We're getting close to another Sunday of glorious football. Here are some subplots to watch for:
» Deion Branch is back in the fold for the New England Patriots, but we'd be surprised if receiver Wes Welker doesn't see his most playing time of the season against the Baltimore Ravens with Aaron Hernandez out. Brandon Lloyd's uncertain status (questionable with a thigh injury) only adds to Welker's potential value.
Breer: Week 3 predictions
Albert Breer examines the bizarre situation of WesÂ
Welker in New England and provides picks for all 16 Week 3 games. **More ...**
» What do the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints all have it common? They're all 0-2 entering Sunday. The Chiefs and Saints square off, two teams picked by many to make the playoffs. One will be on life support by Sunday night.
» Quarterback John Skelton didn't practice this week, but Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said Saturday on SiriusXM NFL Radio that Skelton could play against the Philadelphia Eagles "if he had to." We have no idea what that means.
» Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said this week that running back Adrian Peterson is "getting to that point where we can think about a few more carries." Peterson has split the load with Toby Gerhart to this point. This should be the week "All Day" breaks past the 20-carry barrier. The bad news? The San Francisco 49ers are in town.
» Keep an eye on the weather in Miami for the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. Rex Ryan needs a bounce-back game from quarterback Mark Sanchez. That's tougher to do in a rainstorm.
» Will be interesting to see how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bounce back in a touch matchup at Dallas. "The Kneel Down" was a neverending topic of discussion this week, but the biggest concern should be the 510 passing yards allowed to quarterback Eli Manning. Is this defense more Youngry or Dungy? The jury is out.
» Robert Griffin III has a chance to build on his early lead in the NFL Rookie of the Year race, but the quarterback will have to do it without his top wide receiver. NFL Network's Michelle Beisner reported Sunday that Pierre Garcon will miss his second straight game with a foot injury. Gregg Rosenthal's weekly injury roundup has all the impact players covered.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
