Thursday night’s matchup between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins will kick off Week 3 in the 2015 NFL season. The MNF clash featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers bookends the week, with 14 other games to be played on Sunday.
Here are five players poised to fill up the stat sheet in Week 3:
WR Odell Beckham, Jr., New York Giants
The Thursday night game could produce fireworks from OBJ, especially if last season is any indication. In his one matchup with Washington in 2014, Beckham caught 12 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns. He hauled in seven passes for 146 yards and one score last week. The guy now has 10 games with at least 90 receiving yards over his last 11 contests. The only problem with him is truly identifying what it means to have a “big performance.” Beckham is raising the bar every week.
QB Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle will welcome the defensively challenged Chicago Bears to the Pacific Northwest for the Seahawks’ home opener. Chicago has allowed a league-high 79 points (13 more than Oakland’s 66) in 2015, and much of the damage has been done through the air. Opposing quarterbacks are completing almost 75 percent of their passes against the Bears, with seven touchdowns and just one interception. Chicago also doesn’t have a sack this season. Wilson should carve the Bears up.
QB Nick Foles, St. Louis Rams
While Ben Roethlisberger has the unfortunate task of facing the Rams’ front four, Foles gets a chance to play one of the worst passing defenses of the early season. Pittsburgh has allowed almost 290 passing yards per game, with six touchdowns and no interceptions. Both Tom Brady and Colin Kaepernick—two polar opposite quarterbacks—posted big numbers against the Steelers’ rebuilding defense. Expect Foles to play well, especially if the Rams finally get first-round running back Todd Gurley into the fold.
RB Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders
Derek Carr is the ticket in Oakland, but don’t sleep on Murray. He’s slowly revving up, and there’s a lot to like about his Week 3 matchup in Cleveland. No team has allowed more rushing yards than the Browns, who are giving up 160 per game to start 2015. Even the Swiss Army knife Dexter McCluster managed to nearly break 100 against Cleveland last week. Week 3 seems like a good bet for Murray’s first big game of this season.
WR Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
Cobb has probably been licking his chops while watching what Emmanuel Sanders did to the Chiefs defense in Week 2. The small but slippery Sanders caught eight passes—including two scores—in Denver’s come-from-behind win. The 5’10” Cobb is a similar style of receiver. He’s also the No. 1 target for Aaron Rodgers, who is once again playing at an MVP level. The Chiefs defense has allowed at least 220 yards and two touchdowns to receivers in both games this season. Cobb should help make that 3-for-3.