NFL Week 3: Reactions and judgements from Sunday
The NFL Week 3 slate gave us plenty to talk about, and these are some instant reactions from a wild Sunday afternoon.
– The AFC West isn’t nearly as strong as we all thought.
Once believed to potentially have four playoff teams within it, the AFC West might not even send two. The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, a lowly group who couldn’t manage four yard per play. Somehow, the Chiefs appear to be the best team by a mile, with the Las Vegas Raiders at 0-3, the Los Angeles Chargers injured and at 1-2, and the Denver Broncos at 2-1 but with a total of 43 points for. Not a great division to this point.
Want $250 to bet on Monday Night Football?
– The Tampa Bay Buccaneers desperately need to get healthy
The offense has been miserable for the Bucs, and it’s not improving. Tampa Bay lost 14-12 at home to the Green Bay Packers, falling as the offense once again punted time and again. The unit was without receivers Mike Evans, Julio Jones and Chris Godwin, offensive linemen Ryan Jensen and Aaron Stinnie, and running back Giovani Bernard. The good news? Evans and Jones will be back next weekend, but the rest of the crew is out anywhere from another few weeks (perhaps) to the rest of the year. Through three games, the offense has accounted for 19, 13 and 12 points. Not good.
– The Miami Dolphins are for real
Yes, the Dolphins were outplayed by about every metric on earth today. Miami beat the Buffalo Bills 21-19, but had half the offensive plays Buffalo did, fewer than half the total yards and first downs, and yet somehow won. Are the last two games — and really five quarters — sustainable? No, but the Dolphins are finding ways to win games against quality teams, and that needs to be celebrated. Miami is the only undefeated team in the AFC, and right now, it deserves all the proverbial flowers.
Read: Geno Smith – Stuttering Offense A ‘Collective’ Issue
– Jimmy Garoppolo is going to be a hinderance for the 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have a great roster, but they don’t have a championship-caliber offense. After seeing Trey Lance struggle before breaking his ankle, many felt the Niners had a better chance to win the super Bowl come February with Garoppolo under center. Then, we saw the veteran struggle mightily against the Denver Broncos in an 11-10 loss, and you quickly remembered why San Francisco gave up the farm for Lance. Garoppolo simply can’t play unless the conditions around him are ideal.
