There are now three weeks of the NFL season in the books, and trends are beginning to take shape for teams around the league. Week 3 of the season featured upsets, close finishes and dominant performances.
Here is a rundown of some of the standout moments, good and bad, from the third week of the NFL season.
Winner: Caleb Williams
It has taken some time for the former No. 1 pick to look like the player everyone saw in college. However, Williams has started to find consistency in Year 1 under new head coach and offensive playcaller Ben Johnson. Chicago dismantled Dallas in Sunday’s matchup led by four touchdown passes from Williams. The performance tied Williams’ career high in touchdown passes and could serve as a breakthrough moment for the second-year quarterback.
Loser: Dallas Cowboys
After trading away their best player, Dallas continues to have problems with no let up in sight. Star receiver CeeDee Lamb is dealing with an ankle injury that will keep him out for the time being, but that could be just as important as the issues the team is having on defense. The Cowboys allowed Williams and the Bears’ offense to have five passing plays of at least 25 yards Sunday. The Dallas secondary remains suspect, and the impact of Micah Parsons’ departure has been clear through three games.
Winner: Special teams units
Looking around the league Sunday it was clear there were going to be several happy special teams coaches — and some angry ones, too. There were key blocked field goals in three games Sunday afternoon, and all took place within a few minutes of each other. The Packers, Buccaneers and Rams all had field goal attempts blocked in the final minutes of their games. Tampa Bay was able to bounce back with a game-winning drive led by Baker Mayfield, but Los Angeles and Green Bay lost in dramatic fashion. The Eagles’ block against the Rams was returned 61 yards by defensive tackle Jordan Davis to seal Philadelphia’s third win of the season. Cleveland’s block of a 43-yard attempt by Brandon McManus allowed the Browns just enough time for rookie Andre Szmyt to take down the Packers on a 55-yard field goal.
Loser: Green Bay Packers
After defeating Detroit and Washington to open the season, Green Bay looked like a true juggernaut of the league. Then Week 3 arrived and everything unraveled. A banged up offensive line put the Packers in a tough position throughout the day against the Browns leading to just 230 total yards. Green Bay was called for 14 penalties and allowed five sacks. Quarterback Jordan Love had problems moving the offense and threw a critical interception that allowed Cleveland to tie the game, 10-10, with 3:01 left to play. Green Bay will have to regroup ahead of its Week 4 matchup with Dallas.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles offense
Two blocked field goals grabbed the headlines for Philadelphia on Sunday. However, it was difficult to overlook the transformation of the offense over the course of 60 minutes in Week 3. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was mostly ineffective early in Sunday’s 33-26 win over the Rams. Philadelphia even trailed 26-7 at one point in the third quarter. Hurts got going in the second half, however. He passed for 204 of his 226 yards and all three touchdowns in that span. Star receiver A.J. Brown had his best showing of the season with six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. He had six catches and 35 yards receiving through the first two games. The Eagles closed out Week 3 looking like one of the top teams in the league again.
Loser: Russell Wilson
Giants coach Brian Daboll was noncommittal about the quarterback position following his team’s 22-9 loss to Kansas City Sunday night. By Tuesday, it was decided that rookie Jaxson Dart will be taking the reins from veteran Russell Wilson, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason. The 10-time Pro Bowl selection and 14-year NFL veteran struggled through two of the first three games. Wilson passed for only 160 yards and threw two interceptions Sunday. It marked the second time this season he was held without a touchdown pass. Dart will be tasked with igniting an offense that is averaging just 17.3 points.
Winner: Daniel Jones
Meanwhile in Indianapolis, the Giants’ former starting quarterback is having no such problems getting his offense in the end zone. Jones is not setting the league on fire with his stats. However, he has been consistent through the first three weeks. He completed 72 percent of his passes in a 41-20 win over Tennessee on Sunday. That included a touchdown pass and 228 yards through the air. The Colts are sitting at 3-0 for the first time since 2009 and have the third-best scoring offense in the league.