NFL Week 3 Recap: What We Learned About Every Team, Game by Game

Packers rally from 17-0 deficit to beat the Saints; Bills' defense dominates Commanders in blowout win; Patriots' defense helps Bill Belichick avoid 0-3 start; Browns' defense proves it's one of the elite units in the NFL; Lions' rookies lead Detroit past unbeaten Atlanta.

On Thursday, the NFL Week 3 schedule kicked off with the 49ers handling Daniel Jones and the Giants.

The slate continues with 13 games Sunday, highlighted by two legacy franchises getting together on Sunday Night Football with the Steelers and Raiders squaring off in Sin City.

In the early slate, we also had the Desperation Bowl between the 0–2 Chargers and Vikings, Jordan Love making his first start at Lambeau Field and Bill Belichick trying to frustrate Zach Wilson in an AFC East duel.

Let’s get to the reactions from the early games on Sunday, with thoughts on the late games to come.

SUNDAY

Packers 18, Saints 17

• What it means for Saints: New Orleans is going to be a tough out every week because of the defense, but this is a horrible loss. The Saints only totaled 252 yards, the third consecutive week where the offense hasn’t manufactured much. While the defense is terrific, it’s being asked almost single-handedly to win games. Now, where are we at with Derek Carr’s injured shoulder?
• What it means for Packers: Green Bay could be really scary when it’s finally healthy. The Packers have been without a litany of stars—either all or part of the season—including corner Jaire Alexander, receiver Christian Watson, running back Aaron Jones and left tackle David Bakhtiari, yet are 2–1. With a young quarterback in Jordan Love, Green Bay is surviving without ideal conditions. That’s an excellent sign.

Bills 37, Commanders 3

• What it means for Bills: Buffalo has quietly been fantastic defensively, showing what they can do even without Von Miller. Against Washington, the Bills forced Sam Howell into four interceptions and nine sacks in an easy win. In three games, Buffalo has only given up 29 points while racking up seven takeaways and 12 sacks.
• What it means for Commanders: Burn the tape and move on. Washington’s defense tied for the league-lead in sacks with 10 before Sunday’s disaster. The Commanders aren’t ready to compete with top teams like the Bills, but they have enough talent to compete most weeks largely because their front four is excellent. Sometimes, you’re outclassed. Washington was outclassed by Buffalo.

Patriots 15, Jets 10

• What it means for Patriots: New England might be 1–2, but expect it to stay in the playoff chase because of a terrific defense. The Patriots only allowed 251 yards and 18 offensive points to the Eagles, and then limited Miami to 24 points in Week 2. New England’s offense is slow and methodical, but the defense is going to win some games by itself.
• What it means for Jets: It’s time to end the Zach Wilson experiment after watching him go 18-of-36 with 157 yards. The problem is who replaces him? New York could sign Carson Wentz or elevate backup Tim Boyle, but what does that do for the Jets’ ceiling? At this juncture, though, coach Robert Saleh can’t allow this to continue. He risks the rest of his team starting to fracture if he does so.

Texans 37, Jaguars 17

• What it means for Texans: C.J. Stroud looks fantastic, with Houston getting its first win of the Stroud era Sunday. Stroud now has 906 passing yards and four touchdowns through three games. The Texans need to find more weapons beyond running back Dameon Pierce and rookie receiver Tank Dell, but there’s reason to believe in Stroud and, by extension, the future.
• What it means for Jaguars: Jacksonville hasn’t had a good performance this season. They needed a rally to beat the Colts, and then lost to the Chiefs despite Kansas City committing 12 penalties and three turnovers. At 1–2, it’s far from season ending, but Jacksonville has to get right with international games coming up against the Falcons and Bills. The talent is there.

Browns 27, Titans 3

• What it means for Titans: Malik Willis and Will Levis should at least be warming up. Ryan Tannehill was 20-of-24 in Week 2’s win over the Chargers, but has been hideous in the two defeats. Tennessee’s offensive line is doing him no favors, as the Titans ran for 26 yards Sunday while allowing 13 sacks through three games.
• What it means for Browns: Cleveland’s offense is always going to be run-heavy with a dose of Deshaun Watson, limiting its ability to score in bunches. However, the defense is elite. The Browns held Cincinnati to three points before surrendering 12 to Pittsburgh (not including two offensive touchdowns). Tennessee then was held without a touchdown. Jim Schwartz has proven to be a terrific hire at defensive coordinator.

Lions 20, Falcons 6

• What it means for Falcons: Atlanta is going to see a ton of eight-man fronts in the near future. Desmond Ridder doesn’t threaten defenses despite having quality weapons in tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London. In their first two games, the Falcons ran for 341 yards and three scores in victories. On Sunday, only 44 yards on 2.2 yards per carry. Stop the run, stop Atlanta.
• What it means for Lions: Detroit should be beaming over its rookie class. With running back David Montgomery inactive, Jahmyr Gibbs stepped up and ran for 80 yards on 17 carries, while second-round tight end Sam LaPorta caught eight passes for 84 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown. Once receiver Jameson Williams returns, Detroit has a host of young weapons.

THURSDAY

49ers 30, Giants 12

• What it means for Giants: New York simply doesn’t have enough difference-makers on offense. Jones is an average quarterback who is surrounded by poor skill players and a bad offensive line, especially when left tackle Andrew Thomas isn’t healthy. The Giants threw for 4.3 yards per attempt and ran for 29 yards. General manager Joe Schoen should be aggressive before the trade deadline.
• What it means for 49ers: Nobody has a more complete roster than San Francisco. The Niners held New York to 150 total yards on 3.7 yards per play, while the offense saw Deebo Samuel rack up 129 receiving yards, with George Kittle contributing 90. People can criticize quarterback Brock Purdy, but all he has to do is avoid mistakes.