This NFL season has been filled with plenty of surprises so far, as a number of would-be Super Bowl contenders have been struggling.
Conversely, it has meant that underdogs have been doing better than usual so far this year, which has given fans of non-contenders a measure of hope.
This week, there are three underdog teams in particular who have a real chance of coming away with a victory.
New York Giants (facing the Jacksonville Jaguars)
The Giants are an impressive 5-1, but somehow they find themselves underdogs versus the 2-4 Jaguars.
The Jaguars are on a three-game losing streak, and second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence still isn’t setting the world on fire yet.
Saquon Barkley, the lynchpin of New York, is dealing with a shoulder injury, and obviously, his status for this contest is huge.
But as long as he plays and plays his usual game, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the Giants to defeat the Jaguars.
Saquon Barkley is responsible for 7 of the Giants 12 explosive plays on offense.
Here are the 7 plays pic.twitter.com/ngTfTqbsGr
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) October 20, 2022
Indianapolis Colts (facing the Tennessee Titans)
These two teams are tied for the lead in the AFC South, and the Titans are looking like slight favorites heading into this matchup.
The 37-year-old Matt Ryan isn’t playing well for Indianapolis, but workhorse running back Jonathan Taylor is likely going to return from an ankle injury, and he could put the Titans in a world of pain, as he tends to do to everyone.
Meanwhile, for the Titans, Derrick Henry doesn’t look like the same man who ran for over 2,000 yards just a couple of years ago, and not coincidentally, they rank just 21st in rushing yards and 27th in rushing yards per attempt.
San Francisco 49ers (facing the Kansas City Chiefs)
Even if new addition Christian McCaffrey isn’t cleared to play, the 49ers can still defeat Patrick Mahomes and company at Levi’s Stadium.
The Niners have arguably the NFL’s best defense, and with star pass rusher Nick Bosa possibly on track to return from a groin injury, Mahomes may have to work extra hard to put points on the board.
NEXT: 3 Trades That Could Help Aaron Rodgers“I feel pretty good. I’m pretty optimistic.” Nick Bosa on playing Sunday pic.twitter.com/ocl3LXo7Xm
— Tracy Sandler (@49ersfangirl) October 20, 2022