Week 3 of the NFL is sort of over, with simply two video games to go. Several gamers have had unbelievable performances, together with stunning outcomes from a number of groups.
Perhaps probably the most spectacular efficiency of the week got here from Malik Nabers, who led the Giants’ shock win over the Browns.
At 21 years and 56 days, on Sunday, he turned the youngest extensive receiver in NFL historical past to have two receiving touchdowns in a recreation.
He additionally joined Saquon Barkley (2018) as the one gamers in Giants historical past with 20 receptions within the first three video games of his profession. And it would not cease there, because the LSU product additionally turned the primary participant in NFL historical past to have 20 receptions, 250 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in his first three video games of his profession.
Nabers wasn’t the one one who had a spectacular recreation this weekend. FOX Sports Research has damaged down ten extra inspiring takeaways for you. Let’s have a look.
At 32, the Honey Badger is growing old like fantastic wine. He recorded his second interception of the season on Sunday, bringing his profession whole to 35. He turned the fifth participant since 2010 to succeed in that milestone, and solely the second energetic participant of the 5, becoming a member of Harrison Smith.
He can be the one participant this season to document an interception, a pressured fumble and a fumble restoration.
The Steelers’ tenacious protection
Mike Tomlin’s crew improved to 3-0 and held the Chargers to simply 10 factors and below 300 yards of offense. They did it in all three video games this season, turning into the primary crew for the reason that 2004 Seahawks to begin 3-0 and maintain all three opponents to 10 factors and below 300 whole yards. The solely different time Pittsburgh did this was in 1936, when the franchise was referred to as the Pirates.
This was additionally the fourth time the Steelers began 3-0 below Tomlin (2007, 2010, 2020), having reached the playoffs on every of the earlier three events.
Malik Willis’ New Look
Malik Willis has appeared like a distinct participant with the Packers. To put that into perspective, he was 1-2 in three begins with the Titans, throwing for 234 yards together with a zero-to-three touchdown-to-interception ratio, with a 51% completion charge. In two begins with Green Bay, he’s 2-0 with 324 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 76% completion charge.
He additionally rushed for 73 yards within the win over the Colts, probably the most by a Packers quarterback in a single recreation since Don Majkowski in 1990 (88 yards). Over the previous two weeks, Willis leads the league in each passing yards per try (9.8) and dashing yards (9.5) amongst gamers with a minimal of 12 makes an attempt in every class over that span.
Speaking of new-look quarterbacks, Sam Darnold has appeared unbelievable. The seventh-year veteran has thrown a number of landing passes in three consecutive video games for the primary time in his profession. He threw 4 landing passes in opposition to the Texans on Sunday, a feat he’s performed solely as soon as within the earlier six seasons.
Darnold can be the primary quarterback in Vikings historical past to begin a season 3-0 and throw a number of touchdowns in every recreation. Through Sunday, he leads the league in landing passes with eight.
The 49ers had been with out Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Enter Jauan Jennings. He performed one skilled recreation, recording 11 receptions for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Since 1973, solely two different 49ers receivers have recorded 100 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in a recreation: Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens.
Jennings additionally turned the primary participant with 10 receptions, 175 receiving yards and three receiving scores in a regulation defeat since Drew Bennett in 2004.
The Madness of the 49ers and the Rams
Jennings gave an unbelievable particular person efficiency on this recreation, however Matthew Stafford had the final snort, recording his forty eighth game-winning drive within the fourth quarter or time beyond regulation. That’s the sixth in NFL historical past, for those who embody playoff video games.
Brock Purdy additionally had a stellar efficiency, recording his seventh recreation with three passing touchdowns and no interceptions. He is tied with Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert for the second-most such video games in a quarterback’s first 25 begins ever (Patrick Mahomes – 9).
But maybe the wildest a part of this recreation is the best way it was received, in addition to the best way it was misplaced. The 49ers had been 50-0 below Kyle Shanahan when main by 14 or extra factors at any level within the second half (together with playoffs). Now they’re 50-1.
In distinction, the Rams had misplaced 101 consecutive video games when trailing by 14 or extra factors at any level within the second half. This was their first such win since 2006, when Marc Bulger and Isaac Bruce had been nonetheless on the crew.
Baltimore dominated the operating recreation all day on this matchup in opposition to Dallas, with the duo of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson proving to be a pressure to be reckoned with. Henry completed with 151 dashing yards and two dashing touchdowns, becoming a member of Jim Brown and LaDainian Tomlinson as the one gamers in NFL historical past with 12 profession video games with 150 dashing yards and a number of dashing touchdowns.
He additionally turned the tenth participant in NFL historical past to have 14 profession video games with 150 dashing yards. Jackson added 87 dashing yards and a dashing landing. The final time a crew had a quarterback with 75 dashing yards and a dashing landing, together with a operating again with 150 dashing yards and a dashing landing in the identical recreation was the 2014 49ers (Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore).
The duo additionally turned the primary pair of teammates with 250 dashing yards apiece in a crew’s first three video games since 1976. The two-time MVP has led the Ravens in dashing in every of the final 5 seasons, probably the most by a quarterback and the longest such streak by any quarterback in NFL historical past.
Miami is the one crew within the league that has by no means led at any level in regulation in a recreation this season. They kicked a game-winning subject purpose in Week 1 as time expired to safe a win over the Jaguars. Their 205 whole yards of offense in opposition to the Seahawks had been the fewest within the Mike McDaniel period and the third-fewest of any crew in Week 3 (through video games performed Sunday). The three-pointers made had been additionally the fewest below McDaniel and the primary time they failed to attain a minimum of 10 factors in a regular-season recreation below him.
Carolina benched Bryce Young in favor of Andy Dalton, and the 14-year veteran didn’t disappoint. The Panthers snapped a 10-game street shedding streak, which was the longest energetic street shedding streak within the NFL. Dalton threw all three of his landing passes within the first half, which was the identical quantity of landing passes Young had thrown in his earlier 11 begins. Diontae Johnson additionally recorded 122 receiving yards with Dalton below middle, probably the most of his profession.
The 36 factors scored had been probably the most since Week 16 of the 2022 season and probably the most amongst all groups in Week 3 (via Sunday’s video games).
Mahomes Makes History
Patrick Mahomes added one other document to his resume, recording his 77th profession win as a beginning quarterback. That breaks a tie with Tom Brady and Roger Staubach for probably the most wins by a quarterback in his first 100 begins ever.
He is one in all 4 quarterbacks this season who’re 3-0, together with Sam Darnold, Geno Smith and Justin Fields. Those three quarterbacks have a mixed profession document of 70-99 as starters (41.4%). At 77-22, which means Mahomes might miss his subsequent 86 begins and nonetheless have a greater document than that.
