Another 16 games are officially in the books. Week three in the NFL had everything from injuries to drama to record-breaking performances. Let’s take a deeper dive.
The San Francisco 49ers kicked off Week Three on Thursday night at home versus the New York Giants. The Giants, coming off a massive double-digit comeback against the Cardinals, fought tooth and nail for the first half but were ultimately worn down throughout the game. The offensive line and Christian McCaffrey have become one of the most dominant units in football. The final draft pick from a year ago, Brock Purdy, continues to look sharp and command the team extremely well.
It was certainly a wild day in Baltimore this past Sunday. Without first-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, on paper, this should’ve been easy for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. In a game that saw the Ravens try to pull away numerous times, the Colts and backup quarterback Garnder Minshew refused to go away. Running back Zack Moss totaled 32 touches for 146 all-purpose yards, leading kicker Matt Gay to kick the game-winning 53-yard field goal with just one minute remaining in overtime.
It would be hard to make an argument that the story of the day didn’t come from Miami, Florida. Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins made a mockery out of coach Sean Payton, quarterback Russell Wilson and the rest of the Denver Broncos. Totaling a whopping 70 points, the Dolphins had simply too much talent and speed to match up against. Running backs Devon Achane and Raheem Mostert totaled 375 yards and eight touchdowns in a game that may make the Denver Broncos front office just a bit unhappy.
Week three was a coming-out party in many aspects for the second overall draft pick this year, C.J. Stroud. Stroud led the undermanned Texans into Jacksonville this past weekend and absolutely dismantled the Jaguars 37-17, leading many of the Jacksonville faithful to grow irritated after their 1-2 start.
The New England Patriots got their first win of the season this past Sunday. Belichick and the Patriots went to East Rutherford, New Jersey, to face the struggling New York Jets led by now-starting quarterback Zach Wilson. The Jets went with a more conservative gameplan, largely partly to Wilson, who has severely struggled in his NFL career, and even more so against the Patriots. Coach Robert Saleh and the Jets were simply afraid to throw the ball, at one point running the ball 11 plays in a row, albeit the Patriots were stopping it consistently. For a game that was dominated by the Patriots as much as it was, Patriots fans had to hold their breath as the Jets’ last resort hail mary attempt bounced off the hands of Randall Cobb and nearly broke the hearts of Patriots fans around the world. It was not the most aesthetically pleasing win, but one the Patriots desperately needed.
Without a doubt, one of the most eye-opening things this weekend was the Dallas Cowboys taking a trip out west to face the Arizona Cardinals. Heading in, the Cardinals had been labeled by many as the worst team in the NFL. They proved a lot of people wrong by not only beating the Cowboys but dominating them both offensively and defensively and controlling the line of scrimmage from the opening snap. They’ll look to get back on track in Week four against the Patriots.
In other news, the two worlds have officially merged. We have officially seen megastar Taylor Swift cross over into the NFL’s world, watching the Kansas City Chiefs game from the Kelce suite. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Chiefs took out some Bad Blood this past weekend against the mightily struggling Chicago Bears. The Chiefs dismantled the Bears right away, scoring the game’s first 41 points and pulling their starters in the middle of the third quarter. Travis Kelce found some Blank Space in the endzone, sending Chiefs fans and many Swifties into celebration. Even after losing on opening night, it looks like Mahomes, Kelce and the Chiefs have been able to Shake It Off.
Week four kicked off Thursday night with the Detriot Lions defeating the Green Bay Packers 34-20.
