell and WR Martavis Bryant tonight, the Patriots will more importantly be without a solution for the Steelers spread offense who added former Carolina Panthers HB D'angelo Williams to its staffing. I'll make the prediction of a 27-23 Steelers win. I just don't see the Patriots being able to get the Steelers offense off the field.

No matter the outcome we encourage all to enjoy the game tonight! Remember at boneheadpicks.com we are the fan.

Photo credit : D'angelo Williams + Ben Roethlisberger - Aug 28, 2015 - Source: Brett Carlsen (Getty Images North America)

Photo Credit : Tom Brady Aug 30, 2015 -Source: Spencer Platt (Getty Images North America)

SKY IS THE LIMIT - NFL SLEEPERS GOING INTO THE 2015 REGULAR SEASON

Yes fans, we've waited patiently for seven months and now here we are one week away from something to look forward to every Sunday, Monday and Thursday; the 2015 NFL Season. Of course the remaining 31 NFL teams are tired of hearing about Tom Brady and what type of shampoo he uses. Therefore, I'm hear to talk about which NFL teams are league sleepers this upcoming season and why.

The Houston Texans made a plethora of off-season moves acquiring veteran DT Vince Wilfork, WR Cecil Shorts, and new starting QB Brian Hoyer.  Also, they'll get back DE Jadeveon Clowney who missed most of last season with an ACL injury. His return adds fuel to an already potent J.J Watt led defense. Offensively, young weapons WR Deandre Hopkins and HB Alfred Blue seem promising and with additions like WR Nate Washington and HB Chris Polk they're stacked with fire power. The Texans finished with a 9-7 record last season. Their only hinderances; a unenthusiastic  WR Andre Johnson, inaccurate QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and injured rookie star Jadeveon Clowney. These are all shortcomings that have been overcame. Expect the Texans to win the AFC South this season.

Rex Ryan was involuntarily terminated by the New York Jets organization this off-season. Not long afterwards, the Buffalo Bills shoved a delightful 5/yr multi million dollar contract in his face. Talk about redemption. The Defensive guru will take over a Bills team that rank 5th in yards allowed in 2014 and will bring his high spirited morale to a Bills franchise that has been long without. The Bills also added HB LeSean Mccoy to play alongside sophomore WR Sammy Watkins who had quite a rookie season in 2014. Buffalo finished 9-7 last season. Whether QB Matt Cassel, QB E.J Manuel or retiree Doug Flutie comes back to get the start for Buffalo, expect a wild card berth for the Bills in 2015.

I won't be the 1st NFL analyst to make this following prediction but I will gladly be among the few. The Minnesota Vikings will win the NFC North division this season. Expect them also to be rank top 5 in offensive T.O.P for 2015. The return of HB Adrian Peterson and TE Kyle Rudolph are huge, accompanied new signee by WR Mike Wallace and young talent WR Cordell Paterson on the outside things could get dangerous. A poised Vikings defense staffed with household names like LB Chad Greenway, up and comers SS Harrison Smith, LB Anthony Barr and CB Xavier Rhodes will only get better in 2015. Second year head coach Mike Zimmer will slowly bring the Vikings defense to the top 10 rankings this fall. Expect youthful QB Teddy Bridgewater and the Vikings to finish 2015 with a 10 to 11 game winning season in 2015.

Who will win the NFC North? THE BIRTH LLC wants our visitors to participate in our monthly poll by submitting your votes at the top right corner of our webpage. Thanks for your support. Glory to God.