4 of the NFL’s 9 unbeaten groups meet Sunday, which ought to present some buzz, albeit so early within the season.
Whereas C.J. Stroud’s Houston Texans meet the resurgent Sam Darnold’s Minnesota Vikings, Justin Herbert — questionable with a excessive ankle sprain as of Friday — and the Los Angeles Chargers meet the Pittsburgh Steelers, who’ve one landing via eight quarters.
Elsewhere across the league, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussions land him on IR as doubts surrounding his profession proceed. The Saints’ offense is off to a torrid begin. Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Younger has been benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. The Atlanta Falcons — coming off an exhilarating win at Philadelphia — host the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Sunday’s nightcap.
What’s going to Sunday’s motion deliver? The Athletic’s NFL writers Mike Sando, Zak Keefer and Jeff Howe focus on.
We have now a pair of matchups between unbeatens in Week 3 — Texans-Vikings and Chargers-Steelers. What are you looking ahead to in every of those video games?
Sando: I’ll be desirous about seeing how Sam Darnold performs if the Vikings fall behind. Can he proceed to keep away from the errors which have marked his profession? Within the different sport, I wish to see how Chargers proper deal with Joe Alt fares towards the Steelers’ T.J. Watt. Alt has been fairly dominant to date. This will likely be a enjoyable matchup and if Alt wins it, he’s going to be voted All-Professional this yr. He may be anyway.
Howe: Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is off to a sizzling begin, however C.J. Stroud goes to be his biggest problem to date. If Flores could make life powerful on Stroud, it might imply the Vikings have actual endurance within the race for a playoff spot. The Chargers-Steelers sport will likely be a brawl, and I wouldn’t be in the least stunned if neither crew scores 20 factors. I’m very to see how Justin Herbert and Justin Fields deal with these stifling defenses. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has Herbert enjoying a extra conservative fashion, and that could possibly be vital in a sport like this. However with Herbert questionable with a excessive ankle sprain, the component of a measuring-stick sport may be wiped away if he’s unavailable or considerably restricted. I nonetheless assume this will likely be a enjoyable sport from a defensive perspective, although.
Keefer: I’m with Jeff — the Texans’ offense struggled a bit within the second half Sunday night time towards a wonderful Bears protection, and I’m questioning if Flores’ unit can provide them among the identical issues. As for Chargers-Steelers, what number of touchdowns will we see? Lower than 4? For a Pittsburgh crew that’s 2-0 regardless of scoring one landing in eight quarters, I can’t see that method working for lengthy. The Steelers are going to need to unlock one thing offensively to maintain profitable video games.
Panthers QB Bryce Younger has been benched 18 video games into his profession as Carolina travels to Las Vegas to face the Raiders. What’s subsequent for Younger? Would the league profit from sitting extra rookie/younger QBs to start out their careers?
Sando: Whereas the Panthers did a poor job supporting Younger, the scenario serves as a reminder towards betting large on outlier quarterbacks. Younger’s measurement was a difficulty coming into the 2023 draft. It’s an even bigger challenge now that groups have seen simply how a lot his stature has difficult his means to play nicely. The Panthers will both draft a quarterback early in 2025 or discover a veteran. I don’t see Younger within the image.
Howe: The Panthers need to do every thing of their energy to rebuild Younger’s confidence as a result of he clearly hasn’t been enjoying with any. That’s on the Panthers for dropping him into a nasty scenario — three head coaches, a dearth of expertise on the ability positions and a line that has failed to guard him. They’ll’t put Younger again on the sector till every thing else is working at the next capability, even when that’s not till 2025. I don’t assume the league ought to change its consideration over how rapidly to play its QBs, although. Quarterbacks enter the league much more prepared to start out now than ever earlier than due to all of the camps, all-star video games and every thing else that comes with the highschool and faculty highlight. Nevertheless, if a crew can’t shield its QB as a consequence of a scarcity of expertise, it’s higher to keep away from shattering his confidence by enjoying him too early and exposing him to failure. I believe that’s what you’re seeing with the Patriots and Drake Maye.
Bryce Younger: “For the final yr and these two video games, each snap hit my fingers and I didn’t do sufficient with it.”
h/t @SteveReedAP for the video. pic.twitter.com/l1QFOfjurl
— Joe Individual (@josephperson) September 19, 2024
Keefer: Younger’s benching is an organizational failure, and one of many worst we’ve seen on this league in a while. I don’t get the sense Dave Canales is prepared to surrender Younger — he raved about his poise and processing within the preseason — so I’d assume the considering is: Give the younger quarterback a breather, let him reset, and see if he can rediscover his confidence on the observe area the following few weeks and months. And sure, I’ve lengthy felt that solely a choose few rookie quarterbacks are prepared for the pains of beginning a rookie season. However groups are in an excessive amount of of a rush to play the lengthy sport. It’s backfired earlier than, and it backfired right here.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was positioned on injured reserve this week whereas in concussion protocol and may’t return to motion earlier than Week 8. Are the playoffs a sensible objective for Miami if Tagovailoa’s absence stretches even longer?
Sando: Not with out buying a quarterback from one other crew. Tyler Huntley’s signing from the Ravens’ observe squad isn’t going to be sufficient, in my opinion. It’ll be enjoyable to see if Mike McDaniel can scheme the Dolphins out of this, a lot the best way Inexperienced Bay’s Matt LaFleur did for the Packers towards Indy. I simply don’t assume that’s believable for a protracted stretch. If Tagovailoa is out for a very long time, Miami might want to do one thing to improve the place and ship a message of hope to the locker room.
Howe: No, the AFC has too many high quality groups, and the Dolphins have too tough of a schedule. They’re going to want to play terrific protection and scheme up a run sport and fast passing assault to play excellent complementary soccer to steal some video games alongside the best way, and I believe that’s an excessive amount of to ask. It’s not unrealistic to assume the Dolphins can get to 3-3 by the point Tagovailoa is eligible to return, however an extended absence might value him video games towards the Cardinals, Payments and Rams. That’s going to be a season-defining stretch no matter who’s at QB.
Keefer: I don’t see this crew making the playoffs with Tua sidelined for the following month — and certain longer. Tua might have limitations, however he’s a wonderful match for McDaniels’ offensive system, one constructed on pace. Tua’s accuracy is what makes it go, accentuating the skills of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. With out the QB, the Dolphins lose part of their id, and I don’t belief the protection, both, not after the best way Josh Allen and the Payments ran over them final week. It could possibly be a protracted couple of months in Miami.
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The New Orleans Saints and their offense are the discuss of the league as they host the Eagles in Week 3. What’s so completely different concerning the Saints than previously?
Sando: They’ve a really well-schemed speeding assault and it’s giving them a refocused id, one thing they wanted, on reflection, after the transition out of the Drew Brees/Sean Payton period. Including left deal with Taliese Fuaga within the draft was one other vital transfer. It’s not going to look nearly as good when the Saints fall behind, however their speeding assault and protection have given the offense, and particularly quarterback Derek Carr, a positive context.
Howe: Klint Kubiak is off to an amazing begin. The Saints had gotten stale on offense underneath Pete Carmichael, and so they had been trying to change him after Payton stepped away. Now with an revolutionary coordinator, the Saints are clicking in a approach we haven’t seen since Brees was operating the present. Factor is, they’ve proven flashes in brief spurts the previous couple of years however by no means sustained it, so I’m intrigued to see if this continues.
Keefer: Early-down success within the run sport has modified every thing for the Saints, opening up the playbook on later downs, which has allowed Carr to be aggressive. Alvin Kamara has not-so-subtly reminded the league how harmful he’s, giving this offense the kind of steadiness that’ll scare defensive coordinators for a lot of the remainder of the season. To assume: The Saints opened the season with 15 straight scoring drives. I’ll be desperate to see how defenses counter them the remainder of the best way, and in the event that they discover any approach of slowing them down.
Kirk Cousins’ prime-time report didn’t matter a lot Monday night time, when the Falcons earned the most effective wins of Week 2 in Philadelphia. Sunday night time, they host the Chiefs, who’ve gained a pair of nail-biters to start out the season. What are your ideas on this matchup?
Sando: I believe the Chiefs will begin quick offensively after which get after Cousins when Atlanta has to depart from its run-oriented script. The Chiefs will do a greater job in protection as nicely.
Howe: Cousins’ game-winning drive was clutch and confirmed he can nonetheless play at the next degree, however it additionally masked plenty of earlier errors when he didn’t belief his reads or just didn’t see open receivers. Whether or not it’s the injury-related layoff or adjusting to a brand new offense and group, Cousins continues to be enjoying catchup. I believe he’ll get there finally, however it seems prefer it’s going to require endurance. Nevertheless, there was a pivotal level halfway via the Monday nighter when the Falcons acknowledged they might bully the Eagles with Bijan Robinson. They’ve completely bought to see if that may work towards the Chiefs as a result of that’s a well-coached, veteran protection that I’d anticipate to offer Cousins a headache if he’s put in too many passing conditions.
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Keefer: Spectacular as Atlanta’s game-winning drive was, the Falcons had been sloppy most of Monday’s sport, and Cousins admitted he wanted to be higher in his postgame interview. The Chiefs, equally, eeked out a slender win over the Bengals they in all probability shouldn’t have had. In a sport headlined by the offenses, I believe Kansas Metropolis’s protection would be the distinction. The Falcons nonetheless have a methods to go.
(Photograph: Sam Hodde / Getty Photos)