The Sunday of Week 3 started with 10 unbeaten teams, including the surprising Colts and Cardinals, and 10 winless teams, including the disappointing Texans and Chiefs. Sunday’s highlights include the Rams against the Eagles, the Cowboys against the Bears and those 0-2 Chiefs against the Giants.
We’ve got you covered across the league. FOX Sports’ NFL experts provide the lessons we’re learning from every Sunday game and what they mean for each team going forward.
Falcons: Maybe this is why Atlanta kept Cousins
Atlanta kept Kirk Cousins as its QB2 after suggesting that it was Michael Penix Jr.’s team. And we didn’t know why. But maybe this game was the reason why Cousins remained a Falcon. Because Penix was truly bad on Sunday — he had to make a tackle to stop the Panthers from getting a second pick-six of the game. Yup, he had already thrown one. This is where things will get complicated. Atlanta should probably stick with Penix’s development. But it’ll be tempting to revert to Cousins, even if he wasn’t all that good last year.
Panthers: How about that Carolina defense!?
The Panthers weren’t going to get far this year if their defense looked like it did last year. And for the first two weeks, Carolina’s defense looked startlingly similar, even with a few offseason moves on that side of the ball. But this game was the type of performance that might bring confidence to the Panthers. Carolina didn’t exactly bottle up Bijan Robinson (13 carries, 72 yards; five catches, 39 yards), but the defense did a brilliant job defending the pass and generating points off takeaways. Bryce Young (121 passing yards) & Co. barely had to do anything. — Henry McKenna
Jets: Offense shows late life, but defense can’t seal epic comeback.
It was too little, too late for the Jets, as they rallied for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, only to see the Bucs escape on a field goal as time expired. The offense, non-existent for much of the first three quarters, came to life at the end, and Tyrod Taylor, subbing for the injured Justin Fields, deserves credit for that spark. On most teams, a blocked field goal for a touchdown and the lead with less than two minutes left will get it done. But the Bucs now have three such last-minute wins in three weeks, and the Jets didn’t have a stop when they needed it most.
Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield’s magic saves Tampa again.
This should not have been a close game, let alone a comeback victory, for the Bucs. Up 17 in the fourth quarter, their defense faltered and gave up two touchdowns, and another special-teams late-game blunder almost cost them for the second week in a row. But Baker Mayfield is magic in the final minutes, and he made two big throws to set up a game-winning field goal and escape with a victory for the third week in a row. This isn’t a sustainable pattern for winning, but shorthanded early in the year, the Bucs will take wins any way they can get them in Tampa. — Greg Auman
Rams: L.A. grabs defeat from the jaws of victory
The Rams have some soul-searching to do after this one because they dominated the first half in Philadelphia. They led the defending Super Bowl champs 26-7 early in the third quarter before the game entirely flipped. Matthew Stafford was 19-of-33 for 196 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Rams, whose offense basically shut down for the entire second half.
Eagles: What a comeback! And what an ending!
The Eagles’ big comeback almost looked to be all for naught, with Rams kicker Joshua Karty setting up for a game-winning, 44-yard field goal. But his kick was blocked by Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who then scooped it up and ran it in for a touchdown.
The Eagles scored the last 26 points of the game and, after a first half in which they had just 33 total yards, they ran up 255 in the second half. Jalen Hurts finished 21-of-32 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. WR A.J. Brown ended up with 6 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. And Saquon Barkley finished with 18 carries for 46 yards. — Ralph Vacchiano
Packers: Are these the same Packers from the first two weeks?
Green Bay looked like the team to beat in the NFC early in the season, and the Packers had every chance to bury the Browns, whose offense was non-existent for most of the game. But the Packers let the Browns hang around, and it cost them in the end. With Micah Parsons heading back to Dallas next week, maybe the Packers were looking past Cleveland. Whatever the problem, they need to fix it fast.
Browns: Cleveland joins block party, ends eight-game skid.
With the Browns being shut out, the big question in the second half was whether coach Kevin Stefanski would stick with 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco or go to one of his rookies. But buoyed by the defense, with four sacks and a key turnover, the Browns somehow tied the game and set up rookie kicker Andre Szmyt, who had missed an extra point and field goal Week 1, for the winning field goal with two seconds remaining. With Cleveland’s first victory since Nov. 21, 2024, the QB watch waits for another week (or maybe for at least a day or two).
Raiders: Pete Carroll must create room to run for Ashton Jeanty
Marshawn Lynch served as the centerpiece of the offense for a team that went to back-to-back Super Bowls during Carroll’s 14-year tenure with the Seattle Seahawks. The Raiders selected Ashton Jeanty No. 6 overall in this year’s draft with the idea of developing the Boise State product into the engine for their offense. But Jeanty has sputtered, totaling just 144 yards through three games and averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Per Next Gen Stats, Jeanty has a total of 32 yards BEFORE contact this season — which means he’s basically being hit at the line of scrimmage on most rushing attempts.
Making matters worse, the Raiders have no balance on offense. New QB Geno Smith has struggled to move the ball through the air, and he’s already been sacked 12 times through three games. Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season, hasn’t forgotten how to run the football. But whether it’s using heavier formations or getting him out in space in the passing game, Carroll and the Raiders must figure out how to get Jeanty more involved in the offense to create some explosive plays.
Commanders: No Jayden Daniels, no problem. Marcus Mariota to the rescue.
Mariota, a first-round pick by the Titans in 2019, made his first start in three seasons and brought poise and experience to the Washington offense with Daniels unavailable due to a sprained knee. The shifty Mariota offered a similar ability to run the football, which means the Commanders didn’t have to change the offense. Mariota finished with 40 yards on the ground.
The Commanders also got big plays in the return game, including Deebo Samuel’s 69-yard kick return to start the game, setting up a 2-yard Mariota run for a touchdown. Later in the second half, rookie Jaylin Lane returned a punt 90 yards for a score. With Mariota playing competent football, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn can take his time in making sure Daniels returns to the field healthy. – Eric D. Williams
Colts: The Colts’ offense will be elite all season.
In a potential trap game against a struggling division rival, Indianapolis’ offense stayed red-hot to help the Colts improve to 3-0. Daniel Jones completed 72% of his passes for 228 yards and a touchdown with a 113.4 passer rating. Star running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns, including a dazzling 46-yard run for a score at the end of the third quarter.
The Colts had 365 yards of total offense, averaged 6.9 yards per play and had five scores overall. Accounting for Taylor, which is a given for opposing defenses, is exponentially more difficult when Jones is in such great sync with his pass-catchers. This is a true pick-your-poison offense.
Tennessee’s defense hasn’t proved to be much of a threat even at full strength — it was shorthanded in Week 3 — but Indianapolis has done this enough consistently to start the season to suggest this isn’t a fluke.
Titans: Tennessee has a major coaching issue.
Brian Callahan’s mismanagement of games has been a persistent problem, and it was again in Sunday’s loss. Tennessee faced a fouth-and-1 from the Colts’ 39 at the end of the first half down 11. The Titans wasted a timeout right after the Colts had used one and then, after trotting their field goal unit onto the field, got slapped with a delay-of-game penalty. Kicker Joe Slye proceeded to get his 62-yard field goal attempt blocked.
Callahan not only blew an opportunity to be aggressive with Cam Ward and his offense in plus territory heading into halftime, but the second-year coach also made the ensuing chance for points more difficult. Personnel-wise, these Titans are already outmatched by most teams. Coaching can’t put them further behind the eight-ball, but it does — routinely. — Ben Arthur
Steelers: The Aaron Rodgers-led offense isn’t going to work.
Pittsburgh got the narrow win over New England, but its offensive product isn’t sustainable. And it’s not because of Aaron Rodgers. He’s been fine. It’s largely because the Steelers have no run game. They had just 64 yards on the ground Sunday, below their season average (62.5), which ranked 30th in the league entering Week 3. That puts too much pressure on Rodgers, behind an offensive line that’s been underwhelming, and a passing attack that is OK but not great.
The argument can be made that the Steelers always win ugly under Mike Tomlin, and their high-paid defense showed up in a big way Sunday (allowed just 14 points, forced five turnovers). But you have to be able to run the ball in the playoffs. And for these Rodgers-era Steelers, playoff success will be all that matters.
Patriots: This team has already taken on Mike Vrabel’s identity.
In the NFL, how often do you see a team that commits five turnovers still have a chance to win or force overtime? That was the case Sunday for New England, which had a fourth-and-1 from the Steelers’ 28 with 1:07 left. The Pats couldn’t convert there, but to even be in that position on a disastrous day offensively speaks to the resilience of the team.
That comes from Vrabel, who had his Titans teams playing exactly the same way. More often than not, you knew the Titans would still have a fighting chance at the end even if they played terribly. This kind of fight that New England has shown, plus a second-year quarterback in Drake Maye who has continued to show promise, could make the team one to watch down the stretch of 2025 — and long term. — Ben Arthur
Bengals: Do the Bengals need to make a move for a better quarterback?
Jake Browning got to go up against a fellow backup on Sunday, and it didn’t go well: another crucial interception leading to Vikings points, and not much downfield passing at all. A lopsided loss like this puts all the more scrutiny on Cincinnati. What would it take to get Kirk Cousins from Atlanta, or give Andy Dalton a homecoming, or even Jameis Winston from the Giants? Cincinnati had the benefit of a 2-0 start to lessen the blow of losing Joe Burrow for potentially the season, but a game like this makes the patience for Browning go away quickly.
Vikings: Minnesota’s ability to find affordable impact players in free agency continues to impress.
Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, signed from the Eagles this spring, came up with two huge touchdowns — an 87-yard interception return and a 66-yard fumble return — to put the game out of reach in the first half. Brian Flores’ defense will be all the more important as the offense needs time to find itself. The defense held Cincinnati to 100 yards of total offense midway through the third quarter. In a game between backup quarterbacks, one defense stepped up to take control of the game, and it didn’t matter how backup QB Carson Wentz, filling in for the injured J.J. McCarthy, fared because the defense was so dominant. — Greg Auman
Texans: How does Houston fix C.J. Stroud? Maybe it’s not him.
Maybe the mystery isn’t all that mysterious. Maybe the Texans still don’t have the answers on the offensive line. This line isn’t generating much in the way of push for the ground game, where Nick Chubb has struggled. And so it’s easy for defenses to pin their ears back in passing situations, where Stroud is facing constant pressure — and doesn’t have many options downfield besides Nico Collins. If that sounds familiar to last year, that’s because it is. The Texans replaced their offensive coordinator (from Bobby Slowik to newcomer Nick Caley) in hopes of seeing change. But so far this season, it’s more of the same.
Jaguars: Liam Coen continues to lose his cool with Trevor Lawrence.
After Lawrence threw an interception that nearly cost the Jaguars the game, new head coach Cohen was screaming into his headset. Was he upset with Lawrence? Unclear. But it was clear that last week, the coach yelled at Lawrence to hit his receivers in the chest after a pass-catcher dropped the football. Coen was hired up to help this offense reach new heights. Lawrence, however, seems to be holding it back. So … will Lawrence finally develop into the guy we thought he’d be? Or is this heading for a collision course? — Henry McKenna
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