2017 NFL preseason Week 3 predictions

Aug. 24, 7 p.m. ET

The Jay Cutler Era in Miami takes another step forward, as Cutler looks to knock some more rust off after his brief retirement. On the other side is Carson Wentz, who looked very sharp against the Dolphins during joint practices. Cutler’s ability to pick up Miami’s offense and work in harmony with Adam Gase is certainly the biggest story, but look for Wentz to be sharper during his time in the game. 

Aug. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET

Blake Bortles is out, Chad Henne is in, and the Jaguars have big problems at the most important position on the field. Henne and Bortles are both expected to get first-team reps, but the mere fact that they’ll split time with the starters is a problem. This one will also be interesting as it showcases the two highest-drafted running backs in this year’s class; Jacksonville’s Leonard Fournette and Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey.

Aug. 25, 7 p.m ET

That New England is the only road team favored – in a preseason game, no less – should tell you all you need to know about Bill Belichick’s level of preparation. Tom Brady looks as sharp as ever, and even if he doesn’t stay in as long as other teams’ starting QBs, it’s hard to imagine the Pats will suffer a drop-off. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford, coming off a solid Calvin Johnson-less season, looks to get in his final tune-up, even with contract extension noise constantly humming in the background.

Aug. 25, 8 p.m. ET

Russell Wilson has looked good in the Seahawks’ first two preseason games, both victories, but he’ll be breaking in a new left tackle in Rees Odhiambo, who takes the place of starter George Fant, who was lost for the season to a knee injury. Keeping Wilson upright while still getting plenty of work in will be of the utmost importance. For Kansas City, there is opportunity for their talented defensive front to flex its muscle against Seattle’s offensive line. Michael Bennett and a typically ferocious Seattle defense should be a good litmus test for Alex Smith.

Aug. 26, 7 p.m. ET

Matt Ryan was mostly flawless in his one drive against the Steelers, but he will face a much better secondary against Arizona. Still, Ryan and cast of weapons (even if Julio Jones barely sees any action) figure to put some points on the board. Arizona, with David Johnson entering his third year, and still possessing the potent combination of Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald, will probably put plenty of points on the board.

Aug. 26, 7 p.m. ET 

Pity Todd Bowles. He still hasn’t named a quarterback, and not only that, he’s been very cloak and dagger about the process, limiting Josh McCown, seemingly the best choice for the job, to minimal reps. This contest may be a big determinant to who wins the quarterback derby, but even that statement seems presumptuous. The major concern on the Giants' side is that no other crucial piece suffers an injury after the scary hit Odell Beckham Jr. took in last week’s game against Cleveland.

Aug. 26, 7 p.m. ET 

It is tough to look at the Bills and not assume that the team is not terribly interested in winning this season. Trade rumors have started to swirl around LeSean McCoy, and while those have been shot down, nothing would really be surprising at this point. Baltimore, meanwhile, looks to see sharpness from Joe Flacco in his final rehearsal before the regular season.

Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET

DeShone Kizer will get the start for the Browns, a stinging rebuke to Brock Osweiler. Kizer is clearly not ready to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, but he does throw a nice deep ball, and he may inject some excitement for Cleveland. Meantime, Gregg Williams has an athletic, fast Browns defense flying around, which should present a nice challenge for Jameis Winston and the Bucs. For his part, Winston will be looking, like every other entrenched starter, to get some quality drives going, and score some points – though that part is more icing on the cake.

Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET

Ben Roethlisberger should see a decent amount of time for Pittsburgh after not playing in the first two preseason games, but there will be no Le’Veon Bell and no Landry Jones. Jones’ absence thus far has given rookie Joshua Dobbs plenty of snaps, but he has done nothing to suggest he is ready for a backup role. For the Colts, Andrew Luck still has no timetable for a return, and Scott Tolzien has done little to inspire confidence in his performance.

Aug. 26, 8 p.m. 

Aaron Donald’s holdout looms large over the Rams, and while Jared Goff has more weapons than he did last year, if the team and their star defensive lineman don’t come to terms, it will be a huge blow for the club. For Philip Rivers, the task is to put at ease the minds of Chargers fans who have seen the team’s offense look inept without him on the field. If nothing else, the Chargers have found out that there isn’t much quality depth surrounding the franchise QB.

Aug. 26, 8 p.m. ET

Life without Ezekiel Elliott, pending the August 29 appeal hearing for his six-game suspension, continues for Cowboys fans. However, there exists a chance that he gets some touches against the Raiders. Seems needlessly risky, especially if his suspension ends up being upheld. Expect Derek Carr to look sharp in his dress rehearsal, and for the Raiders to put up some points.

Aug. 26, 8 p.m. ET

Tom Savage won the quarterback derby in Houston, to the surprise of many, but being able to let a rookie observe for a year isn’t the worst thing in the world. Expect Savage and Watson to get plenty of time against New Orleans, though even spectacular work by Watson, though it might excite fans, wouldn’t seem likely to sway Bill O’Brien. For New Orleans, Adrian Peterson and Drew Brees are both expected to play, and it will be very interesting to see how Peterson looks against a potentially stout Texans defense.

Aug. 26, 9 p.m.

Two teams with very opposite situations under center meet, as Aaron Rodgers gets in a final tune-up, while the Broncos will go with Trevor Siemian, and hope that he can provide stability at the position. Denver’s first team defense, especially their pass rush, which sees Von Miller make his preseason debut, should be fun to watch against Rodgers. I’ll give the edge to the Broncos, simply because it seems unlikely that Green Bay would want to show too much of their playbook.

Aug. 27, 1 p.m. ET

The Bears travel to Tennessee, and Mitch Trubisky may have a chance to unseat Mike Glennon as the starting quarterback, but what should be interesting is how well he fares against better defenders, executing perhaps a bit more of a complex game plan than what Trubisky has seen so far. That sounds like a recipe for some struggles for a young signal caller most felt was at least a year on the bench away from being ready to start in the league.

Aug. 27, 4:30 p.m.

Whether or not to play some injured veterans seems to be the biggest question for Marvin Lewis, and one has to think he will attempt to err on the side of caution in that regard. Washington, meantime, will try to continue to build rapport between Kirk Cousins and a tantalizing new target in the form of Terrelle Pryor, Sr. The combination of some injured Bengals and a favorable home setting figures to work in Washington’s favor.

Aug. 27, 8 p.m. ET. 

Sam Bradford finally seems to have found a landing spot in Minnesota, and now has another dynamic playmaker in the form of Dalvin Cook in his backfield. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings divide the touches between Cook and Latavius Murray, and the woebegone 49ers seem like the ideal opponent on which to experiment with combinations and rotations.