Week three of the NFL showed the various identities each teams will carry throughout the season.
Thursday night kicked off with the Miami Dolphins winning 31-13 over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has now beat the Jaguars six times with six different teams.
Jets Coach Adam Gase’s job is in jeopardy after a 36-7 loss to the Colts. Jets QB Sam Darnold threw three INTs, while Colts QB Phillip Rivers threw his 400th TD pass, becoming the sixth QB to reach the milestone.
The Bears showed their resilience, while the Falcons choked. The Falcons blew a 26-10 lead after the Bears benched QB Mitch Trubisky, and came roaring back with QB Nick Foles putting up three TDs to win 30-26.
The Bills made it clear that their offense is for real with a 35-32 win. Bills QB Josh Allen threw for 311 yards, four touchdowns and rushed for a fifth TD of the day against a formidable Rams opponent.
The Browns beat Washington 34-20. RB Nick Chubb’s two-TD performance carried the team to its first winning record since 2014. This game was the first in NFL history where there was a female referee, as well as a female coach on either sideline.
The Vikings lost 31-30 to the Titans. QB Kirk Cousins devastated fans with his two costly interceptions; this is clearly not the Vikings team that made it to the divisional round last year.
True to form, the Patriots showed their team to be a swiss army knife, coming up with a 36-20 win over the Raiders. Bill Belichick always says, “Do your job!” This time it was third string running back Rex Burkhead who led the way with three TDs.
The 49ers — Giants game showed the 49ers’ depth, and that Giants QB Daniel Jones still has a turnover problem. Fun fact: Scorigami, which records the outcomes of every NFL game, found that the score of the game (36-9) was a first in NFL history.
The Bengals and Eagles tied 23-23. Eagles QB Carson Wentz scored a rushing TD to tie the game, but his two interceptions with one fumble has to have the organization questioning his abilities as the franchise QB.
The Texans 28 — Steelers 31 game featured J.J. Watt (Texans) playing his brothers T.J and Derek. The Texans have a serious problem with their offensive line, which allowed five sacks.
The evening matchup outcomes were Panthers 21 – Chargers 16, Buccaneers 28 – Broncos 10, Lions 26 – Cardinals 23, Seahawks 38 – Cowboys 31.
This week’s reports revealed that the Chargers team doctor punctured QB Tyrod Taylor’s lung when injecting him, which is why he did not play in week two. Rookie QB Justin Herbert launched another 300+ yard game and kept his team competitive, so it’s unclear who will lead the Chargers at the quarterback going forward.
The Buccaneers have found their rhythm, and it showed against Denver. QB Tom Brady connected with WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans for three TDs. Meanwhile, the Broncos are in quick sand with backup QB Jeff Driskel and will likely be at the top of the draft order for the upcoming season.
The Detroit Lions’ defense finally showed up after disappearing the first two weeks of the season. They snagged three interceptions from Cardinals QB Kyler Murray in a 26-23 win.
The Seahawks are firing on all cylinders and Russel Wilson is pulling ahead in the early MVP conversations following his second five-TD outing.
Sunday’s primetime matchup witnessed the 2010 Super Bowl MVP, QB Aaron Rodgers, get the best of 2009 Super Bowl MVP, QB Drew Brees. Brees showed his age, while Aaron Rodgers three-TD performance looked like he’d turned back the clock.
Monday Night Football showcased the 2018 MVP, QB Patrick Mahomes, against the 2019 MVP, QB Lamar Jackson. Mahomes had a stellar five-TD performance, with four throwing and one rushing. Lamar Jackson’s Ravens offense seemed lackluster, but there should not be much cause for concern as fans can anticipate deep playoff runs from both of these teams.
