Tag: Week 3

AFC West standings: Broncos still in 4th place, but there’s hope

The Broncos are still in last place in the AFC West, but the Chargers are dealing with some key injuries and the Raiders lost to Carolina.

Following an impressive 26-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, the Denver Broncos remain in fourth place in the AFC West, but there’s hope for brighter days ahead.

Elsewhere in the division, the Kansas City Chiefs remain undefeated. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert reaggravated a high ankle sprain on Sunday and offensive tackle Joe Alt suffered a sprained MCL.

The Las Vegas Raiders are currently one spot above the Broncos in the division standings, but they’re coming off an embarrassing 36-22 loss to the previously winless Carolina Panthers.

Denver, meanwhile, had its best game of the season in Week 3. Here’s a look at how the division stacks up going into Week 4.

AFC West standings after Week 3

Team Record Div. Con. Net Points
1. Kansas City Chiefs 3-0 0-0 2-0 13
2. Los Angeles Chargers 2-1 1-0 1-1 25
3. Las Vegas Raiders 1-2 0-1 1-1 -23
4. Denver Broncos 1-2 0-0 0-1 6

After facing the New York Jets (2-1), the Broncos will return home to host the Raiders in Week 4. Denver could have a chance to continue climbing up the division standings when Las Vegas visits in two weeks.

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NFL official explains missed call on Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts

NFL official defends missed pass interference call on 4th-quarter pass to Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts

When tasked with playing the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, the Falcons didn’t back down. Even though the team came up short in Sunday’s 22-17 loss to the Chiefs, questionable officiating was the top headline after the game.

Kansas City got away with an obvious pass interference penalty during a red-zone pass to Kyle Pitts which would have given the Falcons the ball at the one-yard line with a fresh set of downs.

However, that didn’t happen and Atlanta was instead forced into a fourth-down scenario, in which the team came up short. The Falcons would have one more offensive possession after the fact, and in very similar territory, but they couldn’t take advantage.

The head official for Sunday night’s matchup, Tra Blake, said after the game that it came down to the referee closest to the play and he didn’t see any interference.

“That is a real-time call that officials have to make a judgment on. From the angle that they had at the time, they did not feel that there was a foul committed,” stated Blake to D’Orlando Ledbetter.

It’s important to consider that pass interference calls are snap judgement calls and the officials aren’t afforded the vantage points that fans have when seeing missed calls. Their line of sight is entirely different than fans on TV and in the stadium.

Pass interference hasn’t been reviewable for years now, and when it was, it was rarely overturned, so it’s unlikely that would’ve changed for this scenario as well.

“That’s a real-time judgment call for us, yes. We do the best we can to make that decision,” concluded Blake.

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“I want to be 100%”: Alex Highsmith on return from injury

Alex Highsmith re-aggravated a groin injury in Week 3, and will wait until his body feels completely healed before returning.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers were victorious on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, they didn’t walk away unscathed.  One of their best players on defense, Alex Highsmith, re-aggravated a groin injury that he had suffered in training camp and was forced out of the Week 3 contest at the end of the first half.

Highsmith was visibly frustrated as he left the medical tent, slamming his helmet down as he walked out.  His anger stems from what many believe could be a lengthy absence, one that Steelers fans hope will be sooner rather than later.  Highsmith stated that during the missed sack on Chargers QB Justin Herbert, something felt “different”.

https://twitter.com/MikeDeFabo/status/1838301968088932509

Highsmith appears to be taking the right approach, one that, while it may take some time, will see him fully healthy and hoping to make a difference when the Steelers make a postseason push.  In the meantime, the edge-rushing duties opposite T.J. Watt are in good hands, as Nick Herbig will look to keep his dominant performances going as the Steelers visit the Colts in Week 4, September 29th at 1:00 PM EST.

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NFL power rankings: Bills keep on rolling in Week 3

The Bills remained undefeated following their win on Monday Night Football in Week 3. See where they land in our latest NFL power rankings.

The Buffalo Bills remained undefeated following their 47-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football in Week 3.

The Bills are not the team to beat in the AFC, however, as the Kansas City Chiefs also remained perfect with a 22-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football this week.

The other MNF game today featured the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals, a 38-33 victory for Washington. Jayden Daniels had a brilliant game with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score against Cincy, who dropped to 0-3 with the loss.

So where does that leave us? Check out our updated power rankings below.

NFL power rankings after Week 3

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
  2. Buffalo Bills (3-0)
  3. Minnesota Vikings (3-0)
  4. Seattle Seahawks (3-0)
  5. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0)
  6. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
  7. Green Bay Packers (2-1)
  8. New York Jets (2-1)
  9. New Orleans Saints (2-1)
  10. Houston Texans (2-1)
  11. Baltimore Ravens (1-2)
  12. San Francisco 49ers (1-2)
  13. Detroit Lions (2-1)
  14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
  15. Los Angeles Rams (1-2)
  16. Washington Commanders (2-1)
  17. Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
  18. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
  19. Los Angeles Chargers (2-1)
  20. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
  21. Miami Dolphins (1-2)
  22. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
  23. New York Giants (1-2)
  24. Denver Broncos (1-2)
  25. Cleveland Browns (1-2)
  26. Chicago Bears (1-2)
  27. New England Patriots (1-2)
  28. Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)
  29. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)
  30. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
  31. Las Vegas Raiders (1-2)
  32. Tennessee Titans (0-3)

Week 4 will kick off on Thursday when the New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. That Thursday Night Football showdown will be available to stream on Prime Video.

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Monday Night Football schedule: Is there a ‘ManningCast’ tonight?

There are two Monday Night Football games on deck tonight, but there’s no ‘ManningCast’ in Week 3. Peyton and Eli will return in Week 5.

Peyton and Eli Manning have returned for a fourth season of the ManningCast with the two former quarterbacks set to provide commentary for 11 weeks of Monday Night Football games this fall.

The brothers released a funny 10-minute musical to promote the upcoming ManningCast season earlier this month. The 2024 slate takes a break tonight despite there being two MNF games on deck in Week 3. The brothers are set to return in Week 5.

Peyton and Eli will welcome new guests on the program each week there is a ManningCast, and Bill Belichick will be featured on every episode this fall.

In addition to 10 weeks of regular-season action, Peyton and Eli will also provide commentary for a Wild Card game in January.

Check out the full schedule below.

ManningCast 2024 Schedule

NFL Week Date Game TV
1 Sept. 9 Jets @ 49ers ESPN2, ESPN+
2 Sept. 16 Falcons @ Eagles ESPN2
5 Oct. 7 Saints @ Chiefs ESPN2
6 Oct. 14 Bills @ Jets ESPN2
7 Oct. 21 Ravens @ Bucs ESPN2, ESPN+
7 Oct. 21 Chargers @ Cards ESPN+
8 Oct. 28 Giants @ Steelers ESPN2, ESPN+
9 Nov. 4 Bucs @ Chiefs ESPN2
11 Nov. 18 Texans @ Cowboys ESPN2
12 Nov. 25 Ravens @ Chargers ESPN2
14 Dec. 9 Bengals @ Cowboys ESPN2, ESPN+
Wild Card Jan. 13 TBD ESPN2, ESPN+

The ManningCast is televised on ESPN2. The primary MNF broadcast will continue to feature Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters on ESPN.

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Seahawks QB Geno Smith is No. 3 in the NFL for passing yards this year

Seahawks QB Geno Smith is No. 3 in the NFL for passing yards this year

The Seattle Seahawks have come out of the gate hot by building a 3-0 record and claiming first place in the NFC West. They have done so despite not playing consistent, or even quality, offense for large stretches of these three games. However, the one bright spot in all three has been quarterback Geno Smith, who is helping carry this unit.

Smith is not just passing the eye test, his success is also being reflected in the box score. Right now, Smith has thrown for the third-most passing yards in the entire NFL this season. He trails only Dak Prescott of the Cowboys and Brock Purdy of the 49ers, and even then he is only 64 and 55 yards, respectively, behind those two signal callers.

Against the Miami Dolphins, Smith had 289 yards through the air. This, of course, following Week 2 in New England where he torched the Pats for 327 yards passing. Smith has another opportunity for yardage in Week 4 when he faces a Detroit Lions team he has had incredible success against in recent memory. The last two times he’s faced Detroit, Smith has a combined 648 yards and four touchdown passes.

Not to mention the health of running back Kenneth Walker and the inconsistency of Zach Charbonnet is likely going to contribute to Seattle having another pass-heavy attack when they face the Lions. Charbonnet did have 91 yards on Sunday, suggesting he can improve, but Smith is still very much the key factor in this offense.

In both years Geno Smith has been the starting quarterback in Seattle, he has qualified for the Pro Bowl. With how he is playing right now, a third-straight appearance is hardly out of the question for the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year.

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Seahawks are one of only four 3-0 teams in the league

Seahawks are one of only four 3-0 teams in the league

The NFL is one of the most competitive professional leagues in the world, and especially in the United States. With each passing week to start the season, the number of teams without losses gets winnowed down considerably, to where only a handful remain even a month in. Such is the case for the 2024 season, and the Seattle Seahawks are among the few.

So far this year, there are only four teams with a 3-0 record, and there’s only one you’d typically expect to be, which is Kansas City. But joining the Chiefs are the aforementioned Seahawks, as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. Those two have to be the biggest surprises in the NFL this year. The Steelers have been winning ugly with Justin Fields instead of Russell Wilson, and Minnesota is being led by Sam Darnold who is doing his best “Geno Smith” impression by resuscitating his career.

The Buffalo Bills have an opportunity to join this club on Monday night. The Bills are 2-0 and play the winless Jaguars, who have lost seven of their last eight games dating back to December of last year.

Now, the question is how long can these teams keep up their winning ways? The easiest matchup in Week 4 is likely Steelers vs. Colts, as Indianapolis has hardly looked impressive. After them, the Chiefs have a divisional opponent in the Chargers. Although Kansas City has been anything but dominant this year, the Chargers could be without starting quarterback Justin Herbert who exited Week 3 by reaggravating his high-ankle sprain.

Minnesota and Seattle have the toughest matchups of the four current 3-0 teams. The Vikings will head to Lambeau Field to play the Packers, who are fresh off dismantling the Tennessee Titans even without starting quarterback Jordan Love. The Seahawks will also travel to the Motor City of Detroit for a Monday Night Football showdown with the Lions.

Assuming the Bills beat the Jaguars, they will next play the Baltimore Ravens, who finally got off the schneid with their Week 3 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Theoretically, since none of the opponents listed are undefeated, all four (or five) of these squads could improve to 4-0 next week.

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes breaks record shared by Tom Brady, Roger Staubach

With a win over the #Falcons in Week 3, #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes broke a record that was previously shared by Tom Brady and Roger Staubach.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has found himself with yet another place in the NFL’s record books after securing his team a 22-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Despite a rather lackluster start to the season for Mahomes, Kansas City’s star signal-caller has continued to find ways to win and the Chiefs are now 3-0.

With his third straight victory, Mahomes passed Roger Staubach and Tom Brady for the most career wins in a quarterback’s first 100 games. Mahomes has posted a 77-22 record through 99 games.

After setting yet another record, Mahomes is becoming one of the most decorated quarterbacks of all time.

Mahomes, of course, cannot take all the credit for this career milestone. The two-time MVP has relied heavily on his offensive weapons and head coach Andy Reid, who is considered by many to be among the best head coaches in NFL history.

Packers PFF grades: Best, worst players from win over Titans in Week 3

Based on grades from PFF, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ Week 3 win over the Titans.

Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson combined for 133 yards, Christian Watson and Malik Willis hooked up for a few key third-down conversions and the Green Bay Packers defense dominated during a 30-14 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

In keeping the Titans winless, the Packers won a decisive victory at both the line of scrimmage and in the turnover battle — helping Willis win a second straight start with Jordan Love nursing a knee injury.

Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ Week 3 win over the Titans:

Top 5 offense

1. RB Josh Jacobs: 77.0
2. RB Emanuel Wilson: 76.7
3. WR Christian Watson: 76.0
4. QB Malik Willis: 75.9
5. RT Zach Tom: 72.9

Jacobs forced two missed tackles, caught his only target and gained 28 yards after first contact, highlighting the tough yards inside he gained against the Titans front. Wilson forced three missed tackles, had a 10-yard run, gained three first downs, caught a 35-yard touchdown pass on a screen and was excellent in pass pro. Watson caught both of his targets for 67 yards, including a 30-yard contested catch on third down. Willis completed 13 of 18 passes from clean pockets and 8 of 12 passes thrown beyond the line of scrimmage while also rushing for 73 yards and forcing four missed tackles. Tom had a declined procedural penalty but also didn’t allow a pressure over 26 pass-blocking snaps and was the team’s highest-graded run blocker.

Top 5 defense

1. DE Kingsley Enagbare: 92.9
2. CB Jaire Alexander: 89.2
3. DL Devonte Wyatt: 78.7
4. DE Preston Smith: 77.3
5. S Xavier McKinney: 76.2

Enagbare had three pressures, including a strip-sack, and three stops over 22 highly productive snaps. Alexander produced a pick-six and four tackles while allowing only 45 yards on seven targets. Wyatt had three pressures and two sacks over 29 snaps. Smith led the team with four pressures. McKinney had an interception, four tackles and a defensive stop while giving up just one catch in coverage.

Bottom 5 offense

1. WR Dontayvion Wicks: 47.4
2. LG Elgton Jenkins: 51.6
3. TE Tucker Kraft: 52.4
4. TE Luke Musgrave: 53.0
5. LT Rasheed Walker: 53.3

Wicks ran 13 routes and didn’t catch either of his targets. Jenkins was twice flagged for holding, and he gave up two pressures and earned a poor run blocking grade. Kraft had a drop. Musgrave missed two blocks in the run game and lost his only pass-blocking rep. Walker committed a pair of penalties but gave up only one hurry.

Bottom 5 defense

1. LB Quay Walker: 35.9
2. LB Eric Wilson: 39.2
3. DL Kenny Clark: 44.5
4. S Javon Bullard: 52.5
5. DL TJ Slaton: 57.7

Walker had a sack and a stop on fourth down, but he got dinged severely for his work in coverage. Wilson gave up a pair of catches for 33 yards. Clark didn’t have a pressure and continues to be inconsistent against the run. Bullard allowed two catches for 27 yards. Slaton had a hurry but also a poor run defense grade over 15 snaps.

Special teams

Evan Williams, Xavier McKinney, Eric Wilson, Zayne Anderson and Robert Rochell had tackles on special teams, and Javon Bullard and Tucker Kraft assisted on tackles. Lukas Van Ness and Arron Mosby had penalties. Matt Orzech missed a tackle. Brayden Narveson made all six of his kicks, including three field goals. Daniel Whelan had a 63-yard punt, but his net average of 36.0 yards was a season low. He had two touchbacks, two punts returned and zero punts inside the 20.

Quarterback play

Malik Willis: 75.6

Willis had a big-time throw — his 30-yarder to Christian Watson on the first drive — and zero turnover worthy plays. He averaged 11.2 yards per attempt and had an adjusted completion percentage of 83.4 from clean pockets. Even without play-action, Willis was 9 of 11 passing for 112 yards. He took three sacks but also scrambled three times. When kept clean, he got rid of the ball in 2.07 seconds on average. Willis was 3 of 6 for 85 yards on passes over 10 yards in the air.

Stat to know

Titans quarterback Will Levis was under pressure on 15 of his 44 dropbacks. When under pressure, Levis completed only four passes for 21 yards and took eight sacks. The Packers finished with 20 total pressures.

Video of Bo Nix escaping sack for big gain vs. Bucs goes viral

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had a “Houdini play” play against the Bucs that has gone viral on social media.

In the third quarter of Sunday’s game at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass rusher Anthony Nelson came oh-so-close to sacking Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.

Nix felt Nelson’s presence and escaped the pressure just in time and turned what easily could have been a strip-sack into a 22-yard gain. The play has since gone viral on social media.

“If Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels did this it would be all over ESPN, BR or the NFL account smh,” @RespectMyCos tweeted about the play. That tweet has been viewed more than three million times.

More than one fan jokingly called Nix “Vanilla Mike Vick” following the run. It was easily one of the best plays of the game:

Many Broncos fans also suggested that Russell Wilson would have been sacked in a similar scenario from 2022-2023.

“I’m not exaggerating when I say this play was a guaranteed fumble-six the last 2 seasons with Russ,” @superstackff tweeted. “Bo Nix had no right avoiding a sack here, he is him.”

Mile High Report called it Nix’s “Houdini play.” Nix finished the game with nine carries for 47 yards and a touchdown. Clearly, the rookie quarterback is a threat to make plays with his legs.

It was a tough game overall for Nelson — he was the same defender that was juked out of his socks on Jaleel McLaughlin’s touchdown run. A fun win for Nix and McLaughlin was a day to forget for Nelson.

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