Chicago Bears @ Baltimore Ravens
1:00 pm EST, FOX
Preview:
The “resurgent” Ravens welcome the Bears, who present perhaps the Ravens’ best friend – a rookie quarterback. Expect the Ravens to apply constant pressure to rookie Mitch Trubisky from the edges to force the rushing game inside, where the Ravens showed significant improvement last week. That said, the Bears’ strength is their ground game, which they’ll lean on on heavily. This one could be closer than expected.
Key players:
Bears – Trubisky, RB Jordan Howard, LB Leonard Floyd
Ravens – WR Jeremy Maclin, LB Kamalei Correa, LB Terrell Suggs
Cleveland Browns @ Houston Texans
1:00 pm EST, CBS
Preview:
The Browns, having benched rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, turn to (mostly) unknown Kevin Hogan, who’s looked capable in limited duty the last two seasons. As Browns head coach Hue Jackson’s game plan remains largely a mystery, the Texans’ defensive approach shouldn’t change much regardless of who’s under center – blitz, blitz, and blitz. The Browns should counter with their rushing attack and high-percentage short passing game, but with Jackson calling the plays, it’s probably safe to speculate that they won’t.
Key Players:
Browns – Hogan, RB Duke Johnson, WR Randall Telfer
Texans – WR DeAndre Hopkins, DE Christian Covington, CB Kareem Jackson
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs
4:25 pm EST, CBS
Preview:
Tough call with this one, as the Steelers, smarting from the home thumping they received last week, will be looking to (re)establish themselves as an AFC power, while the Chiefs, surprisingly undefeated, are still determined to prove that their early-season success isn’t a fluke. Look for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to spread the ball around and emphasize the pass catching ability of multi-purpose back Le’Veon Bell in particular.
Key Players:
Steelers – Bell, WR Martavis Bryant, LB Ryan Shazier
Chiefs – TE Travis Kelce, CB Marcus Peters, FS Ron Parker
Cincinnati Bengals – Bye Week
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