Three weeks have come and gone in the 2022 NFL season and there’s one main takeaway, no one knows anything. If you think you do, think again.
Any given Sunday, right?
That’s an important thing to remember as you place your bets throughout the remainder of this season. Does the line seem off? Does it seem too good to be true? Well, then it probably is. Odds are, what was true a week ago is not anymore. In the end, we are all passengers in a vehicle where no one has control of the wheel. Buckle up, and keep your arms and legs inside the car at all times.
Since the front office here at BetBasics pays me the big bucks to make some sense of what my eyes just saw, let’s go through this together, and piece together a week of some wild results. Come along for the ride. All are welcome.
**Use the links below to jump to each division**
AFC North
AFC South
AFC East
AFC West
Week 3’s Big Winner
The AFC North is back?
Steelers vs Browns
The game feels like it was played years ago, but believe it or not, the Browns hosted the Steelers only a few days ago. It’s clear from the Steelers side of things that they miss T.J. Watt, but what they miss even more is a competent offense. Mike Tomlin indicated after the game that Mitch Trubisky would remain the starter going forward, which can be seen in multiple ways. For bettors, it’s a welcome sight, since Pittsburgh’s struggling offense could be one of the only things we might know. On the other side, NFL fans are really losing here with Kenny Pickett riding the bench. In my mind, letting a rookie quarterback sit behind a veteran, especially one like Trubisky, is malpractice, especially once you consider the advantage a rookie quarterback’s contract can give a team in roster construction. Tomlin’s team feels like one that won’t be bad enough for a top quarterback in this year’s draft, but won’t be good enough to make the playoffs, meaning they are left in the worst place imaginable. No man’s land.
Shifting gears to the home team in this contest, could Jacoby Brissett’s Browns actually be good? This was previously thought to be impossible, but Brissett’s play thus far has surpassed even the very low expectations. As long as the running game continues to cook and the defense feasts, expect the Browns to maybe make a run at the division. They were a couple of bad mental mistakes away from being 3-0. Maybe this could be Brissett’s team after all? Maybe trading Baker Mayfield worked out for both sides.
Bengals
Well, after all that concern of being 0-2, Joe Burrow and company figured it out quickly on Sunday. Armed with the revenge game narrative plus the looming death sentence of facing 0-3, Zac Taylor’s team came ready to play. The Jets, not so much, but more on them later. Cincinnati’s defense found themselves in New Jersey, with Trey Hendrickson wreaking havoc on the statue that is 2022 Joe Flacco. They disrupted the Jets all afternoon, while the offense got back to a quick passing game, allowing Burrow to get the ball out quickly. There’s a good chance Burrow’s jersey will be used in some laundry detergent ads later, but we’ll have to wait and see on that. In other news, the Bengals offense reminded everyone that Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are both incredible at their jobs and probably should get to display that more often. Even though it was against the Jets, a win is a win and maybe this gets the Bengals back on track.
Ravens
Lamar Jackson is good at football. Does anything else really need to be said? Well, we can try. The Ravens avoided another potential collapse, but will be paying a hefty price if Jackson continues his trajectory this season. In a division that is wide open at the moment, Baltimore got the job done and placed itself as the worthy favorite in the north.
Break up the AFC South!
Colts
There is no logical explanation that can properly explain how the Colts managed to win, but you had to see this coming. It was talked about in the weekly picks column, but you just had to know the Colts were going to find a way to not only be in this game, but have a chance at the upset as well. Frank Reich’s job is safe for at least another week and after a dismal two games, maybe Indianapolis can finally start moving in the right direction. There are plenty of concerns moving forward, but managing to get a win and avoid the dreaded 0-3 start is really all that matters here.
Titans
Someone had to win, and the Titans got the job done. However, the biggest storyline from this game, despite the near second half collapse, is that Derrick Henry is back. The offense finally decided that maybe the best thing for their team is to use Henry more in the passing game. He finished with five catches for 58 yards and was a logical conclusion for a team that was struggling to move the ball. Getting him out in space is a scary thought for opposing defenses and in reality, should’ve happened earlier. At the very least, Tennessee showed signs of life, which is much more than they showed on Monday night in Buffalo. There’s plenty of work to still be done, but maybe we shouldn’t write them off just yet.
Jaguars
Don’t let the oddsmakers confuse you. The 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars are the favorite to win the AFC South division. Who would’ve thought that just three weeks ago? Doug Pederson has his team rolling to kick off the season and Trevor Lawrence looks like the guy everyone thought he would be. They completely dominated the Chargers, won the coaching battle, and everything else in between. Pederson might not have been the hot coaching name during the offseason, but he sure is worthy of being mentioned in the discussion for Coach of the Year. The Jaguars not only got their first road win since 2019, but also some respect for the performance and effort they turned in Sunday. They are legit and you might want to hop on the bandwagon before it’s too late. They are still in the +200 range to capture the division crown.
Texans
Lovie Smith’s team continues to compete, despite primarily relying on rookies and other young players at key positions. Although they let another game slip away, this Texans team is competitive in every game, while also preserving the chances of landing a top draft pick next spring. Fans might not be happy, but it’s almost the best place to be for a rebuilding team. Competitive losing remains the best possible way to tank. They’ll eventually have to learn how to win, but for now, don’t lose too much sleep over the results.
The AFC East might not be over yet
Bills vs Dolphins
Despite the upsets around the league, no result is more shocking than the Dolphins beating the Bills. For all you box score fanatics out there, Buffalo ran 90 plays on offense compared to only 39 for Miami. That is a staggering number that is almost impossible to digest. The Bills controlled time of possession, having the ball for 40:40 of what still remains a 60 minute game. Yet they only scored 19 points, the last two of course coming on the now viral “butt punt,” so congratulations to Mark Sanchez for finally getting a moment of rest from his infamous Thanksgiving Day error.
Josh Allen and the Bills typically dominate the Dolphins, and more of that continued Sunday, with the team from upstate New York out gaining the Miami offense by a wide 497-212 yard margin. Injuries obviously played a part on defense, but still managing only 19 points with that statline is slightly concerning. Don’t worry though Bills fans, playing in the Miami heat is not easy and odds are, this game was more of an exception than the rule going forward. They’ll be fine, unless injuries really start to take aim at this team’s offense.
From the Miami side of things, it’s hard to focus on anything other than what looked like medical malpractice letting Tua Tagovailoa back into the game, but we’ll try. Give credit to the Dolphins for making the necessary plays when they needed to, finding a way to win. The defense deserves a ton of praise for their late game goal line stand, proving to be vital in maintaining an undefeated record through three weeks. The Dolphins might be a legitimate threat moving forward.
Jets
Riding high after a win in Cleveland, the Jets once again trotted out the zombie of Joe Flacco, this time against a desperate Bengals team needing to win. Longtime Jets fans knew this game would go one of two ways. Either they’d come out and shock the world, winning again, or, the most likely option, get blown out. The Jets, as usual, chose the latter of the two. The MetLife Stadium crowd was treated to not only a Bengals beatdown, but one of the most boring games imaginable. Robert Saleh’s team opted for a slow, boring death on Sunday, where they hung around enough to give the most optimistic people some hope, but they never stood a chance. New York’s offense line continued to be a problem, the offensive play calling made no sense, a high priced defensive line couldn’t get pressure, and the safety position was more dangerous than anything else. Questions are being floated about a coaching staff that is still plagued by what appears to be an undisciplined team with stubborn playcallers. On the bright side, Garrett Wilson remains open on every play and Sauce Gardner looks like a star. Other than that, another ugly showing in front of the home faithful. Maybe it’ll get better when Zach Wilson returns next week in Pittsburgh, signaling the official start to the Jets 2022 season.
Patriots
Mac Jones went down in agonizing pain on Sunday afternoon, and will likely be sidelined for at least this week with a “severe high ankle sprain.” For a team that didn’t have much of a chance with Jones, they have no chance without him. Despite all of that, Jones and the offense couldn’t capitalize on their chances and had problems with turnovers, which derailed them against Baltimore. For a team struggling with consistency already, losing Jones for an extended period of time adds insult to an injured New England fanbase that just saw the Red Sox get eliminated from postseason contention, an Ime Udoka scandal with the Celtics, and now a fairly bad and boring Patriots team. It’ll be up to the Bruins to keep their hopes alive, but for now, it’s shaping up to be a dark, ugly winter for sports in the Boston area.
The AFC West was supposed to be competitive right?
Chiefs
How did the Chiefs lose this game? That’ll be the question Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid ask themselves all week long. The offense struggled at times again, but the defense wouldn’t let the game slip away. That’s been a bright spot for Reid’s team, as they’ve been able to rely on the defense to keep them in games while they figure out what life after Tyreek Hill looks like. As of right now, the Kansas City offense looks like they miss a playmaker like Hill, but luckily for them, the, “most competitive division in football,” looks to be about as far away from that as possible at the moment. Unless something bizarre happens, the Chiefs will have an entire regular season to experiment and worry about fixing the offense, since no other team looks likely to put up much of a fight in the division at the moment.
Chargers
After a big Week 1 win, expectations were sky high for Brandon Staley’s team. Entering Week 2, they had a big test on the road in Kansas City. For the first 35 minutes of the game, it appeared the Chargers would pass with flying colors. Then some interesting coaching decisions and poor decision making caused it all to come crashing down. From Super Bowl contender to same old Chargers. Just like that. Justin Herbert was left in the game with a bad rib injury despite the game being out of reach, but somehow played in Week 3 against Jacksonville. Now injuries are piling up and Herbert’s injury won’t be going away anytime soon. The Chargers season, which began with so much hope, has almost fallen apart in record time.
Raiders
Can someone tell the Raiders that a football game is still 60 minutes? Anyone? Josh McDaniels said after the game that his team needs to learn how to win. Well, that’s an obvious statement. They are the only winless team left in the league and have quite the uphill climb in front of them. It feels like Davante Adams is being underused and he is. With only seven catches over the last two games, it begs the question, what was the point of trading for him in the first place? They are completely into the danger zone now and with McDaniels track record as a head coach, things could get ugly fast. So much for those big expectations.
Broncos
Speaking of big expectations, let’s welcome the Denver Broncos to the party. On the bright side, this defense is legit. Special teams are pretty good as well. However, if the team has any money left, it might be in their best interest to find a lawyer to recoup the $245 million Russell Wilson stole from them. You would think for an owner that was so involved with Walmart, he’d know a good deal when it came around. It’s clear already this contract is not working out. Unfortunately for the new Broncos ownership group, they can’t return Wilson to Seattle and start over. There shouldn’t be concern about Nathaniel Hackett and the new coaching staff just three weeks into the season. A win is a win, but this isn’t sustainable and Denver’s offensive struggles look to be here to stay. Maybe not playing Wilson in the preseason while learning a new offense was a mistake.
Week 3’s Big Winner: Social Media and Vegas
Week 3’s big winner deserves a tie. On one side, social media was treated to the “Butt Punt” and “The Orlovsky” moment in Sunday Night Football as Jimmy Garoppolo stepped out of the end zone in prime time. It was a day for trends, memes, and plenty of viral moments as everyone walked away with plenty of material. Of course, it’s fitting that the Sunday action was capped off by one of the worst Sunday night games in recent memory. To spin things in a positive way, many children probably want to grow up and become punters now after all the air time they received.
The other big winner goes to Vegas, who cleaned up big time on Sunday. Popular favorites like the Chiefs and Bills lost, the Chargers lost despite having Herbert back, player props were a mess, and most of the offenses were allergic to scoring. We should expect some generous promotions and lines this week after “The House” walked away with plenty of cash.