After two weeks of attempting to figure out fact from fiction around the NFL, Week 3 is putting things in their proper perspective.
In Jacksonville, the Jaguars (2–1) are showing they shouldn’t have been nationally overlooked after winning 13 games and the AFC South last season. After a tough loss in Denver, Liam Coen’s team put on a clinic against the defending conference champions, beating the Patriots (1–2) 35–6 at home.
The game was a tale of two quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence was fantastic, throwing for three touchdowns while the ground attack churned out 137 yards on 4.6 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Drake Maye continued his concerning start. After throwing four interceptions across the first two weeks, Maye tossed two more in the blowout loss.
Elsewhere, the Bills did everything possible to lose, but still won comfortably to keep their record unblemished. Buffalo suffered five turnovers, including three by Josh Allen, but the Chargers only converted all those mistakes into 10 points in a 24–16 defeat. Justin Herbert had another game to forget, with an end-zone interception in the third quarter changing the game, as Los Angeles was in the red zone with a 13–10 lead. Herbert averaged 6.6 yards per attempt while Allen was able to survive myriad mistakes, rushing for two scores to secure a victory.
GOOD: Don’t sleep on Jacksonville as a legitimate contender
The Jaguars are showing their teeth early.
In a battle of two teams entering Sunday 1–1, Jacksonville laid waste to New England, scoring touchdowns on all five red-zone possessions, with Trevor Lawrence throwing for three scores, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten each ran for another. Defensively, Jacksonville forced two interceptions and a lost fumble from Maye while sacking him three times.
The secret sauce has been the coaching, with Coen and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile doing more with less. Jacksonville might not have a single All-Pro player on its roster and only a few Pro Bowl-caliber players such as edge rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but it’s not a star-studded group. Instead, it’s a team using all of its components to win, highlighted by six players having at least 25 rushing or receiving yards against the Patriots.
In the AFC South, the Jaguars have emerged as the clear favorite. Jacksonville is already two games up on the preseason favorites, with the Texans having already lost to the Bills, the Bengals and the Colts on Sunday. Indianapolis is 1–2, while Tennessee is clearly headed for another long campaign in coach Robert Saleh’s first year at 0–3 as well.
All that said, the road doesn’t get easier for the Jaguars, with matchups against the Bengals, Eagles and Texans before hosting Indianapolis and visiting the Ravens.
BAD: Drake Maye looks lost for the Patriots
If the Patriots are going to do anything with this season, they’ll need their second-team All-Pro quarterback to play like a star and not as a replacement-level starter.
Through three games, Maye has thrown six interceptions and only one touchdown. Dating back to the playoffs, Maye’s previous seven games have been atrocious. He’s thrown for 1,214 yards (6.9 YPA) with seven touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. It hasn’t been inconsistent or average. It’s been bad for a backup quarterback.
At 1–2, the Patriots are in serious trouble. They now face the unbeaten Bills on the road before getting some winnable home games against the Raiders and the Jets. Still, a loss in Buffalo would make repeating as AFC East champions difficult, especially with Maye struggling to this degree.
It’s also fair to wonder whether offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels needs to change his approach. Yes, it’s going to be a struggle downfield without A.J. Brown as the wide receiver recovers from a high ankle sprain for another month, but New England wasn’t loaded with perimeter playmakers last year and made it work.
Maye needs to be better, and McDaniels needs to reassess. Otherwise, the Patriots are in deep trouble.
UGLY: The Texans’ offense is a broken mess
Last year, Houston started 0–3 and then bounced back to make its third consecutive appearance in the divisional round. The Texans might have a tough time repeating the feat.
After a 19–17 loss in Indianapolis, Houston is tied for last place in the AFC South alongside the Titans. The offense has been rancid, with C.J. Stroud already sacked 10 times on the year. Additionally, Stroud completed less than 60% of his attempts each of the past two weeks while leading the offense to 23 total points against the Cincinnati and Indianapolis defenses.
While the Texans have been without star receiver Nico Collins over the past two weeks, there’s no excuse for Houston to be this inept offensively. General manager Nick Caserio rebuilt the offensive line this offseason, signing right guard Wyatt Teller while using a first-round pick on left guard Keylan Rutledge.
Defensively, it has been far from perfect. Houston had a last-minute lead in Indianapolis but allowed Daniel Jones & Co. to drive 29 yards in 92 seconds for a game-winning field goal. In Week 1, the Texans allowed 36 points. Through three weeks, they have 11 sacks, but have also allowed 776 passing yards.
Two of the next three weeks see the Cowboys and Jaguars coming to Houston. If the Texans can’t find their footing, they could be looking at being sellers come the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
GOOD: Dan Quinn, Commanders show plenty of guts against the champs
If you listed the teams that appeared dead on arrival heading into Sunday, the Commanders (1–2) would have been at the top of the list.
Washington was without quarterback Jayden Daniels and left tackle Laremy Tunsil, and the defending-champion Seahawks (2–1) were up next. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold was also returning from a hip injury. Everything pointed to a beatdown at home.
Instead, the Commanders showed the fortitude few believed they had in a rousing 33–31 win. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota totaled 194 yards and three touchdowns while Terry McLaurin led the team with six catches for 77 yards and a score. While Darnold threw four touchdowns, he was also intercepted twice as part of a three-takeaway day for Washington.
Without Daniels, the Commanders relied on a complete team effort, evidenced by Mariota targeting 11 different players ( nine had at least one catch). Defensively, the unit gave up 437 yards and 28 first downs but made the necessary plays to win, highlighted by a fourth-quarter pick-six by reserve linebacker Kain Medrano.
At 1–2, there’s work ahead. Daniels is still week-to-week with a dislocated left elbow. The defense has allowed 70 points over the past two games, but the Commanders aren’t finished, something that felt assured only a day ago.
BAD: Cam Ward needs to be better at this point
We’re through 20 games of Cam Ward’s career. So far, he’s 3–17, barely completing 60% of his pass attempts and only 17 touchdown passes.
In New York against the Giants (2–1), the Titans (0–3) did all they could defensively to give Ward chances for a win. Tennessee’s defense held New York to 4.1 yards per play while not allowing a touchdown. The leading receiver for Big Blue was running back Cam Skattebo, who had three receptions for 40 yards.
But that effort didn’t turn into a win. Rather, it was another frustrating loss. Ward was 23-of-36 for 181 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Tennessee started the game with six consecutive drives lasting no more than three plays while failing to score until the third quarter.
Yes, Ward has been surrounded by a tough situation. He’s on his third coach (including interim coach Mike McCoy) after the firing of Brian Callahan last year. He’s been given minimal weapons, headlined by rookie receiver Carnell Tate. But even with those qualifiers, the results have been uninspiring.
UGLY: Chargers force five turnovers and still lose by double digits
At some point, someone needs to take the blame. With the Chargers (0–3), three people are at the top of the list.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel: Los Angeles was a team with Super Bowl aspirations and yet it’s winless after losing 24–16 to the Bills (3–0), despite forcing five turnovers. Facing a defense ranked 28th in yards and points allowed per game entering Sunday, the Chargers totaled 16 points.
Quarterback Justin Herbert: Los Angeles went all-in on the notion that McDaniel could unlock the best version of Herbert with a downfield passing attack and explosive perimeter runs, something we saw during McDaniel’s days in Miami. None of that has happened, with the Chargers failing to score 17 points in any game this year.
Los Angeles gave Herbert a five-year, $262.5 million deal in 2023. He’s been a productive, top-10 quarterback throughout his career, including helping the Chargers make the playoffs in three of the past four years.
Yet in big games, Herbert has faltered. On Sunday, in a borderline must-win game with the defense creating five extra possessions, Herbert was terrible. He threw an inexcusable end-zone interception in the third quarter with a three-point lead. He averaged 6.6 yards per attempt against a lousy Buffalo secondary, which didn’t have corner Christian Benford for much of the day with a toe injury. The Chargers needed Herbert to play really well. He was bad.
Coach Jim Harbaugh: He’s in the third year of his program and doesn’t have a playoff win. And it doesn’t look like one’s coming this season. His teams at the college and pro levels have been known for tough, smart football. So far, Los Angeles has committed 22 penalties and six turnovers. It’s nowhere near the standard of a winning football team.
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