NFL Weekly Recap: Week 3

Backup QBs save the day for some desperate teams; could the Cam Newton era be over in Carolina?; and Daniel Jones silences his critics for a week.

Game of the Week: Daniel Jones leads Giants to 33-31 comeback victory over Buccanneers

Who would have thought these two teams would produce the most exciting game in a week that featured Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson? There were so many big splash plays it felt like a Durant-era Warriors game. Both offenses ripped off huge chunks of yardage, all the way to the final drive. After giving up an 18-point lead, the Buccs trailed by two with thirty seconds left. Jameis Winston completed a 47-yard bomb to receiver Chris Godwin, setting up a potential game-winning, chip-shot field goal for kicker Mark Gay. Inexplicably, the Buccs committed a false start penalty, which backed them up five yards – but no big deal, it was still makeable 34-yard field goal. The kick is up and… goes wide right by about five yards. Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones escapes with his first professional victory.

It was a defiant performance from Jones, whose critics have been screaming foul ever since the Giants used the 6th overall pick to take him ahead of Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, taken by the Redskins seven picks later. Haskins has yet to play, and QB comparisons generally take a few years before a consensus can be made. At the end of the day, the Giants believe they got their man, and he backed up their faith with a four-touchdown performance in his first career start.

Without taking anything away from the young QB, because of course, you still have to make the plays, and Jones did – and showed some toughness along the way. But in reality, the Buccs defense is not exactly a great simulation of what it’s like to face a top NFL defense. Giants receivers were running wide open in the second half, in particular on the opening play in which Jones hit TE Evan Engram for a 75-yard touchdown, sparking the Giants’ comeback. The defense subsequently tightened up, forcing four punts and an interception in the second half. Facing a 4th-and-5, Jones showed off a mobility that was severely lacking with Eli Manning under center, scrambling for a seven-yard touchdown to take the Giants’ first lead of the game with 1:16 remaining.

The Giants’ star RB Saquon Barkley left in the first quarter with a high-ankle sprain and is expected to miss 4-8 weeks.

Runner-Up Game of the Week: Chiefs, Mahomes outduel Ravens, Jackson, 33-28

If this game was a glimpse of what the future of the NFL looks like – a pair of young, athletic, quarterbacking marvels going head-to-head, making everyone else on the field look silly for our enjoyment – then let the good times roll! While Lamar Jackson had several moments of brilliance in bringing the Ravens back to within striking distance, it was “Showtime” Pat Mahomes’ incomparable passing ability that stole the show. In the end, a comeback by the Ravens was thwarted on a two-point conversion attempt. Running towards the left pylon, Jackson could have tried a Michael-Vick-like-endzone-dive over three Chiefs defenders. Smartly, the QB took it out of bounds, and lived to fight another day. The conversion would have brought the Ravens to within three, with a chance for an onside kick. However, it’s only Week 3 and if Jackson’s body is going last the season, he needs to make erring on the side of caution a priority.

The Chiefs have been pulling out more weapons than Neo in the lobby scene of The Matrix (insert meme of Andy Reid in sunglasses, opening trench coat). They lose one of the league’s top receivers in Tyreek Hill, then proceed each week to showcase a different receiver to fill the void. First, it was Sammy Watkins, then DeMarcus Robinson, and then the rookie Mecole Hardman breaking out with a two-touchdown performance this week. Defenses have to start respecting each of these guys, which will open up room for Travis Kelce – and once Tyreek gets healthy, forget it. There’s only one mind that can counter this near perfect-storm of an offense, and that is Bill Belichick, whose defense shut out Mahomes and the Chiefs for the first half of the AFC Championship.

It’s been a match made in Canton so far for the two men making it all happens, as Reid continually schemes guys open while Mahomes just does not miss, almost no matter the range. We are witnessing quarterback play at a level of consistency that has rarely, if ever, been seen before. In 20 career starts Mahomes has thrown for 6576 yards, and 60 – yes – 60 touchdowns. Even against the Ravens’ elite defense, throwing for three touchdowns was just another day at the office for Mahomes.

Biggest Upset: Brees-less Saints stun Seahawks 33-27

As mentioned in the Week 3 Pick’ems, the Saints would need a masterful gameplan to pull out a victory against the Hawks and the dreaded “12th Man.” Having personally attended a Seahawks game at CenturyLink Field, the hype is real as it refers to the deafening crowd noise. It did not seem to affect Teddy Bridgewater, though, who played a brilliant game. It was just his second start since suffering one of the worst, and according to the surgeon who repaired it, “freakish” knee injuries ever seen in pro football.

If Bridgewater was the driver of the Saints offense, Alvin Kamara was the engine, as his performance literally brought shades of Eric Campbell to mind. Kamara was shedding tacklers almost with ease, finishing every run with a punishing blow to the man in front of him. His 29-yard receiving touchdown in the second quarter gave New Orleans a commanding 20-7 lead. He would score again the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. The Saints defense and special teams both contributed massive touchdowns in the first half – a 33-yard fumble return by S Vonn Bell, and a 53-yard punt return by PR Deonte Harris.

Russell Wilson has been playing some of the best ball of his career this season, finishing the game with four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing). His performance could not make up for his team’s listless first half, however, his connection with receiver Tyler Lockett continues to be productive. Lockett set career highs in receptions (11) and yards (154), to go along with a touchdown.

What We Learned…

I. A number of teams got a boost from their backup quarterbacks this week. We covered the performances by Daniel Jones and Teddy Bridgewater, but there were a couple of other backups to earn a victory: Jacksonville’s Gardner Minshew, and Carolina’s Kyle Allen, both of whom had strong performances. Strong enough to lead into the next ponderance…

II. Cam Newton’s time in Carolina may be coming to an end. It’s not entirely due to Allen’s performance (4 TD, 73% completions) but more his own. Though it’s not a good look when the backup comes in, and the offense becomes eminently more efficient through the air than it was before. The injuries have been piling up, and Newton has not been the same dominant force that we know him to be capable of – the 6’5, 245 lb “Superman” that that could fly over a defense if he wanted, but mostly just chose to run right through.

Cam’s overall passing game has not improved over the years -strange for a QB that set a rookie passing record with over 4000 yards, a mark which, incredibly, he has yet to hit again in his career. His completion percentage has always hovered below 60%, and his touchdown-to-interception ratio is below 2:1. Cam has one more year on his contract after this season. Perhaps he takes a year and comes back healthy and in form, but at the moment things are looking rather bleak for the former League MVP.

Note: This page is updated throughout the week to account for the latest injury updates and news around the league.