Scott Shapiro's Week 3 NFL worksheet: Broncos will stymie Jets

Week 2 saw some low-scoring contests in the early Sunday window but had an incredibly entertaining late window, as well as another classic on in prime time, when Lamar Jackson and the Ravens came from behind to get the best of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Hopefully Week 3 can provide us with another action-packed slate of games.

Let's examine teams and players to keep an eye on.

Team most likely to win by 14+  points: Denver Broncos

After a terrible home opener against the Patriots, Zach Wilson and the Jets will head west to take on the undefeated Broncos.

New York has struggled to protect its new franchise quarterback and will now take on a loaded defense, coached by one of the game’s best defensive minds, Vic Fangio.

This spells trouble for a team that has only scored 20 points through two games and has an early season turnover ratio of -4.

Underdog of 6+ points most likely to spring an outright upset: Chicago Bears

Once again, I am not in love with any of the Week 3 options for this category, but the Bears have the potential to hang in against a Cleveland team that will be without Jarvis Landry, who injured his knee against the Texans, and potentially Odell Beckham Jr. for the third consecutive game.

The wild card is Chicago quarterback Justin Fields, who appears poised to make his career start, as Andy Dalton is almost certain to be sidelined with a bone bruise in his knee. Fields was erratic when he spelled Dalton in Chicago’s victory at home against the Bengals, but he displayed serious athleticism, despite a couple poor decisions down the stretch.

Look for the Bears defense to keep them in the game. If Fields can make a few big plays with his legs, perhaps they can come away with a big road win.

RB/WR/TE most likely to score two touchdowns: DK Metcalf

It has been a slow start to the year for the third-year receiver from Mississippi, but that should change Sunday, when the Seahawks head to U.S. Bank Stadium to take on the Vikings.

Metcalf has just 113 receiving yards through two games and most surprisingly has just one target of 20+ yards to start the 2021 campaign. The 6'4” wideout has been noticeably frustrated, but the Vikings have yielded a 77.8 completion percentage, 10.5 yards per pass attempt, and got lit up by Kyler Murray on Sunday.

Look for new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to make a concerted effort to get Metcalf the ball downfield, after a devastating loss to Tennessee at home in Week 2.

Quarterback most likely to throw for 400 yards: Kyler Murray

The first selection in the 2019 NFL Draft has come out of the gates on fire in his third pro season.

Murray threw four touchdowns in the season opener against Tennessee and could have done a whole lot more if the Cardinals needed him to.

He then completed 29 of his 36 passes for 400 yards in Arizona’s thrilling, Week 2 victory against the Vikings.

Now the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner will face a Jacksonville secondary that would struggle to cover you and me.

The Jaguars will need to keep pace with the Cardinals for Murray to reach the 400-yard mark in back-to-back weeks — which, based on the spread, does not appear likely — but I anticipate Trevor Lawrence will play his best game as a pro against a Cardinals secondary that is far from a top-tier unit.  

Defense most likely to pitch a shutout: Denver Broncos

As mentioned above, the Jets offense has been dismal through two games.

Their offensive line has struggled to protect Wilson and has failed to open up holes for the running game. This is not likely to change in the Broncos home opener.

Expect another ugly day from the New York offense.

My Week 3 Plays of the Week

• Under Miami/Las Vegas (45)
• Jacksonville (+7)
• Chicago (+7)