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 by way of 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 exciting win at Philadelphia — host the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Sunday’s nightcap.
What’s going to Sunday’s motion convey? The Athletic’s NFL writers Mike Sando, Zak Keefer and Jeff Howe talk about.
We’ve a pair of matchups between unbeatens in Week 3 — Texans-Vikings and Chargers-Steelers. What are you expecting in every of those video games?
Sando: I’ll be excited by 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 need to see how Chargers proper sort out Joe Alt fares in opposition to the Steelers’ T.J. Watt. Alt has been fairly dominant to date. This might be a enjoyable matchup and if Alt wins it, he’s going to be voted All-Professional this 12 months. He is likely to be anyway.
Howe: Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is off to a scorching begin, however C.J. Stroud goes to be his best problem to date. If Flores could make life robust on Stroud, it may imply the Vikings have actual endurance within the race for a playoff spot. The Chargers-Steelers sport might be a brawl, and I wouldn’t be in the least shocked if neither group 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 taking part in a extra conservative type, and that may very well be essential in a sport like this. However with Herbert questionable with a excessive ankle sprain, the ingredient of a measuring-stick sport is likely to be wiped away if he’s unavailable or considerably restricted. I nonetheless assume this might 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 evening in opposition to a wonderful Bears protection, and I’m questioning if Flores’ unit may give them a few of the similar issues. As for Chargers-Steelers, what number of touchdowns will we see? Lower than 4? For a Pittsburgh group 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 should unlock one thing offensively to maintain successful 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 state of affairs serves as a reminder in opposition to betting large on outlier quarterbacks. Younger’s measurement was a difficulty coming into the 2023 draft. It’s an even bigger subject now that groups have seen simply how a lot his stature has sophisticated his potential to play properly. 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 should do the whole lot of their energy to rebuild Younger’s confidence as a result of he clearly hasn’t been taking part in with any. That’s on the Panthers for dropping him into a foul state of affairs — three head coaches, a dearth of expertise on the talent positions and a line that has failed to guard him. They’ll’t put Younger again on the sphere till the whole lot 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 shortly to play its QBs, although. Quarterbacks enter the league way more prepared to start out now than ever earlier than due to all of the camps, all-star video games and the whole lot else that comes with the highschool and school highlight. Nevertheless, if a group can’t defend its QB as a consequence of a scarcity of expertise, it’s higher to keep away from shattering his confidence by taking part in 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 12 months and these two video games, each snap hit my palms 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 pondering is: Give the younger quarterback a breather, let him reset, and see if he can rediscover his confidence on the observe discipline 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 practical purpose for Miami if Tagovailoa’s absence stretches even longer?
Sando: Not with out buying a quarterback from one other group. Tyler Huntley’s signing from the Ravens’ observe squad isn’t going to be sufficient, for my part. It’ll be enjoyable to see if Mike McDaniel can scheme the Dolphins out of this, a lot the way in which Inexperienced Bay’s Matt LaFleur did for the Packers in opposition to Indy. I simply don’t assume that’s believable for an extended 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 troublesome of a schedule. They’re going to wish 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 way in which, 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 may value him video games in opposition to 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 group making the playoffs with Tua sidelined for the following month — and certain longer. Tua could 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 abilities 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 way in which Josh Allen and the Payments ran over them final week. It may very well be an extended couple of months in Miami.
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The New Orleans Saints and their offense are the speak of the league as they host the Eagles in Week 3. What’s so totally 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, looking back, after the transition out of the Drew Brees/Sean Payton period. Including left sort out Taliese Fuaga within the draft was one other essential 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 good 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 exchange him after Payton stepped away. Now with an modern coordinator, the Saints are clicking in a method we haven’t seen since Brees was working the present. Factor is, they’ve proven flashes briefly 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 the whole lot 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 way in which, and in the event that they discover any method of slowing them down.
Kirk Cousins’ prime-time report didn’t matter a lot Monday evening, when the Falcons earned top-of-the-line wins of Week 2 in Philadelphia. Sunday evening, they host the Chiefs, who’ve received 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 properly.
Howe: Cousins’ game-winning drive was clutch and confirmed he can nonetheless play at the next degree, nevertheless it additionally masked various 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 taking part in catchup. I believe he’ll get there finally, nevertheless it seems prefer it’s going to require persistence. Nevertheless, there was a pivotal level halfway by way of the Monday nighter when the Falcons acknowledged they might bully the Eagles with Bijan Robinson. They’ve completely received to see if that can work in opposition to the Chiefs as a result of that’s a well-coached, veteran protection that I’d anticipate to present 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 Photographs)
