Thursday Night:

Dolphins vs Jaguars: Week three kicked off with two teams that probably won’t be on primetime again this year: the 0-2 Jaguars and the 0-2 Dolphins. Journeyman Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick once again came out and hammered Jacksonville. Although only tossing for 160 yards, he found the endzone twice, with one coming on the ground. The defense was also outstanding as they had a plethora of sacks on quarterback Gardner Minshew. The 31-13 victory gave the Dolphins their first double digit win in 39 games and they hope to get back to 2-2 as they play the projected MVP, Russell Wilson, and the Seahawks next week. 

Noon Games:

Bears vs Falcons: Remember when I said that the common theme of Bears games was them coming back to somehow win it? Well it happened again this week against a Falcons team that, at this point, you just have to feel bad for. Down 26-10 late in the third quarter, Bears head coach Matt Nagy decided it was time to bench quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Enter Nick Foles. Foles threw for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone to lead Chicago to a 30-26 win. As for Atlanta, they’re the first team to lose back to back games when leading by 15 or more points entering the fourth quarter. Sorry, Falcons Fans. 

Rams vs Bills: Another game about a miraculous comeback, only this time the Rams fell short. Down 28-3 in the third quarter, the Rams looked hopeless. It was not until a Robert Woods 25 yard touchdown and a pair of scores from Cooper Kupp and Darrell Henderson did the Rams finally show up. However, with only seconds to play, Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw a short 3-yard touchdown to Tyler Croft to seal the deal for Buffalo and send Bills fans home happy (figuratively). 

Washington vs Browns: Cleveland and Washington once again faced off in a game that pushed the Browns to their first winning record since 2014 with a 34-20 win. Cleveland’s game plan was pretty obvious as they established the run game with their star tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Both carried the ball over 15 times (Chubb with 19 and Hunt with 16) as Chubb found the endzone twice while rushing for 108 yards. He now sits fourth among running backs in rushing yards with 292. 

Titans vs Vikings: Coming in at two opposite sides of the league (Vikings 0-2 and Titans 2-0) this one was surprisingly close. The Vikings had control for most of the game, with rookie Wide Receiver Justin Jefferson racking up 175 receiving yards including this 71 yard score. The Titans were able to stay in it however, as kicker Stephen Gostkowki hit a career-high six field goals and put the Titans secured a 31-30 win with a 55 yard bomb.

Patriots vs Raiders: The patriots proved once again that they’re still good with a statement win over the Raiders, 36-20. With running back James White out, back-up Rex Burkhead stepped up big time with three scores while being a dual threat runner and receiver. He had an impressive 8.2 yards per carry as well as catching seven passes for 49 yards. Sony Michel also dominated the running game as he reached over 110 yards on only nine carries. Next week sets up a fun one for football fans as the Pats go into Arrowhead to take on former MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

49s vs Giants: When your starting quarterback, running back, star defensive end and tight end are injured, do you usually expect to win 36-9? Probably not, right? Well, the 49ers proved otherwise as they marched into MetLife Stadium and completely obliterated the Giants. Backup quarterback Nick Mullens threw for a whopping 343 yards as both the offense and defense rolled through New York. Rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had a career, as he caught five catches for 70 yards as well. The defense forced three turnovers and never let the Giants even sniff the red zone. Overall, probably one of the most complete games by an NFL team this week. 

Bengals vs Eagles: One of the most unlikely things to ever happen in an NFL game happened in Philadelphia this Sunday: a tie. The Bengals and Eagles put on an impressive display on how not to win as the game ended with a final score of 23-23. Number one overall pick Joe Burrow did impress however, with over 310 passing yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Tyler Boyd was the go-to guy for Burrow with 10 catches for 125 yards. On the opposing side, Carson Wentz continued to show regressions. While being outshined by the rookie, he threw for 225 yards with more interceptions than touchdown passes (2-1). Neither team took this as a win, but probably should. They both fall to 0-2-1 as they continue their losing ways… sort of. 

Texans vs Steelers: The Texans once again looked flat after trading away star receiver Deandre Hopkins, as they fell to the Steelers 28-21. The star of this game was Pittsburgh running back James Conner. Conner struggled with injuries all throughout last year and didn’t really look like the star he was during his rookie campaign. But after three weeks he looks like he’s back to his old form. Conner rushed for 108 yards and a score while hauling in four receptions for 40 yards. Pittsburgh improves to 3-0, but their combined opponents have a record of 0-9, something to monitor. 

Afternoon Games:

Jets vs Colts: The Jets appeared to emphasize that they are in fact the worst team in the NFL, with a demoralizing 36-7 loss to the Colts. The offense from both sides was not spectacular, rather it was the defense of Indianapolis that helped them destroy New York. Newly signed cornerback Xavier Rhodes picked off Sam Darnold twice, including one he took to the house. T.J. Carrie also had an interception which he also took into the endzone. Overall, this Colts defense has been a surprising powerhouse, and don’t expect that to stop next week against the Bears. 

Panthers vs Chargers: Rookie Josh Herbert again looked phenomenal, but once again fell short, this time to the Panthers, 21-16. Although the score might be a little low, this one had plenty of drama. Down by five and pinned at their own one with no timeouts, the Chargers looked hopeless. It wasn’t until a deep pass to Keenan Allen to Carolina’s 23 yard line that set up a chance for LA to win it. With under five seconds to go, the Chargers tried this hook and ladder play, and let me tell you, it would’ve worked. Unfortunately, Austin Ekeler fumbled it on the toss and put the Chargers to 1-2. 

Buccaneers vs Broncos: Who do you think would win a matchup between legendary quarterback Tom Brady versus a quarterback whose career record is 1-8? I would hope you said Tom Brady, as that’s exactly what happened Sunday as Brady and co. beat Denver 28-10. However, it was Tampa Bay’s defense that helped the Buccaneers as they stifled quarterback Jeff Driskel. They got to Driskel six times and picked him off twice, including one at the goal line. On offense, Brady threw for 297 yards and three scores. 

Lions vs Cardinals: One of the more surprising outcomes of the Sunday slate was the Lions upsetting the Cardinals, 26-23. The first game back for Lions star wideout Kenny Golladay saw him reel in six catches for 57 yards and a score. A pretty good first game from him, considering he was probably on a snap limit with his hamstring injury. With the win, Detroit snapped their 11-game losing streak, dating back to last year. They will look to get back to .500 with a matchup against Drew Brees and the Saints. 

Cowboys vs Seahawks: America’s game of the week featured a battle between two MVP-caliber quarterbacks with Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott, but Wilson and the ‘Hawks ended up on top, 38-31. Through three weeks it’s clear to say that the Russell Wilson MVP hype is real. He once again tossed five touchdowns to go with 315 yards. With that, he set the record for most touchdown passes through the first three weeks in NFL history. Second-year wide receiver DK Metcalf helped him with most of Wilson’s air yards as he led the team in receiving yards with 110 and a score but could’ve had more if he didn’t ridiculously fumble on his way to another touchdown. 

Sunday Night Game:

Packers vs Saints: The Sunday night game was between two hall of fame quarterbacks with Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, with Rodgers coming out on top, 37-30. Back and forth for most of the game, it was a one-yard pass to Robert Tonyan to seal the deal for the pack. As for the Saints, it’s been a disappointing season to say the least. With arguably the best wide receiver being injured, they now sit at 1-2. Drew Brees is showing signs of regressing and the only bright spot on the offense is running back Alvin Kamara. It’s only been three weeks, but this might be a situation that fans might want to keep their eye on in coming weeks. 

Monday Night Game:

Chiefs vs Ravens: The game everyone has waited for. The MVP of last year versus the runner up surely wouldn’t disappoint, right? Welp, it did, with a final score being 34-20,  it’s now clear to see why Patrick Mahomes was named MVP over Lamar Jackson. Mahomes shredded a rather stout Baltimore defense, throwing for 385 yards and four touchdowns. On the other sideline, it was a night to forget for Lamar. He finished with only 97 passing yards and, frankly, did not look like himself. In the end, it was a rather frustrating end to another NFL weekend, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Bring on week four!