NFL Week 3 Preview

Absolutes are a dying breed in the National Football League. Week 2 displayed some battles that consisted of some concepts and strategies, previously believed to always produce victories, which brought about stunning results.

In Dallas, the NY Giants were held to under 100 yards rushing and gave up 250+ on the ground...and won. It's kind of like a puppy surviving a lightning strike -- these things just aren't supposed to happen. Nonetheless, Dallas' defense produced no turnovers or sacks while their secondary was very inviting, and Tony Romo appeared to color blind. As a result, an anomaly was born leaving Dallas seething and NY gloating.

Indianapolis might have pulled off one of the most stunning escapes in NFL history. The Miami Dolphins racked up 403 yards in offense to Indy's 356. This included 239 yards in rushing while the Colts collected 61. To top it all off, the Dolphins ran 84 plays and was on the field for 45:07 while the Colts offense ran 35 plays for a staggering time of possession of 14:53 paving the way for an INDY win. Two words -- Peyton Manning, the ultimate field general.

Speaking of individual performances, there are games when everything falls into place for an athlete to have a game for the ages. When you hear of or watch such a feat, you typically associate it with a victory. In Tennessee, RB Chris Johnson had a game that put his name on the map. He rushed only 16 times for 197 yards and 2 TD runs of 57 and 91 yards. He also caught 9 passes for 87 yards and one TD of 69 yards. This was part of the Titans' 449 yards of total offense. Thanks to the Tennessee D giving up 420 yards, the Titans lost.

Abnormalities like these appear to be increasing as NFL parity continues to evolve and mature. Will it continue in Week 3? You better believe it will as there is already an astonishing event set to occur.

Most NFL fans never believed that Michael Vick would ever appear in an NFL game again when he was neck-deep in this dog cruelty scandal. This Sunday, Vick will see some action in Philly as they welcome the sputtering Chiefs. Let's take a look at the other matchups where an aberration might take place.

• Cleveland Browns (0-2) at Baltimore Ravens (2-0): CBS, 1pm EST - Nothing good is happening with Cleveland. There are no signs of life in the offense, and the defense is on life support. A win in Baltimore would be a miracle.

• Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) at Houston Texans (1-1): CBS, 1pm EST - Anytime you go on the road against an intimidating division rival and win, it will usually always give you the jet fuel you need for the following week. Enter the lowly Jaguars.

• Tennessee Titans (0-2) at NY Jets (2-0): CBS, 1pm EST - Of all the teams that have started an NFL season 0-3, only 3.1% have made the playoffs. NY's rookie QB, Mark Sanchez, has the Big Apple buzzing, but it's time to bring Mr. Sanchez to earth.

• Kansas City (0-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1): CBS, 1pm EST - It's been almost three years since Michael Vick played in an NFL regular season game which occurred on Dec. 31, 2006 as a member of the Falcons -- in Philly.

• Washington Redskins (1-1) at Detroit Lions (0-2): FOX, 1pm EST - Last week's 9-7 win over the pathetic Rams felt like a loss in the Redskins locker room afterwards. Zorn's job could be on the line if they can't hand Detroit their 20th straight loss. Get ready for a paranormal event.

• Atlanta Falcons (2-0) at New England Patriots (1-1): FOX, 1pm EST - Like two ships passing in the night, this up-n-coming Falcons team travels to Foxborough to take on a Patriots team that has done it all and hopes it isn't on a decline. Whether they play or not, WR's Randy Moss and Wes Welker are hurting which isn't good.

• Green Bay Packers (1-1) at St. Louis Rams (0-2): FOX, 1pm EST - These are the times that try men's souls. It's not a good time to be a Rams fan. St. Louis is 2-14 at home since 2007 and have lost their last five at Edward Jones Dome. The Packers hit the road for the first time this year.

• NY Giants (2-0) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2): FOX, 1pm EST - There may be a need for a CSI unit to identify the remains after this blood bath.

• San Francisco 49ers (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (2-0): FOX, 1pm EST - Cleveland and Detroit aren't exactly accurate measuring sticks for Minnesota to gauge their merit. That changes with the surprising Niners coming to town. Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore should provide plenty of highlights, and Brett Favre must return to form.

• New Orleans Saints (2-0) at Buffalo Bills (1-1): FOX, 4:05pm EST - If Buffalo wants to be the one team to cool off the Saints, their offense must control the clock to keep Drew Brees off the field. Just ask Detroit and Philly.

• Chicago Bears (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (1-1): FOX, 4:05pm EST - When the season began, this game looked like a slam dunk for Seattle. Now, both teams are decimated with injuries, but Chicago has the momentum with Cutler starting to warm up. The Bears haven't won in Seattle since 1976.

• Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-1): CBS, 4:15pm EST - It must be nice to have home field advantage....on the road. The Steelers have won their last nine trips to Cincy, but this clash won't be as easy. The Bengals are no longer pushovers as they hope their defense can rattle Big Ben who has never lost in Ohio.

• Denver Broncos (2-0) at Oakland Raiders (1-1): CBS, 4:15pm EST - Jay who? Denver QB Kyle Orton has looked quite poised and confident while not committing a turnover early on. Also, the Denver defense is beginning to gel under DC Mike Nolan's leadership. They're not flashy except when compared to Raider Nation.

• Miami Dolphins (0-2) at San Diego Chargers (1-1): CBS, 4:15pm EST - Much like Tennessee, Miami's record does not represent their talent level and quality of play these first two games. The Dolphins are desperate for a win and have beaten the Chargers the last seven meetings. The Wildcat will be on the prowl.

• Indianapolis Colts (2-0) at Arizona Cardinals (1-1): NBC, 8:20pm EST - Five MVP's are shared by Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning. They each lead offenses that enough potency to drive any defensive coordinator to the edge. The Cardinals look like they got their mojo back, and Indy is a bit battered on defense. This should be a fireworks show.
  

• Carolina Panthers (0-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1): ESPN, 8:30pm EST, MNF - If you're looking for sloppy football, welcome to Big D. Both teams have had the turnover bug, and both have QB's looking for redemption. The Panthers are desperate for a win, and the Dallas pass defense has just the answer.
  

STANDINGS

Chris Mortensen: 11-5, 25-7

Adam Schefter: 11-5, 23-9

Mike Ditka: 10-6, 23-9

Keyshawn Johnson: 7-9, 21-11

Cris Carter: 9-7, 21-11

Eddie Chinn: 9-7, 21-11

Peter King: 9-7, 21-11