2016 NFL Picks Week 3: Los Angeles Rams Take On Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sep 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher reacts during a NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher reacts during a NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 16
Next
Sep 18, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Andre Johnson (81) after the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Tennessee won 16-15. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Andre Johnson (81) after the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Tennessee won 16-15. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Titans Over Raiders

How impressive did Marcus Mariota look for the Tennessee Titans last week during that big road win against the Detroit Lions. At this rate, Mariota could emerge as a top-10 quarterback by the end of the season, but the former first-round pick still has a long way to go.

Last year was tough at times for Mariota as a rookie as the Titans failed to provide him with the necessary weapons on offense. But thanks to improvement at running back and in the passing game, Tennessee has the potential to make an unexpected run in the AFC.

If it wasn’t for two costly mistakes against the Minnesota Vikings that resulted in touchdowns, the Titans could have been sitting at 2-0 heading into their matchup against the Oakland Raiders. This will be a true test for Tennessee’s defense as Derek Carr looks to help this team bounce back from a tough loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

With a strong duo at wideout in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, the only way the Titans are going to win this game is if they keep Carr in line. If the defense can do that, Tennessee has a good chance of improving to 2-1 on the season.