Patrick Mahomes is impressing with his legs and his arm. (David Eulitt / Getty Images)
NFL Week 3
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Follow along here for frequent updates and developments from all of Sunday’s NFL games. Check back after “Sunday Night Football” for a look at the biggest moments and trends to watch.
Patrick Mahomes is looking ridiculously good. Again.
It isn’t so much the stats in the early going as the way in which quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Coach Andy Reid are treating the NFL like their personal, invitation-only sandbox.
In leading Kansas City to a 35-10 first-half lead, he completed 17-of-25 passes for 252 yards and scrambled for hours on his TD pass to Chris Conley, one of three first-half touchdown tosses.
Mahomes became the youngest quarterback in NFL history with at least six TD passes in a game, compiling a 154.8 passer rating in Week 2. His three TD passes give him 13, pushing him past Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history through the first three games of a season.
Clay Matthews frustrated by another roughing call: For the third straight game, Clay Matthews has been flagged for roughing the passer. In the opener, he was deservedly flagged for a call on Mitchell Trubisky. Last week, for a textbook tackle, he was flagged for roughing when he brought down Kirk Cousins on a play that would essentially have ended the game.
Against Washington, he was flagged for bringing down Alex Smith and he couldn’t hide his dismay at being the official poster child for the most hated rule of the 2018 season.
A year ago, we were all wondering what constitutes a catch. Now, no one, including Aaron Rodgers, Mike Pereira and Dean Blandino, cares for the calls going against the defenders hitting quarterbacks.
“It’s tough man. It’s hard to really play defense now because … I understand they’re trying to protect players, but you know, you tackle a quarterback [and] they say you fall on top of them, putting your weight on top of them. They throw flags for all types of stuff,” the Rams’ Aaron Donald said. “It’s kind of hard to play the game of football now. It’s definitely tough on the pass rushers when they say you’re taking a quarterback down and you fall on top of them and it’s roughing the passer. Ain’t really much you can say, it’s just tough. I just don’t get it.”
Carson Wentz is back: Carson Wentz looks like the Carson Wentz of old.
The Eagles quarterback, playing for the first time since tearing knee ligaments last December, led the Eagles to an early touchdown, completing 6 of 8 passes for 68 yards and a 13-yard score to tight end Dallas Goedert.
Wentz was expecting an emotional return. “I just want to pick up where we left off last year,” he said last week. “We had a lot of big plays last year when we were in situational football. Third down, red zone, things we really excelled in last year. Those are things we want to keep building on. … At the end of the day, I, and really this whole offense and this whole organization, always have high expectations. We expect to start fast, play fast, be clicking.”
Who are these Bills? The Bills’ Twitter account had trouble locating Minnesota, but the team has little problem finding the end zone early. Helped by the recovery of a Kirk Cousins fumble, the Bills are up 24-0 in the first quarter.
Along the way to that first-half lead, Bills quarterback Josh Allen hurdled Anthony Barr. You read that correctly.
Mariota in: The Titans had hoped to continue to rest Marcus Mariota, who has numbness in his hand from a nerve problem in his elbow, but a hit by the Jaguars’ Malik Jackson sent Blaine Gabbert to the sideline and Mariota onto the field.
[Enjoy the eye-popping numbers while they last]
Do not mess with Ryan Fitzpatrick: Bucs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has passed for more than 400 yards in each of the first two games and will try to become the first NFL player with three consecutive 400-plus yards passing against the Steelers on “Monday Night Football.” Hopefully, he’ll steal DeSean Jackson’s clothes for his postgame interview again. In the meantime, he plans to just “enjoy the ride.”
How long had it been since the Browns had won? Sixty-four different quarterbacks started games and 47 won at least one game, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, during Cleveland’s losing streak that began on Christmas Eve 2016 and ended Thursday night.
A season on the brink: Six teams (the Bills, Raiders, Texans, Giants, Cardinals and Lions) are fighting not to fall to 0-3, a hole so deep that no team has climbed out of it to qualify for the playoffs since the NFL realigned into its current divisions in 2002.
In case you missed it: The Broncos’ Phillip Lindsay became the first undrafted free agent in NFL history with 100-plus scrimmage yards in each of his first two games.
Headline News
Roughing the refs: Even Aaron Rodgers thinks roughing-the-passer calls are “going in the wrong direction.” (Read more)
Vontae over and out: Vontae Davis doesn’t really care what people say about his decision to retire at halftime, one of the weirder things to have happened in an NFL game. (Read more)
A different Alex Smith: The Redskins may look to be more aggressive against the Packers. (Read more)
Steeler streamer: JuJu Smith-Schuster tackles Call of Duty, Ninja and Le’Veon Bell. (Read more)
Contenders or pretenders? What to make of the NFL’s 2-0 teams? (Read more)
Injuries
Wilkerson carted off: Packers defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson was carted off after he was leg-whipped by his teammate Kentrell Brice late in the first half of the game against the Redskins. Wilkerson, who could put no weight on the leg, was in tears as he left.
Fournette out, Ramsey questionable: Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette (hamstring) and cornerback Jalen Ramsey (ankle) were questionable against the Titans, but Ramsey will play while Fournette will not.
No Dalvin Cook: Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (hamstring) and defensive end Everson Griffin (knee) will not play against the Bills. Buffalo defensive end Shaq Lawson will not play because of a hamstring injury. Running back LeSean McCoy (ribs) and cornerback Phillip Gaines (elbow) also are out.
Philly needs running backs: Eagles running backs Jay Ajayi (back) and Darren Sproles (hamstring) will not play against the Colts. Tailback Corey Clement is active, but wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is not.
Josh Gordon’s debut? Wide receiver Josh Gordon was nursing a hamstring injury that helped lead to the Browns’ decision to trade him to the Patriots and he is listed as questionable against the Lions on “Sunday Night Football.”
Clowney in; Apple out: Texans linebacker Jadeveon Clowney participated in practice Friday and will play against the Giants after sitting out a week with back and elbow injuries. The Giants’ cornerback Eli Apple (groin) and defensive end Olivier Vernon (ankle) are out. Both Houston and New York will be trying to avoid falling to 0-3. To that end, they’ve benched right tackle Erick Flowers, replacing him with Chad Wheeler.
Thomas uncertain: Seahawks safety Earl Thomas missed practice Friday and Coach Pete Carroll said he was uncertain whether he would play against the Cowboys. “We’ll see how he’s doing and make sure he’s okay,” Carroll said. “He’s got some other stuff going on. That’s what we’re working on. It’s personal. That’s why we’re not going to talk about it.”
Fantasy Football
Start/sit tips for Week 3: Bench David Johnson. (Read more)
The must list: The fantasy football players you absolutely must have in your lineup this week. (Read more)
Week 3 Cheat Sheet: Choice fantasy advice. (Read more)
Take the Vikings: Minnesota is your best play in eliminator and survivor pools for Week 3. (Read more)
ATS Betting Tips/Picks
Top trends and insights: “Monday Night Football” has one of the top games worth betting on, Neil Greenberg says. (Read more)
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