Week 3 Recaps

Green Bay's latest lead came with an expiration date. Atlanta trailed 33–4 before Tyler Shough and Michael Wilson helped turn the afternoon around; Shough's third touchdown pass pushed the Falcons ahead 35–34. He finished with four passing touchdowns and 20 points, while Wilson's 11 catches, 89 yards and touchdown supplied 10. Xavier Hutchinson added three in Nico Collins' place. Jonathan Taylor managed three after opening with 16 and 17, and the Giants kicker's 12 could not produce another Packers escape. Atlanta improved to 2–1; Green Bay fell to 1–2.

San Francisco found enough offense in an unusual place: the Minnesota defense. Six sacks, two interceptions and a punt-return touchdown produced 14 points, the week's highest defensive total. Mike Washington Jr. contributed nine with a rushing touchdown, and Dak Prescott's touchdown pass and two-point conversion helped erase a 23–19 deficit. Arizona's Raiders kicker led with 11, but its running backs and receivers combined for four. The 49ers reached 2–1 despite getting just one point from their receivers and tight end. Their defense had already handled the more ambitious scoring requests.

Dallas entered Monday trailing 49–29 with only Case Keenum and D'Andre Swift left. Keenum's two touchdown passes and rushing score delivered 17 points, then Swift's late rushing yardage pulled the Cowboys level before carrying him past 75 yards for the winning point. Baltimore had finished its scoring Sunday night, powered by 14 apiece from Marcus Mariota and the Rams kicker. The Ravens could only watch the cushion disappear. Dallas reached 2–1 with the week's closest finish, getting all 21 points it needed from its last two players.

After two wins by a combined seven points, Carolina apparently decided to spare everyone the suspense. Bijan Robinson rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns Thursday, supplying 21 points before Jacoby Brissett added 18 through two passing scores and one rushing touchdown. The Panthers' 75 points exceeded their first two games combined and delivered a 3–0 start. Cleveland got 105 receiving yards, a touchdown and 12 points from Kenyon Sadiq, but its running backs and receivers totaled five. The Browns improved on last week's eight without finding their first win.

Cincinnati claimed its first win with Kirk Cousins doing most of the offensive work. His 248 passing yards and three touchdowns supplied 15 points, while the Detroit kicker and Houston defense added seven apiece. The Bengals managed that despite their running backs, receivers and tight end combining for seven, including replacement appearances by Skyy Moore and Zach Ertz. Pittsburgh could not take advantage: its Cleveland kicker led with seven, and Kyler Murray contributed five. The Steelers have followed their opening 43 with 21 and 20, leaving them still winless after three games.

Indianapolis finally found receiving help for a first win, and Houston finally found a loss. Brock Bowers caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, supplying 12 points after totaling one across the first two weeks. Jakobi Meyers added nine, while Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdowns for 15. The Colts held a 49–42 lead with Houston down to its Ravens kicker; his last three points tightened the finish without changing it. James Cook's 154 rushing yards and touchdown produced 14 Texans points, but their receivers and tight end combined for four.

Miami's first win came with enough scoring to avoid another one-point headache. Five contributors reached double figures: Joe Burrow led with 16, Harold Fannin Jr.'s two touchdown catches produced 15, and the Denver defense added 12 with four sacks, two interceptions and a touchdown. Christian Watson and the Dallas kicker supplied 10 and 11. Kansas City got its first touchdown production from Jordan Addison and six replacement points from Chris Moore, but still took its first loss. The Dolphins' 75 nearly matched their opening two games combined and moved them to 1–2.

Buffalo backed up its Week 2 revival with a second straight win, getting double-digit contributions from Matthew Stafford, Christian McCaffrey, Ja'Marr Chase and the Chargers kicker. The Bills broke a 27–27 tie Sunday afternoon and kept adding, with Stafford's Sunday-night production providing the final cushion. Los Angeles received four replacement points from Mack Hollins with A.J. Brown unavailable, but TreVeyon Henderson and Sam LaPorta combined for just one after supplying 19 the previous week. The Chargers' total was exactly half of last week's 58, while Buffalo climbed to 2–1.

Bo Nix and Kyren Williams turned a 17–16 Sunday-night deficit into the Rams' third straight win. Nix threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, delivering 17 points, while Williams added seven through 158 rushing and receiving yards. Their production covered for Justin Jefferson's early ankle-injury exit and a receiving trio that totaled one point. Denver got 13 from Lamar Jackson and four from everyone else; its running backs were scoreless for a second straight week. The Rams remain unbeaten, while the Broncos' search for a first win continues.

New Orleans found plenty of offense without Puka Nacua. Konata Mumpfield supplied 10 replacement points through four catches, 93 yards and a touchdown, while Juwan Johnson's two touchdown catches produced 15 and the Colts kicker added 13. The Saints reached 3–0 with their strongest scoring output yet, getting at least eight points from six lineup spots. Kenneth Walker's rushing and receiving touchdowns delivered 15 for Las Vegas, and Ollie Gordon added seven in Jaylen Wright's place. The Raiders' receivers and tight end combined for five, leaving too little help against the defending champions.

Keith Linzer's Buccaneers gave nephew Evan Linzer's Vikings an unwelcome family update: Tampa Bay is still unbeaten. Brock Purdy threw four touchdowns for 21 points, Jeremiyah Love added 10, and Pat Bryant supplied nine. The Buccaneers have opened with 62, 67 and 64, taking the league scoring lead at 193. Minnesota's kicker led its lineup with 11, but the loss carried a larger concern: De'Von Achane left early with a knee injury and scored nothing. Miami placed him on injured reserve Monday. The Vikings slipped to 1–1–1.

Jacksonville's receivers kept the unbeaten start moving. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, delivering 19 points a week after scoring 26. Garrett Wilson matched his 10 catches, adding 107 yards, a touchdown and 12 points, while Mike Gesicki contributed seven. New England got 14 from Trevor Lawrence and a receiving touchdown from Rachaad White, but Omarion Hampton and the Patriots defense fell from 22 combined points last week to five. Jacksonville reached 3–0 with 192 points, now just one behind Tampa Bay's league-leading total.

The Jets answered last week's one-point loss by leaving considerably more room. Jahmyr Gibbs scored twice on the ground and once through the air for a week-leading 25 points, Sam Darnold threw four touchdowns for 21, and George Kittle's two scoring catches supplied 16. New York's 89 surpassed Dallas's opening 86 as the season's highest team total. Detroit improved to 58 behind Geno Smith and Matthew Golden but still fell to 0–3. The Lions have faced 209 points in three games; their schedule has shown very little hospitality.

Derrick Henry took over when Washington needed an answer. Seattle had moved ahead 37–32 before his first rushing touchdown helped put the Commanders back in front; a second score followed, and Henry finished with 16 points. Drake London's 194 receiving yards supplied nine, matched by Wan'Dale Robinson's touchdown-assisted total. Josh Allen scored twice on the ground for Seattle but finished with 13 points after opening with 26 and 30. Tee Higgins added 10, yet the Seahawks' running backs supplied nothing. Washington's second straight win handed Seattle its first loss.

New York watched Tennessee finish at 32, then went about collecting its first win. The Cardinals kicker's second field goal pushed the Giants ahead 33–32; he finished with 12 points, while Deebo Samuel and Parker Washington supplied 17 between them through touchdown catches. Tennessee received nine from Keenan Allen and eight from Jaylen Warren, who amassed 176 rushing and receiving yards without a touchdown. The Titans' 32 was their best total yet, but the Giants had enough unanswered scoring opportunities to leave them 0–3. New York improved to 1–2.

Chicago finally got the better side of a close finish. After a two-point loss and a tie, the Bears beat previously unbeaten Philadelphia behind nine points apiece from Luther Burden and the Chargers defense. Burden's Monday touchdown helped protect the lead, while the defense supplied four sacks and five takeaways. Chris Rodriguez added seven with a rushing score after two scoreless weeks. Travis Kelce led the Eagles with nine, but their receivers combined for three. Chicago moved to 1–1–1, collecting a win that its first two narrow results had withheld.