Week 4

Minnesota (0-3) at Carolina (0-3)

Denver (0-3) at Chicago (0-3)

Week 5

NY Jets (1-2) at Denver (0-3)

The Broncos or Bears will win this week – unless they tie.

GREEN BAY

Peter King goes gaga on QB JORDAN LOVE putting up 18 against New Orleans:

Jordan Love is passing every test. In the first seven series of the Saints-Packers home-opener for Green Bay Sunday, Jordan Love went 0-for-7 in productivity. Four punts, two failed fourth-down conversions and an interception, all in the game’s first 47 minutes. These are the times that try a quarterback’s soul—and the times a quarterback has to just forget it and move on to the next series.

Love will be linked to Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers forever, or at least as long as he’s the Packers’ quarterback, the third in a 32-season line of quarterbacks that have kept the Packers relevant for a third of a century. At least early in his career, Love has something in common with Favre and Rodgers: they’ve all beaten the Bears, and they’ve been good (mostly) in crunch time when needed.

In the final 13 minutes, Love went field goal-TD-TD, capping the last drive with clutch completions to Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs to pull out an 18-17 win. His 30-yard throw up the seam for Reed was a great throw and better catch; his eight-yard throw to Doubs was perfectly placed.

“I didn’t feel nervous at all,” Love said from the Packers’ locker room. “I just stayed even, trusted the team and trusted what we were doing and kept pounding away. That’s what everyone did. When you’re down like that you gotta make plays, and everyone was confident we would. I could feel it.”

Interesting, the similarities (other than accuracy) in the first three Packer starts of the last three starting quarterbacks:

Favre, 1992: 2-1, 70.5 percent accuracy, 709 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 98.1 rating.

Rodgers, 2008: 2-1, 64.6 percent accuracy, 796 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT, 102.9 rating.

Love, 2023: 2-1, 53.1 percent accuracy, 655 yards, 7 TD, 1 INT, 94.8 rating.

Love’s got miles to go before he sleeps, of course. But he’s started well. Most importantly, he’s been cool when the games get hot. That’s something you’d better be able to do in the NFL or you won’t last long.

MINNESOTA

Peter King on Minnesota’s late game goal line fiasco:

Goat Of The Week

Minnesota clock management. The situation: Vikings with a fourth-and-five, down 28-24, at the Chargers’ 15-yard line with 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter. They gain nine on a Kirk Cousins pass, making it first-and-goal at the six-. As T.J. Hockenson begins to rise, the clock shows 37 seconds. First down. No timeouts left. Obvious, clear, no-doubt play here is to spike the ball. Tick tick tick tick … :31, :30, :29 … Cousins is trying to listen to the speaker in his helmet, and both he and coach Kevin O’Connell say later the stadium noise was too loud for Cousins to hear. Cousins gestures, then gestures agitatedly … Get to the line and spike it for crying out loud! Clearly, the quarterback has to realize that even with the seconds coming off the clock, the only play here is to spike it. For some reason, Cousins waits and waits … :26, :25 … Still trying to figure out what to do … Vikings get to the line … :18, :17, :16 … Cousins hurrying now, looking unsure … Ball is snapped at :12. Tipped interception at the goal line, picked by Charger linebacker Kenneth Murray. I mean, that’s the worst clock management I’ve seen in forever. The Vikings could have spiked the ball with 32 seconds left, had 30 seconds left with second-and-goal. Against a D that they’d strafed for 475 yards to that point, Cousins would have had three chances to get the ball in the end zone. But no. Panic City instead, and the Vikings are 0-3.

DALLAS

Not For Long = NFL

One week ago the Cowboys were the #1 team in many “Power Rankings”.  The Cardinals may have inched a few spots out of their preseason basement.

But on Sunday, Arizona won going away.

Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

Two weeks of Dallas Cowboys dominance came to a stunning end in Week 3.

Adorned with flowers after beginning their season in such imposing fashion, the Cowboys crashed down to the any-given-Sunday reality of the NFL with their 28-16 loss to the previously winless Arizona Cardinals.

“Y’all put us on top of the world,” said Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, who was 25 of 40 for 249 yards, a touchdown and a critical interception. “We knew who we are. In that same sense, I’m sure the media got what it wanted. For us, there hadn’t been but one undefeated team. It sucks, it’s humbling, but to say it’s a wake-up call, we knew we had a lot of adversity and we just didn’t get it done. It just goes back to myself, the offense, in the red zone. We get better there, we win this game. But we’ve got to fix that area, period.”

The Cowboys (2-1) were an ugly 1 of 5 in the red zone, culminating with a Prescott pick in the end zone with 3:05 left by Kyzir White that expunged any thoughts of a rousing Cowboys comeback.

WASHINGTON

Adversity for QB SAM HOWELL in a sullen defeat. Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Sam Howell’s first loss as an NFL starting quarterback came in disastrous fashion.

The Washington Commanders quarterback tossed four interceptions and was sacked a whopping nine times in Sunday’s 37-3 home loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The defeat had Howell channeling his inner Annie.

“It starts with me,” Howell repeatedly said after Sunday’s loss, via The Associated Press. “But the good thing is: The sun’ll come up tomorrow.”

Howell became the first Washington QB to win his first three career starts since at least 1950. In doing so, he averaged 243.0 passing yards per game with six touchdowns and two interceptions. In rainy elements Sunday, it all came crashing down with Howell throwing for 170 yards and four interceptions.

Behind an offensive line that couldn’t handle the waves of pressure from Sean McDermott’s defense, Howell’s head spun from the onset, leading to an opening-drive INT. He made several poor reads, including an end-zone interception to open the second half when Washington could have made a game of it.

“It was a tough day for all of us. It’s not just on him,” Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin said. “But I just wanted to let him know that we’ve got his back. You’re going to have tough days at the office — some uglier than others.”

Howell became just the sixth QB in the Super Bowl era with at least four interceptions and nine sacks in a game, per The AP — the most recent: Warren Moon in 1995.

The ability of Washington’s opponents to rush four, drop seven in coverage and still get pressure thanks to a struggling offensive line is likely to be a common theme throughout the rest of the season in D.C.

After his worst performance as a pro, this week’s talking point is whether Howell can bounce back and make it a blip or whether things will snowball. As he said, the sun will come out tomorrow. Whether Howell’s play rises with it is the question.

More on the Commanders offensive line, or lack thereof, from Josh Alper ofProFootballTalk.com:

Sunday was a rough one for Commanders quarterback Sam Howell.

Howell threw four interceptions and was sacked nine times by the Bills defense in a 37-3 loss that dropped the team to 2-1 on the season. The nine sacks were eye-popping, but the Commanders had allowed 10 sacks over the first two weeks of the year, so protection had been an issue even when they were winning games.

The 19 total sacks allowed through three games is tied for the most of any team over that span since the Texans in 2005 and it is tied for the fifth-most since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

“We take that personally,” right tackle Andrew Wylie said, via Ben Standig of TheAthletic.com. “We got to do a better job keeping [Howell] upright. We got to do a better job getting him that extra tick, because he’s a baller. He’s trying to make plays; that’s what we need out of him.”

Wylie joined center Nick Gates as offseason additions to a line that allowed 48 sacks last season. The Commanders haven’t seen the desired improvement up front yet and the Eagles will provide another tough test for the group in Week Four.

NEW ORLEANS

QB DEREK CARR was injured, and things went south for New Orleans thereafter in Green Bay.  Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com:

Derek Carr is believed to have suffered an AC joint sprain during the Saints’ 18-17 loss to the Packers in Week 3, according to NFL Media. The shoulder injury is not expected to be season-ending.

In the third quarter, Derek Carr exited the game after being injured on a sack, and was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

Carr was taken to a local hospital for additional tests after having X-rays done at the stadium, according to NFL Media. On a third-and-9, Carr was sacked by Rashan Gary, and thrown onto his right side. The veteran quarterback was slow to get up, and eventually walked to the locker room with trainers. Jameis Winston replaced the injured Carr.

Before the injury, Carr had completed 13 of 18 passes for 103 yards and one touchdown. Winston stepped in and completed 10 of 16 passes for 101 yards, but the Saints did not score a single point after Carr exited. Winston did set up rookie kicker Blake Grupe with an opportunity to convert a 46-yard game-winning field goal with one minute remaining, but the kick went wide right.

That sets up QB JAMEIS WINSTON starting next week in New Orleans against the team that drafted him, the Buccaneers.

ARIZONA

In the spirit of Jay Fiedler, Steve Bono and other late bloomers, Peter King gives you QB JOSH DOBBS:

It’s hard not to root for guys like Josh Dobbs. Follow this: Dobbs started starting at quarterback 22 years ago, when he was 6 years old. “The Alpharetta Eagles,” he said from the Cardinals locker room Sunday. “That was my first team. I kept going from there, went to Alpharetta High, started all the time, went to Tennessee, started midway through my freshman year and then for the rest of my time there. All those years playing, then I got drafted behind a Hall of Fame quarterback in Pittsburgh [Ben Roethlisberger] in 2017, and your life changes when you get to the NFL.”

Entering Sunday’s game, Dobbs had started two games in Tennessee last year and the first two this year in Arizona … 0-4. So it’s hard to imagine what goes through the mind of Josh Dobbs, on the one-month anniversary of his trade from Cleveland to Arizona, when he completes 17 of 21 passes for a career-high 81 percent, manages six scoring drives in nine possessions against a team that entered the game as the NFC’s best in 2023, with the most fearsome pass-rusher in the game. Cards 28, Cowboys 16. First win of Dobbs’ professional life—in year seven since being drafted.

“I am proud of my performance,” said Dobbs, who once thought he wanted to be an astronaut, not a quarterback. And you could hear the pride in his voice. “I’m actually more proud of the team and how we all played, not just me. We started fast, played complementary football, started the second half rough with a three-and-out and six-and-out, then came back with a four-play touchdown drive when we really needed it to clinch the game. It’s Jonathan Gannon’s first win as a head coach, and Drew Petzing’s first win as an offensive coordinator, so a lot of firsts for a lot of people—they get to enjoy it the same as I do.

“And I am going to appreciate it, a lot. This league, man, it’s so crazy. It’s a league of opportunity. Across the league, you see guys who’ve been waiting months, years to play. The only way you can have a real chance to play and keep playing is to focus on the moment, live in the moment. This is a great reward for that.”

SAN FRANCISCO

The tandem of GM John Lynch and Coach Kyle Shanahan have been extended.  David Lombardi and Matt Barrows of The Athletic:

The San Francisco 49ers have extended the contracts of coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch with multiyear deals, the team announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

* Shanahan has been with San Francisco since 2017, compiling a record of 55-46 and leading the 49ers to a 3-0 record to open 2023.

* He led the team to a Super Bowl appearance for the 2019 season and has won six playoff games since he inherited a Niners team that finished 2-14 the year before he arrived.

* Lynch also arrived in San Francisco in 2017 as general manager. He was named the 2019 NFL Executive of the Year.

* Lynch had previously been signed with the 49ers through the 2024 season and Shanahan had been signed through the 2025 season. Both signed those extensions in 2020.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Why the 49ers made this move

It’s very hard to argue with what the 49ers have accomplished on the field under Shanahan and Lynch. The duo inherited what might’ve been the NFL’s worst roster in 2017. By 2019, they had the 49ers on the cusp of winning the Super Bowl. The team has now been to three of the past four NFC Championship Games and is off to a 3-0 start this year. The 49ers might have the strongest roster in the NFL, and they’re well-positioned to sustain within the bounds of the salary cap. The team has over $40 million of cap space this season, and it’s re-signed a homegrown player to big money (George Kittle, Fred Warner, Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa) in each of the past four seasons. — Lombardi

‘A very nice fit’ between Shanahan, Lynch

After watching the dysfunctional dynamic between Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke for four seasons, CEO Jed York’s top priority in 2017 was finding a coach and general manager who would work together. Whereas Harbaugh and Baalke rarely were seen in the same room together after their inaugural season, Shanahan and Lynch have remained tight and are often seen chatting on the practice field and even tossing passes back and forth during the special teams portion of practice.

Lynch once noted that York and his right-hand man, Paraag Marathe, might have assumed he and Shanahan had a long-standing relationship when they were paired together six and a half years ago. They didn’t. Though Lynch, then a FOX broadcaster, admired Shanahan’s approach to offense, they’d only talked during the usual media sessions before Lynch called Falcons games in 2016. But they saw eye-to-eye when York and Marathe put them in a room together to test how they’d gel. One of the first things they discussed was their respective philosophies on building a team. Both agreed that the two priorities should be quarterback and the defensive line.

“Everything just had a very nice fit,” Lynch recalled about the initial discussion. “It felt right.” — Barrows

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Good stuff from Peter King on rookie WR PUKA NACUA – including that despite his largely Samoan lineage, and the vaguely Samoan sound – his last name is Portugese:

How amazing is the story of Puka Nacua, the 177th pick in this year’s draft? A primer on the Rams’ rookie flanker entering Nacua’s third NFL game tonight against the Bengals in Cincinnati:

* Nacua caught more than eight passes in one of his 27 college games. He’s caught 10 and 15 passes in his first two pro games.

* He runs in the mid-4.5s, which cratered him on draft boards. But the Rams value something else as much as receiver: quick-twitch get-off. Cooper Kupp has it, Puka Nacua has it.

* He realized he had a real chance very early on a team desperate for young contributors, so he began spending as much as two hours per day during OTAs in the office of Rams pass game specialist Jake Peetz, learning each receiver position. He’s played the Z receiver (flanker) exclusively in the first two games.

* Not much has surprised him so far. Maybe one thing. “Yeah,” he said. “Number 54 [on Seattle].” Linebacker Bobby Wagner, a consistent Pro Bowler. “He hits harder than it looks on TV, that’s for sure.”

* He’s got a historic name. There has never been a player in the 104-year history of the NFL with the first name of “Makea,” or the nickname of “Puka” or the last name of “Nacua.” His mom is Samoan; his late dad was Hawaiian with a bit of Portuguese. The last name is Portuguese.

Young Puka played left tackle in youth football in his early years in Las Vegas before moving to Utah as a teen.

Left tackle?

“I come from a big family,” Nacua told me.

“I have five brothers and one sister. At a very little age, all my siblings were playing sports, football and basketball. My earliest memory is me being a tackling dummy in the backyard for my older brothers. I had all the pads on. My brothers were just running drills. My dad’s got us lining up drills in the backyard, and I’m just getting hit left and right. My dad was my first football coach. My older brother Samson was the starting quarterback for our team. I’m three years younger than him, and these guys were a lot bigger than me. But I’m playing left tackle.”

Moving to wide receiver in eighth grade, Nacua got to be a highly recruited player out of Orem, Utah, and went to Washington. After two years there, Nacua transferred to Brigham Young to be closer to his mom—his grandmother got ovarian cancer, prompting the move—and he played his last two seasons at BYU. He caught 91 balls in two seasons, but he ran a 4.57 40-yard dash. Just as Cooper Kupp (4.6-ish speed) dropped in the draft, scouts thought Nacua, though big enough at 6-2, wouldn’t have the speed to separate off the line of scrimmage.

Good thing the Rams are not slaves to the stopwatch. When they saw Nacua at the Senior Bowl, they saw a quick-twitch receiver who, contrary to college reports that viewed him as struggling to get free at the snap, was killing corners in one-on-one release drills at the line. So they picked him with the last pick of the fifth round. No one noticed.

When the Rams saw Nacua, I believe they thought they were seeing Kupp Jr. Both are 6-2 and weigh around 207. Both are highly competitive. Both evade well coming off the line. Kupp is 30, Nacua 23. Kupp’s starting to get banged around and miss games. It won’t be surprising if Nacua becomes Kupp II. So far, he’s working like Kupp. When Nacua got to the Rams for spring practices, he crammed in the classroom with Peetz, and took advantage of time before and after the long OTA days.

“I wasn’t sure if I’m gonna make the team,” he said. “I just know I gotta show up to the facility every day and prove that I belong here. After we’re getting done with practice, or the rookie workouts and our meetings, I’d just head right to coach Peetz’s office. He said we were sitting down. It started the simplest it could be, like hey you’re the Z, the Y, the F, the X, this is where they all line up for us. We’re going, drawing it up, as simple as it could be on the white board. I really do thank coach Peetz and our staff, [receivers] coach [Eric Yarber] and the list goes on and on of guys who’ve been in those rooms to be able to help me so I could go out there and play full speed.”

The chemistry between quarterback Matthew Stafford and Kupp was crucial in the Rams’ Super Bowl run in 2021. There’s similar chemistry, borne of necessity, between Stafford and Nacua. Of course Nacua looks to the 35-year-old Stafford for signs. Am I okay? Did I do that right? “We’ll have eye contact,” Nacua said, “and he’ll just kind of give a nod of affirmation or a nod of acknowledgement and that’s always good enough for me. If he gives me a thumbs up, I feel really good. If he just gives me the quick nod, I did good enough.”

So far, it’s very good enough. Tonight, Nacua’s expected to gut it out with an oblique injury. It’ll be the first chance for America to see the NFL’s next young star.

Although we vaguely knew – and this confirms – there is no “c” in the Samoan language:

The core Samoan alphabet is comprised of just 14 letters:

• the consonants F, G, L, M, N, P, S, T and V; and

• the vowels A, E, I, O and U.

The letters K, H and R are also used, but usually for foreign loanwords and/or for

colloquial language.

Hawaii starts with a letter not in the Samoan language?

That’s because it is in the Hawaiian language, which is not Samoan, duh

The letters “H” and “I” in the name “Hawaii” come from the native Hawaiian language. In Hawaiian, the name for the largest island in the Hawaiian chain is “Hawaii” (pronounced “hah-vai-ee”). The name was later adopted for the entire state when it became a US territory and later a state.

The use of “H” and “I” instead of “K” and “L” reflects the traditional Hawaiian writing system, which uses a unique set of symbols and pronunciation. The Hawaiian alphabet has only 13 letters, and the letters “H,” “I,” “K,” and “L” are used to represent different sounds than they do in English.

In summary, the letters “H” and “I” in the name “Hawaii” are a reflection of the native Hawaiian language and writing system, and their use reflects the unique linguistic and cultural heritage of the Hawaiian Islands.

And this on how completely different the two languages are as ChatGPT makes its DB debut:

How mutually intelligible are the Hawaiian, Samoan, and Maori languages? From the position of one, how well could you understand the other two?

ChatGPT

The Hawaiian, Samoan, and Maori languages are not mutually intelligible. They each belong to different language families and have distinct grammatical structures and vocabularies.Hawaiian is a Polynesian language and is most closely related to other Polynesian languages such as Samoan and Tongan. However, while there may be some similarities in vocabulary and grammar, they are not mutually intelligible. Samoan is also a Polynesian language, and it is closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages. However, it has its own distinct grammatical structures and vocabulary, so it is not mutually intelligible with Hawaiian. Maori is an Eastern Polynesian language and is the official language of New Zealand. It is not closely related to Hawaiian or Samoan, and it has its own distinct grammatical structures and vocabulary, so it is not mutually intelligible with them.If a speaker of one of these languages were to try to understand the other two, they would likely be able to pick up some words and phrases, but would not be able to understand the language fully without prior learning or study.

SEATTLE

The Seahawks are 2-1 with the return of three starters, including S JAMAL ADAMS, expected next week.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Seahawks safety Jamal Adams played only 15 plays in the 2022 season opener before tearing a quadriceps that has kept him out since. Adams will return to game action in Week 4 against the Giants, coach Pete Carroll said Sunday.

“We’re going to get a bunch of guys back next week, it’s going to be really exciting to see these guys come back to us,” Carroll said, via John Boyle of the team website. “Jamal will be playing. [Cornerback] Tariq [Woolen] has a great chance to come back. [Left tackle] Charles [Cross] has a real chance next week, so we’ll see how that works out.”

Adams returned to practice on a limited basis in Week 2, and he had two full practices last week. The Seahawks listed him as questionable to play Sunday against the Panthers, but he was inactive.

Woolen missed Sunday’s game with a chest injury, and Cross has missed two games with a toe injury.

DENVER

Dick Petty on X types out what lots of folks are thinking:

@DeeDeeFifty

Hey remember when Sean Payton said that Nathaniel Hackett did one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history and then he followed it up by going 0-3 including losing a game by 50 after giving up 70 points

That was neat.

This at NFL.com:

Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph still has a job, for now, but it’s hard not to think Payton is already contemplating a change. It was that ugly in South Beach, the kind of performance that can cause people to lose their jobs.

After the game, Payton didn’t mince words.

“Obviously, that was embarrassing and tough to watch,” Payton said. “It’d be one thing to say ‘hey we’re going to get on to the next game,’ but we have to watch that tape. Tomorrow will be tough for a lot of players. Tough for us too as coaches.”

When Payton was asked about the history of the game, giving up the third most points in NFL history (including playoffs) and second most yards, he wasn’t happy.

“What’s the question?” Payton barked at a reporter. “What’s the question? I just finished telling you. Next question.”

The Broncos are now 0-3, and if this isn’t rock bottom, it’s hard to know what will be. It’s only September, but a shot at the No. 1 overall pick feels like a real possibility. They’re that bad, and may not win more than a couple games, if that.

Next up is a trip to Chicago to face the Bears, who are also a mess. But it’s hard to say that about any other NFL team right now, because Denver might be the biggest dumpster fire in the league.

LAS VEGAS

Down 8 with a middlin’ 4^th down prospect, Coach Josh McDaniels opted to take a field goal.  Which, of course, set him up for Internet castigation when the Raiders defense didn’t get the ball back for a meaningful possession.  Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com:

– Trailing by eight points and facing fourth-and-4 at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 8-yard line with 2:25 to play, Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels sent out his field goal team.

Less than a minute earlier, Las Vegas kicker Daniel Carlson had converted a 48-yarder only for it to be negated by a Steelers penalty, putting the Raiders closer to the end zone.

“You have two choices there,” McDaniels said after the Raiders fell to the Steelers, 23-18, on Sunday night. “You try to make it a five-point game [with the field goal], where you have an opportunity to win it with the touchdown if you get the ball back. Or you try to go for it there. And then if you happen to convert then you’ve got to make the two-point conversion.”

According to ESPN analytics, going for it would have given the Raiders a 15.8% win probability, compared to 10.2% by kicking the field goal.

With three timeouts remaining, plus the 2-minute warning, McDaniels had faith that his defense could get the ball back with enough time to drive for a winning score.

Instead, the Steelers started at their own 25-yard line, got a first down and, by the time Las Vegas got the ball back, there were just 12 seconds on the clock, all of the Raiders’ timeouts were burned and they were on their own 15-yard line.

A Jimmy Garoppolo interception — his third of the game — on a deep out pass to Davante Adams on the left sideline ended the game.

Asked if not going for it was a sign of a lack of confidence in the offense, McDaniels shook his head.

“You’re going to need another possession anyway, you know what I mean?” he said. “So, it is not a lack of confidence.”

Then how close was McDaniels to going for it on fourth-and-4?

“I don’t know, I mean, we kicked one earlier in that sequence … and then we’re fortunate enough to get a penalty on that field goal and then got down there,” McDaniels said. “I mean, it is what it is. Like I said, you can go either way with those, and I did have confidence that we were playing well enough defensively and would have an opportunity to maybe get the ball back with two minutes to go and have an opportunity to go down there and take the lead.”

Garoppolo did not comment on the decision as he was not made available to the media after the game. A team spokesperson said the quarterback was being evaluated for a concussion. It was not clear when Garoppolo was injured, as he was not evaluated for a concussion during the game and played throughout, though he did take several hard hits and was sacked four times. He finished the game 28-of-44 passing for 324 yards with two touchdowns and the three interceptions.

And while running back Josh Jacobs said he supported the decision to kick the field goal, Adams would only say he did not want to be seen as second-guessing anyone.

“I agree with what Coach did,” said Jacobs, who rushed for a season-high 62 yards on 17 carries. “The defense was starting to play good at the end of the game. We could have got the ball back with time to score.”

Said Adams, who had 13 catches for 172 yards and two TDs: “I don’t like getting into that. That’s not a good look for me. I’m a receiver.”

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Chargers win in Minnesota came with a cost.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

The Los Angeles Chargers might be without a huge piece of their offense for the balance of the 2023 campaign.

The fear is wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a significant, potentially season-ending knee injury in Sunday’s 28-24 win in Minnesota, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday on Good Morning Football, per sources informed of the situation.

Williams will undergo an MRI to determine the severity, but Rapoport noted there is “real fear” the wideout will be lost for the season.

The big-play receiver suffered the injury late in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Vikings when he got twisted down after an 11-yard WR screen. Williams could barely put any weight on the leg before he was carted to the locker room.

The injury came after a massive day for Williams. He’d caught seven passes for 121 yards and a trick-play TD on a pass from Keenan Allen before exiting.

If Williams is indeed lost for the season, pressure would shift to first-round rookie Quentin Johnston and Josh Palmer to fill the void. In his first three games, Johnston has caught five passes for 26 yards.

BALTIMORE

If a kicker had a great day in Baltimore, you would expect it to be the Ravens PK JUSTIN TUCKER.  But on Sunday, Peter King proclaims the visitor had the best kicking day in NFL history:

The best day a kicker ever had. This is Matt Gay’s fifth NFL season, and he’s had a nice early career. But entering Sunday, he’d been close to average (17 of 23, 74 percent) in field-goal tries from 50 and beyond. That all changed in Baltimore Sunday. He made 54-, 53-, 53-, and 53-yard field goals, all after halftime, to lead the Colts past Baltimore 22-19. Gay’s the first kicker to hit four field goals of 50 yards or more in a game, ever.

What impressed me: Under big pressure late in overtime, Gay’s last field goal was so perfect that if there’d been a stake rising straight up from the middle of the crossbar, his kick would have shtoinked it. Beautiful, straight down the middle, with plenty to spare.

“I didn’t see it,” he said from the Colts’ locker room. “I kind of just blacked out when I kicked it. I’ll go back and watch it, but if it was right down the middle, that’s pretty cool.”

Good kickers, I’ve found, don’t ever think they’ve done something momentous when they make a big kick, or even four of them. If you’re looking for great drama or great quotes, don’t go to kickers.

Gay was exactly like that post-game. A flatliner. Just did my job. Emotions don’t help kickers. “Those four kicks, honestly, didn’t feel any different,” he said. “I’m not really thinking too much about anything else. I like to have my mind free.”

Re: the record, he said: “You get your name in the record book, it’s pretty cool. It’ll probably hit me later. More than anything—the records, the numbers—I really like just being able to give my team a win after they’ve fought so hard to win an important game.” Sounds like a good guy to have on your team.

Question – did anyone make a big deal about the Colts returning to Baltimore and winning?  Or is re-location angst a thing of the distant past?

This, on a day that the GOAT – PK JUSTIN TUCKER failed – albeit at an impressive feat of foot.  Wilton Jackson of SI.com:

Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium felt like the 2015 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest — an anomaly within a stretch of unrivaled greatness.

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is Joey Chestnut and, in this instance, Indianapolis Colts’ Matt Gay was Matt Stonie, stepping in and defeating the greatest of all time just this once with the potential to never do it again. Tucker had a chance to give Baltimore a victory on a potential last-second game-winning 61-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, but his boot fell just short, hitting the padded portion of the goalpost.

“I really straight up wouldn’t change anything that I did on the 61-yard attempt at the end of regulation,” Tucker said after the game. “I felt like I approached the ball with balance. I got my plant in the ground. I struck the ball right on the sweet spot, and sometimes the nature of this game, the ball just does not go through or you fall short.”

The Ravens have been in this situation many times before. They only need to get to the opponent’s 40-yard line to feel comfortable within Tucker’s immaculate range.

With the game tied 19-19, quarterback Lamar Jackson completed an 18-yard pass to Nelson Agholor, moving the ball to the Colts’ 43-yard line. After Baltimore took its final timeout, out trotted Tucker looking to put the game on ice and send the fans home happy.

The ball’s flight path in the air looked like — as he’s done many times before — directly between the uprights. However, he didn’t get enough leg, the game went to overtime and the Colts eventually won 22-19.

In overtime, the Ravens punted from Indianapolis’ 44-yard line and turned it over on downs at its 47. Head coach John Harbaugh said attempts from those two spots would have been “too far” because he was worried about Tucker’s footing with a wet, muddy field after rain from Tropical Storm Ophelia rolled through Baltimore.

Tucker finished the game 1-for-2 with a 50-yard make midway through the fourth quarter that gave Baltimore a 17-16 lead.

PITTSBURGH

The Steelers did not have a smooth return from their big win in Vegas.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com

The Steelers ran into travel troubles on their way home after Sunday night’s win in Las Vegas.

The team said in a statement that the team plane is currently in Kansas City after needing to make an unscheduled landing. No one was injured.

“Our team charter plane was unexpectedly diverted to Kansas City early this morning on our way back to Pittsburgh following our game in Las Vegas. Everyone on the plane is safe, and we are making necessary plans to arrive back in Pittsburgh later today,” the Steelers’ statement said.

The Steelers will be on the road again on Sunday, playing at Houston in a 1 p.m. ET kickoff against the Texans.

HOUSTON

Partly due to injury, but mainly due to performance, QB C.J. STROUD has opened up a wide lead in standing over the other two early first round quarterbacks.  Peter King:

Stroud handled the heat wonderfully in Jacksonville. Remember all the stuff about C.J. Stroud struggling to process information under pressure, and without the supporting cast he had at Ohio State, he’d struggle in a relative startup in Houston? I take you to Jacksonville, with the Texans having trouble running it Sunday, and even more pressure on the shoulders of the rookie in his third NFL game. I watched good chunks of this game, and Stroud’s performance under pressure in the 37-17 rout of the Jags was notable. NFL NextGen Stats backed that up. It was Stroud’s composure against the blitz that was crucial in Houston winning this game.

When blitzed in Jacksonville Sunday, Stroud completed eight of 11 throws for 130 yards and two TDs. When facing a regular rush, he was an efficient 12 of 19, without the difference-making TD plays. Add to this the fact he had two injury replacements at tackle and didn’t get sacked, despite the 11 blitzes from Jacksonville.

“I think I just learn from week to week,” Stroud told me post-game. “A lot of the sacks and hits that happened last week were on me. I gotta get rid of the ball, get it out on time. This week, I think I fixed that issue.”

Watching Stroud (20 of 30, 280 yards, two TDs, no picks, 118.8 rating), it seemed like he had more answers for what the Jags threw at him than young quarterbacks should have. Maybe we expected the learning curve, and the rebuilding process in Houston, to take longer. He didn’t think the word “rebuild” was one his team places much stock in. “We’re grown men,” he said. “We’re NFL players. Why can’t we win any game we show up to play? That Jacksonville team’s a top 10 team in the NFL, but we knew we could play with them. I’m nobody’s fish. I’m not somebody a team can tee off on. I compete. We all compete. The way I look at it, all pressure is a privilege. It helps me prepare, it helps me win. I love it.” It showed Sunday in Jacksonville.

You could see during the game why Stroud and fellow rookie Will Anderson were named captains. It’s not just their pedigree. With Stroud in particular, the way he seems to command his huddle and play with a calm but commanding demeanor is easy to see. “I don’t think leadership has an age,” Stroud said. “It’s something that’s in you. I didn’t come in demanding respect. I came in wanting to earn it.”

This from Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Texans rookie C.J. Stroud is off to one of the best starts in history for a quarterback.

He threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 37-17 upset of the Jaguars, his first NFL win. That gives him 906 passing yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions after three games.

He is the first quarterback in NFL history to have at least 900 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions in his first three career starts. His 906 yards are the third most through three starts behind only Cam Newton (1,012) and Justin Herbert (931).

“I have great guys around me,” Stroud said, via DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. “Nothing I can do without those guys up front battling, the receiver running the right route at the right depth, [offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik] calling the right plays at the right time.”

The Texans had the No. 1 overall pick in their back pocket until an upset of the Colts in Week 18 last January. That gave the Bears the top pick, dropping Houston to No. 2.

The Panthers drafted Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, leaving Stroud as the consolation prize for the Texans.

“The best thing that happened to the Houston Texans’ franchise was us beating the Indianapolis Colts last game, last year,” tight end Brevin Jordan told Bien-Aime. “We drafted the right guy. Man, he’s a leader. He’s a phenomenal player and a phenomenal guy with God-given talent. Dude, he’s unbelievable.”

MIAMI

Not 50, not 60, but 70 points – that’s how many the Dolphins put on the board against Sean Payton and the Broncos on Sunday.  Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com:

Tua Tagovailoa entered Week 3 as an early MVP candidate, and now his Dolphins have made NFL history as one of the best offenses to ever take the field. Racking up more than 700 yards, Miami scored 70 points in a blowout win over the Broncos on Sunday — winning 70-20 over the Denver Broncos — the most by any NFL team in 57 years. Raheem Mostert had four touchdowns to help propel the historic victory.

Only the 1940 Bears and the 1966 Washington team scored more points in a single game. Tagovailoa had four TD passes to help rout Denver, while backup Mike White also had a scoring strike.

The Dolphins rewrote the record books on this historic day. Here’s a few of their historic accomplishments (in the NFL and for the franchise):

Fourth 70-plus-point game in NFL history (including postseason). The other three were the 1940 Bears (73 in the NFL championship game) the 1966 Washington team (72), and the 1950 Rams (70).

Second-most yards in a game in NFL history (726) … only the 1951 Rams (735) had more in the NFL record book.

First team in NFL history with five passing TDs and five rushing TDs in a game.

Second team in NFL history with multiple players with four TDs in a game (2004 Chiefs were the other).

Second team since at least 1940 with 300-plus pass yards and 300-plus rush yards in a single game (the 2012 49ers also accomplished this).

Ran 71 plays and averaged 10.2 yards per play — the most yards per play by a team with 70-plus offensive plays ran since 1960

Second-largest win in franchise history (beat Patriots, 52-0 in 1972)

First 50-point win in the NFL since 2014 (Rams beat Raiders, 52-0)

The final score was one never before seen in the NFL.

The Dolphins scored more points on Sunday (70) than the Broncos have all season (69). Miami has 1,651 yards of offense through three games, the most in NFL history. The Dolphins have scored 130 points through three games, tied for the second-most by any team through three games in NFL history (1968 Cowboys had 132).

Some player notes on the Dolphins historic win:

Tua Tagovailoa had more TD passes (4) than incompletions (3)

Tagovailoa has won 10 straight games vs Super Bowl-winning head coaches, now the longest such streak in NFL history

Tagovailoa inside the numbers: 20 of 20, 273 yards, four touchdowns, 13.7 yards per attempt

Tagovailoa had more TD passes (4) than incompletions (3)

Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane each tied the franchise record for TD in a game (4)

Achane set the Dolphins rookie record for rush yards in a game (203)

Tyreek Hill had his 23rd career 50-yard touchdown — the 10th-most in NFL history

And then there’s the fantasy perspective from the blowout, provided by CBS Sports fantasy guru Chris Towers.

De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert had 51 and 45 Fantasy points in PPR scoring. They’re the second pair of non-QB teammates to have 45+ PPR points in the same game (with Kevin Curtis and Brian Westbrook in Week 3 of 2007).

This was the fourth time ever two teammates have had 40+ points, though you don’t have to go too far back to find the last one: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in Week 2 of last season. Here’s a look at the others:

1. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins-Ravens, Sept 18 of 2022)

2. Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones (Falcons-Cowboys, Sept. 27 of 2015)

3. Kevin Curtis and Brian Westbrook (Eagles-Lions, Sept. 23 of 2007)

4. Derrick Blaylock and Priest Holmes (Chiefs-Falcons, Oct. 24 of 2004)

Achane and Mostert became the second pair of teammates to each have four touchdowns, after that Holmes/Blaylock game in 2004. Blaylock had 40.6 PPR points, Holmes had 45.

The Dolphins reached 70 the simple way – they scored 10 TDs and kicked 10 PATs.  All the scores were by the offense, none on returns.  They had 14 possessions – 10 TDs, 1 punt, 2 stopped on downs, 1 end of half.

If such a game could have a turning point, it came in the 2^nd quarter with the Dolphins up 21-10 after TDs on their first three possessions.  They went for it on 4^th and 1 at their own 34 and were stopped.  Instead of jumping on the wonderful field position, the Broncos retreated and meekly punted on 4th-and-17.  Miami then went 86 yards in 6 plays to make it 28-10.

The Dolphins could have had more.  Wilton Jackson at SI.com:

Tua Tagovailoa orchestrated a Dolphins’ offense that produced a mind-boggling 726 yards in Miami’s 70-20 annihilation of the Broncos on Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.

In the win, the Dolphins (3-0) eclipsed franchise records for most yards in a game (595) and most points in a game (56). Even more, Miami nearly broke the NFL’s record for most points in a game (72) in the victory.

With 4:00 minutes to play in regulation, the Dolphins entered the red zone on a six-play drive that included a 52-yard run by fourth-string running back Chris Brooks. However, after a couple of running plays with limited yardage, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel chose for his backup quarterback Mike White to take a knee instead of kicking a field goal on 4th and 13 that could have potentially given Miami 73 points in the contest.

After the massive win, Tagovailoa told reporters that the Dolphins were not trying to embarrass anyone, despite the outcome of Sunday’s lopsided affair.

“We’re not trying to humiliate teams,” Tagovailoa said, per Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel shared the same sentiment as his signal-caller, saying going after 73 “felt like chasing points.”

“…Chasing a record is not what we came here to do,” McDaniel said, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. “Ten times out of 10, you concede and kneel down.”

It didn’t just seem like the Dolphins were flying on Sunday.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

The NFL uses tracking technology to record players’ speeds when carrying the ball for the league’s Next Gen Stats, and that technology shows what an enormous speed gap exists between the Dolphins and the rest of the NFL.

In Sunday’s 70-20 win over the Broncos, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill reached a top speed of 22.07 mph on a 15-yard catch, which was the fastest speed of any ball carrier in the NFL this season.

In the same game, Dolphins running back Devon Archane hit a speed of 21.93 mph on a 67-yard touchdown run. That was the second-fastest any ball carrier has run this season.

In fact, the top six fastest speeds by ball carriers this season all belong to the Dolphins: Hill and Archane yesterday, followed by Hill’s 47-yard catch in Week One at 21.66mph, followed by Raheem Mostert’s 43-yard touchdown in Week Two at 21.62 mph, followed by Hill’s 35-yard touchdown in Week One at 21.52 mph, followed by another Archane run yesterday at 21.50 mph.

The fastest play by a non-Dolphins this season came on Packers running back Aaron Jones’ 35-yard touchdown catch in Week One. Jones hurt his hamstring on the play and hasn’t played since.

The Dolphins have built their roster around speed at the skill positions, and they also have an offensive design that lends itself to those speedy players getting the ball in space. That resulted in one of the greatest offensive performances in NFL history yesterday.

NEW ENGLAND

NEW YORK JETS

Robert Saleh professes to believe that QB ZACH WILSON can get a grip.  Jori Epstein of YahooSports.com:

Robert Saleh never wavered in his answers.

In fact, the New York Jets head coach barely changed his demeanor as he repeatedly voiced support for quarterback Zach Wilson in the wake of the Jets’ 15-10 loss to the New England Patriots.

Has Wilson shown enough to keep his starting job?

“Yeah, he’s fine,” Saleh said.

Was Saleh concerned about Wilson posting a worse completion percentage and passer rating than last season when he was benched?

“His pocket presence has improved,” Saleh countered. “His accuracy has improved. His decision making is much improved. New England’s got a hell of a defense over there.”

Saleh insisted the Jets’ receivers, offensive line, running game and coaches also fell short of the mark in the loss. His quarterback’s 18-of-36, 157-yard day was only part of the reason the Jets converted just 14% of their third-down attempts — a week after completing just 10%.

Saleh went so far as to bring up He Who Must Not Be Named when comparing the Jets’ 2023 quarterbacks options. The coach said even four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, whom the Jets lost to an Achilles tear after four snaps of the season, would have navigated challenges in this offense.

“We knew even with Aaron at quarterback we knew there’d be some hiccups along the way because of the new offense, new play-caller, new O-line, just new players all over the offensive side of the ball,” Saleh said. “Now you’ve got this curveball that was sent to us. They’re acclimating. They’re going to get better.

“It’s still very early in the season.”

Jets’ nightmare vs. Patriots a familiar one

Two records were on the line as the Jets hosted the Patriots.

Could the Jets improve to 2-0 in the AFC East after an improbable Week 1 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills?

And could the Jets snap a 14-game — yes, 14 — losing streak to the Patriots that dates back to 2015?

Jets players speaking in the locker room throughout the week tried to insist only the first of those two considerations mattered. Focus on the record that impacts their present and future, they said, rather than the streak that the Jets believed said more about their past.

But as the Patriots secured their 15th straight victory in the series, and the Wilson-quarterbacked offense squandered three straight comeback chances after narrowing the gap to a one-score game with 5:22 to play, Jets fans had to question if their quarterback and play-caller had what it takes.

Sure, the quick game worked well for the Jets on the 87-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter. It was then that Wilson found tight end Tyler Conklin for 18 yards on a rare third-down conversion, as well as Allen Lazard and Cobb for double-digit gains before the drive ended.

When the Patriots punted five plays later, the Jets seemed to really have a chance.

But that glimmer of hope evaporated in the end zone.

Wilson found himself there, but not for the reason his team would hope.

The Jets trailed by 3 with 2:19 to play in the game when they faced third-and-15. Wilson found himself in trouble, backed into the end zone. He saw neither running back Breece Hall nor tight end Tyler Conklin hovering open within range.

Instead, Patriots outside linebacker Matthew Judon jammed out before spinning inside left tackle Mekhi Becton for a clean wrap of Wilson.

The Jets would have three more drives that didn’t materialize.

And really, even in a league of parity, fans have reason to question any game their team strings together eight punts, a safety and a turnover on downs even if a touchdown drive is sandwiched in the mix. Midway through the second quarter, the Jets were still netting negative yardage.

Credit Wilson for avoiding turnovers and for throwing away the ball several times to mitigate damage. But give him responsibility, also, for the three sacks he took when he held the ball longer than ideal. Wilson missed several open opportunities that broadcasters Jim Nantz and Tony Romo were eager to telestrate, including on the safety.

What message would Wilson give the Jets fans who booed their way through an ugly afternoon?

“Keep believing, man,” he said when asked. “I truly believe we got the guys. We’re gonna keep doing everything we can to get better. We understand the frustrations. It’s not fun to go three-and-out, it’s not fun to not establish drives and play football and score touchdowns. We understand that. We’re doing everything we can.

“We’re going to get better.”

Why isn’t Robert Saleh considering a QB change right now?

Saleh’s overriding explanation for why he’s not lining up backup quarterback Tim Boyle or voicing interest in acquiring a player centered on Wilson’s ability.

“He’s who gives us the best chance,” Saleh said of his quarterback whose athleticism and talent tend to supersede his field vision and execution. “Basically, that would be the cleanest answer I could give you.”

But questions also moved to the impact of starting Wilson on a team that seems to be far more talented than its quarterback. Throughout the week, Jets teammates and coaches emphasized repeatedly their confidence in Wilson and how it stems in part from his elevated confidence in himself.

Rodgers’ arrival helped him better understand the game and relax around his teammates, they explained. Boyle explained an in-game example from one of Wilson’s two completions last week to receiver Garrett Wilson. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett told his players they’d run a quick-game concept with a route adjustment if the Cowboys pressed in man coverage.

“Zach went up to Garrett and said, ‘Hey, if the corner press-bails and plays over the top, I’m going to throw you a back shoulder,’” Boyle told Yahoo Sports. “‘When he presses you, you beat them on top, it’s going to be an over-the-shoulder throw.’

“Just stuff like that, conversations on the sideline where it’s just clean, concise, confident and you go out and you do it.”

Wilson said after the Patriots loss that it’s “extremely frustrating” how infrequently his execution is reflecting that confidence.

For now, coaches and players alike continue to voice support. CBS cameras showed what appeared to be some sideline bickering as the game elapsed, Garrett Wilson among those expressing frustration. But Saleh said he’s not worried about losing the locker room.

The Jets face another test next week hosting the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs (2-1) on “Sunday Night Football.”

If the defense puts together another series of late stops that Wilson can’t capitalize on, will sentiment change? If he continues to hold the ball en route to a sack when targets are open, will Garrett Wilson’s frustration last longer? And how about if the Jets yet again can’t muster even half of the offense that their opponent does? The Patriots outgained New York 368 yards to 171 while playing in the same soggy conditions.

Wilson said he’ll aim to keep emphasizing his own growth until then and looking forward rather than behind. For now, his team will, too.

“The NFL’s crazy — it starts there,” Wilson said. “This is a long season. We’re all going to look in the mirror, find out how we can get better, learning and improving, having that short-term memory to understand that, ‘We lost this week. Oh, well. We’ve got to learn from this and move on and get better.’”