Who Fed It And Who Ate It: 2019 Week 3
This has to be one of the more peculiar Septembers to start an NFL season. Of the teams who find themselves undefeated after 3 games, save the usual suspects, are there any of them that feel like a contender right now? And of those who have lost multiple games thus far, do any of them have the wherewithal to get on track and make up ground? We'll look at two of those 3-0 teams, as well as note what could be a new era for a signature franchise.
The Ass Kicking of the Week was handed down by the Dallas Cowboys in a 31-6 defeat of.... the Miami Dolphins This feature may be suspended for the balance of 2019 if this keeps up. Good news, QB Josh Rosen kept the Dolphins competitive for much longer than previous starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Bad news, between the dearth of talent and mental errors of the rest of the squad, it's hard to say when (or if) Miami will get its first win. The Cowboys, on the other hand, have been winning with ease by virtue of their margin of victory being at least 10 points. They currently carry a two game lead in the NFC East, and have garnered attention as an elite team in the senior conference, but is that assessment premature? All three of their opponents thus far are either in differing states of disarray and/or reconstruction; like the Dolphins, the New York Giants are rebuilding, while the Washington Redskins are attempting to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear between injuries and cap constraints. These are teams that Dallas would have faced eventually, so blame should fall on the schedule writers, not the Cowboys. But in facing three subprime teams, America's Team have been able to operate their new offense under coordinator Kellen Moore, gaining confidence and familiarity with each passing week. QB Dak Prescott has been a house of fire as a passer (70 of 94 for 920 yards, 9 TD's & 2 INT's for a 128.0 rating), becoming a monster in the air for a team known to pound on the ground with RB Ezekiel Elliott leading the way. The Cowboys may be getting their first test this coming week as they visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night primetime. Despite the loss of Drew Brees to a thumb injury, the Saints aren't going to fold up the tent, their convincing win over the Seattle Seahawks in raucous Century Link Field as proof. Let's see how the Cowboys measure up to a playoff qualifier from a year ago.
The San Francisco 49ers also sit at 3-0, tied with the Los Angeles Rams at the top of the NFC West Big things were expected from the Niners entering last year. They signed a brand new franchise quarterback hopeful in Jimmy Garoppolo, drafted well, and even signed long time nemesis CB Richard Sherman from the Seahawks to add a veteran presence to a young unit. Those plans went awry as injuries chewed up San Fran and spit them out as they drugded their way to a disappointing 4-12 record. 2019 has been a role reversal, as the 49ers have taken their first three games in various ways. The defense turned in a brilliant game in picking off Jameis Winston 3 times to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the offense ran the Cincinnati Bengals off their own field in a 42-17 shellacking, and survived a 5 turnover game to outlast the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-20. This is what many was going to be the team to challenge the LA Rams for NFC West supremacy last year, but it's taking early shape for the Niners to do so this year. While they're off to a roaring start, if the Scarlet and Gold want to be a serious NFC contender, they must limit their turnovers. Yes, their defense has kept their turover differential at -1, but the eight giveaways in three games puts them among the league's worst offenders in ball security. They won their last game with a -3 turnover differential, but it was against a Steelers team in a roster transition. Give most team three extra possessions in a game, that is a recipe for disaster. While it remains to be seen if the Niner Empire can keep it up, the pieces look to be in place. It'll just taktime to see where it all goes.
The Daniel Jones era has begun with the New York Giants. Does this mean the end for Eli Manning? When Jones was drafted with the Giants' first round pick in the 6 position, once the shock of his sudden ascension to such a prominent draft spot, it was trying to deduce when Manning would be put aside in favor of a new beginning for the Giants. Well, the future is now, as Jones
made his debut this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Due to Big Blue's awful defense, Jones was put in an 18 point hole at halftime. But Jones would rally the offense (a unit without RB Saquon Barkley, knocked out of the game with a high ankle sprain), and turn what was looking like an ignominious defeat into a rousing come from behind victory to begin building his legend. So where does that leave the 16 year veteran signal caller and owner of 2 Super Bowl rings in Manning? It looks to be the end, at least in the Giants' organization. Manning was a mixed bag last year. While turning in career bests in completion percentage (66%) and interception percentage (1.9%), he was also sacked a career high 47 times while leading a rebuilding roster to a 5-11 record. Manning may have something to offer for at least one more season, but unless Jones suffers a debilitating injury, Manning will more than likely not take the field again wearing the NY logo on the side of his helmet again. And when it comes to Elisha Nelson Manning, there may not be a more complicated legacy. After finding his way to the Giants after engineering a trade once the San Diego Chargers drafted him first overall, he would struggle to find his voice in the NFL's biggest media market and living in the shadow of his brother, Peyton Manning. Despite being credited with a 116-116 record, he was the man under center to beat the 18-0 New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, then denied the Pats another Lombardi Trophy again in Super Bowl XLVI, winning game MVP honors both times. Does he deserve induction into Canton? That promises to be a hot debate in the next six or seven years. Unequivocally, Manning will be considered a Giant great, a measure that Jones will gauge his career one day.
