The Sports Hangover: Week 3 NFL Recap & Looking Ahead
Welcome to another week of The Sports Hangover! I'm Michael Benatar, and joining me as always is my co-host, J-Dawg. Get ready as we dive into last weekend's NFL action, some surprising performances, and what's coming up in Week 4.
Michael’s Apology to Chargers Fans
Before we jump into the matchups, I owe an apology to Chargers fans. I’ve been critical of Justin Herbert and the team, expecting him to regress like a past quarterback. However, after a strong Week 3 performance, I’m starting to pull back on my negativity. The hope is that a new coaching direction could revitalize not just Herbert, but the entire Chargers team.
Celebrating Indiana Jones’ Performance
While on the topic of comebacks, I'm thrilled to see how well Indiana Jones (or Anthony Richardson, if you prefer) has performed. He’s 3-0 while Saquon Barkley, who shares the same fortunate record, has looked great. There's a strange statistic to appreciate: those two together are 6-0. The Giants, on the other hand? They sit at 0-3. Tough times for Giants fans, indeed.
Issues in Your Southern Cities
J-Dawg brought up an interesting theory this week: what if certain Southern cities just can’t succeed in the NFL? Look at Houston, Miami, and Atlanta—all have amazing weather and nightlife but seem to struggle in developing successful franchises. All have quarterbacks who are supposed to succeed but have recently regressed. CJ Stroud in Houston and Tua in Miami are perfect examples of that situation. The bright side? J-Dawg believes the pressure of being in these cities doesn't lend itself well to developing a winning culture.
The NFL's Oddities
Another bizarre and frustrating aspect of Week 3 was the sheer number of blocked kicks. What's going on? Did someone deflate the balls? I feel as if we saw more blocked kicks in a single day than we did in the past few seasons combined. What does it mean? Are defenses catching on, or do rule changes have something to do with it?
Speaking of defenses, the Rams fell short against the Eagles, which J-Dawg pointed out included the fastest 375-pound touchdown in the NFL’s history. If that’s the kind of excitement we’re getting, who knows what the rest of the season has in store!
Plummeting Teams: Cowboys and Bears
Let’s turn our focus to Dallas and Chicago. Are the Cowboys genuinely struggling, or have the Bears found some hidden gems? Dallas’ season has looked rough, and as J-Dawg pointed out, Jerry Jones might need to start rethinking his position. On the other hand, is it time to call it quits on Justin Fields? Maybe the Bears just need to hit reset on their coaching staff altogether.
Keep Your Eyes on the Packers & Texans
Looking ahead, the question arises: can the Packers bounce back against Dallas? I believe they can capitalize on the Cowboys' weaknesses, especially with several key injuries impacting Dallas. It’s a revenge game for Green Bay, and they may very well come out swinging.
As for the Houston Texans? J-Dawg thinks they might be poised to catch their first win against a shaky Tennessee team. It’s a risk, but as both he and I agree, when a team is 0-3, something has to give.
Betting Insights and Survivor Pool Picks
As we gear up for Week 4, we reviewed our bets and Survivor picks. I was fortunate enough to go with the Bills in my bets, while J-Dawg took on the Seahawks—an interesting choice that has potential implications given the injuries affecting other teams in the division.
For our Survivor pool, I’m leaning towards the Chargers facing off against the Giants, but J-Dawg warns how Jackson Dart could shake things up. We’ll see how things unfold this week!
Final Thoughts
In summary, an eventful Week 3 has left us with more questions than answers. We’re learning a lot about team dynamics, strength of schedules, and the pressure cooker that is the NFL. Remember to check out our Substack for more insights, pics, and exclusive content.
As always, thanks for joining us today on The Sports Hangover. We’ll see you all next week for more analysis and predictions—stay tuned!
