We spend all offseason waiting for football to come back and somehow we’re already three weeks into the season. I’d appreciate it if things could slow down a little. Although, if you’re a fan of the Dolphins, Titans or Chargers, you probably think the season can’t go by fast enough.
Week 3 gave us plenty to talk about, and I have some thoughts. Heres my biggest takeaway from each of Sundays games.
Takeaway: It was a good week for Buffalo to come out flat.
Buffalo’s offense came out of the gate with a 36-point output against a stout Houston defense in Week 1 and then followed it up by dropping 41 on Detroit in Week 2. But the unit struggled mightily on Sunday, turning the ball over three times on its first four possessions. After managing to get the game tied at 10 going into halftime, the Bills turned it over on their first two possessions of the second half. Lucky for them, they were playing the awful winless Chargers, who couldn’t even beat a team that turned the ball over five times. Buffalo can’t play like that against good teams.
Takeaway: Sorry, Deshaun Watson, I wasn’t really familiar with your game.
Insert Shaq meme here. Yeah, so, I buried Watson after a horrendous performance in Week 1 (following a terrible preseason). But he played pretty well against the Bucs in a Week 2 win and did enough to lead the Browns to a shocking 2-1 record. Watson’s numbers don’t look great (16-30, 144 yards, 2 TD), but he kept making big throws when the team needed them and added some important runs to keep the chains moving. Watson isn’t great, obviously, but he’s at least playing like a serviceable NFL quarterback and that’s more than I expected from him after Week 1.
Takeaway: The Jets really aren’t that bad.
Speaking of teams for which I didn’t have high expectations, the Jets have been much better than I expected. Yes, they’re 1-2. But they should have beaten the Packers in Week 2 and they were tied with the Lions with under three minutes left. Now, great teams win those games. The Jets aren’t great. But given that the bar was set at, like, below average, Jets fans have a reason to at least have some hope for the first time in years.
Takeaway: The AFC South is bad again.
You know, for a minute it looked like the AFC South might be good again instead of being relegated to that Saturday afternoon Wild Card slot (the one that goes to the least interesting first-round playoff matchup). But here we are with the Colts and Texans both not looking particularly good. C.J. Stroud has never regained his rookie season form and Daniel Jones turned the ball over three times. Plus, these teams just aren’t even fun to watch (the Jaguars really aren’t, either, and don’t get me started on the Titans). Just put the winner of this division at 4:30 on Wild Card Saturday now and be done with it.
Takeaway: Drake Maye looks like a one-hit wonder.
I’m trying not to overreact but Maye keeps making it harder and harder. He’s made some of the worst throws of any quarterback so far this season, and that’s saying something. The Patriots offense has generated just two touchdowns in three games and Maye has thrown six interceptions and has lost a fumble. With a game in Buffalo next week, it could start getting late early for the reigning AFC champions.
Takeaway: The Dolphins showed some fight?
I don’t know, what do you want me to say? The Chiefs beat the Dolphins, as literally everyone expected. Miami hun
