Tag: NFL Week 3

Instant analysis after Bengals drop to 0-3 with loss to Commanders

Instant analysis after Commanders vs. Bengals in Week 3.

The Cincinnati Bengals reverted to something resembling Week 1 form on Monday night, losing 38-33 to the Washington Commanders.

Joe Burrow and the offense did what it could, including a banner game from Ja’Marr Chase, but it just wasn’t enough to compensate for a defense that let a rookie quarterback run wild on the road.

Here’s a quick look at notes and stats to know from right after the game ended.

 

Quick Thoughts

  • That Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase touchdown connection had to feel good for fans — never mind for the star wideout trying to get a mega contract extension. No-brainer of a quick trigger for Burrow, too, considering Washington’s stunning decision to play that type of coverage on Chase.
  • Defense continued the highs and lows that defined last week by missing on at least one notable, easy tackle for no gain, then coughed up a fourth-down conversation before a touchdown to make it 7-7.
  • Bad week for Evan McPherson continued. After the missed extra point in Kansas City, what looked like a routine deal for him whiffed in the first half, robbing the Bengals of a chance to take the lead.
  • Starting to look like the defense just might not be good enough. Austin Ekeler kicked outside on that touchdown run in the second quarter to make it 14-7 and just like that, the Commanders had two touchdowns after scoring none the week prior.
  • Trent Brown needed a cart to leave the field after an injury, paving the way for first-rounder Amarius Mims.
  • Defense came out flat in the second half, got steamrolled on the first drive and gave up a touchdown pass to an offensive lineman for the second week in a row.
  • The defense finally got a notable stop in the fourth, but even holding the Commanders to a field goal still kept the team down by 11. Jayden Daniels consistently escaped the pocket to keep drives alive.
  • Burrow kept it close in the fourth with his second touchdown to Chase, but officials missed a pretty blatant DPI on the two-point try, keeping the score at a five-point deficit instead of three.
  • It was Dax Hill’s turn to get burnt for the touchdown that sealed the game. He’s enjoyed a strong position change, but it was only fitting that everyone got in on the implosion.

 

Key Stat

38:  Washington hadn’t scored 21 points in a first half since 2018. Pretty much any of Washington’s numbers could have gone here, given the miserable defensive performance. Zero punts, too.

 

Game Balls

WR Ja’Marr Chase: Six for 118 and 2 TD. Just a stunner of a day for Chase, who always felt like a breakout against this secondary, especially with Tee Higgins back.

QB Joe Burrow: Smooth day from Burow, totaling three touchdowns with few mistakes.

 

Top Takeaway

The hole is deep: Historically, teams that start 0-3, just don’t make the playoffs. The season isn’t over, but the vast number of issues on defense have to get fixed right away. That’s not happening if the line can’t get healthy by next week and the unit manages to wrap up the odd tackling issues.

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Cincinnati Bengals inactive players vs. Washington Commanders in Week 3

Bengals announce inactives for Week 3 vs. Commanders.

The Cincinnati Bengals inactives list against the Washington Commanders is like the two before it — there are some huge names present.

Those Bengals had big injury questions around the interior of the defensive line chasing them into this game, to the point they went out and signed a free agent for help.

The full inactives list the Bengals issued:

  • WR Trenton Irwin
  • OL Jaxson Kirkland
  • TE Tanner McClachlan
  • TE Tanner Hudson (knee)
  • DT BJ Hill (hammy)
  • DT Sheldon Rankins (hammy)

Beyond adding free agent Lawrence Guy directly to the main roster, the Bengals made a roster move right before the game, elevating yet another defensive tackle to help out the problem area.

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C.J. Gardner Johnson calls out Saints for taking a ‘cheap shot’ on DeVonta Smith

C.J. Gardner Johnson called the play that injured DeVonta Smith the “dirtiest (expletive) I ever saw in football,” but his teammates took a more measured stance:

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith left Sunday’s game early with a concussion after a hit from New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Khristian Boyd. Former Saints standout C.J. Gardner-Johnson, since traded to Philly, didn’t hold back after the game.

Gardner-Johnson called that play the “the dirtiest (expletive) I ever saw in football, bro. Y’all obviously saw forward progression was stopped. For them to take a cheap shot on one of our key players, it goes to show what type of team that is.”

Gardner-Johnson has his own history with the New Orleans Saints that likely plays a part into at least his assessment of the team as a whole.

Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata was more measured in his response, though like his teammate he called it a dirty play. Mailata was admittedly conflicted on whether Boyd was setting out to deliver a cheap shot: “Did I think it was dirty? Yeah. Did I think it was intentional? No — ah, I don’t (expletive) know. I’ve got to watch it.” Boyd, of course, maintained he was just playing football and not looking to injure Smith. Mailata acknowledged that the defensive tackle was trying to make a play.

The truth of it all is the play could have been avoided, but it was a bang-bang play. Boyd shouldn’t be considered dirty for this play. It looked like he was genuinely trying to deliver a big hit to close out the play. It wasn’t necessary, but it didn’t appear to be malicious either. You obviously wish Boyd would have pulled up, because it would have kept Smith from suffering this injury.

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Final score predictions for Commanders vs. Bengals in Week 3

A final prediction for Commanders vs. Bengals in Week 3.

Cincinnati Bengals fans can be forgiven for feeling a little deja vu heading into “Monday Night Football” against the Washington Commanders.

Joe Burrow’s Bengals, after all, have started another season slow and face a must-win game in the first month. The culprit is once again a slow start, which began with a brutal loss to a New England team in the opener that hasn’t won a game since.

The Bengals evened out in Week 2, with Burrow throwing two scores in a one-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that ended in controversy over a call that saw Ja’Marr Chase receive a massive fine letter from the NFL.

But whether that was the Bengals rounding into form, or merely playing up to the Chiefs again — before potentially playing down to the Commanders — remains to be seen.

Those Commanders certainly aren’t an easy out. Jayden Daniels has been the best of the rookie passers so far at a 75.5 completion percentage with two rushing scores. The Washington ground game has averaged 5.4 yards per carry, while the defense has quality pass-rushers and just held a team to 18 points.

When it comes to run defense, it’s a bad matchup at a bad time for the Bengals, who have had the interior of the defensive line decimated by injuries. They could easily trot out two backups and a rookie with a club on his hand in the middle of the line and hope for the best.

Luckily for the Bengals, the rest looks good. That’s especially so through the air, where the Commanders are weak at cornerback. Tee Higgins will finally make his season debut, which means fewer double-teams on Chase, meaning the breakout for No. 1 could happen in primetime.

Ideally, the Bengals continue the upward trend last week and take better care of the football, too. But even if there are a few struggles, the matchup of quarterbacks hints that Burrow should be able to pull this one out of reach.

Prediction: Bengals 28, Commanders 17

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Imperfect Lions improve to 2-1 in an imperfect 2024 NFL season

Imperfect Detroit Lions improve to 2-1 in an imperfect 2024 NFL season, and that’s no reason for fans to panic

The Detroit Lions are not a perfect team. Not even close.

This should not come as a surprise to anyone, yet it’s an hourly struggle to plow through social media and comment sections without coming across scathing criticism of the Lions as if they’re in need of being relegated to the UFL.

Dan Campbell should be fired, Aaron Glenn should be punished, Jared Goff should pay back his salary, Terrion Arnold should have his hands cut off, Ben Johnson should find a different circus to ruin, Taylor Decker should be exiled to a dirt pit in Ohio, Aidan Hutchinson should be publicly shamed for not getting a sack on every dropback, Jake Bates should be relegated back to the UFL.

And that’s all after a win…

The Lions have two of those wins after three games, including Sunday’s hard-fought 20-13 battle in Arizona. Detroit has played two 2023 playoff teams, beating the Rams and falling to the Buccaneers. It has not been a pretty path to 2-1.

The offense is not meeting expectations. Detroit entered Week 3 ranked 16th in scoring offense and that will likely slide after “only” scoring 20 against the Cardinals. There have been ponderous game-management and play-calling decisions from both head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson that have left more meat on the bone than was widely anticipated. The Lions offense has finished in the top five in both yards and points two years in a row, after all.

There is more than one way to win a game, of course. Sure, the sizzling offense outscoring the opponent with panache and as many style points as actual points was a very fun way to win 12 of them in 2023. But these Lions are not the same team as last season.

No team is, to be blunt. The team that beat the Lions in the NFC Championship game, the San Francisco 49ers, blew a huge lead and lost to the shell of the Rams team the Lions beat in Week 1. San Francisco is now 1-2. So are the Dallas Cowboys after getting run out of their own building by the heretofore winless Baltimore Ravens. That Ravens-Cowboys game was billed by the NFL’s own network as a potential Super Bowl preview during the week, lofty hype for a battle that left both teams 1-2.

The point is, it’s way too early in a season to make any definitive proclamations about the Lions–or any team. Heck, the Carolina Panthers blew out the Raiders in Las Vegas to get their first win, and Carolina was a universal No. 32 of 32 in the post-Week 2 power rankings.

Nothing is as awesome, nor as terrible, as it might seem at this early juncture of the season for any NFL team. The Lions are a great example. They just beat the high-flying Cardinals offense with great pass coverage, smart tackling, and playmakers like Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph making key plays in critical moments. That’s not how the 2023 Lions won games.

Things change weekly in the NFL, often radically. One of the reasons so many of us have ebullient confidence in the 2024 Detroit Lions is that they are capable of winning games in more than one way. They can roll with the changes, surfing the weekly waves and fluctuations that trip up more one-dimensional teams.

Detroit’s defense is better–quite a bit better in coverage and at finishing in the backfield than they have been at any point under coordinator Aaron Glenn. That’s a very positive development and one that doesn’t appear to be unsustainable with this upgraded personnel. Could they get more pressures, sacks, takeaways, third-down stops? Absolutely. There isn’t a football team at any level that can’t do better at all of those things.

The offense has fallen back, and it’s for a variety of reasons. Those reasons include–but are not limited to a shuffled guard situation, opposing defenses having a much better grasp of Ben Johnson’s scheme, Johnson’s questionable plans of attack, new wide receivers in different roles, and Jared Goff starting slowly. Yet they’ve also shown the ability to run at will, and the strong line and diversity of weaponry across the offense means they’ll be a tough unit to keep down for long.

It’s not always pretty or as easy as expected. It’s not supposed to be. That’s football–and that’s life. Right now, life as a Lions fan should feel pretty darn good in the grand scheme of the NFL, all imperfections and flaws included.

 

 

Tyrann Mathieu regrets Eagles sideline altercation with Jalen Carter

Tyrann Mathieu got a little heated during Sunday’s 15-12 loss to the Eagles. He says veteran leaders like himself need to stay level-headed:

Tyrann Mathieu got a little heated during Sunday’s 15-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The New Orleans Saints safety was involved in a sideline altercation with Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was fired up after the game was won for Philadelphia on an interception by Reed Blankenship. Carter’s coaches had to drag him back to the bench to keep things from escalating.

As the Saints’ defense took the field for Philadelphia’s final possession in the last 48 seconds of the game, Mathieu and Carter could be seen going back and forth with each other.

It was to the point that Carter had to be held back by head coach Nick Sirriani and others on the Eagles sideline. Mathieu said after the game he regretted his involvement in the incident, which he pointed to when he spoke with the media in his postgame press conference. As a team captain and one of the Saints’ veteran leaders, he says he must keep a level head and be a good example, even during intense moments.

“Me and (Marshon Lattimore), we should never go to those guys’ sideline. (But) it happens to all of us,” Mathieu said. “Emotions got the best of us. Didn’t really hear from those guys all game until the end. Be looking forward to playing those guys again hopefully.”

Mathieu finished out the game with seven solo tackles and an interception.

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Gameday inactives, injuries and weather: Week 3

Week 3 weather, injury updates and gameday inactives for the fantasy football lineup decisions.

Sunday updates will begin when teams start releasing official pregame inactives and starter information to the league. This is typically around 90 minutes prior to the kickoff of their game.

Weather forecasts are courtesy of The Football Database.

Week 3 gameday inactives, weather and notes

KEY GAME-TIME DECISIONS

Early games: QB Jordan Love (inactive), WR Michael Pittman Jr. (active), QB Justin Herbert (active), WR Joshua Palmer (inactive), QB Russell Wilson (inactive)
Afternoon games: RB Raheem Mostert (inactive), RB Kenneth Walker III (inactive)
Sunday night:
Monday night:

Early games

New York Giants at Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 84°F, cloudy

Giants

Inactives: CB Nick McCloud, CB Anthony Johnson, QB Tommy DeVito, S Tre Hawkins III, LB Benton Whitley, DE Carlos Basham Jr. and OG Jake Kubas

Lineup notes: PK Graham Gano (hamstring) was placed on IR, so New York signed PK Greg Joseph off Detroit’s practice squad.

Browns

Inactives: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, OG Javion Cohen, OT Jack Conklin, CB Kahlef Hailassie, TE David Njoku, RB Pierre Strong and WR Jamari Thrash

Lineup notes: RB Nick Chubb (knee) remains on the PUP. TE David Njoku (ankle) and RB Pierre Strong (hamstring) are out. RT Jack Conklin (knee) joins them after being downgraded Saturday. LT Jedrick Wills (knee) is questionable. WR Jerry Jeudy (knee) practiced fully all week and will play. DE Myles Garrett (feet) is dealing with an ongoing issue in both feet, reportedly stemming from surgery in his youth, but any corrective procedure is not urgent. Expect him to play through it the rest of the year.

Green Bay Packers at Tennessee Titans (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 88°F, cloudy

Packers

Inactives: S Kitan Oladapo, QB Jordan Love, OT Jordan Morgan, OT Travis Glover, DL Brenton Cox, CB Carrington Valentine and DL Colby Wooden

Lineup notes: RB MarShawn Lloyd (ankle) was placed on the Reserve/Injured list. QB Jordan Love (knee) was close to returning but is inactive. QB Malik Willis will start again. Green Bay elevated QB Sean Clifford. WR Jayden Reed (calf) and RB Josh Jacobs (back) were limited Friday but both will play.

Titans

Inactives: LB James Williams, TE David Martin-Robinson, DL Caleb Murphy, OT John Ojukwu, TE Thomas Odukoya, S Julius Wood and RB Jabari Small

Lineup notes: RB Tyjae Spears (ankle) will play through a questionable designation.

Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 71°F, 50% chance of drizzle (retractable-roof dome)

Bears

Inactives: LB Noah Sewell, DE Dominique Robinson, WR Keenan Allen, FB Khari Blasingame, RB Velus Jones Jr. and DT Zacch Pickens

Lineup notes: WR Keenan Allen (heel) didn’t practice all week and is out again this week. WR Rome Odunze (knee) was limited Wednesday and Thursday but made it back to full Friday. He’ll play and have a heavier load with Allen out.

Colts

Inactives: C Tanor Bortolini, LB Genard Avery, OT Blake Freeland, TE Will Mallory and QB Sam Ehlinger

Lineup notes: DT DeForest Buckner (ankle) was placed on the Reserve/Injured list but will be back at some point this season. WR Josh Downs (ankle) practiced all week and will play. WR Michael Pittman Jr., (back, calf) popped up on the injury report Friday as questionable but will play.

Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: Dome stadium

Texans

Inactives: RB Dameon Pierce, LB Jamal Hill, C Jarrett Patterson, RB Joe Mixon, WR John Metchie, CB Myles Bryant and DE Rashad Weaver

Lineup notes: TE Brevin Jordan (knee) went on IR this week. RB Joe Mixon (ankle) was downgraded to out on Saturday. Complicating things more is backup RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) won’t play again this week. RB J.J. Taylor was elevated on Saturday. WR Nico Collins (hip, foot) and TE Dalton Schultz (ankle) had full sessions Friday and will play.

Vikings

Inactives: LB Dallas Turner, CB Dwight McGlothern, QB Brett Rypien, WR Jordan Addison, OT Walter Rouse, LB Ivan Pace Jr. and DT Levi Drake Rodriguez

Lineup notes: TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) remains on the PUP. WR Jordan Addison (ankle) has been ruled out once again. WR Justin Jefferson (quadriceps), RB Aaron Jones (hip) and WR Jalen Nailor (ankle) practiced Friday and will play. Minnesota will be without two key defenders this week.

Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: Dome stadium

Eagles

Inactives: WR A.J. Brown, OG Darian Kinnard, LB Devin White, QB Tanner McKee, OG Trevor Keegan, CB Eli Ricks and DL Byron X. Young

Lineup notes: WR A.J. Brown (hamstring) has been ruled out for Week 3.

Saints

Inactives: WR A.T. Perry, LB D’Marco Jackson, QB Spencer Rattler, TE Taysom Hill, WR Bub Means and DL Khalen Saunders

Lineup notes: RB Kendre Miller (hamstring) remains on IR. WR Rashid Shaheed (hip) had a full session, and he’s good to go. TE Taysom Hill (chest) won’t be available.

Los Angeles Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 80°F, cloudy

Chargers

Inactives: RB Kimani Vidal, CB Tarheeb Still, OG Jordan McFadden, WR Joshua Palmer, LB Junior Colson and DE Justin Eboigbe

Lineup notes: WR DJ Chark Jr. (hip) remains on IR. QB Justin Herbert (ankle) was questionable with a high-ankle sprain but will gut it out. WR Joshua Palmer (elbow, calf) isn’t quite yet ready. TE Hayden Hurst (ankle) made it back to a full session Friday after limited work the previous two days.

Steelers

Inactives: CB Darius Rush, WR Roman Wilson, QB Russell Wilson, TE MyCole Pruitt, SS Terrell Edmunds and OG Isaac Seumalo

Lineup notes: OT Troy Fautanu (knee) was placed on IR. QB Russell Wilson (calf) remains at least a week away.

Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 84°F, 66% humidity

Broncos

Inactives: S JL Skinner, WR Devaughn Vele, RB Blake Watson, DT Eyioma Uwazurike, CB Kris Abrams-Draine, QB Zach Wilson and TE Lucas Krull

Lineup notes: Starting RT Mike McGlinchey (knee) was placed on IR. TE Greg Dulcich (knee, ankle) was limited Wednesday but practiced the rest of the week and will suit up. WR Josh Reynolds (Achilles) had full sessions Thursday and Friday and will play.

Buccaneers

Inactives: OT Luke Goedeke, S Antoine Winfield Jr., TE Devin Culp, DE Jose Ramirez, DL Calijah Kancey, WR Kameron Johnson and DT Vita Vea

Lineup notes: S Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot) is out once again, and he’ll be joined by DT Vita Vea (knee). RB Rachaad White (groin) was limited Wednesday and Thursday but had a full session Friday. He’ll play. WR Sterling Shepard was elevated from the practice squad.

Late-afternoon window

Carolina Panthers at Las Vegas Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: Dome stadium

Panthers

Inactives: CB Shemar Bartholomew, DL Shy Tuttle, OG Andrew Raym, OT Jarrett Kingston, CB Tariq Castro-Fields and TE Messiah Swinson

Lineup notes: TE Tommy Tremble (hamstring, back) was limited all week but doesn’t carry an injury designation.

Raiders

Inactives: WR Ramel Keyton, CB Decamerion Richardson, RB Dylan Laube, WR Tyreik McAllister and OG Jordan Meredith

Lineup notes: DE Maxx Crosby (ankle) and DT Christian Wilkins (knee) were limited in practice all week and had been deemed questionable, but both are active.

Miami Dolphins at Seattle Seahawks (4:05 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 60°F cloudy

Dolphins

Inactives: DB Ethan Bonner, LB Channing Tindall, C Andrew Meyer, RB Raheem Mostert, WR Malik Washington, QB Tyler Huntley and LB Mohamed Kamara

Lineup notes: QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) landed on IR ahead of Week 3 due to a concussion. RB Raheem Mostert (chest) is inactive once more. RB Jeffrey Wilson (oblique) had full practices Thursday and Friday and will suit up.

Seahawks

Inactives: LB Jerome Baker, OT Mike Jerrell, DT Myles Adams, C Olu Oluwatimi, LB Uchenna Nwosu and RB Kenneth Walker III

Lineup notes: OT George Fant (knee) has been placed on injured reserve, which will cost him at least four games. RB Kenneth Walker III (oblique) will miss another contest. WR Tyler Lockett (thigh), WR DK Metcalf (hand), and TE Noah Fant (toe) are good to go after full sessions Friday.

Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 93°F, mostly clear

Ravens

Inactives: DE Adisa Isaac, S Beau Brade, CB T.J. Tampa, C Nick Samac, DL Brent Urban, WR Devontez Walker and OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu

Lineup notes: RB Keaton Mitchell (knee) remains on the PUP. OT Ronnie Stanley (ankle) practiced Thursday and Friday and will play.

Cowboys

Inactives: CB Andrew Booth Jr., WR Ryan Flournoy, QB Trey Lance, LB Buddy Johnson, TE John Stephens, OT Matt Waletzko and LB Tyrus Wheat

Lineup notes: TE Jake Ferguson (knee) made it back to a full practice Friday and will play. WR CeeDee Lamb (ankle) didn’t practice Wednesday, was limited Thursday, but made it back for a full session Friday. He’ll be good to go.

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 69°F, mostly clear (open-air dome)

49ers

Inactives: QB Joshua Dobbs, OG Ben Bartch, WR Deebo Samuel, LB Tatum Bethune, CB Darrell Luter Jr. and TE George Kittle

Lineup notes: RB Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles) remains on IR. WR Deebo Samuel (calf) also is out. TE George Kittle (hamstring) was downgraded to out. DE Nick Bosa (ribs) is active after being labeled questionable to play

Rams

Inactives: WR Cooper Kupp, QB Stetson Bennett, TE Davis Allen, DE Brennan Jackson, OT Geron Christian and RB Cody Schrader

Lineup notes: TE Tyler Higbee (knee) remains on the PUP. WR Puka Nacua (knee) remains on IR. WR Cooper Kupp (ankle) is out as well.

Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 93°F, clear (retractable-roof dome)

Lions

Inactives: WR Isaiah Williams, LB Alex Anzalone, DL James Houston, CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr., OT Giovanni Manu, CB Ifeatu Melifonwu and OT Colby Sorsdal

Lineup notes: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (quadriceps) practiced all week and will play. WRs Allen Robinson and Tim Patrick were elevated from the practice squad.

Cardinals

Inactives: CB Darren Hall, TE Travis Vokolek, LB Jesse Luketa, OG Jon Gaines II, DE Victor Dimukeje, WR Xavier Weaver and OT Kelvin Beachum

Lineup notes: WR Greg Dortch (hamstring) is questionable after he was limited in practice Friday.

Sunday Night Football

Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons (8:20 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 86°F, cloudy (retractable-roof dome)

Chiefs

Inactives: DT Marlon Tuipulotu, OT Ethan Driskell, OG C.J. Hanson and DE Cameron Thomas

Lineup notes: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (personal) remains on NFI list. RB Isiah Pacheco (leg) is on IR and will miss six to eight weeks. WR Xavier Worthy (quadriceps) practiced all week and will play. Wanya Morris will start at left tackle.

Falcons

Inactives: RB Jase McClellan, DT Ruke Orhorhoro, OT Brandon Parker, OG Jovaughn Gwyn and DE Brandon Dorlus

Lineup notes: RB Tyler Allgeier (hip) was limited Wednesday but had full sessions the rest of the week and is good to go.

Monday Night Football

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills (7:30 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 70°F, cloudy

Jaguars

Lineup notes: TE Evan Engram (hamstring) won’t play again this week. RB Tank Bigsby (shoulder) is questionable but expected to play. LT Cam Robinson (knee) was listed on the injury report without a designation.

Bills

Lineup notes: LB Terrel Bernard (pectoral) won’t play in Week 3 and may go on IR. QB Josh Allen (hand) has been full participants thus far and should be fine.

Washington Commanders at Cincinnati Bengals (8:15 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 73°F, cloudy

Commanders

Lineup notes: No injuries of fantasy relevance.

Bengals

Lineup notes: Both starting defensive tackles likely will not be available. WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) and TE Mike Gesicki (calf) both avoided injury tags and will play. QB Joe Burrow (wrist) is good to go.

The Saints will be watching ‘Sunday Night Football’ closely

The Saints’ next two opponents play on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ and an Atlanta loss could have an early impact on the NFC South standings:

“Sunday Night Football” will feature the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. The New Orleans Saints were already watching this game closely, but the stakes have risen after New Orleans’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

You were already rooting for the Chiefs, naturally, because why would you ever root for the Falcons? However, a Kansas City victory becomes more impactful to the early portion of the NFC South divisional race.

After winning the first two games of the season, the Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their undefeated record and sit at 2-1. If Atlanta comes out victorious, that will put the three teams tied atop the division.

It’s early and won’t decide the division, but it would also present the Saints with the opportunity to get a nice 2.5-game lead over Atlanta with a win next week.

That brings us to the reason the Saints and Saints fans already had an eye on this game. Sunday night’s game features New Orleans’ next two opponents. They travel to Atlanta next week and go to Kansas City for a primetime matchup in Week 5.

Sunday night will be a good opportunity to study two opponents at one time. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. CT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the game will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

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Derek Carr regrets forcing the throw on his last-minute INT

Derek Carr talked about what he saw on his interception, and his regret for throwing a bad pass in retrospect:

The New Orleans Saints’ tough loss in Week 3 essentially ended on Derek Carr’s late interception, when he threw into double coverage while taking a hard hit up the middle. The Philadelphia Eagles defense got the better of him this time.

This throw was definitely ill-advised for a few reasons, as it was into double coverage, to Rashid Shaheed who was not fully breaking into his route yet enough to turn and look for the ball, and it was only second-and-5, which means it was not necessary to go for a deep-ball. Carr understands this in retrospect, having recapped the play in his post-game press conference.

“In that situation a sack is terrible, I was trying to make a tight throw,” Carr said, pausing, “As I was getting hit. I wish I just tried to skip it or get to the next play.”

He is right that a sack would have been terrible, but it also would not have killed the entire drive and game in one play. The decision was definitely a poor one, and forced at best. Hopefully the result will help him steer away from those risky throws in upcoming weeks.

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Derek Carr on the adversity of losing Week 3 Eagles game

Derek Carr discussed the adversity in the Saints’ Week 3 loss to the Eagles, and why it’s an opportunity to grow as a team:

The New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was a tough one, especially since the Saints were coming off a 2-0 start and looking for their first 3-0 start since 2013. Unfortunately, they were unable to overcome a late touchdown by the Eagles and threw an interception with less than a minute remaining on an ill-advised pass from Derek Carr.

Carr later discussed the ramifications of the game and the adversity they now have to overcome. Between mistakes, injuries to teammates, and a gut-punch loss in front of their home crowd it’s a lot of challenges to navigate: “It’s not going to be that easy all the time. For us, it’s a great opportunity. You get hit in the mouth, and with that said, I thought we responded to a tough, gritty game.”

He then continued on to discuss if the team is discouraged or anything in that vein, saying, “You’re pissed because you lost and you’re mad at that. You want to win all these games. At the end of the game we played a really good football team, and we knew what type of team they were.”

This is an opportunity for the Saints no doubt, heading into a divisional matchup with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4, but losing momentum could also be a difficult thing to overcome. We will see how things pan out in the coming weeks, and see if this brings them together or tears them apart.

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