NFL Week 3 Tips and Predictions | Lorenzo’s castles
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his picks and predictions for Week 3 NFL games.
Lorenzo’s castles
The San Francisco 49ers are no strangers to success, but the storied franchise has a chance to get off to a better start than in recent years.
With a win on Thursday night against the New York Giants, the 49ers will have just their second 3-0 start in 25 years, the other such start coming in 2019. Stopping San Francisco could prove to be a tall order for New York. Saquon Barkley will be without as the running back recovers from an ankle injury. However, the Giants rallied from a 21-point deficit last Sunday to defeat the Arizona Cardinals for their first win of the season.
USA TODAY Sports will show a live breakdown of the game. So check back for more information on all the action:
Christian McCaffrey is in good company.
McCaffrey’s four-yard touchdown run in the second quarter marked the 12th consecutive game (regular season or playoffs) in which he reached the end zone. This equals the franchise record set by receiver Jerry Rice in 1987.
The NFL record for most consecutive games scoring a touchdown is 18. Hall of Fame RB LaDainian Tomlinson scored a touchdown in 18 consecutive games in 2004 and 2005 while playing for the San Diego Chargers, which is the The Baltimore Colts halfback’s NFL record was set by Lenny Moore in 1965.
A physical altercation between 49ers left tackle Trent Williams and Giants defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson delayed the start of the half as referee Shawn Hochuli asked both teams to remain on the field as they attempted to score in Go towards the tunnels.
It was the last play of the half, a kneel down by the 49ers. Robinson ended up getting in Williams’ face, and the protector of Purdy’s blind side wasn’t having it. While we get tangled up for a moment, Williams hit Robinson with a right hook. Both players were cited for unsportsmanlike conduct. Williams was picked off three times in the game. —Chris Bumbaca
Darren Waller and the Giants offense showed signs of life late in the first half.
Waller had two balls during New York’s eight-game sweep to put the club within field goal range. After the Giants failed to convert on a third down, Gano made a long 56-yard field goal to cut the Giants’ deficit to 17-6. —Tyler Dragon
Even when Brock Purdy misses throws, the ball still ends up in the hands of the 49ers receivers.
Purdy missed Deebo Samuel on a slanting route and the ball deflected high into the air. However, rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell maneuvered under the ball and made the contested catch for the first down.
Both 49ers defensemen are off to productive starts. McCaffrey finished the drive with a rushing touchdown, his 12th straight game with a score, and is up to 61 yards on the ground. He also has three catches for 26 yards. Elijah Mitchell had a catch for nine yards and a rush for 18 yards on the drive. On third-and-12 from the red zone, it looked like tight end George Kittle was stopped short of the first down. But a hard passing attack against Leonard Williams – he landed his full body weight on Purdy in the eyes of referee Shawn Hochuli – extended the drive and allowed the Niners to extend their lead to 14 points before halftime. —Chris Bumbaca
Darren Waller was expected to play a major role in the Giants’ game plan on Thursday night, especially since the Giants will be without running back Saquon Barkley (ankle). However, the Giants tight end had no catches and no targets late in the second quarter. Daniel Jones threw to six different players, none of whom were Waller.
Waller came into Thursday night’s game with nine catches and 112 yards in two games. —Tyler Dragon
The Niners converted three third downs and were rewarded with a touchdown to make the score 10-3.
First, head coach Kyle Shanahan called Deebo Samuel to a wide receiving screen on third-and-15 that went over 30 yards. Guard Aaron Banks managed to block two Giants defenders on the play, and Samuel used his block to give him a big advantage.
From there, McCaffrey took the lead behind the offensive line with runs of nine and 10 yards. On 3rd-and-13, Shanahan scored another gain, this time against McCaffrey, who slid 17 yards. From the Giants’ 11-yard line and with another third down, Purdy threw a ball into the front corner of the end zone for wideout Ronnie Bell. The rookie seventh-round pick – Purdy was the last pick of the 2022 draft – did it and caught his first career touchdown (He had his first career catch earlier in the game).
So far, San Francisco has scored a first down on six of eight third downs. —Chris Bumbaca
Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa almost had a safety late in the first quarter. Bosa came off the line of scrimmage unblocked and fired Giants QB Daniel Jones right near the goal line. The referees gave Jones forward motion and placed the ball inside the one-yard line. The sack put the Giants on second-and-18 as the first quarter ended in a tie. —Tyler Dragon
The Giants offset San Francisco’s first drive field goal with one of their own.
Graham Gano, who scored the winning goal against the Arizona Cardinals four days ago, made it 3-0 with a 44-yard field goal. Since the start of the second half of this contest, New York has scored six straight times.
Quarterback Daniel Jones connected with four different receivers for a total of 38 passing yards. He also converted a 3rd-and-1, barely picking up enough yards on a sneak. —Chris Bumbaca
The 49ers opened the game with possession. Running back Christian McCaffrey gained 29 yards from scrimmage and wide receiver Jauan Jennings had a 24-yard catch on third down to give the team field goal possession.
Kicker Jake Moody scored the first points of the game with a 28-yard field goal. —Tyler Dragon
The Giants and 49ers kick off on September 21st at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Giants vs. 49ers is streaming on Amazon Prime Video and will only air in local markets. The game can also be streamed for free on Fubo.
The 49ers will be without starting wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk due to a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers also announced that QB Brandon Allen, OL Nick Zakelj, RB Tyrion Davis-Price, LB Jalen Graham, DL Kalia Davis and CB Ambry Thomas will be inactive against New York.
As expected, the Giants will be without running back Saquon Barkley, who suffered an ankle injury in last week’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. Giants CB Cor’Dale Flott, S Gervarrius Owens, OLB Azeez Ojulari, OL Ben Bredeson, T Andrew Thomas and DL Jordon Riley are also inactive Thursday night.
According to BetMGM, the 49ers enter Thursday’s game as 10.5-point favorites.
All eight of USA TODAY Sports’ NFL experts are covering the 49ers, with five of them picking the game as their lockdown game of the week.
Find out more about what to expect here:
Lorenzo Reyes: 49ers 27, Giants 13
After a short week and a trip to the West Coast, New York’s offensive line is a mess and the Giants are without Saquon Barkley. The Niners are explosive just about everywhere. Nick Bosa is going to have a field day.
Tyler Dragon: 49ers 28, Giants 10
The 49ers are the best team in the NFL after two weeks. Brock Purdy manages the game and gets the football to San Francisco’s explosive playmakers. The 49ers’ defense is once again strong, especially linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa. The Giants are without Saquon Barkley (ankle), meaning it will be a long night for New York.
Victoria Hernandez: 49ers 32, Giants 13
The Giants have good momentum after scoring all 31 points in the second half in their come-from-behind win last week, but will struggle again without Saquon Barkley. The 49ers are simply the better team all around.
Jordan Mendoza: 49ers 30, Giants 12
The Giants staged a miraculous comeback in Week 2, albeit against the lowly Arizona Cardinals. They won’t be able to overcome the deficit against the 49ers – especially without Saquon Barkley – while San Francisco pulls out an easy win.
Highlighting Thursday Night Football odds, the San Francisco 49ers are among the best bets for NFL Week 3 in their primetime game against the visiting New York Giants. The undefeated 49ers have a 10-point advantage, according to BetMGM NFL odds. Would you like to bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promotions in 2023.
According to the top NFL betting apps, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has some of the best NFL MVP betting odds (+2000) in his second professional season. The 49ers also have some of the best early Super Bowl odds (+600).
The Giants, meanwhile, aren’t among the most popular NFL futures bets after starting 0-2 last season after making the playoffs. Can Daniel Jones and Co. turn things around in 2023?
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Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season begins with nine undefeated and nine winless teams. Our panel of NFL experts is back with a new round of predictions.
There are nine 2-0 teams at the start of week three. Seven of those teams are from the NFC, including the San Francisco 49ers. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz tried to go through all the 2-0 teams to find out which ones are contenders, which ones are still in waiting mode, and which ones are fool’s gold.
Another week, another running back for the season. That’s in addition to the numerous bumps and bumps that key ball carriers must withstand every NFL weekend. Therefore, the position appears to be extremely thin at the start of the third week.
This week’s fantasy football rankings are based on the point-per-reception (PPR) rating used in most seasonal and daily fantasy football formats. One point is awarded for every 10 rushing and receiving yards and one point for every 20 passing yards. Six points are awarded for touchdowns scored, four points for passing TDs and one point for receptions.
The rankings are compiled by Daniel Dobish, TheHuddle.com. —Steve Gardner
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