Backs to the wall
| Week 3 results | ||||
|
||||
| 26-20-2 10-6 |
26-20-2 9-7 |
16-30-2 4-12 |
||
| Thursday, September 20, 2018 | ||||
| N.Y. Jets @ Cleveland | Cleveland | New York Jets | New York Jets | |
| Sunday, September 23, 2018 | ||||
| New Orleans @ Atlanta | Atlanta | New Orleans | Atlanta | |
| Denver @ Baltimore | Baltimore | Baltimore | Denver | |
| Cincinnati @ Carolina | Carolina | Carolina | Cincinnati | |
| N.Y. Giants @ Houston | Houston | Houston | New York Giants | |
| Tennessee @ Jacksonville | Jacksonville | Jacksonville | Tennessee | |
| San Francisco @ Kansas City | Kansas City | Kansas City | San Francisco | |
| Oakland @ Miami | Miami | Miami | Oakland | |
| Buffalo @ Minnesota | Minnesota | Minnesota | Minnesota | |
| Indianapolis @ Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Indianapolis | |
| Green Bay @ Washington | Green Bay | Green Bay | Green Bay | |
| L.A. Chargers @ L.A. Rams | L.A. Rams | L.A. Rams | L.A. Chargers | |
| Chicago @ Arizona | Chicago | Chicago | Arizona | |
| Dallas @ Seattle | Seattle | Seattle | Seattle | |
| New England @ Detroit | New England | New England | New England | |
| Monday, September 24, 2018 | ||||
| Pittsburgh @ Tampa Bay | Pittsburgh | Tampa Bay | Pittsburgh | |
| © 2018 Gehlke Bros. Football | ||||
Never underestimate a desperate football team. As the season entered Week 3 there were no less than nine teams that had yet to get a victory, and two of those teams had played to a tie on opening day. Perhaps fittingly, those two would both factor into the equation for the Gehlke Bros’ weekly splits.
0-3 is an ugly place to be, and all but a guarantee that you won’t make the postseason. The only thing uglier might be the Cleveland Browns, who have flirted with wins several times during a 19-game losing streak dating back to the end of the 2016 season, and most recently tied the Steelers in Week 1. They felt good about their chances against the visiting Jets on Thursday night, and so did the Senior Bro, who took them in the weekend’s first split. The Browns looked much like the “dawgs” they’ve been in recent years before Baker Mayfield stepped in for an injured Tyrod Taylor late in the second quarter and rallied the team to a 21-17 win.
Sean got into the win column on Sunday when the Saints outlasted the Falcons in an overtime shootout. Matt Ryan was on his game for Atlanta, tossing for 374 yards and 5 TDs in a seesaw battle that saw nine lead changes. But the defense couldn’t stop Drew Brees as the Saints QB racked up 396 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also running for the game-winner in overtime. Final score: 43-37.
That left Monday night as the rubber match, with the 0-1-1 Steelers in Tampa Bay to face the 2-0 Buccaneers. Pittsburg scored all 30 of its points in the first half, opening up a 20-point advantage. But it was anything but a waltz to the win as the Bucs stormed back to make a game of it, closing to 30-27 before being forced to punt on their final drive and watching the Steelers run the clock out. Pittsburg got the monkey off its back with the win, and Glenn won the split to draw even in the GBF standings.
Maybe it was because there was so much desperation, or because it was a full moon, or because it was the first weekend of fall, but whatever it was resulted in several key upsets. Of the nine winless teams entering the week, six of them made good on their quest to get the W. Only the Raiders, Texans and Cardinals share the dubious distinction of 0-3 records. Along with the Browns and Steelers, the Giants, Lions, Seahawks and Bills also prevailed — the latter despite being 14-point underdogs in Minnesota. Nothing is guaranteed.
Also not guaranteed is the Bros’ ability to stay above .500. It was a third straight week of surprises, but Glenn dodged enough of them to win the week at 10-6. Sean was second at 9-7, while Ben lived up to his “King Chaos” moniker in going 4-12 for third. We all correctly picked Seattle. No one predicted the wins by Buffalo, Washington or Detroit.
