Gridiron Great Top 11 (After Week 2)
The NFL season is two weeks old and we’ve lost another star for the season as Browns’ running back Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury on Monday night. Here’s a dive into our Gridiron Great 11 heading into week 3.
Gridiron Great Top 11 (Preseason Week 1)
#11. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-1 (+1400/+2500) - Moral victories don’t win championships but the Jags proved they belonged this week by holding down the Chiefs offense and losing a tight battle. The offense isn’t quite cooking yet but it will and this team will string together wins. Last Week’s Rank: 10th
#10. Detroit Lions 1-1 (+1000/+2000) - The Lions couldn’t complete the comeback against the Seahawks this week but this team is explosive. If they can continue to incorporate rookie RB Gibbs into the offense, things could get very interesting. Last Week’s Rank: 10th
#9. Atlanta Falcons 2-0 (+2800/+4000) - You can only beat who they put in front of you and the Falcons have done that in each of the first two weeks of the season. They have interesting weapons on offense and an aggressive secondary. Last Week’s Rank: Unranked
#8. New Orleans Saints 2-0 (+1400/+3000) - The Saints’ defense looks like the real deal and QB Carr and this offense will only get better. Last Week’s Rank: 11th
#7. Buffalo Bills 1-1 (+550/+1000) - The Bills dominated the Raiders at home to even their record at 1-1. More importantly, they did it while protecting the football. Last Week’s Rank: 7th
#6. Miami Dolphins 2-0 (+600/+1300) - The Dolphins are 2-0 on the season, winning both games on the road. They return home this week but will do so likely without WR Waddle who is in concussion protocol. Last Week’s Rank: 8th
#5. Kansas City Chiefs 1-1 (+350/+600) - Kelce was back for the offense but, more importantly, Jones was back for the defense. The Chiefs defense looks better than it has in either Super Bowl-winning season and that is scary. Last Week’s Rank: 5th
#4. Baltimore Ravens 2-0 (+800/+1400) - The Ravens pulled out a gutsy win over the Bengals at Cincinnati this week. They still haven’t gotten a breakout game from Jackson and are 2-0. Last Week’s Rank: 4th
#3. Dallas Cowboys 2-0 (+350/+750) - We gave the nod to Philly for the second spot but the Cowboys are right there with them. If the offense can keep pace with the defense, this team has Super Bowl potential. Last Week’s Rank: 3rd
#2. Philadelphia Eagles 2-0 (+350/+750) - The Eagles got a big lift from RB Swift this week but didn’t show the killer instinct they exhibited last season in squeaking past the Vikings at home. Last Week’s Rank: 1st
#1. SF 49ers 2-0 (+225/+650) - The Niners rolled to their second straight win this week over the Rams on the road. They will now begin the home portion of their schedule on Thursday against the Saquon Barkley-less Giants. Last Week’s Rank: 2nd
Upset Alert for Week 3: Last week, we went 2-1 with our upset picks, correctly predicting the Falcons would upend the Packers and Seattle to do the same in Detroit. The Bears continue to be a disappointment, losing on the road in Tampa Bay.
#1. Denver at Miami (-6.5): The Dolphins are 2-0 and Miami faithful are thinking Super Bowl. Denver has a very sound secondary and Payton will have the Broncos ready after a very disappointing loss to the Commanders at home.
#2. Tennessee at Cleveland (-3.5): DeShaun Watson does not look like the same player he was in Houston. His offensive line is terrible and the Titans have the kind of defensive front to get to the quarterback. Chubb’s loss certainly changes the look of the offense as well.
*All odds courtesy of Draftkings.com
By Mark Ruelle