NFL Week 3 In Review

In the day and age of rules favoring high-powered, fast paced high scoring offenses, there were a grand total of two teams that topped the 30-point threshold on Sunday. The Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars. In fact, 11 of 28 teams that took the field over the weekend, failed to score 20 points.
Defense reigned supreme on the last Sunday of September. So let’s take a quick look at some of the action from across the league in Week 3.

Dolphins 21, Bills 19

MIA: Tua Tagavailoa followed up his breakout game against the Ravens with an upset win against a stacked Buffalo Bills team to improve to 3-0 on the season. It hasn’t always been pretty for the Dolphins, but they simply keep finding ways to win. The culture feels like it’s moving in the right direction.
BUF: The fact that the Bills outgained the Dolphins by 283 total yards and possessed the ball literally twice as much their opponent and still managed to pick up their first loss of the season, means the Bills mafia shouldn’t exactly be pushing the panic button yet. However, it shouldn’t continue to be overlooked that the Bills still don’t have a reliable running game, which is evident by the fact that Josh Allen leads the team in rushing through the first three weeks.

Bengals 27, Jets 12

CIN: What is the cure for a team in desperate need of a win? To play the New York Jets of course. The Bengals offense looked far more like the explosive group we all expected heading into this season. Joe Burrow tossed three scores, the offense only turned the ball over once, while the defense harassed and pressured Joe Flacco from the opening kickoff, generating two interceptions and four sacks in their first win of the season.
NYJ: Assuming Daniel Jones doesn’t throw the football 101 times tonight, it would be fair to assume that the fact that Jets quarterback Joe Flacco is leading the league in passing attempts through the first three games… tells you all you need to know about how the Jets season is going so far. 

Titans 24, Raiders 22

TEN: If you listen closely… you can still hear the chant “We are the Titans… We are the Titans… The mighty, mighty Titans” echoing from Nashville after Sunday’s win. Derrick Henry touched the ball 25 times for 143 total yards and a score to lead the Tennessee offense. It was just enough offense to avoid the dreaded 0-3 start.
LV: Speaking of 0-3 starts, perhaps there isn’t a more head scratching team through the first three weeks of the season than the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite an offensive minded coach, a pro bowl calibur quarterback and All-Pro wide receiver, the Raiders offense still looks out of sorts. Need proof? Davante Adams and Darren Waller combined for just 58 yards receiving in a game where they trailed by 14 points heading into the second half. If the Raiders don’t figure it out quickly, then the season will be lost.

Panthers 22, Saints 14

CAR: The Carolina Panthers finally managed to pick up their first win of the season after enduring a pair of losses by a combined total of 5 points through the first two weeks. The balance of Baker Mayfield throwing the football and Christian McCaffrey carrying the football 25 times each feels like the proper formula moving forward for Panthers success.
NO: Perhaps it’s not time to push the panic button quite yet in New Orleans, but for a second consecutive week the Saints offense got off to painfully slow starts through the first three quarters (3 points in Week 2 and 0 in Week 3). On the other hand, maybe a bit of panic is appropriate. Quarterback Jameis Winston, who has thrown 5 interceptions over the last two games, is now nursing a back injury, while Alvin Kamara hasn’t produced the explosive plays the Saints offense has become accustomed to for the last six seasons.

Ravens 37, Patriots 26

BAL: If Lamar Jackson continues to play like this, then Baltimore Ravens will have no choice but to pay that man his money… because if the season were to end today, Lamar Jackson would be your league MVP.
NE: On the plus side, the offense appears to be improving with each passing game. On the negative side, quarterback Mac Jones suffered what is feared to be a high ankle sprain that could cost him some time moving forward. 

Vikings 28, Lions 24

MIN: The Vikings rushing attack bounced back in a big way after their dud against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison both found the endzone on the ground, while Kirk Cousins made enough big throws down the stretch to complete the comeback.
DET: Although this team has taken on the toughness, intensity and passion of its head coach Dan Campbell, this is still a team that is figuring out how to close out games. They let this one slip through their fingertips and will have to hope running back D’Andre Swift won’t miss any time after picking up a shoulder injury on Sunday.

Eagles 24, Commanders 8

PHI: You can make an argument that no team has looked better through the first three games of the season than the Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts appears to have taken a big step in his development as a passer, which was evident by yet another 300-yard passing game. They can beat you in a variety of ways on offense and have been stingy on defense the last two weeks. They are a legit contender in the NFC.
WAS: Well, if the Philadelphia Eagles defense were chomping at the bit to get their hands on Carson Wentz, they certainly didn’t let that opportunity go to waste. The Eagles sacked Wentz nine times on Sunday, which led to a second consecutive slow start for the Commanders offense. 

Colts 20, Chiefs 17

IND: Even though the Colts benefitted from a muffed punt by Skyy Moore, an embarrassing fake field goal attempt and a missed field goal from the Kansas City Chiefs, you have to credit the Colts for grinding out a hard fought win against the team that has hosted the previous four AFC Championship games. 
KC: Let’s not forget that Kansas City is still adjusting to life without Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs will undoubtedly clean up the mistakes, but if the offense can’t impose it’s will through the running game, then they will be entirely reliant on Patrick Mahomes methodically picking apart opposing secondaries to generate points.

Bears 23, Texans 20

CHI: I’m not exactly certain how much longer the Bears can continue to win games with their quarterback completing fewer than 10 passes per game, but Bears fan will take a 2-1 record through the first three games. Khalil Herbert literally carried the offensive load with over 150 yards rushing and two scores on the ground. And while you can reasonably criticize the Bears offense through three games, we should give new head coach Matt Eberflus some credit for this team showing a significant amount of toughness to start the season.
HOU: It’s hard to describe my feelings about the Houston Texans in 2022. On one hand, they’ve battled and been competitive every game this season. On the other hand, the team simply hasn’t found a way to make the play to win a game yet this season. 

Jaguars 38, Chargers 10

JAX: If you weren’t impressed by the Jaguars shutout win against the Colts, then perhaps a blowout win against the Chargers got your attention. Trevor Lawrence appears to have made a significant jump in his sophomore season and has directly benefited from the arrival of Doug Pederson. However, it’s also worth mentioning that the Jags defense has given just 10 points over the last two games. In a weak AFC South, Jacksonville should be considered a real threat to win this division.
LAC: So, are we just going to write this game off because Justin Herbert wasn’t 100% heading into this contest? Or should we legitimately be concerned about this Chargers team? On paper, they are one of the most talented teams in the league, but mental mistakes and numerous injuries (Keenan Allen & Rashawn Slater) have already impacted this team on the offensive side of the football. If this slide continues, it may be time to check the temperature of Brandon Staley’s seat at the end of the season.

Rams 20, Cardinals 12

LAR: Cam Akers appears to be back in the good graces of Sean McVay after finding the endzone for the first time this season. Cooper Kupp found paydirt for a third straight game and has been the lone consistent performer on this offensive unit.
ARI: Kyler Murray threw the ball 58 times but generated just four field goals offensively. If James Connor continues to struggle, I’m not sure the return of DeAndre Hopkins will be the solution to all of this offenses’ problems.

Packers 14, Buccaneers 12

GB: It’s painfully obvious that Aaron Rodgers doesn’t trust the majority of his wide receivers. Most of the passing production against the Bucs secondary came from rub routes and Rodgers’ improvisational brilliance, but this team certainly misses Davante Adams. However, one thing the Packers can be excited about is their defense, which did a great job against Tom Brady on Sunday.
TB: The Bucs offense was completely out of sorts from the jump in this one. Tom Brady looked uncomfortable for most of the game and the offensive line is still a work in progress. Breshad Perriman and Russell Gage didn’t help matters by coughing up the football

Falcons 27, Seahawks 23

ATL: Despite being on the wrong side of one score games through the first two weeks, the Falcons accomplished the impressive feat of heading into the home of the 12th Man and coming out victorious. The young pass catching duo of Kyle Pitts and Drake London both flashed some of their dynamic playmaking ability, thanks in part to another quality outing from Marcus Mariota.
SEA: It’s odd to see that the Seahawks chose to hand the ball to their running backs 21 times, which resulted in 113 yards at 5.3 yards per carry. Yet, Pete Carroll decided to have Geno Smith drop back 46 times to throw the ball. Like I said…. odd.

Broncos 11, 49ers 10

DEN: What about the Seahawks former quarterback Russell Wilson? Well, the new look Denver Broncos offense appears to be stuck in neutral to start the season. Wilson has just two touchdowns passes through the first three games of the season. So, while that lack of production is concerning and head coach Nathaniel Hackett is off to a rough start… The Broncos still sit at the top of AFC West with a 2-1 record. 
SF: For better or worse, the 49ers are turning to Jimmy Garoppolo under center for the rest of the season. After the unexpected reunion/honeymoon took place last week, Jimmy G manufactured just 10 points in a losing effort. The Niners continue to be a team that is hard to figure out in the early goings of the 2022 NFL season.