Lets start with the obvious starts this week: Vikings, Patriots and Ravens; other than those three, the list gets pretty thin for week 3. With three of the best defenses in the league on the road this week [Pittsburgh, Jets, 49ers], you are going to have to dig deep to find the true gem defenses of week 3. After we have seen two weeks of football, judgments can start to be made on certain teams and this is when you pick the teams with the most potential to start on your defense. Let’s take a look at this weeks Start Sit for team defenses:
Start'em: Week Three Team Defenses
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Start: Bucs & Steelers
Without Ben Roethlisberger for the last two weeks, their defense has stepped up and dominated each game. The Bucs have started the season 2-0 and will and will come into this game ready to prove a point. Ronde Barber has picked off a pass in both wins for TB and their defense looks stout and ready for Charlie Batch.
Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco
Start: Chiefs & 49ers
Everyone is going to be starting the opposite defense in this matchup, and do not get me wrong I agree with that, but what I am saying here is that the Chiefs are going to play a very hard game here [very similar to the Bucs at home vs Steelers type matchup]. The impressive part of the Chiefs 2-0 start, is having the high moment of the SD game and then being able to come out less than a week later and take care of the Browns on the road. KC is looking like they are for real and I would take a chance starting their defense this week at home versus the 49ers.
Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets
Start: Miami
I know Braylon Edwards is going to play this Sunday despite his legal troubles, but I still have no faith in Mark Sanchez, especially after the Dolphins defensive performance in Minnesota last Sunday. It is going to be Sunday Night Football, the Dolphins and their crowd are going to be jacked up and ready, I just like going with the home defense in this type of matchup.
Sit'em: Week Three Team Defenses
Denver Broncos vs Indianapolis Colts
Sit: Broncos
This honestly should be a rule of team defenses, do not mess with Peyton Manning. With Champ Bailey, Andre Goodman and Robert Ayers are very questionable heading into this game against Manning and I definitely do not want to start a depleted Broncos defense versus Indianapolis.
Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
Sit: Packers and Bears
I just do not want to mess with this game. Monday Night Football and these two high-powered offenses, if you have other options I would stay real clear of this one in terms of your team defenses. This game to me is destined to end in 20’s and 30’s and I just do not want to rely on turnovers to make my defense worth the start.
Dallas Cowboys vs Houston Texans
Sit: Boys and Texans
With the Texans monster offense and the Cowboys literally not showing up in the past two weeks, I just do not want to mess with either of these defenses when either of these teams could put up for 40 points on a given night. Averaging nearly 40 points a game in their last four matchups, I just do not like either of these defenses on Sunday.
Philadelphia Eagles vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Sit: Jaguars
With Michael Vick starting on Sunday, I dislike the Eagles defense even more. The Jaguars will without a doubt put up points and now with Vick, the Jaguars will see the ball more than they would have with Kevin Kolb. Still no Stewart Bradley on their defense, the Eagles are going to struggle stopping Jacksonville from moving the ball.
