After the third Sunday of the NFL season, five unbeaten teams remain — the 2-0 Bills play on Monday Night Football — and the 3-0 teams all looked the part in different ways on Sunday. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs won another nail-biter, this time over the Falcons. The Seahawks battered the Dolphins, who were without Tua Tagovailoa — and lost backup quarterback Skylar Thompson to a chest injury. The Vikings blew out the Texans with another brilliant Sam Darnold performance, and the Steelers continued to roll behind a buzz-saw of a defense and an emerging Justin Fields.
As for the teams that didn’t have a great Sunday? Lets dive into the news and stories coming out of Week 3.
Do the Cowboys need to start panicking?
Sure, they’re perhaps the most scrutinized team in the NFL, but when you allow 274 yards on the ground at home, the problems aren’t just because the owner is a media magnet. Dallas’ 28-25 loss — that was not as close as the final score indicated — showcased problems on defense that were first brought to light in a 44-19 Week 2 loss to the Saints. After the game, Jerry Jones said, when asked about the roster, “I like our personnel,” but something will need to change for a team allowing a league-worst 185.7 rushing yards per game.
Justin Herbert re-aggravates high ankle sprain
He was first injured in Week 2, but the ankle was dinged again in the Chargers’ 20-10 loss to the Steelers. He was seen leaving the stadium in Pittsburgh wearing a walking boot. Taylor Heinicke finished the game for L.A., who’ll host the Chiefs in Week 4.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has missed some recent practice time after re-aggravating a foot injury, and he’ll now have an MRI on the foot after being briefly knocked out of the Browns’ 21-15 loss to the Giants. Garrett has two sacks in Cleveland’s three games this season.
Steelers still rolling with Justin Fields?
Pittsburgh is 3-0 and allowing an NFL-best 229.7 yards per game and 8.6 points per game. The defense has been a brick wall, as most recently evidenced by five sacks in a win over the Chargers. The Steelers’ quarterbacks are getting headlines though, after both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields came to Pittsburgh for fresh starts. Fields has been steady through the three wins, with just one interception and completing more than 73% of his passes, but is that enough to keep the job with Wilson recovering from a calf injury that knocked him out of the starting spot before Week 1?