The NFL season is flying by. The third Sunday of the NFL season is already complete.
Six teams are 3-0, while six teams are 0-3.
Injuries to some key players knocked them out of week 3 and beyond.
In a massive upset, the Cleveland Browns, who were 7.5-point underdogs, defeated the Green Bay Packers 13-10.
Below, we go over some key notes from the third Sunday of the NFL season.
Key Notes From Week 3 In The NFL
Week three of the NFL season saw a massive upset, it may be time to panic for the Falcons, some head coaches are on the hot seat, a division favorite goes to 0-3, and a lot more.
Here are some key notes from week 3 of the NFL season.
Mike McDaniel’s Job In Severe Jeopardy
The Miami Dolphins have allowed 31 points or more in each of their first three games. The offense has looked better the last two weeks, but still, Miami is in shambles. Tua does not look good. He is averaging just 191.7 passing yards per game.
Mike McDaniel felt like he was going to be the next big thing as a head coach, but his team has floundered this season, and it feels like McDaniel has lost the locker room. His job is in severe jeopardy if the Dolphins do not straighten things out. The schedule is not favorable as they have upcoming matchups against the Chargers, Ravens, Bills, and Commanders before their week 12 bye.
The next two contests are a home matchup against the Jets and a road matchup against the Panthers. If Miami loses both games, McDaniel could be fired midseason.
Houston Texans Fall To 0-3
The Houston Texans are one of six teams to start the season 0-3. The oddsmakers had the Texans as the clear favorites to win the AFC South before the season. They have lost each game by one score. The defense has not been the issue. Houston has allowed 20 or fewer points in each of their first three games.
The offense has been dreadful for the Texans. Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley is under fire for Stroud regressing this season and the offense taking a major step backwards. In a road matchup against the Jags, Stroud threw two picks and was sacked twice. He mustered up just one TD drive, which was a 50-yard TD pass to Nico Collins.
With the Indianapolis Colts beginning the year 3-0, it will be very tough for the Texans to wind up winning the division.
Is It Time To Panic About Michael Penix Jr.?
The Atlanta Falcons got embarrassed on the road, losing 30-0 against the Carolina Panthers. Michael Penix Jr. struggled mightily in the contest. He went 18/36, 172 passing yards, zero passing TDs, and threw two interceptions. On Atlanta’s first drive of the fourth quarter, Kirk Cousins replaced the struggling Penix. The game was already out of hand.
This is the second straight game Penix has not looked good. Atlanta has just one TD over their last two games, and it was a rushing TD. Despite having a good offensive line and good skill players, the Falcons are unable to produce on offense. Penix will need to improve in week 4 or else there will be some serious discussions about his future as the starter.
Cleveland Browns Upset Green Bay Packers
The Browns were +7.5 point underdogs but upset the Packers 13-10. Jordan Love struggled in the game. He went 18/25 for 183 passing yards, one passing TD, one interception, and he was sacked five times. Green Bay’s defense was once again elite, but if the Packers want to go to the Super Bowl, Love will need to step it up.
Injury Filled Sunday In Week 3
Another Sunday in the NFL was filled with injuries. Here are some of the key injuries that occurred:
- CeeDee Lamb (ankle)
- Mike Evans (hamstring)
- Terry McLaurin (quad)
- Lane Johnson (neck)
- Najee Harris (achilles
- James Conner (ankle
- Nick Bosa (knee)
James Conner will be out for the season. It appears that Najee Harris and Nick Bosa’s injuries could also lead to their season ending early. Harris suffered a non-contact Achilles injury. Head coach Jim Harbaugh stated initial tests indicate a torn Achilles for Harris. Nick Bosa’s initial tests did not reveal an ACL tear, but Shanahan said the way Bosa felt after the game was not good, and an ACL tear is not off the table. Bosa gave the crowd a thumbs-down after his injury.
Lane Johnson suffered a neck injury in week 3, but it does not appear to be serious. Johnson stated he expects to play in week 4.
CeeDee Lamb injured his ankle early in week 3. He tried to come back, but lasted just one play before leaving for good and not returning to the contest. Lamb appeared to have suffered an ankle sprain and will have additional tests done to see the severity.
Mike Evans suffered a hamstring injury, which knocked him out of the game. A hamstring injury cost Evans a few games in 2024. It is unknown the severity of the injury, but it is possible that Evans misses some time.
Terry McLaurin suffered a quad injury in week 3. With the game out of hand, McLaurin was deemed questionable to return. It is unknown if he would have been able to return had the game been closer than it was.
Other Key Notes From Week 3
The Eagles survived and defeated the Rams 33-26 in a very good game.
Pittsburgh’s defense creates five sacks and five turnovers to win 21-14. It still did not look good for the Steelers on offense or defense, and they got lucky that the Patriots beat themselves.
The Bengals get absolutely destroyed in the first game without Joe Burrow.
The Chargers begin the season 3-0, all three wins against AFC West opponents.
The Colts begin the season 3-0 and are first in the AFC South.
Seattle easily disposed of the Saints at home.
San Francisco survives the Cardinals and moves to 3-0 despite injuries piling up.
Chicago defeated Dallas easily as Lamb left the game early and the Cowboys’ defense got dismantled.
Kansas City avoids going 0-3 as they defeated the Giants to pick up their first win of the year. The Giants have some discussion as they are 0-3 and need to decide when is the best time to start Jaxson Dart over Russell Wilson.
