3-Wide: Who will win the Super Bowl rematch between the Broncos and Seahawks?
3-Wide is a weekly feature in which theScore's NFL editors debate the hot topics around the league. Grab a cold towel and brace for hot takes.
Will RG3 regain the Redskins starting job from Kirk Cousins when he gets healthy?
David P. Woods: I'm buying the rumors that Redskins coach Jay Gruden feels Cousins is a better fit for his scheme and I'm not buying the rumors that Griffin's injury (which looked absolutely gruesome) could be only a 4-6 week thing. By the time Griffin is healthy enough to play, I expect the Cousins-led Redskins to be within range of the playoffs (in large part because of their surprisingly effective defense). Re-inserting a rusty Griffin in the middle of a playoff push won't make any sense, so Gruden will use the "100 percent" clause to leave Cousins as the starter until Griffin is fully healthy - something he probably won't be until after the season. Next spring, I expect the Redskins to decide between the two quarterbacks and I won't be surprised if Griffin is traded.
Gino Bottero: The answer to the question is yes. He will get to start, if only because he was the No. 2 pick just a couple of years ago, but also because the public outcry would be too great. Griffin just hasn't looked well-suited to run Jay Gruden's offensive-system, and a week ago, Kirk Cousins did. Griffin certainly has the better measurables of the two, but if he's going to be crammed into a traditional role which doesn't suit his skills, Washington's better off with him on the bench.
Michael Amato: Robert Griffin's time as the starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins has likely come to an end. Jay Gruden didn't draft Griffin and therefore has no loyalty to the pivot. If Kirk Cousins continues to play the way he did on Sunday and masters the offense, look for Gruden to ride the hot hand and possibly try to deal Griffin in the offseason. As good of an athlete as Griffin is, he doesn't have the size of a Cam Newton that can hold up to his aggressive style of play. With a surgically repaired knee and now a bad ankle, it's hard to imagine him regaining the form that saw him star as a rookie.
Which surprise 2-0 team (Texans, Bills, Cardinals) has the best chance of maintaining their early season success?
Bottero: The Texans' schedule has been soft, which certainly aided in their hot start, but it's not like it gets tougher at any point. The team still hasn't faced a divisional opponent in the ultra-soft AFC South. The Texans are just a season removed from going 12-4, and there haven't been too many moving parts since then. With a 2-0 head start on the Colts in the division, the Texans have to be thinking about taking the division down for the third time in four years.
Amato: It's the Texans simply because of their circumstance. Playing in the AFC South gives them a decent chance at staying competitive all year because it's arguably the worst division in all of football. The Indianapolis Colts are probably the best of the bunch and they are already 0-2, so Houston will have a chance at a playoff spot as long as they don't completely collapse the rest of the way and lean on their solid defense. With winnable games against the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, and Dallas Cowboys coming up, the Texans have a chance to create some separation from the pack.
Woods: The Bills have the best chance because they have the deepest roster of the three and the clearest path to improving on their performance in the first two games. They're winning games on the strength of their running game and suffocating defense. Quarterback EJ Manuel, who looked awful in the preseason, has been shielded by his coaches and only asked to execute a pared down game plan. To his credit, Manuel has been solid in the game manager role. If the coaches take Manuel's shackles off and he proves capable to taking the next step, this team will become a true playoff contender.
Who will win the Super Bowl rematch between the Broncos and Seahawks on Sunday?
Amato: Peyton Manning should lead the Broncos to a win after being embarrassed in the Super Bowl. He certainly will have noted what the Chargers did last Sunday against Richard Sherman, placing the smaller, shiftier Eddie Royal to battle the big corner. Royal had some success with short routes that used quick change of directions against Sherman. Denver has the personnel to employ a similar strategy as they can throw Wes Welker or Emmanuel Sanders his way. Sherman matches up better with bigger receivers, so if they manage to keep Demaryius Thomas away from him, they should have a decent chance at success.
Woods: The game is in Seattle, where the Seahawks are as unbeatable as any team in the past decade, and it's as close to a must-win matchup as the team has faced in years. The Broncos can afford to drop a game and fall to 2-1. The Seahawks know they can't fall to 1-2 in the hyper-competitive NFC West. The Seahawks will take this one.
Gino: The Seahawks didn't have much trouble when these teams met a year ago, and now they get the luxury of getting the game at CenturyLink Field where they enjoy the best home field advantage in football. Ol' Peyton Manning doesn't care much for the crowd noise, so he'll surely be rattled on occasion as he gets into his hi-jinks at the line. The Seahawks are getting a pretty favorable betting line as well, under the key number of seven after dropping last week's contest on the road.