NFL Week 3 Takeaways

1. Sean McVay is entering the realm of elite NFL coaches. Through three games, he has resuscitated Jared Goff and has the Rams sitting at 2-1 and atop the NFC West. Yes, it has been just three games, but Goff looks like the number one pick that he was selected to be. Last season, under Jeff Fisher, Goff looked lost at times. McVay has worked wonders before, turning Kirk Cousins into a gem for the Redskins. Sammy Watkins also happens to be playing the best football of his career in 2017. The Rams are a dangerous bunch and the credit belongs to new head coach Sean McVay and the revamped offense.

2. Tom Brady has stones. This isn’t anything new, but he demonstrated yet again Sunday afternoon why he is the greatest to ever do it. Down by 5 with less than two minutes to plays, he calmly led the Patriots on a game-winning drive to beat the Texans. He wasn’t too shabby before that drive either, as he finished the game with nearly 400 yards through the air and five touchdowns. He’s 40, but somehow is still at the top of his game.

3. The Giants offense finally started clicking, but their season seems to be in the gutter. Through the first eleven quarters of the 2017 season, the Big Blue scored thirteen points. Then, in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s contest against the Eagles they unloaded for twenty-four. It was too little too late though, as Eagles kicker Jake Elliott blasted a 61-yard field goal as time expired to drown the Giants and send them to Tampa Bay looking to starve off an 0-4 start. Their season isn’t yet over, but it’s close. Very close.

4. The Lions are legit NFC contenders. I know they lost at home on Sunday, but it was just by a matter of inches(literally) against the conference’s top team, the Falcons. I have been a skeptic of Matthew Stafford and company for quite some time, but after watching them go toe-to-toe with Julio Jones and the Falcons, I firmly believe they have what it takes to be a major player in the NFC.

5. The Jaguars are good, no they’re not, wait, I think they might be. Through three weeks, that perfectly sums up Jacksonville. They throttled the Texans in Week 1, got pounced by the Titans in Week 2, and then pounded the Ravens across the pond in Week 3. Consistency is key in the NFL and the Jaguars haven’t shown it yet. What they have shown though is this: when they’re on, they’re on and can be as scary as any team in football. If Blake Bortles can play like he did on Sunday, I think the Jags have a legitimate shot at winning their division. I’m not so sure that says much though, someone has to win the putrid AFC South.

6. Pump the brakes on the Broncos. Yes, they made the Cowboys look like a JV team last week, but on Sunday the Bills made Denver look quite pedestrian in their own right. I still don’t fully trust Trevor Siemian; he looked to be playing in quick sand much of the game as he simply couldn’t escape the Bills oppressive defensive front. The Broncos have an elite defense, but their offense isn’t quite up to par. Yet, at least.

7. If I’m the Panthers I would be concerned about Cam Newton. He is 28-years old, but he is not your typical 28-year old quarterback. He has significant wear on his body due to the style in which he played so far over the course of his seven-year career. After enduring multiple surgeries this offseason, Cam looked quite shaky in the each of the first two weeks and he was even shakier on Sunday against the Saints. He threw three interceptions and was eventually benched in favor of Derek Anderson. It was just two years ago that he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl, but right now, that seems like a distant memory.

8. Seattle just isn’t that good right now. Their roster hasn’t changed much from their two Super Bowl appearances, but their play has dipped drastically. Their offensive line is horrid and their defense just got shredded by the Titans. Now, I am not writing the Seahawks off yet, but they don’t look nearly as dominant as I thought that they would. Quite frankly, there are lucky they are not 0-3.

9. Phillip Rivers is done. The Chargers need to look for their quarterback of the future. Rivers will be turning 36-years old in December and has lost his fastball. On Sunday against the Chiefs, Rivers was abysmal, throwing three interceptions and truthfully, he probably should have thrown three more. For a team that isn’t going anywhere, it wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Chargers to throw in the towel and try to position themselves for a quarterback through the draft.

10. The Cowboys have all of the ingredients. They have a stout offensive line, a capable quarterback, and a surprisingly imposing defensive front. After the shellacking they received from Denver last week, I wasn’t sure what to make of the Cowboys, but after seeing them bounce back and defeat the Cardinals on the road I think their brand of football is one that could propel them deep into January.