Oh, come on! Yes, Week 1 was on me. I went with the largest favorites on the board and the Cincinnati Bengals bit me. I take ownership of that bad pick, even though no one saw that coming. But, a loss in Week 2 with the top option? Again?!?! That’s on, Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, coach Nick Sirianni and the defense. I am not taking blame for that one — a 22-21 stunning loss to the visiting Atlanta Falcons.
If you weren’t bitten by the New England Patriots — who upset the Bengals –in Week 1, ending your USA TODAY NFL Survivor Pool hopes before they even began, I hope you didn’t roll with the Eagles in Week 2 Monday night ,,,
… because they collapsed in the most disgusting way possible.
The Eagles were up 18-15 inside the 2-minute warning and the Falcons had no timeouts lefts. On 3rd down, with less than 2 minutes to go, Sirianni and the Eagles tried a high-percentage toss to Barkley for a sure 1st down, which would have salted the game away, and perhaps it would have led to a touchdown, too. Instead, it was 4th down and the Eagles settled for a field goal.
Up 21-15, the Falcons moved the ball down the field in very, very short order, culminating in a WR Drake London TD grab in the front-corner of the end zone from QB Kirk Cousins. You like that? No. Not at all.
Our strategy was to play it safe for a 2nd straight weekend, rolling with another big favorite … and we lost with another giant upset. This one shouldn’t have happened, but, alas, it did.
Anyway, it isn’t easy. There were 10,357 entrants heading into the 2024 season, competing for a $5K prize in the USA TODAY NFL Survivor contest. Heading into Week 3, only 1,680 entries remain. In other words, 83.8% of all entrants have been eliminated.
For the 2nd week in a row, our 2nd option came through — this time with the LA Chargers. They pounded the Carolina Panthers 26-3, cashing as 4-point road favorites. In the first 2 weeks, 189 players have followed the exact same route, playing against the Panthers to advance — or stay alive in the contest.
Follow the USA TODAY NFL Survivor Pool.
– All games Sunday and ET unless noted
The pick: Las Vegas Raiders
Who they play: Home vs. Carolina Panthers – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NFL odds. Lines last updated Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Line: Raiders -5.5 / Moneyline (ML): Raiders -250 | Panthers +190
The Panthers are sending QB Bryce Young to the bench in favor of veteran journeyman QB Andy Dalton, but the quarterback position is certainly not the only problematic area for Carolina. Young isn’t missing tackles. He isn’t struggling to stop the run. He isn’t the new coach finding his way.
The Raiders look like a lot more of a complete team, and this game is at Allegiant Stadium for their home opener. Las Vegas lost at the Chargers in Week 1 but rebounded with an overtime victory as 8.5-point underdogs at the Baltimore Ravens in another game which sent shockwaves through survivor pools everywhere.
The Panthers have led for a total of 10 seconds in the past 10 games. As such, it’s a tremendous strategy in survivor to play against — or fade — Carolina.
There isn’t much more to say. Will the “Red Rifle” (Dalton) make Carolina more of a functional NFL offense? Probably. But, the Panthers defensive woes won’t be solved by a change under center.
Conclusion: LAS VEGAS IS MY TOP SURVIVOR PLAY IN WEEK 3.
WIN YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE!
The Huddle has been turning players like you into winners for over 25 years. This season, it’s your turn. Custom fantasy football rankings, sleepers and tools are just a click away. Save 25% off the Internet’s best-kept secret. Subscribe now!
No. 2 option: Cleveland Browns
Who they play: vs. New York Giants – 1 p.m. (FOX)
Line: Browns -6.5 / ML: Browns -300 | Giants +240
The Browns went down to Jacksonville as 3-point dogs and they toppled the Jaguars 18-13 in Week 2, avoiding a disastrous 0-2 start.
On the flip side, the Giants went to the nation’s capital, and they made NFL history. It was not the kind of history a team can be proud of. New York became the 1st team in NFL history to score 3+ touchdowns, allow 0 TDs, and lose in regulation. Final score: Commanders 21, Giants 18. Ouch!
The good news for New York, which was a 1-point underdog, is that QB Daniel Jones was much better than he was in Week 1, tossing 2 TDs, including a hook-up with rookie WR Malik Nabers, a player on the rise. Jones didn’t have any interceptions either — he had 2 with no TDs in a 28-6 home loss in the season opener to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Giants face a tremendous defensive unit in Cleveland. Plus, they have some issues in the kicking game with PK Graham Gano on the injured reserve list. The G-Men signed PK Greg Joseph off the Detroit Lions practice squad to the active roster. The former FAU product kicked for the Browns in 2018, hitting 17 of 20 field goals (85.0%), including all of his kicks inside of 40 yards.
Playing against the Giants is almost as effective as playing against the Panthers, but Carolina doesn’t have a stud rookie like Nabers … or a decent defense.
Others to consider
Cincinnati Bengals: Home vs. Washington Commanders – Monday, 8:15 p.m. (ABC)
Line: Bengals -7.5 / ML: Bengals -375 | Commanders +280
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Home vs. Denver Broncos – 1 p.m. (FOX)
Line: Buccaneers -7 / ML: Buccaneers -300 | Broncos +240
2024 survivor game log
NO. 1 OPTION
Week 1: LOSS – Patriots 16, Bengals 10
Week 2: LOSS – Falcons 22, Eagles 21
NO. 2 OPTION
Week 1: WIN – Saints 47, Panthers 10
Week 2: WIN – Chargers 26, Panthers 3
FOOTBALL NEVER STOPS
Live games, analysis and more 7 days a week: Get ESPN+
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
Access more NFL coverage:
BetFTW | TheHuddle Fantasy Football | BearsWire | BengalsWire | BillsWire | BroncosWire | BrownsWire | BucsWire | CardsWire | ChargersWire | ChiefsWire | ColtsWire | CommandersWire | CowboysWire | DolphinsWire | EaglesWire | FalconsWire | GiantsWire | JaguarsWire | JetsWire | LionsWire | NinersWire | PackersWire | PanthersWire | PatriotsWire | RaidersWire | RamsWire | RavensWire | SaintsWire | SeahawksWire | SteelersWire | TexansWire | TitansWire | VikingsWire | DraftWire | TouchdownWire | ListWire
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66eb62f04a0e4bb0999145a6003d3bd1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbookwire.usatoday.com%2F2024%2F09%2F18%2Fwho-to-take-in-week-3-in-your-nfl-survivor-pool%2F&c=1052780487624568509&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-09-18 12:17:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.