The last time the Carolina Panthers had sole possession of first place in the NFC South after three games, Week 3 byes were still a thing. But this ain’t 2003 anymore, folks.
After another convincing victory on Thursday night, head coach Matt Rhule and his guys got to sit back on Sunday and enjoy the fruits of their labor. And, fortunately for them, their fruits came with a side of a juicy loss from the defending champs.
Here’s how the week unfolded in the division.
Panthers win, but come away hobbled from Houston
Carolina moved to 3-0 on the season with a 24-9 dog-walking of the Houston Texans. That, however, would come at a cost.
The team will be without star running back Christian McCaffrey for at least a few weeks due to a strained hamstring he sustained early in the game. They’ll also kiss rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn goodbye for what’ll likely be two to three months with a broken foot.
So, for now, they’ll have to ride quarterback Sam Darnold, who passed for his second straight 300-yard outing, and the rest of their white-hot defense. Just ask Texans quarterback Davis Mills and the four sacks he had to take, by the way.
Falcons edge Giants on last-second field goal
Unless this one ended up in a tie, which was very possible between these two teams given their odd and depressing recent history, someone was walking away with their first win of 2021. And, thanks to 2020 team MVP Younghoe Koo, it was the Atlanta Falcons.
Atlanta’s 17-14 win was paced by a steady performance from its defense, led by linebackers Foyesade Oluokon (14 tackles) and Deion Jones (13 tackles). The unit held Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to 266 passing yards and no touchdowns and running back Saquon Barkley to 51 yards on 16 carries.
Saints smack Mac, Patriots
One week after letting Darnold get the better of them, the New Orleans Saints defense wasn’t having any of it from rookie Mac Jones. The Patriots quarterback was held to a paltry 5.3 yards per attempt and was picked off three times in the Saints’ 28-13 win.
Hmmm . . . maybe the Panthers actually did beat a good team last week. And maybe Cam Newton actually wasn’t the problem in New Engl . . . never mind.
No Hollywood ending for Brady in L.A. debut
For all the games and seasons and wins and rings we hear about associated with Tom Brady, Sunday marked his first ever NFL game in Los Angeles, Calif. But he might not want to go back anytime soon.
The Rams’ offense was too much for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their 34-24 triumph, with quarterback Matthew Stafford chucking for 343 yards and four touchdowns. Brady was “held” to 432 yards and one touchdown.
NFC South Standings through Week 3
1. Carolina Panthers (3-0)
t-2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
t-2. New Orleans Saints (2-1)
4. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
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