Week 3 of the NFL season started Thursday night with a San Francisco 49ers victory over the New York Giants.
On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins posted a 50-point blowout, the Green Bay Packers came back from down 17-0 in the fourth quarter to win, the Buffalo Bills’ defense crushed the Washington Commanders, and the Indianapolis Colts kicked a late field goal to force overtime and then booted another to beat the Baltimore Ravens.
Later, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Chicago Bears with Taylor Swift in attendance, the Steelers fought off a Raiders revival, and the Dallas Cowboys lost to… the Arizona Cardinals?
On Monday night, the Philadelphia Eagles kept the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at bay, while the Cincinnati Bengals held off the Los Angeles Rams in a defensive battle.
Our NFL Nation correspondents responded to all of the action, answering any remaining questions following each game and identifying who — or what — is rising and falling for each team. Let’s get to it.
Can the Bengals win with a crippled Joe Burrow? Yes. If Burrow can perform at this level, the Bengals have a chance to win. But, more importantly, the defense must be extremely successful in order to assist Burrow as he returns from his calf injury. Against the Rams, the Bengals did not allow a third-down conversion until garbage time and limited Los Angeles to field goals on two early red zone possessions.
Stock up after the win: The Bengals’ pass rush. Cincinnati’s defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard combined for three sacks, 13 quarterback pressures, and nine quarterback hits, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Later, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs rolled over the Chicago Bears with Taylor Swift in attendance, the Steelers held off a Raiders rally and the Dallas Cowboys lost to… the Arizona Cardinals?
On Monday night, the Philadelphia Eagles kept the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at arm’s length and the Cincinnati Bengals held off the Los Angeles Rams in a defensive struggle.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and picking out who — or what — is rising and falling for every team. Let’s get to it.
Can the Bengals win with a hobbled Joe Burrow? Yes. If Burrow can operate at this level, he gives the Bengals a chance to win. But what’s more important is the defense must be incredibly effective in order to help Burrow while he recovers from his calf injury. Against the Rams, the Bengals didn’t allow a third-down conversion until garbage time and held Los Angeles to field goals on two early red zone drives.
Stock up after the win: Bengals’ pass rush. Cincinnati brought the heat as Bengals defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard combined for three sacks, 13 QB pressures and nine QB hits, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Stock down after the win: Tee Higgins. Higgins had just two catches on eight targets for 21 yards and said in a social media post that he needs to be better next week. — Ben Baby
Can the Rams’ offense right the ship before WR Cooper Kupp returns? The Rams have at least one more game before Kupp (hamstring) is eligible to return from his IR stint. The offense stalled Monday night in Cincinnati, going 1-for-4 in the red zone. Both Rams head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford talked about the missed opportunities the team had against the Bengals, including consistently failing to execute on third down. If the Rams can turn it around against the Colts, they’ll likely do it by relying on receivers Puka Nacua (5 receptions, 72 yards) and Tutu Atwell (4 receptions, 50 yards).
Stock up after the loss: The Rams’ defense. Defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon had the Rams’ first takeaway of the season, intercepting a pass from Burrow in the fourth quarter, and they held the Bengals to one touchdown, which came on Cincinnati’s only trip to the red zone.
Stock down after the loss: Third-down offense. The Rams went 1-11 on third down, with their lone conversion coming on their final offensive play of the game. Several of those third-down attempts were third-and-longs after LA got behind the sticks due to a sack or a penalty.
