Week 3 NFL Recap

Week 3 had several dazzling games. These 3 are my top picks, and the rest of the games are listed below them. As for my top 10 Power Rankings, here they are:

1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Miami Dolphins
3. Buffalo Bills
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. Los Angeles Rams
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Minnesota Vikings
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Cleveland Browns

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3. Indianapolis Colts 20, Kansas City Chiefs 17

There was a lot at stake for Indianapolis facing off against Kansas City this week. They were winless through two games against the Texans and Jaguars, and they looked NOTHING like the AFC South division winner everyone had projected them to be. However, they came flying out of the gate in this game. They punted on their first drive, but Chief’s rookie returner Skyy Moore muffed the punt, setting Indy up on the Kansas City 4, and the Colts capitalized with a touchdown pass to Jelani Woods. Both teams’ next two drives ended with either a punt or turnover on downs, and the Chief’s strangely dormant offense finally broke out for a touchdown with 2:37 left in the first quarter. The Colts responded with a field goal, and the Chiefs added another 8 with a touchdown and questionable two-point conversion to make the score 14-10.

The teams traded field goals at the start of the 2nd half, which resulted in the Chief’s last points of the game. Kicker Matt Ammendola, who was playing in place of injured Harrison Butker, missed a 34-yard field goal with 8:41 left in the fourth, resulting in an 8-minute drive for the Colts that ended with a go-ahead touchdown. Kansas City then threw an interception on their final drive, resulting in a much-needed win for Indianapolis.

Colts’ Next Matchup: vs. Tennessee Titans (1-2)

Colts’ Top Fantasy Performer (PPR): Jelani Woods, TE (15.30)

Chiefs’ Next Matchup: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

Chiefs’ Top Fantasy Performer (PPR): Travis Kelce, TE (17.90)

Fun Facts:

• Mahomes has never won an NFL game in Lucas Oil Stadium.

• Mahomes is 20-2 when the opposing team scores 26 points or less. Both losses came against Indianapolis.

• Matt Ryan has fumbled 7 times this season.

• This was Jonathan Taylor’s first game against Kansas City.

2. Minnesota Vikings 28, Detroit Lions 24

This game could not have started better for Detroit, who jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead over Minnesota, But Minnesota struck back with 14 of their own before the half. Both teams missed a field goal as well, and the third-string receiver on both teams (Josh Reynolds on the Lions, K.J. Osborn for the Vikings) led their respective teams in receiving yardage. Detroit added another ten points on the board for themselves, and the Vikings missed another field goal to make the score 24-14. After a Dalvin Cook fumble, it seemed that all was lost, but the Viking’s defense dug in and didn’t allow Detroit to score for the rest of the game.

Minnesota scored another touchdown, and Detroit turned the ball over on another drive, then missed a 54-yard field goal. Kirk Cousins then hit K.J. Osborn with a 28-yard bomb for a touchdown.

Jared Goff began to lead the Lions downfield but was picked off at midfield, leading to the Vikings’ win.

Vikings’ Next Matchup: @ New Orleans Saints (1-2)

Vikings’ Top Fantasy Performer(s) (PPR): K.J. Osborn/Kirk Cousins (18.30)

Lions’ Next Matchup: vs. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

Lions’ Top Fantasy Performer (PPR): Jamaal Williams, RB (24.70)

Fun Facts:

• Leading receivers were Josh Reynolds and K.J. Osborn.

• Both teams missed two field goals.

• Jared Goff did not take a single sack.

• Kirk Cousins has only been intercepted twice in ten games against Detroit.

3. Miami Dolphins 21, Buffalo Bills 19

Both teams were hot coming into this game. Buffalo had just routed last year’s AFC #1 Seed, the Tennessee Titans, 41-7. Meanwhile, Tua and the Dolphins had just finished an incredible comeback against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. The Bills scored on their first drive with a touchdown pass from Josh Allen to Devin Singletary. Miami punted, but Josh Allen was sacked the next drive by Jevon Holland and lost the football.

Miami capitalized with a Chase Edmonds touchdown run, and Buffalo hit right back with another touchdown pass, this time to Isaiah McKenzie. Tua led the Fins downfield, also passing for a touchdown. Nobody scored for the rest of the half, but Tua underwent a concussion review and returned to the game later. The Bills kicked another field goal at the start of half #2 to go up 17-14, their last offensive points of the game. Then, after a Dolphin’s 3-and-out, Bills’ kicker Tyler Bass missed a 38-yard field goal. Chase Edmonds rushed for a Dolphins’ touchdown to put them up 21-17 next drive. Josh Allen then drove the Bills all the way to the Miami two-yard line but turned it over on downs. Then, a moment of infamy occurred. Miami failed to move the ball a single yard, and they were forced to punt from their own endzone. Now, punting from the back of the endzone is an art. It requires the kick to get high to avoid hitting defenders’ outstretched hands and needs to go long enough to not give the opposing team field position inside of your own half. Unfortunately for Miami, Thomas Morstead hit his teammate Trent Sherfield’s butt, and the ball went out of the back of the endzone for a touchback.

Not only did it allow for Buffalo, now just needing a field goal, to win, but they would also be giving Buffalo the ball back. Fortunately for Miami, Buffalo had a string of unfortunate injuries (Stefon Diggs and Isaiah McKenzie) to not allow them to move the ball fast enough downfield to be able to kick a field goal. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey of the Bills apparently did not get the league-wide memo about fines for breaking tablets, as a video clip shows him massacring an innocent device as the Bills failed to get back to the line to spike the ball. Miami won 21-19.

Dolphins’ Next Matchup: @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)

Dolphins’ Top Fantasy Performer (PPR): Chase Edmonds, RB (15.70)

Bills’ Next Matchup: @ Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

Bills’ Top Fantasy Performer (PPR): Josh Allen, QB (26.70)

Fun Facts:

• Buffalo held the ball for almost double the time Miami did.

• This is Josh Allen’s second loss to the Dolphins. Miami scored 21 points both times.

• Buffalo gained over double the yardage the Dolphins did.

• This was the second game against the Bills where Tua Tagovailoa was injured.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

• • The Cincinnati Bengals had an amazing bounce back after a poor two game performance. Joe Burrow threw for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns, as the Bengals beat the Jets 27-12. Trey Hendrickson had 2.5 sacks on the Jets’ ravaged O-Line as Cincy romped.

• Khalil Herbert had a monster game against the Houston Texans, rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns. However, 2nd year quarterback Justin Fields struggled, throwing for 106 yards and two interceptions. A late interception by linebacker Roquan Smith sealed the game for Chicago, 23-20.

• • The Rams have seemed to have patched things up since the Week 1 debacle against the Buffalo Bills. Aaron Donald logged his 100th career sack against the Cardinals, dragging down Kyler Murray en route to number 100. The Cardinals only kicked field goals this game, as the Rams won, 20-12

• Pittsburgh wide receiver George Pickens had a highlight reel catch in this game, but this is where the list of positives for Pittsburgh ends. Mitch Trubisky was outplayed by Jacoby Brisset, and without star pass rusher T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh‘s defense lacked a desperately needed punch as running back tandem Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt ran all over the Steelers in the Browns’ 29-17 victory.

• Lamar Jackson continued to do it all for the Ravens offensively, garnering 218 yards in the air and 107 on the ground as they dominated the Patriots, 37-26. Safety Marcus Williams got yet another pick this season, bringing his total to 4. In more bad news for the Pats, Pro-Bowler Mac Jones will miss time with an ankle injury.

• • Despite garnering over 100 more yards of total offense in the game, the Saints still lost to Carolina. Christian McCaffery got 105 yards this game, and offseason addition Laviska Shenault Jr. had 90 yards and a touchdown in this 22-14 victory for Carolina.

• Derrick Henry was another running back who experienced a bounce-back game. After two relatively quiet weeks, he exploded for 85 yards and a touchdown in this game and additionally hauled in 5 catches for 58 yards. Tennessee took a 24-10 lead at the half, and Derek Carr and the Raiders mounted a comeback. However, their two-point attempt failed, and the Titans prevailed, 24-22.

• Jalen Hurts continued his MVP campaign with 340 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air in Philadelphia’s 24-8 dismantling of the Washington Commanders. Carson Wentz had only 211 yards in his return to Philadelphia. Eagles’ wideout DeVonta Smith exploded for an 8-catch, 169-yard game with one touchdown.

• In the upset of the week, Jacksonville shocked the NFL by beating the Chargers in a 38-10 blowout. It is important to note that Justin Herbert was dealing with a rib injury, and All-Pro wide receiver Keenan Allen was out for the game. Still, that doesn’t excuse the defense giving up 100 yards to James Robinson. The Jags are now #1 in the AFC South.
• In a surprisingly boring game, Tom Brady continues to look nothing like the Tom Brady from last season as the Buccaneers fell to the Packers, 14-12. Neither team looked like a contender, and it makes you wonder if Aaron Rodgers’ back-to-back MVPs were mostly the product of Davante Adams. A very boring affair of a game with horrific wideout play.
• In the battle of NFC bottom feeders, the Falcons beat out the Seahawks 27-23. Cordarrelle Patterson rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown as Arthur Smith finally got Kyle Pitts involved in the passing game. Geno Smith spread the ball around quite nicely, but it was not enough to prevail in this bout.
• In possibly the most boring Sunday Night Football game ever, the Broncos won 11-10 over the 49ers. The most exciting play of this game was Jimmy Garoppolo pulling a Dan Orlovsky and walking out of the back of the end zone. Neither team deserved to win this slop fest of a game. Russell Wilson looked bad, Jimmy G looked bad, and the game was one of the worst displays of football I have ever witnessed.

Cooper Rush played well as a game manager as Dallas beat the Giants, 23-16. Several key plays paused the Giants’ momentum, such as when they were driving down the field at the end of the second half and Dallas’ Trevon Diggs made a game-changing play to make the G-Men turn the ball over on fourth down. In good news for New York football fans, Saquon Barkley looks like he’s in his prime again, with 126 total yards and a touchdown.

See you guys in Week 4!