It’s a given at this point in sports history that this is a cliché, but here it goes. Week 3 of the NFL season featured the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. I say that because we had some amazing wins along with some very bad performances. And this was yet another forgettable week for the LA teams (so, fans, apologies in advance). So how do we make sense of this madness that was this week? Well, fortunately, you got me! (…And the occasional Stevie Nicks reference which will be coming somewhere in this article…)
FALCONS 35 – PACKERS 14
I didn’t think I would have to use my signature phrase this early in the article, but HOLY MOLE HOLES! For the state of Wisconsin, pride went before the fall as the Green Bay Packers were utterly destroyed by the Atlanta Falcons. Somehow, the same Falcons that floundered in the first two weeks shot out of nowhere to stun the Packers. I could hear the people of Atlanta thanking the football gods for the return of Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback. Penix’s return from a torn ACL reignited the team’s offense in an impressive performance on the road in primetime against a depleted Packers team playing without edge rusher Micah Parsons (ACL) and running back Josh Jacobs (commissioner exempt list). The Falcons’ quarterback completed 18 of 25 passes for 256 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The Falcons have their savior back, because when Penix has the offensive humming, that gives my opportunity to the monster that is running back Bijan Robinson. The Falcons get plenty of rest for next week: a road trip to face the Saints on Monday Night Football. As for the Packers, they have more problems than just their offensive line, but if they don’t give Jordan Love at least a few more seconds to throw and also try to create at least some running lanes, then Love might not make it through the season healthy and the Packers might finish last in the league in rushing. And that’s me being KIND. The Packers need Micah Parsons back if they are to have any hope of getting the season back on track. It’s do-or-die next week on the road against the Buccaneers.
CHARGERS 16 – BILLS 24
I know it’s only Week 3, but the Los Angeles Chargers need to be smashing that panic button. In a game they should have won, the Chargers lost to the Buffalo Bills. The reason I say that the Chargers should have won is because Bills quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills offense had a VERY sloppy game. Five turnovers, 10 penalties, two dropped interceptions and four sacks allowed. That’s not good for the Bills. They got lucky this week, but this kind of sloppy play will not work against some of the better teams in the league. Allen not only didn’t throw a touchdown, but he only completed 16 of 26 passes for 204 yards and two interceptions. The Bills need to work out what’s wrong before their first divisional test at home against the Patriots next week. As for the Chargers, I don’t blame Justin Herbert. The personnel around him are no good. The dropped passes, the questionable play calls, those are all at the feet of the front office who have surrounded one of the best underrated quarterbacks in the league with mediocre help. It doesn’t get better for the Chargers as they hit the road against the defending champion Seahawks next week.
CHIEFS 24 – DOLPHINS 10
See, this is why I said last week that the Kansas City Chiefs are NOT back YET. In a game they should have dominated by more than 14 points, the Chiefs defeated the lowly Miami Dolphins. I will say this, Patrick Mahomes is looking more and more like his old self throwing for 246 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The issue is the Chiefs’ pass rush. Entering Week 3, no NFL QB had been sacked more than Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis (nine). The fact that the Chiefs couldn’t pressure him while not blitzing is enough for me to raise red flags. It seems the Chiefs have reverted to their old ways of not focusing enough attention on building an actual defense. Unless they do, they will NEVER win their throne back. The Chiefs’ first real test of the season comes next week on the road against the surging Raiders. As for the Dolphins, I expected them to lose. But considering the defense kept them in this game? Well, please note that I am very impressed. However, while the Dolphins may have turned the page for the better on defense, the offense is trending down. It was reported on Monday morning by both Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport that running back De’Von Achane is done for the season after tearing his ACL. I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel for the Dolphins this season, but stranger things have happened. If they don’t win next week on the road against the Vikings…then the Dolphins are toast.
PATRIOTS 6 – JAGUARS 35
JETS 24 – LIONS 31
Well folks, it doesn’t come much closer than this. The Detroit Lions managed to hold off the New York Jets for a victory…something I’m sure none of us saw coming when this season first started. Despite the result, the quarterback duel went to Jets quarterback Geno Smith. Smith threw for 321 passing yards and three touchdowns. On the other side, Lions quarterback Jared Goff only threw for 269 passing yards and two touchdowns. A key question is if the Lions’ defensive issues are still there? Well, in the clutch, they are an efficient unit. But the fact that they MUST come through in the clutch is still a problem. What I mean is that the Lions should not have had to be in this situation with the Jets. It’ll be interesting to see which version of the Lions’ defense shows up next week as they hit the road to face the Panthers. Now…look, I don’t want to use the phrase “same old Jets” because they are playing a lot better than anyone anticipated. The issue is that they can’t win close games. Whereas the Lions’ defense shined in crunch time, the Jets’ defense seemed to fall apart at the seams. They let the Lions march 65 yards on four plays for the winning touchdown with 2:20 left in the fourth quarter, thanks to blown coverage on two pass plays. There is a chance of redemption next week on the road against the Bears, who will be without star quarterback Caleb Williams.
TEXANS 17 – COLTS 19
Church bells rang out for the people of the city of Indianapolis. The long nightmare was finally over. I am of course talking about the Indianapolis Colts finally ending their nine-game losing streak with a victory over the Houston Texans. I know what you are thinking: “wait a minute…how can they have been on a nine-game losing streak if this is only Week 3 of the season?” Well, last season, the Colts ended the season with a seven-game losing streak that sent them from Super Bowl contenders to missing the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, the Colts didn’t win this game in style or anything like that. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was 24 of 36 for 235 yards and a touchdown but also fumbled three times and lost two. The second set up the Texans’ late go-ahead touchdown. The Colts entered this game ranked last in several major defensive categories, including a staggering 1,029 yards allowed in the first two weeks — second most in NFL history. On Sunday, the missed assignments that led to wide-open receivers in the first two games and the flurry of missed tackles seemed to be mostly addressed. The Colts also took advantage of Houston’s porous pass protection to consistently pressure Texans QB C.J. Stroud. Whether this was a one-week reprieve or the start of a trend, the Colts needed this. The Colts head to London next week to take on the Commanders. Now…I don’t like to hit the panic button too early in a season, but…the Texans might need to push it. Because how in the world is one of the best defenses in the NFL starting a season 0-3? Even though the Texans’ defense forced three turnovers (two in the second half) and had clutch plays from Stroud on their second-to-last drive to take the lead, it wasn’t enough. Yes, the Texans started 0-3 last season and recovered, but that is not sustainable again. No team in NFL history has ever overcome 0-3 starts in back-to-back seasons, therefore I caution you before you head to Kalshi or wherever and bet on the Texans doing it again. The Texans host the Cowboys next week in a Lone Star State showdown.
TITANS 7 – GIANTS 12
No, this is not a baseball score, even though it felt like it. In this mediocre game where defense was king, the New York Giants bounced back from last week’s landslide (yes this is a Stevie Nicks’ song, but I used this reference last week, so this doesn’t count as a Stevie reference) loss to beat the New York Jets. Playing their first game without quarterback Jaxson Dart, the Giants got just enough from replacement Jameis Winston on offense and another big play from safety Jevon Holland to win an ugly football game in the middle of a nor’easter. Winston only passed for 118 yards and no touchdowns, but he didn’t fumble or throw an interception. Therefore, I would take it and run. However, Winston’s time as the starter may be in jeopardy. Adam Schefter reported on Monday that the Giants are trading for quarterback JJ McCarthy. The former Vikings’ 2024 first-round pick was sent in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick. Not only that, the Giants released Odell Beckham Jr. on Tuesday, which brings his reunion with the Giants to a close. Whether this affects the Giants going forward will remain to be seen. The Giants play the Cardinals next week. As for the Titans, better stick a fork in this team. I don’t like making early season predictions because I think they are short sighted and not as likely to come true as people think. Nevertheless, the Titans’ offense was downright miserable for most of the game. Quarterback Cam Ward failed to see open receivers on multiple plays and missed Carnell Tate for what should have been an easy touchdown. They opened with five consecutive three-and-outs and finally got a first down late in the third quarter. I would love to give some hope to the Titans…but I got nothing. They’ll go on the road next week and face a tough challenge in the Ravens, flying high after their big win this week.
BENGALS 27 – STEELERS 30
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Break out the heart pressure medication, because this has been a close weekend! In another nailbiter, the Pittsburgh Steelers outlasted the Cincinnati Bengals. Steelers fans were waiting for Aaron Rodgers to show up, and boy did he. Aaron “Discount Double-check” Rodgers threw for 292 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Now, the Steelers still have defense issues, primarily with cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Bengals QB Joe Burrow picked on Samuel, eventually leading to rookie Daylen Everette replacing him in the fourth quarter. Big-bodied receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase overpowered Samuel several times, including on Higgins’ second-quarter touchdown, when the receiver boxed out the smaller Samuel. The fact that the Steelers need cornerback Joey Porter Jr. back is the understatement of this season. The Steelers have a short week next week, as they hit the road to face their hated rivals, the Browns, on Thursday Night Football. So, the other thing to consider is if the Bengals playing well enough to be considered a serious contender? Sunday put a serious dent in that belief. It’s hard to see a team that can overwhelm the Texans one week end up coming up short against a defense without Joey Porter Jr. the next. It doesn’t get better next week as the Bengals play a very good Jaguars at home.
PANTHERS 18 – BROWNS 21
A lot of readers who have read my football articles know by now that I have one simple belief: if you put two teams that are either so-so or a complete mess and have them face each other…you get a great game! (Some of you may argue that they are still bad teams, but that’s okay! The bad is there to balance the greatness!) In yet another close game, the Cleveland Browns defeated the Carolina Panthers. Despite the low yardage from Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, this is more of the version of Watson that I remember saying would be a great quarterback back from his days with the Texans. Despite struggling for most of the game, Watson came through when it counted on Sunday. He led a late fourth-quarter drive and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr. with 1:48 remaining. Overall, Watson threw for 144 passing yards and two touchdowns, and no interceptions. For the second straight week, Watson engineered a game-winning touchdown drive. This time, it helped turn around a slow start for the Browns’ offense that lasted three quarters. Watson’s career has been defined by coming through when his team needs him the most. We can expect a heated matchup next week as the Browns host the Steelers on Thursday Night Football. Now I think I can figure out the problem with the Panthers: the running game sucks. The Panthers have struggled to run the ball efficiently through three weeks. The ground attack was stifled again on Sunday, as running back Chuba Hubbard produced 18 yards on 10 carries in the first half; he still finished with 82 rushing yards on 19 carries. With left guard Damien Lewis forced from the game for a stretch, the line leaned on backup Corey Bullock, who didn’t improve matters during his brief playing time. In addition, QB Bryce Young was sacked twice before halftime. The Panthers have a tall order next week as they host the Lions on Sunday Night Football.
SEAHAWKS 31 – COMMANDERS 33
HOLY MOLE HOLES! Against all odds and in front of their home crowd, the Washington Commanders pulled off the upset and beat the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. Going into this game, the Seahawks were riding a 12-game winning streak stretching back to last season. So, the question you all must be asking is…how did this happen? Well, that’s easy: turnovers and an offense that was running on all cylinders. The Commanders forced three turnovers, leading to three touchdowns — two by the offense and another on a pick-six by linebacker Kain Medrano. The offense capitalized on two short fields after a fumble and an interception, while quarterback Marcus Mariota did what was needed. He was smart with the ball, making quick throws and taking checkdowns to keep the chains moving. And he was aggressive, when necessary, like on a tight throw to WR Trey Burks for his second touchdown. It’s hard to think about, but this is the same team that was routed just last week by the Cowboys. Can this be sustained? We find out next week when the Commanders face the Colts in London. So, what happened to the champs? The defending Super Bowl champions came into this game on a 12-game winning streak, as I said before, with Sam Darnold back at quarterback, and as the much healthier team. There were plenty of reasons they lost as 8.5-point favorites, but a big one was their absence of a run game, which would have been helpful in the rainy conditions in this game. The Seahawks’ tailbacks gained just 39 yards on 17 carries. Rookie Jadarian Price lost his second fumble in as many weeks to set up Washington’s first touchdown. The Seahawks are going to learn quickly that their defense and special teams are not always going to bail them out when they make too many mistakes on offense. The Seahawks have an easy matchup next week against the Chargers at home, so hopefully they can bounce back. If they lose again, however, their chances of repeating as champions don’t look very good.
CARDINALS 30 – 49ERS 36
The effects of all these injuries seem to be catching up to the San Francisco 49ers, as they survived a scare against the Arizona Cardinals. Look, a win is a win, any good sports person can tell you that. Yes, the 49ers keep losing key players to injuries and still keep winning, but it’s all thanks to their quarterback Brock Purdy. The “Mr. Irrelevant” pick of the 2022 draft threw four touchdown passes, with the first coming on a trick play, and the injury-depleted 49ers held on. Perhaps no team in the league is more accustomed to fighting through significant injuries than the 49ers, but even they can withstand only so much. They eked out a win despite losing WR Mike Evans (ribs), LT Trent Williams (stinger) and LB Dre Greenlaw (quad) — on top of the many players the 49ers were missing entering the game. The schedule gets tougher from here, starting next week against the Broncos. If the injuries continue, there may be Trouble in Shangri-La for the 49ers (see, there’s a proper Stevie Nicks reference). As for the Cardinals, their second half turnaround came too little too late. Still, even in a loss, the Cardinals looked like a team that could score on anyone in the second half after scoring just six points in the first half. The 49ers tried to keep the Cardinals’ playmakers in front of them, they used a mix of short passes and the run to open medium and long passes. That turned a potential blowout into a close game. The Cardinals face a pretty even matchup next week on the road against the Giants.
VIKINGS 23 – BUCCANEERS 16
Despite the score of this game showing that the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I think we can all agree both teams lost this game. What I mean by that is that both teams lost key players to injury. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb on a desperation pass late in the fourth quarter. He was screaming in pain on the ground before walking off and was replaced by rookie Jalon Daniels in the final minute. Adam Schefter reported on Monday that head coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield will miss three weeks due to the thumb injury. On the other side, two-time All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson didn’t return for the Vikings after injuring his right ankle in the first quarter. Coach Kevin O’Connell said Jefferson was close to returning but couldn’t quite get the push-off he needed. Ian Rapoport reported that Jefferson was diagnosed Monday with a sprained left ankle following an MRI, and that the Vikings are hopeful he’ll play next week. If the worst should happen, could Jordan Addison fill in for Jefferson. Look, Addison is a good receiver, but he is more of a Ladd McConkey: a role player. I have emphasized many times that Jefferson is “the guy” and you can’t just replace him. We will see what happens next week when the Vikings host the Dolphins. The Buccaneers aren’t so lucky…they must go into next week without Mayfield. That’s only going to make the problems that have festered on the defensive end even worse. It’s good that they held the Vikings to just six points in the second half but look at what wasn’t there: no Justin Jefferson. The Buccaneers host the Packers next week.
RAIDERS 35 – SAINTS 27
Hey everyone, guess who is still undefeated? DA RAIDERS! That’s right, the Las Vegas Raiders look like the best team in the AFC West as they defeated the New Orleans Saints. To put things in perspective, it took the Raiders an entire season to win just three games last season. And here we are in Week 3 of 2026…and they’ve already won three games. Raiders fans are loving rookie coach Klint Kubiak and quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Raiders are all firing on all cylinders, and now they have tight end Brock Bowers back. Bowers caught ten passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in his long-awaited return. The scary part is that we still haven’t seen the 2026 NFL Draft No. 1 Pick Fernando Mendoza. But with Cousins lighting the world on fire, there is no need to rush Mendoza. Besides, he is absorbing a TON of knowledge the way Cousins is playing. The Raiders face their first divisional test against the Chiefs with the division lead on the line. But looking at the Saints, they played great, too! So, what happened? Unfortunately, multiple turnovers in the second half brough the Saints’ chances of winning to a screeching halt. The Saints were playing backup left tackle Asim Richards because Kelvin Banks Jr. was on injured reserve, and Richards gave up a sack that led to a fumble and points for DA RAIDERS! Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was cooking until two fourth-quarter turnovers. Look, we know Shough has some more growing to do, but the Saints need to protect their quarterback better than this because I actually have a good feeling about the Saints this season. The Saints host the Falcons next week for Monday Night Football in what will look like a great matchup.
RAVENS 34 – COWBOYS 31
Que jogo ótimo! Loosely translated from Portuguese, I said, “What a great game!” (If that is not right, I apologize.) The Baltimore Ravens went down to the wire to take down the Dallas Cowboys on a walk-off 56-yard field goal. The Ravens and Cowboys put on a entertaining show in front of an announced crowd of 72,792 during the NFL’s third game in Brazil and first in the city of Rio de Janeiro, engaging in a back-and-forth contest that featured plenty of big plays and plenty of excitement. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens gave an authoritative response to the “same old Ravens” narrative. Tyler Loop’s 56-yard field goal with no time remaining lifted Baltimore to an improbable comeback. With seven seconds remaining, Jackson completed a 26-yard pass to wide receiver Zay Flowers, who was a game-time decision because of a hamstring injury. Over the past six seasons, the Ravens have lost an NFL-worst 15 games when leading through three quarters, as I believe I mentioned before. But they found a way to win Sunday, and for just one beautiful night in Rio de Janeiro…the Ravens flipped the script. The Ravens return home to the States to face the Titans. The Cowboys showed moxie to come back from an 11-point deficit, but ultimately, couldn’t hold on. Why? A defense that was worn down and worn out. With 7:29 left, the offense had a chance to run down the clock but held the ball for only 1:44. Similar to 2024 and 2025, the Cowboys are 1-2 after two games. The Cowboys and their fans have got to be sick of these 1-2 starts when they have bigger aspirations. Unfortunately, until their defense gets better at lasting a whole game without a collapse…things don’t get better from here. The Cowboys do have a juicy road matchup when they return to the States against the reeling Texans.
RAMS 26 – BRONCOS 30
I told you LA fans you weren’t going to like this article, and here is reason number two as to why. The Los Angeles Rams completely blew it in the second half and lost to the Denver Broncos, who remain unbeaten at home. Penalties seemed to doom the Rams in this game that looked to be all theirs after the first half. The Rams were called for five penalties in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, tied for the most by any team in a game since 2000. The biggest penalty came when cornerback Josh Wallace intercepted a pass by Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. Wallace was called for defensive pass interference on Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant, giving Denver first-and-goal at the 7. The Broncos scored on the drive to take a 30-26 lead with 47 seconds left. The call is still considered controversial, but there isn’t much anyone can do. But let’s give credit where credit is due. The Broncos did great in the second half. But the first half continues to be an issue where quarterback Bo Nix doesn’t look like himself at all. As we saw against the Chiefs in Week One, you can’t always assume you’ll magically bounce back in the second half after having a horrible first half. The Broncos will hit the road to face an injury-ravaged 49ers. As for the Rams, I think it’s clear they need Puka Nacua back. Davante Adams has been great in his absence, but there is only so much Adams can do. With Nacua back, the coverage from other teams’ defenses will split back up again and hopefully take pressure off the Rams’ best red zone asset, Adams. The Rams face a do-or-die situation next week on the road against the Eagles.
EAGLES 7 – BEARS 27
Going into this game, I didn’t give the Chicago Bears much of a chance at winning against the Philadelphia Eagles without star Caleb Williams. But then they win by this huge amount. It is time to pull out the quote from the movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”: “What the -beep-?” How did this happen? Who did the Bears get to possibly replace Caleb Williams? Wait…is that Case Keenum?! Time to quote the play “Hamilton” now: “…I know him…that can’t be…” And yet it was. Case Keenum was on target and on time all night long. Keenum passed for two touchdowns in his first start in almost three years. He also was 24 for 34 for 247 passing yards. Not only that, Keenum scored his first rushing touchdown since 2019 on a 1-yard plunge with 7:19 left, capping a 13-play drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock. Of course, the star of the game was Case’s daughter, who joined her dad in the postgame interview on Sportscenter. I can’t wait to see what the Bears do next week as they host the Jets. As for the Eagles, this was nothing short of embarrassing. It’s very rare that I agree with some “experts”, but there is no sugar-coating this. The assignment was supposed to be easier, facing a third-string quarterback. Instead, the defense got handled in a troubling Eagles performance on both sides of the ball. The Eagles’ offense committed three turnovers, including one by Andy Dalton in the first half while Jalen Hurts was being checked for a concussion after a hard sideline hit by linebacker D’Marco Jackson. The worst part is that the Eagles will have to go on short rest and host a Rams team that is both hungry for a win, and angry over a pass interference call that cost them the game.
