NFL 2024 Season - Week 3
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Avoiding the Donut
by Dennis Ranahan

The second Sunday of the National Football League regular season is as expected, no weather to interfere with the play on the field. There's a chance of rain in Jacksonville, where the Jaguars host the Cleveland Browns, while the rest of the outdoor venues today offer clear or cloudy conditions.

That game in Jacksonville features a pair of teams looking for a playoff berth come January who are also looking to avoid dropping a second straight game to open their 2024 campaigns. Teams that do start 0-2 since 1990 have essentially a one in ten chance of earning a playoff spot.

A number of teams that were expected to be in the hunt this year are looking to avoid no wins in their first two weeks. Included on that list is the Cincinnati Bengals, who after being upset at home last Sunday by the New England Patriots are in Kansas City today to meet Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Aaron Rodgers, who is working his second season with the New York Jets, has never led a team to losses in both the first and second week of a season. Of course, Rodgers has not been a member of the Jets for his Hall of Fame earning seasons. Today, the Jets have landed in Tennessee, and either the Titans or Jets will be tagged with a second straight season opening loss.

The Green Bay Packers opened with a loss in Brazil a week ago Friday and even more important than dropping the game to the Philadelphia Eagles the Packers lost their starting quarterback, Jordan Love. They and their second week opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, are looking to avoid an oh and two start. The Indianapolis Colts lost their season opener at home to the Houston Texans last Sunday, 29-27.

Yesterday, the Packers listed Love as doubtful on their injury list, a move more likely made to force the Colts into thinking they may have to face the Packers starter. They won’t, Love won’t play for at least a couple more weeks and the Packers are forced to rely on Malik Willis, who they acquired from the Tennessee Titans on August 26th for a seventh-round draft choice. The Colts will counter with their first round pick a season ago, quarterback Anthony Richardson.

The public has checked in with their three favorite plays of the day, beginning with the San Francisco 49ers (-4½) over the Minnesota Vikings and followed by the Baltimore Ravens (-9) over Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers (-5) over the Carolina Panthers.

The Qoxhi game day selections are now posted on this site, and if a Bullet Play develops in the final hour before the first kickoff, that game will be added to the list of recommendations by 9:45 a.m.