It’s desperation time for some teams in the NFL, and we have yet to reach October.
Historically speaking, falling into an 0–3 hole is a death knell for postseason hopes. Since the league expanded to 12 playoff teams in 1990, the only teams to lose each of their first three games and then make the postseason are the 1992 San Diego Chargers, ’95 Detroit Lions, ’98 Buffalo Bills and 2018 Houston Texans.
In the early window, we saw a few teams avoid that hole. The Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants and Denver Broncos all won, giving themselves a chance to get right. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers got to 3–0, handling a suddenly injury-ravaged Los Angeles Chargers team.
In the late window, the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers both got their first wins of the campaign, each winning in blowout fashion on the road. Then there was the Los Angeles Rams at home, scoring 10 points in the final two minutes to stun the San Francisco 49ers.
On Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs stayed unbeaten, beating the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 22–17.
Let’s get to the action.
SUNDAY
Chiefs 22, Falcons 17
My take: Kansas City (3–0) never makes it easy, but the Chiefs did enough to stay among the ranks of the unbeaten. Patrick Mahomes had another uneven night, throwing for 217 yards on 5.6 yards per attempt along with two touchdowns and an interception. Still, Kansas City made it work, allowing only 10 points after the opening drive. For Atlanta (1–2), it should be heartened. The Falcons came within a horrific no-call on Bryan Cook and a failed fourth-and-1 conversion from beating the two-time defending champs.
Stock up: Carson Steele looks like an adequate replacement for Isiah Pacheco. The undrafted rookie got his first NFL start, rushing for 72 yards on 17 carries. He’s not going to give Kansas City the explosiveness of Pacheco, but he can run straight ahead and break some tackles.
Stock down: Atlanta’s offensive line, although it’s not all its fault. Right tackle Kaleb McGary and center Drew Dalman left in the first half due to injuries and didn’t return. Those losses seriously hindered the Falcons’ run game, which mustered only 82 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry.
Up Next: Chiefs at Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Saints at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29
Rams 27, 49ers 24
My take: For San Francisco (1–2), this early season swing has been about surviving injuries. Until the final two minutes at SoFi Stadium, that’s exactly what happened. Then, Jake Moody missed a 55-yard field goal, the defense fell apart, and Los Angeles (1–2) scored a season-saving victory. Despite being without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford threw for 221 yards and a touchdown on 8.5 yards per attempt, while Kyren Williams found the end zone twice. Not all is well with the Rams, but they should feel both reborn and relieved.
Stock up: Who needs George Kittle and Deebo Samuel? Jauan Jennings was everywhere against the Rams, catching 11 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns. While Jennings often gets overlooked due to San Francisco’s abundance of stars, he’s one of the better third receivers in the NFL.
Stock down: The 49ers’ defense. Last week, San Francisco permitted 403 yards to the Vikings in a 23–17 loss. Against a depleted Los Angeles squad, the Niners allowed 10 points in the final 1:51 of regulation. The overall effort wasn’t awful, but it’s not enough with the offense being down three stars.
Up Next: Patriots at 49ers, 4:05 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Rams at Bears, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29
Ravens 28, Cowboys 25
My take: Turns out, Dallas (1–2) sitting around and watching the offseason go by wasn’t the best way to go all-in. The Cowboys got blown out last week in their home opener by the Saints and then matched that effort Sunday, with Baltimore (1–2) hammering Dallas from the start. Lamar Jackson was 12-of-15 for 182 yards while the Ravens racked up a comical 274 rushing yards. From Baltimore’s perspective, it got a must-win in the bag and now heads home for a key date with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football.
Stock up: After a pair of uneven games against the Chiefs and Raiders, Derrick Henry got rolling in a big way against Dallas (1–2). The future Hall of Famer ran 25 times for 151 yards, including two touchdowns. While Baltimore’s offensive line figures things out, Henry needs to get the tough yards. He got those Sunday, along with a few explosives.
Stock down: Mike Zimmer has to figure something out. Dallas didn’t force one punt in its 44–19 loss to New Orleans last week, and then got smashed by Baltimore (1–2) to the tune of 7.6 yards per play and 456 total yards. The Cowboys don’t have an elite offense thanks to owner Jerry Jones being stagnant this offseason. If the defense falters, Dallas has almost no shot of contending.
Up Next: Bills at Ravens, 8:20 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Cowboys at Giants, 7:15 p.m. ET Sept. 26
Vikings 34, Texans 7
My take: Does Houston (2–1) have a problem? After barely surviving against a pair of middling teams in the Bears and Colts, the Texans were blown out by a surging Minnesota (3–0) squad which sits alone atop the NFC North. We’ll get to Sam Darnold in a minute, but let’s give defensive coordinator Brian Flores his kudos. Flores was typically aggressive all day, pressuring C.J. Stroud into a pair of interceptions and four sacks.
Stock up: At this point, the combination of Kevin O’Connell and Darnold is fearsome. Darnold threw four touchdowns against DeMeco Ryans’s defense, finding Justin Jefferson six times for 81 yards and a score. We’ve been teased by Darnold before, but he looks legitimately good in this scheme.
Stock down: Where is Tank Dell? He’s been oddly absent the first three weeks of the season, catching only nine passes for 99 yards thus far, and even that was buoyed by some garbage-time stats on Sunday. Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs will certainly command ample targets, but Dell had 709 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 11 games. He should be more involved.
Up Next: Jaguars at Texans, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Vikings at Packers, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29
Steelers 20, Chargers 10
My take: Unfortunately, this is about injuries to the Chargers (2–1). Joey Bosa (hip) and Justin Herbert (ankle) were both hurt coming into the game, and both left early with reaggravations. Additionally, tackles Joe Alt (knee) Rashawn Slater was also forced out with a pec ailment. As for the Steelers (3–0), they got another economical performance from Justin Fields, who went 25-of-32 for 245 yards and a touchdown. If Pittsburgh continues to get showings like that, it’ll win plenty of games with its defense.
Stock up: Calvin Austin III deserves credit. After going for two catches and 13 yards across the first two weeks, Austin stepped up with four receptions and 95 yards, highlighted by a 55-yard touchdown to effectively clinch the game.
Stock down: J.K. Dobbins led the league with 266 rushing yards going into Sunday but amassed only 44 yards on 15 carries, a 2.9 average. If the Chargers are going to win against solid teams, they need Dobbins to be a force. He wasn’t in Pittsburgh, struggling to find room against a suffocating front seven.
Up Next: Chiefs at Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Steelers at Colts, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29
Seahawks 24, Dolphins 3
My take: Seattle (3–0) has been far from perfect, but its record certainly is. The Seahawks got another pop-gun offense on their schedule with Tua Tagovailoa sidelined, and the defense stifled Miami (1–2) despite two turnovers, including one inside their own 10-yard line. As for Miami, it has at least three more games without Tagovailoa, facing the Titans, Patriots and Colts. For coach Mike McDaniel, it’s about staying in the race until the Dolphins get healthier.
Stock up: Seattle’s defense notched five sacks over its first two games, but broke out against Miami. The Seahawks totaled six sacks, including two for Derick Hall. Seattle’s front collapsed the pocket relentlessly, limiting the Dolphins to short throws and a ground attack that never got going.
Stock down: How did Dolphins general manager Chris Grier come into this season with Thompson as the backup quarterback? Tagovailoa is a well-known health risk. Not signing a high quality backup such as Joe Flacco, who was available for cheap on the market, was a big mistake.
Up Next: Titans at Dolphins, 7:30 p.m. ET Sept. 30; Seahawks at Lions, 8:15 p.m. ET Sept. 30
Lions 20, Cardinals 13
My take: Detroit (2–1) needed to get right after giving away last week’s debacle to Tampa Bay. Against Arizona (1–2), the Lions got back to the right balance for their offense, running the ball 43 times while only having Jared Goff throw 23 times. With Minnesota looking much stronger than anticipated and Green Bay winning sans Jordan Love, the Lions earned a much-needed road win. Although the Cardinals lost, they should quietly be pleased. The Cardinals have been in every game this season, including a dominant win over the Rams in Week 2.
Stock up: After getting away from the ground game in a loss to the Buccaneers, the Lions re-established their dominance. Detroit pounded the ball for 188 rushing yards, with David Montgomery leading the way with 106 yards. That’s the way forward for Detroit.
Stock down: Trey McBride will be fine, but he’s off to a slow start. After catching 11 passes for 97 yards over the first two weeks, McBride had only three receptions for 25 yards in the defeat. The Cardinals need more from their third-year star even with the ascendance of rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr.
Up Next: Seahawks at Lions, 8:15 p.m. ET Sept. 30; Commanders at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET Sept. 29
Eagles 15, Saints 12
My take: As it turns out, the New Orleans (2–1) attack can be stopped. Much-maligned and rightfully so after the first two weeks, Philadelphia (2–1) got a great defensive effort at the Superdome, holding Derek Carr and the Saints to 219 yards on 4.0 yards per play. While Jalen Hurts committed two turnovers, he also threw for 311 yards, including a game-turning 61-yarder to tight end Dallas Goedert on third-and-16 with 1:16 remaining.
Stock up: Saquon Barkley has been a terrific pickup, save for one big drop against Atlanta. And with that memory fresh in his mind, Barkley came out and rushed for 147 yards and two scores, helping Philadelphia earn a key road win. Barkley now has 351 rushing yards through three games.
Stock down: Even though the Eagles won, it’s Nick Sirianni, who had a series of bizarre decisions, highlighted by eschewing multiple field goals for failed fourth-down attempts. The worst was with 14 seconds remaining in the second quarter, when on fourth-and-1 from the New Orleans 15-yard line, Sirianni called for a run and lost the gamble.
Up Next: Eagles at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Saints at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29
Packers 30, Titans 14
My take: Everyone thought Green Bay (2–1) was in serious trouble with Jordan Love writhing on the turf in Brazil. Incredibly, Love is in line to return next week against the Vikings, and with their starting quarterback out, the Packers beat both Indianapolis and Tennessee (1–2). Green Bay ran for 261 yards last week and backed that up with 188 yards on the ground in Nashville.
Stock up: This has been a master class by Matt LaFleur. Malik Willis was atrocious in Tennessee over his first two seasons, completing 53% of his passes with zero touchdown passes and three interceptions. With Green Bay? Willis is 25-of-34 with two scoring tosses and no turnovers. That’s coaching.
Stock down: Tennessee’s offensive line was offensive Sunday. The Titans allowed eight sacks to the Packers, including two to Devonte Wyatt. While Will Levis has to navigate the pocket a bit better, the Titans have invested multiple first-round picks into the group with JC Latham and Peter Skoronski. This can’t happen.
Up Next: Vikings at Packers, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Titans at Dolphins, 7:30 p.m. ET Sept. 30
Broncos 26, Buccaneers 7
My take: Shocker! Denver (1–2) was supposed to be an easy win for Tampa Bay (2–1), but the result proved lopsided the other way. The Broncos moved the ball consistently, scoring on three of their first four possessions. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix got his first NFL win and looked markedly better, throwing for 216 yards, including 68 yards to Courtland Sutton. Going into New Jersey for a date with the Jets next week, the Broncos should have new-found confidence.
Stock up: The easy choice is Nix, and fair enough. But let’s go with Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Joseph has done an underrated job this season, holding the Steelers to 13 points before keeping Tampa Bay to seven points. Not bad for a defense with only one true star in Patrick Surtain II.
Stock down: Baker Mayfield was excellent over the first two weeks, but he struggled mightily Sunday. Mayfield threw a costly interception early, giving Denver a first-and-goal situation with a 7–0 lead. He never got on track, finishing with 163 yards on 4.9 yards per attempt.
Up Next: Broncos at Jets, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Eagles at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29
Panthers 36, Raiders 22
My take: Apparently, Andy Dalton is Joe Montana. Well, compared to Bryce Young. After gaining 352 total yards in two weeks with Young, Dalton threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns, while leading Carolina (1–2) to 439 yards. Conversely, Las Vegas (1–2) dropped its home opener in emphatic fashion, and provided far more questions than answers. Is the defense porous? Can Gardner Minshew II consistently move the offense without a run game? Las Vegas is 1–2, but outside of the fourth quarter in Baltimore, the Raiders have looked terrible.
Stock up: Give Dave Canales credit. He saw what the rest of America saw with Young and made the move to sit him despite Young being the No. 1 pick in the draft only 17 months ago. Many coaches would have tried to force the issue and prove their intellect by salvaging the unsalvageable. And just like that, the Panthers aren’t an automatic win.
Stock down: Everyone wearing Silver & Black. The Raiders gave up 36 points to a Carolina team that treated the red zone like a forcefield its first two games. Offensively, they did nothing save for one drive before full-blown garbage time. There’s not a single positive for Las Vegas to take from this game except for it being over.
Up Next: Bengals at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Browns at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET Sept. 29
Giants 21, Browns 15
My take: New York (1–2) looked like a team in turmoil the first two weeks of the season, with many wondering if quarterback Daniel Jones was going to get benched. Then, after turning the ball over on the opening kickoff and falling behind 7–0 to Cleveland (1–2), the Giants woke up. Jones finished 24-of-34 for 236 yards and two touchdowns, while rookie receiver Malik Nabers caught a game-high eight passes for 78 yards. He’s a legit weapon on a team in desperate need of one.
Stock up: Any defense playing Deshaun Watson. The Browns have yet to score 20 points this season, and Watson is a huge reason why. The $230 million man went 21-of-37 for 196 yards on 5.3 yards per attempt. It’s a disaster. Right now, Cleveland doesn’t have a functional passing attack.
Stock down: We can opine about Watson, but the Browns can’t block anybody. Cleveland gave up six sacks against the Cowboys and then allowed another eight to the Giants. Watson struggles enough when protected and upright, but when he’s under duress, the Browns might as well pack it up.
Up Next: Cowboys at Giants, 8:15 p.m. ET Sept. 26; Browns at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET Sept. 29
Colts 21, Bears 16
My take: Indianapolis (1–2) saved its season Sunday, and Chicago (1–2) looks like an offense adrift. The Bears continued their issues up front (more on that below), sinking their chances despite another quality defensive showing. Chicago held Anthony Richardson to 167 yards and two interceptions on 10-of-20 passing, but it wasn’t enough. Jonathan Taylor was the lone offensive player worth mentioning for Indianapolis with 93 rushing yards. But if the Colts are going to claw into playoff contention, Richardson has to step up.
Stock up: Rome Odunze showed why the Bears took him with the No. 9 pick in the draft. After having only three catches and 44 yards over the first two weeks, Odunze caught six passes for 112 yards and a score. With Keenan Allen sidelined (heel), the Bears needed Odunze to produce.
Stock down: Last week, the Bears allowed seven sacks. This week, facing a Colts team that allowed 237 rushing yards per game over the first two weeks, Chicago gained just 63 yards on 2.3 yards per carry. If this unit doesn’t drastically improve, the Bears aren’t going anywhere.
Up Next: Rams at Bears, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Steelers at Colts, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29
THURSDAY
Jets 24, Patriots 3
My take: For the first time since acquiring him last offseason, Jets fans got more than a glimpse of Aaron Rodgers in a regular season game. The four-time MVP was brilliant against an overwhelmed and undermanned New England Patriots team (1–2), throwing for 281 yards on 27-of-35 with two touchdowns. He threw from every platform, moving well on his repaired Achilles. If this is the version of Rodgers we see in New York (2–1) most of the season, the Jets should be considered a contender provided they can stay healthy.
Stock up: The easy call is Rodgers, but let’s look at Will McDonald IV. After being a nonfactor as a rookie last season, McDonald is off to a blazing start with five sacks through three games. With Jermaine Johnson out for the season and Haason Reddick holding out, McDonald’s ascension has been key.
Stock down: One wonders how long Jacoby Brissett is going to hold the starting job in New England. And to be clear, this isn’t a slam on Brissett. He’s an excellent backup and has nothing to work with. But eventually, if the Patriots keep losing, rookie Drake Maye is going to get the call.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Week 3 Recap: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, What’s Next for Every Team.
