The Rich Top 5: NFL Week 3’s Most Intriguing Matchups

One game into Week 3, Rich already had a feeling. The Falcons shocking the Packers on Thursday night might be just the beginning.

"I just have a feeling, just a spidey sense, that the Falcons shocking the Packers is just the beginning of a lot of such things," he said. "Could be off. Could be not."

With that as the backdrop, here are the five other Week 3 matchups Rich is most looking forward to, plus a bonus.

Number five: Vikings at Buccaneers. Tampa's back is against the wall, and shortly before the segment, Todd Bowles told reporters Josiah Trotter and Reuben Bain are out. The offense has been an issue too. "They're just not firing cannons on all cylinders there," Rich said. Here comes Brian Flores and a defense buzzing around, and it's Kyler Murray's second start of the season, looking for his second win. Rich pointed out that Murray technically won Week 1 despite lasting only 11 snaps against the Packers, because the starting quarterback gets the win. Vikings trying to go 3-0, Bucs trying to avoid 0-3, in one of four late-window games.

Number four: Eagles at Bears on Monday night. It would have ranked higher with Caleb Williams. "Caleb versus Hurts, this might be number one on the list. Keenum versus Hurts? Doesn't have the same ring to it." The Eagles are trying to go 3-0, the Bears trying to avoid 1-2. And Rich remembered the day after Thanksgiving last year, when Chicago wrecked the Eagles' buffet. You could argue that's when the Bears proved they were for real, and that the Eagles were in real trouble.

Number three: Ravens vs. Cowboys in Rio. Both teams are trying to go 2-1. The loser falls to 1-2 and has a long flight home. What can the loser do on the plane? "Blame it on Rio," Rich suggested. Dallas is coming off a game where the offense started to click. Baltimore is coming off a shocking fourth-quarter collapse against the Saints. It'll be Jim Nantz on the call for CBS.

Number two: Bengals at Steelers. Rich admitted he was in a higher register, but it's the first AFC North battle of the season. Pittsburgh opened against the Falcons and Patriots. Cincinnati opened against the Bucs and Texans. The Bengals are 2-0. The Steelers are coming off a beatdown by the Patriots. "Can the Steelers get back on offense? Can the Bengals have their best offensive day against the Steelers defense that's been showing up the first two weeks?"

Number one: Rams vs. Broncos on Sunday Night Football. "Super Bowl 61 preview? Yeah, maybe," Rich said. The Rams are following up a bounce-back win over the Giants. The Broncos are doing the same after beating the Jaguars. There may be no Puka Nacua for a bit, with Sean McVay saying Friday he's hopeful for Week 4. "When you're saying that the Friday before week three," Rich noted.

What comes next makes it urgent. Rich ran through a brutal stretch that follows, starting with the Rams' trip to Philadelphia and the Bills after that, with visits to San Francisco and the Chargers and a Thursday night date with Seattle on the horizon. "Going to these stretches of games at one and two, you don't want it," Rich said. The two Seans, McVay and Payton, though Payton isn't calling plays anymore.

Then, because one more was requested: Raiders at Saints. "I think this is going to be a great game," Rich said. He likes how the Saints have played and wants to see how Las Vegas stacks up against a team that could be 2-0 and has "the fourth-quarter can-do." Kirk Cousins is coming off the first back-to-back three-touchdown performances to open a season in his career, and Brock Bowers is coming back.

What about Fernando Mendoza? Rich hasn't mentioned him at all, and there's been no reason to. The crew's only Mendoza content: his LinkedIn video. "Like we're all going to take financial advice from a 22-year-old," one voice cracked. Another countered that he may have more scratch than all of them. Or, Rich offered, he may be "an 82-year-old in the 22-year-old body."

That's the Week 3 slate as Rich sees it. If his spidey sense is right, at least one of these goes sideways.