NFL 2025 Week 3 picks: this is our prediction for every game

There’s something captivating about sports. It’s not just the battles fought in stadiums or the blows exchanged in the ring - it’s also waged in the invisible arena of social media, where every loss becomes a tragedy and every win a legendary feat. We saw it last Saturday with Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez. He fell to Terence Crawford, and within moments, the timeline delivered its verdict: his era was over, his legacy shattered, his greatness expired. Boxing, with all its theatrical flair, couldn’t have scripted a more dramatic scene.

What’s striking is how that narrative mirrored what happened in football.

On Sunday, the Chiefs lost to the Eagles, and the reaction was eerily similar.

The dynasty is dead, some dared to post. In less than 24 hours, Mexico lost its super middleweight champion, and the NFL saw its reigning empire crumble. Not even the most sensationalist tabloid from decades past could’ve exaggerated it this much.

But that’s what we do now. We live enslaved to the moment. We’re judges handing down sentences in seconds, executioners wielding tweets. There’s no patience for process, no context to understand that losses are part of the journey. Canelo lost a fight, not his career. Patrick Mahomes dropped two games, not his place in history. As my mother-in-law likes to say: another failure to give the poem its rhyme.

Shows like First Take feed this fever for instant judgment - this addiction to ending careers overnight.

I prefer the old-school sports fans, especially in boxing. When a champion fell, people waited. They wanted to see if the fighter would rise, if there’d be a rematch, if pride would carry him forward. Today, we don’t want to wait for anything. We want the whole story in a single weekend.

Sometimes, all you can do is laugh at the exaggerations. I’m guilty of them myself, writing this piece like I’m Borges in a football helmet.

But let’s be clear: what happened to Canelo wasn’t the collapse of a legacy - it was the confirmation that Crawford is a generational talent. And what happened to Kansas City wasn’t the fall of a dynasty - it was a reminder that winning in the NFL is never easy, not even with Mahomes, Andy Reid, and a stadium that roars every Sunday.

The funniest part? September in the NFL is like a misleading movie trailer. The real story unfolds in December. Starting 0-2 doesn’t guarantee failure, just like a 2-0 start doesn’t promise anything. Ask the Bengals - they’re smiling in the standings at 2-0, but crying over Joe Burrow’s injury.

Week 2 was a rollercoaster worthy of a theme park. Close games, heart-stopping finishes, game-winning kicks, and quarterbacks walking a tightrope. I personally went 11-for-16 on picks.

The NFL - a spectacle engineered for drama - broke records for points and kick returns. Seventeen games have been decided by a touchdown or less, the most in 12 years and the second-highest total in league history (20 in 2013).

September football is a mirage. t shows us images that feel real but don’t always hold up. What’s certain is that every week is a nerve-wracking rehearsal, a reminder that games aren’t played on Twitter - they’re fought on a 100-yard field.

Game of the Week

• Rams at Eagles (-3.5)

Amid a wave of voices calling to ban the “tush push” - a play that’s nearly impossible for referees to officiate — the Philadelphia Eagles are gearing up to defend their undefeated record. While purists demand its removal for being “unsportsmanlike” and opponents beg for a way to stop it, Philly has turned it into a symbol of dominance, almost a metaphor for their identity: grit, muscle, and zero compromise.

But beyond that debate, what’s coming to Lincoln Financial Field this weekend is a different kind of push - one from a Rams team that hasn’t forgotten what happened last season in the Divisional Round, when they came inches from knocking out the eventual Super Bowl champs.

Both teams enter at 2-0. The Eagles have barely survived against Dallas and Kansas City, trusting that their offense will eventually shift into a higher gear. The Rams, meanwhile, have made more noise: a gritty opener against Houston followed by a convincing 33-19 win over Tennessee, suggesting Sean McVay may have found the right balance between Matthew Stafford and his aerial arsenal, with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams leading the charge. Stafford threw for 334 yards and a career-high five touchdowns against the Titans. But the real headline has been the defense - shining like a Hollywood star. They’ve racked up eight sacks in just two weeks, tied with Green Bay as the second-most aggressive unit in quarterback pressure.

A champion defending its turf and clinging to its unbeaten streak… versus a contender returning with unfinished business. Philadelphia feeds off the memory of Saquon Barkley torching the Rams for 205 rushing yards in that January clash, but they also know that was the night they came closest to falling before the Super Bowl.

Jalen Hurts just passed Steve Young for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (45) and seems destined to rewrite the record books. But he’ll face Byron Young and a defensive front that smells blood. If the Rams can pressure him early, the game will shift to their tempo: slow, gritty, and decided in the final drive.

And that’s the kind of script the NFL lives for. The Eagles offense mounting a final push, Lincoln Financial roaring, the clock ticking down. Hurts under center, the threat of the tush push looming on every third-and-short, and across the line, a defense desperate not to be cast in another nightmare.

This time, the Rams defense will steal the spotlight. Stafford won’t need a heroic deep ball - his defense will seal the win. The Eagles will suffer their first blow to the crown, a cruel reminder that in the NFL, no empire is immune to the reality check of September. Pick: Rams 27, Eagles 24

Quick picks:

• Dolphins at Bills (-12.5):

Josh Allen is 7-0 as a starter on Thursdays. Miami looks like the designated victim. Buffalo will be missing key defensive pieces like Matt Milano and Ed Oliver, which should tighten the scoreline.

Pick: Bills 33, Dolphins 27

• Falcons (-3.5) at Panthers:

Carolina couldn’t light a fire with a box of matches. Atlanta, at least, has sparked a flicker of hope.

Pick: Falcons 30, Panthers 23

• Packers (-7.5) at Browns:

Jordan Love is slinging passes. The Browns? Just slinging excuses.

Pick: Packers 28, Browns 14

• Texans at Jaguars (-1.5):

CJ Stroud’s struggling, but Jacksonville with Trevor Lawrence isn’t exactly a model of control either.

Pick: Texans 27, Jaguars 24

• Bengals at Vikings (-3.5):

No Burrow for Cincinnati, and Minnesota’s missing McCarthy. Both teams are limping.

Pick: Vikings 24, Bengals 20

• Steelers (-1.5) at Patriots:

New England’s defense has won more games than Pittsburgh’s offense. Still, not quite time to trust the Pats.

Pick: Steelers 23, Patriots 17

• Jets at Buccaneers (-7.5):

Tampa still believes in Baker Mayfield. The Jets believe in miracles.

Pick: Buccaneers 26, Jets 21

• Colts (-3.5) at Titans:

Jonathan Taylor runs. Tennessee jogs.

Pick: Colts 24, Titans 20

• Raiders at Commanders (-3.5):

Washington may be without Jayden Daniels, but they’ve got defense. Vegas? Just drama.

Pick: Commanders 21, Raiders 17

• Broncos at Chargers (-2.5):

The Chargers might just be turning into a legit Super Bowl contender.

Pick: Chargers 29, Broncos 23

• Saints at Seahawks (-7.5):

Geno sounds reliable. New Orleans sounds like a snooze.

Pick: Seahawks 27, Saints 14

• Cowboys (-1.5) at Bears:

Dallas win a thriller they should’ve won easily.

Pick: Cowboys 30, Bears 27

• Cardinals at 49ers (-1.5):

Arizona’s flying high at 2-0, but that streak ends Sunday.

Pick: 49ers 24, Cardinals 16

• Chiefs (-6.5) at Giants:

Mahomes has heard the obituaries - and that’s usually a bad idea for his opponents.

Pick: Chiefs 30, Giants 21

• Lions at Ravens (-4.5):

Detroit crushed their former offensive coordinator in Week 2, but Baltimore won’t be so easy to laugh off.

Pick: Ravens 30, Lions 28

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