Each week throughout the 2025 NFL season I will be casting an eye over three key storylines for the coming weekend. The NFL is always filled with intriguing stories and Week 3 is no different. I'm looking to see how the Los Angeles Rams handle a big trip east, what impact Kevin O'Connell can have on Carson Wentz in Minnesota and a potential Super Bowl preview matchup on Monday Night Football.
Rams face toughest of tests
The Los Angeles Rams have looked very good in opening the season with a 2-0 record. The defense has recorded eight sacks and allowed just one touchdown in two games. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is completing more than 70 percent of his passes and both star wide receivers, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, have found the end zone.
But that was against the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans. Sunday's visit to the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles represents a significant step up in class. Will the Rams be up for the challenge?
The Eagles are not always flashy, but they boast arguably the strongest roster in the NFL and in starting out 2-0, they have now won 18 of their last 19 games dating back to last season.
How will Philadelphia try to win this game? Jalen Hurts was sacked seven times by the Rams when these teams met in the playoffs. Could Saquon Barkley finally wake up at running back after a quiet start to the season by his high standards?
In two wins over the Rams last year, Barkley rushed for 460 yards and four touchdowns. He could be one of the keys in a hard-to-call game that is loaded with superstar performers. For the record, I'm backing the Rams for the statement-delivering upset.
Battle of the backups in Minnesota
The Week 3 clash between the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings was supposed to pit Joe Burrow against JJ McCarthy. But Jake Browning and Carson Wentz have been thrown into the fray due to injuries.
Burrow is gone for three months while it looks like McCarthy's ankle injury could sideline him for up to a month. So, it is a fascinating comeback opportunity for former Pro Bowl quarterback Wentz; who is now in his 10th NFL season.
Wentz was a starter in Philadelphia – where he played at an MVP level in 2017 – Indianapolis and Washington. He has most recently served as a backup for the Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs. Does he have gas left in his career tank?
The situation could not be better. Head coach Kevin O'Connell took another journeyman quarterback in Sam Darnold and turned him into one of the best quarterbacks in the league and one of the biggest feel-good stories of 2024. If something similar happens this time around, it will undoubtedly be one of the biggest headlines of 2025.
Wentz's redemption tour – which has no timetable in terms of how long it will last – begins at home against the Bengals on Sunday before Minnesota heads for back-to-back games in Dublin and London.
A Super Bowl 60 preview?
Week 3 ends with Monday Night Football potentially serving up one of the biggest matchups of this season as the Detroit Lions visit the Baltimore Ravens. This was my Super Bowl 60 pick and there is still every chance this pair end up playing for all the marbles in Santa Clara in February.
Both lost in Week 1 but bounced back emphatically on Sunday. Detroit scored 52 points against the Chicago Bears, while Baltimore put 41 on the Cleveland Browns.
The Lions have struggled to contain Lamar Jackson in the past, have not protected Jared Goff very well and they now have the added challenge of containing Derrick Henry. In short, the Lions are going to need to be more than the aerial juggernaut they unloaded on Chicago in Week 2. They are going to need to match Baltimore's physicality.
For the Ravens, these are the kind of big games that have slipped away from them at times in the past. This is the kind of contest that would really set their season up, were John Harbaugh's men to win it (which I think they will).
It's a massive game and it's hard to believe that one of these teams is going to be 1-2 by the end of the night. That right there adds some pressure and jeopardy to what should be quite the occasion.
