The first two weeks of the NFL season has brought much excitement and Week 3 certainly lived up to that hype. The Jacksonville Jaguars left many with their heads turned after this weekend, but around the rest of the league there are still many more questions than answers thus far. These are the winners and losers around the NFL.
Winner: Khalil Herbert
Khalil Herbert entered this game as the second option in Chicago’s backfield, but the running back left today with a performance that many fans won’t forget. Running back David Montgomery exited todays game after just the second drive when his leg was caught awkwardly under a Texans defender. From that point forward, Herbert hit the ground running and never looked back.
The Bears’ running back exploded for an impressive 157 yards and two scores on 20 carries, leading this Chicago team to a 23-20 victory over the Houston Texans. It was a much-needed performance for this struggling Bears offense, which despite its’ struggles, finds themselves with a 2-1 record.
This is nothing new for the former Virginia Tech running back, who stepped up for an injured David Montgomery last season and posted an impressive 344 yards on 78 carries over a four-game stretch. Stepping up when needed is starting to become a common occurrence for Herbert who has consistently made the most of what he is given.
Loser: Josh McDaniels
As it stands now, only one team in the NFL is 0-3. That one team is none other than the Las Vegas Raiders. It has been a woeful start to the McDaniels era in Las Vegas so far. The former Patriots offensive coordinator has seemingly found a way to derail one of the most highly anticipated offenses in the league. If it wasn’t for wideout Mack Hollins having a career day, this game would not have even been close.
This Raiders team has not found a way to finish a game, whether they have the lead entering the fourth or they don’t. With all three losses coming within one score, frustrations may begin to boil over sooner rather than later in Sin City.
The Raiders head coach reportedly found himself in a “lengthy closed-door meeting” after Sundays’ loss to the Titans, and rightfully so, as a team with high expectations has seemingly fallen flat to start the season. If he doesn’t find himself on the opposite side of history soon, his tenure may be over sooner than expected.
Winner: DeVonta Smith
Honestly, one could put this entire Eagles roster under this column, and it would work. DeVonta Smith alone deserves a second to stand out in the spotlight for a second. The second-year receiver had an incredible performance on Sunday. Jalen Hurts connected with him eight times on Sunday afternoon, setting career highs in catches and receiving yards (169). This was an elite performance from the former 10th overall pick, and it is one that catapults the Eagles to 3-0, making them one of three undefeated teams in the NFL.
The Eagles receiver was unstoppable against the Commanders, who now fall to 1-2 on the year. Despite his slight frame, he plays much more aggressive than many may think. This showed true when he hauled in a massive catch before the half for 48 yards in double coverage. This play set the Eagles up at the goal line just seconds before half time.
Loser: Commanders Offensive Line
This is a pretty easy one right here. After all, how can you not be considered a loser after allowing your quarterback to be sacked nine times? A majority of the sacks from Sunday’s game show frequent breakdowns from the offensive line. Center Wes Schweitzer got bullied throughout the game, struggling with multiple bull rushes and stunts. This was apparent on the final sack of the game, marking the ninth time Carson Wentz was taken down.
This unit is still relatively new to playing with each other. Turner and Norwell are both in their first seasons with Washington. That lack of experience really stuck out on Sunday as Carson Wentz dealt with a collapsing pocket throughout their game with Philadelphia. That isn’t to say Wentz also isn’t one to blame – he did not help himself whatsoever. The gunslinger frequently held on to the ball in clean pockets and found himself getting hit after failing to make a decision.
That brings the sack total to 15 for Wentz through three games, symbolising the growing paints for this unit. The season is still young, but with the lack of depth they have, it seems that it may be time to hit the panic button. The sacks do not seem to be slowing down any time soon for Wentz.
Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars exit Sunday on top of the AFC South. You heard that right! After an upset against the LA Chargers the Jaguars move to 2-1 on the year. This looks like an entirely different squad under new head coach Doug Pederson. After routing the Chargers 38-10, it might be time to take a real look into this Jaguars squad.
The former first overall pick Trevor Lawrence is starting to look like the what was advertised. Through three games, the quarterback has been very efficient completing nearly 70% of his passes! To top it all off, he has just one interception. This is a huge step in the right direction after coming off a year with 17. The clean pockets have helped tremendously as he has only been sacked twice!
Maybe it is time to look into giving wide receiver Christian Kirk a raise. The team’s yardage leader got his third touchdown on the season. He and Lawrence seem to have found chemistry quicker than expected. This can only lead to good things in Jacksonville.
After an offseason full of talk, James Robinson has come back to claim his throne as the team’s RB1. The running back had four more carries than Etienne but was much more efficient, reaching 100 yards. He is an early stand out for the Comeback Player of the Year award, making this a backfield to keep an eye out for from here on out.
A quick shout as well to the defense, who held this Chargers offense to just 10 points. The team’s leading tackler is none other than rookie Devin Lloyd out of Utah. The first-round pick is clearly paying off in a big way early on, which is exactly what you want to see as a coach.
Loser: Patriots Ball Security
I never would have thought this would be a problem for a Belichick coached team, yet here we are. This Patriots roster has been coughing up the ball a lot recently, which raises some questions. Mac Jones finished the game with three interceptions, bringing his total to five through three weeks. Not the best start for the second-year quarterback who left today’s game with an unknown ankle injury.
The problem doesn’t only lie with the quarterback though. Turn back the clock to week one, when wide receiver Nelson Agholor fumbled on a crucial drive in the fourth quarter. Fast forward to Sunday afternoon, and he found himself in the same position again, coughing up the football for the second time in three weeks.
Kendrick Bourne also found himself coughing up the football, but recovered it just plays later. The rain for sure didn’t help, but the receiver who has been fighting to get out of the doghouse did not help his case in that instance.
Three of Mac’s five interceptions have come when targeting DeVante Parker. This is a noticeable problem in the red zone, where the two just cannot seem to connect. That held true today when Mac lobbed one off his back foot to the back of the end zone that ended up in the hands of Marlon Humphrey. Not the smartest decision from the quarterback on a drive that shouldn’t have left empty handed. A field goal there would have made it just a two-point game.