Last week, I opened with "I am stunned!" Even more so this week.

Fresh off an 8-8 consensus (the majority of us picked eight games right and eight games wrong), we went 8-8 again. But, this one was different. Last week's 8-8 had 197 full participants. Adding everyone's individual scores together, we had 1029 right and 944 wrong. Our "wins" were slightly more lopsided than our "losses".

This week was probably our worst score as a group since I have been keeping score for KD each week. This week's 8-8 record came with only 176 full participants. Adding the individual scores together this week, we were 753 right and 1009 wrong.

I have used the term "trap game" in these FanPosts to describe a game that we considered a lock - all or most of us included that game as one of our ten, and we all picked one team as a "can't miss" easy win. Then, that team proceeded to lose. All it takes is one of those in a week to wipe out everyone's 10-for-10 aspirations.

We had SIX of those this week - at least 100 made a pick in each game; over 80% chose the "sure winner"; all six of those favorites lost.

There are no 10-for-10s this week, not even close. The most anyone got right was 7, and only four were able to do that.

We also have a new overall leader. Read much, much more after the jump.

I made a comment on KD's contest page that I couldn't remember if we had ever unanimously missed a game before the way we did with San Francisco at Minnesota. 170 of us included this game in our 10-for-10, and every single one of us picked SF.

I looked it up. It's not the first time. It actually happened ten times just last year. Think "Ravens". They did it three times. After knocking off the Steelers last year on the first weekend, we thought of them as an invincible juggernaut until they went to Nashville and lost to the Titans. Then came a Monday night game at Jacksonville; what a laugher. Finally, they played at Seattle. Sound familiar? Lots of good teams have a hard time winning in Seattle. But, in every one of KD's weekly contests, we were unanimous in picking Baltimore.

Also in the top six of Unanimous Fails would be last year's Saints-Rams and Packers-Chiefs games. I made a new table to show all our Unanimous Fails (well, last year and this year; I do not have KD's files from 2010).

Each week, we have added new players, and we have also lost some (either forgot to get them in, or dropped out). Here's our participation summary:

Again, we won some, and we lost some this week. However, this week our losses were much worse. These numbers are how many of us picked each team to win each game. There were 177 participants this week; 176 full participants who picked ten games. We also had one this week who made a Thursday Game Only pick and didn't get back for the other nine. That has happened every week so far.

Here's how we did on each game this week:

This week, our top score was 7-for-10, and only four had that score. Congratulations to connor.cmr, Gabby, Senor Heepee, and Wittenstar82 for persevering better than anyone else this week.

On KD's Week #2 contest page, I commented about several near the top of the overall leaderboard who didn't get their Week #3 picks in. Last week's overall leader had 15. They were near the top with 14 and 13. They are not out of it. Week #3 was so tough that the overall lead only got pushed from 15 to 21. And, we have a new leader.

Congratulations to The Penguin. You are the only one to reach 21. You would have had some company had the Packers beaten the Seahawks. But, that didn't happen. You do have ten nipping at your heels only one off the pace, nineteen more two behind you, and thirty-one more three behind you. That's a total of sixty no more than three out of the lead. I dare say that this is still anyone's contest to win.

Let's see how many names I can list in this week's scoreboard and in the overall leaderboard. Of course, KD will list the complete leaderboard so I am not worried about that. And, this week was so bad that some of you don't want your scores listed. Oh, well, here goes:

I feel really badly for FuriousDman. He made really solid picks in his ten games. See them here. In nine of them, he picked with the majority of us. Unfortunately, after the Cowboys' win, his next nine teams all lost. He picked all eight of our "losers", and San Diego at home to Atlanta. Again, none of those were bad picks. It looked great on paper. That's just how this week went.

Let's look ahead. Week #4 begins the byes. Only two teams have byes this week, so there will be fifteen games this week and not sixteen. Picking gets harder when six teams have byes, because we have to pick ten games from only thirteen. Sometimes, there are more games we would like to avoid than we can, and we have to pick games that we would rather skip.

Each week, I am offering a chance to make Thursday Game Only picks on my FanPost. That way, you can avoid the fear of missing the open window between KD's new contest page and the Thursday kickoff.

Please, don't be the one that makes a Thursday Game Only pick (here or on KD's page) and forgets to get back with the other nine. We have had at least one person each week do that.

Many of you may want this game this week. Use Thursday Game Only as your subject, and copy/paste one of these lines into the body of your comment (pick the line with the asterisks around the winner; that will be bold in your post):

Cleveland at *BALTIMORE*

*Cleveland* at BALTIMORE

(Much) Better luck picking this coming week.

[UPDATE - I inadvertently left off the leaderboard table ten names of those with 17. Thanks to I Am Ironman!!! for the catch. That table is now fixed. Sorry to those of you who have 15. Your names were listed before, but not now. You can see your name in KD's next contest page because he lists everyone's overall scores.]