Another Football Sunday is pretty much in the books. The Colts surprised the Chiefs. The Eagles destroyed the Commanders. The Dolphins went undefeated. And that was just a taste of Week 3, with primetime games still on the air.
Did you miss the first waves of action in week 3? Let yourself be completely taken in by our Sunday scramble, a weekly overview of the best takeaways and treats. Like the best greasy breakfast plates at your local restaurant, this is meant to be a hodgepodge of good stuff – from weekly MVPs and true-or-false storytelling to a look at the weekend’s top games and hottest contestants. next end.
Now dig in and recap:
Week 3 Rewards
AFC MVP: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Tua Tagovailoa’s Week 2 breakout stole his MVP-caliber spotlight a week ago, but Jackson was back against the Patriots, waltzing through Bill Belichick’s defense with ease. At the end of the day, the speedster passed 100 yards on the ground and had five touchdowns as Baltimore approached a 40-burger at Foxborough. Elite talent, reconfirmed.
MVP NFC: Eagles DE Brandon Graham
Carson Wentz didn’t even get a chance to let him tear up against his old team because the Eagles D-line was in his face all day. Graham was the headliner of the assault on Washington, totaling 2.5 sacks, five quarterback hits and one pass deflection as Philly limited the Commanders to 240 yards in a 24-8 rout. Not bad for a 34 year old coming out of a torn Achilles.
Coach of the Week: Jaguars’ Doug Pederson
Do it two weeks in a row for Dougie P. Fellow AFC coach Mike McDaniel deserves all the hype by guiding a surprise team 3-0, but no one blew the Jags up against the Colts and Chargers consecutively. weeks. Trevor Lawrence looks more comfortable every week under his new boss, and Pederson’s hand-picked DC rookie Mike Caldwell is thriving.
Mr. Cool of the Week: Colts QB Matt Ryan
He didn’t necessarily have a great day in a defensive battle with the Chiefs, but guess what? Any time you can get your body slammed on a sack fumble, stacked by a pissed off Chris Jones and still standing to throw the touchdown to beat Patrick Mahomes, you deserve props. Indy isn’t dead at 1-2 yet, and their QB’s resilience has helped a lot.
Teams of the week
- The dolphinsfor beating the Bills to silence (more) critics as Tua Tagovailoa continues to draw darts from the pocket
- The Panthersto unlock Laviska Shenault to win a naughty contest with the Saints
- The vikingsfor resisting the early magic of the Lions to secure a well-deserved rebound victory in the North
- The jaguarsfor embarrassing the stoned Chargers to get Doug Pederson the respect he deserves
Fantastic favorites
The CBS Fantasy team has you covered with the latest waiver recommendations, Week 4 screenings, and more. In the meantime, here are the guys I’d watch if I were you:
- Seahawks QB Geno Smith: You don’t want to rely on it every week, but as a streaming option you can do much worse. Smith has now thrown 2+ touchdowns in two of his three starts despite Seattle’s overall mediocrity.
- Jaguar WR Zay Jones: Trevor Lawrence connected with everyone in a big win over the Chargers, but Jones has now totaled 24 targets in three games. He has clearly established himself as one of the top three receiving options for a growing offense.
- Packers WR Romeo Doubs: That preseason connection is starting to translate into games, with the rookie picking up at least five targets from Aaron Rodgers in two of his three games. Its role should only grow in the future.
True or false
Which developing narratives – popular or contrived – are actually valid?
Shippers are in trouble: Not only did Justin Herbert take the field with injured ribs on Sunday, LA also lost Rashawn Slater and Joey Bosa to the Jaguars, with stars like Keenan Allen and Corey Linsley already battered. Herbert’s presence will make them dangerous, but this wave of medical issues could ruin his supporting cast. Verdict: TRUE
The Patriots are practically dead: After barely beating the Steelers in Week 3, New England couldn’t keep up with the top-flight Ravens on Sunday, and Mac Jones – who is already recovering from a bad back – reportedly suffered a back injury. more serious ankle. With the Bills and Dolphins owning the juice in the AFC East, their playoff hopes look uncertain. Verdict: TRUE
The Colts are back to contender status: Beating the Chiefs is a huge ‘W’, isn’t it? Well, yes, to avoid a 0-2-1 start. But their offense, despite finishing the clutch, was still very lousy, and KC didn’t help themselves with costly penalties and special teams gaffes. For now, it is probably safer to bet on another team from AFC South. Verdict: FALSE
On the Horizon: Week 4
We still have a few matches left to wrap up Week 3, but here’s how we’d rank next week’s top matches:
3. Rams at 49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo debuts as a replacement for Trey Lance (and reprises his own role as QB1) in primetime to close out Week 3, then he’s back in the spotlight for a Monday night rematch of the 2021 NFC Championship. .
2. Leaders at Buccaneers: A rematch from Super Bowl 55, when Brady and the Bucs toppled the Chiefs, this one will be a rebound point for both contenders, after Kansas City stumbled against the Colts.
1. Invoices at Ravens: Firepower. You can’t do better than Josh Allen against Lamar Jackson, and the latter should be motivated to show up at home after Allen’s Bills beat the Ravens to advance to the AFC title game in 2020.