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• RE-WATCH: Giants-Browns on ����������

Nick Shook's takeways:

1. Jones, Giants emerge from hibernation. Criticism has rained on Daniel Jones like a monsoon early this season, but he started to find some shelter in Week 2 by leaning heavily on Malik Nabers in a loss to Washington. Whatever the Giants worked on between Weeks 2 and 3 paid off in droves Sunday, because Jones finally looked like a quarterback who was capable of executing consistently. After a roughing the passer penalty wiped out what would've been a Jones interception, the quarterback quickly settled in, leading a 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive. He worked in concert with coach Brian Daboll all afternoon, keeping drives alive by taking what Cleveland's defense gave him, and delivered in a huge way in the final two minutes of the first half, connecting with Nabers on a touchdown pass in the back corner of the end zone and converting a takeaway into another touchdown to Nabers just before the break. The Giants ran into stiff resistance in the second half, but when the dust settled, Jones had a final line -- 24 of 34, 236 yards, two touchdowns and most importantly, zero interceptions -- of which he can be very proud. The Giants left Cleveland as winners, and Jones' critics will be forced to pipe down for a week.
2. Cleveland's offense is in a dark place. Through three weeks, the Browns have zero offensive identity. Deshaun Watson followed up an encouraging Week 2 performance with another tumultuous, wildly inaccurate and clearly frustrating showing. He was under constant assault behind a banged-up offensive line. New York's defense pressured him 27 times (57.4%) and sacked him eight times. Jerome Ford carried the ball just 10 times, and after ripping off a couple of nice gains in the running and passing games, he fumbled a handoff in a key moment during Cleveland's failed comeback attempt in the fourth quarter. Kevin Stefanski's play-calling remained mystifying at times, especially in a third-and-short situation in the fourth in which New York stuffed a predictable Jameis Winston sneak, which Stefanski followed up by asking Watson to execute a run-pass option (Watson froze and the Browns turned it over on downs). Watson spent most of Sunday lost at sea, and it's clear his coach does not have a map for his quarterback.
3. Nabers is a legitimate star. Jones depended on Nabers to keep the Giants' offense afloat in Week 2, and in Week 3, they truly found their sea legs. Nabers finished with eight catches for 78 yards, mossed Browns corner Martin Emerson for a key gain along the sideline just before half, put Emerson in a blender with a beautiful route run for his first (incredibly acrobatic) touchdown catch, and spent most of the afternoon terrorizing Cleveland's defense. It wasn't until the Browns dedicated Denzel Ward to cover Nabers that they found a way to contain him, and by then it was too late. The Giants have had a rough go in the first month of the season, but Nabers' quick emergence is a great reason to keep an eye on them going forward. He'll be a household name soon enough.

Next Gen Stats Insight from (via NFL Pro): Nine Giants defenders generated multiple pressures in Sunday's win, including six from defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Offseason acquisition Brian Burns led the Giants with a career-high seven pressures and finished with a sack in the victory.

NFL Research: With eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, Malik Nabers became the first player in NFL history with 20-plus receptions, 250-plus receiving yards and three-plus receiving touchdowns in his first three career games.

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• RE-WATCH: Bears-Colts on ����������

Takeaways from Eric Edholm:

1. Colts’ defense leads way in first win of the season. The Colts’ defense ranked as one of the NFL’s statistically worst through two games after losses to the Texans and Packers, especially against the run. But Sunday, the Bears couldn’t get much going on the ground, averaging 2.3 yards per carry with a long run of 9 yards. That in itself was a major step up from what we saw the first two Sundays. The pass defense gave some ground, but Colts defensive back Jaylon Jones had his first two NFL interceptions (both on great plays, too) and the Colts sacked Caleb Williams four times, including a huge strip sack by Laiatu Latu deep in the Bears’ end of the field to set up the massive fourth-quarter touchdown that put the game out of reach. Chicago shot itself in the foot with the three turnovers, plus a turnover on downs, a missed field goal and an offsides on a late punt that gave the Colts a freebie first down. But this was still a game performance by the Colts’ defense, preventing a 0-3 start and helping take some of the heat off coordinator Gus Bradley. 
2. The Bears' offense remains an exercise in frustration. Caleb Williams threw for 363 yards – more than he had in the first two games combined – and his first two NFL touchdown passes, and yet the product on offense has looked maddeningly inefficient in all three games so far. New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron likely shares a lot of the blame with Williams and the other Bears players, and it’s hard to say what the team’s identity on offense is right now. The run game has been more bad than good. The pass blocking has been bad at times, and yes, play-calling is part of that. Complaining about play calls is often a fool’s errand, but the fth-and-1 short-side option play safely can be defenestrated, please. So can any play where a Bears tight end is asked to block a top pass rusher in a gotta-have-it situation. Laiatu Latu strip-sacked Williams in a one-score game midway through the fourth quarter that led to a Colts TD, putting the game out of reach. Right now, the Bears need to take a hard look at how they’re designing game plans and how better to help their rookie QB. Sunday showed he can make some “wow” throws, but the total package remains a mess.
3. Can Richardson be more consistent? Anthony Richardson made some late plays to help the Colts finish off the Bears for their first win of the season, but the second-year QB remains a work in progress. There are only so many bouquets to pass around after another trying passing game (10 for 20, 167 yards, two INTs), and he was close to throwing a third pick in the first half on a play that was blown dead. His red-zone pick was just a putrid decision. Richardson did hit on a few big passes to Alec Pierce and Kylen Granson , but it just wasn’t consistent enough – to the point where Shane Steichen opted to hand the ball off to Jonathan Taylor on fourth-and-3 instead of putting the ball in his QB’s hands. After watching Richardson airmail a pass five feet over the head of a wide-open Michael Pittman, it’s easier to see the coach’s perspective there. Richardson has been a 50% passer who’s averaging two INTs per game so far this season, and they essentially won in spite of him Sunday. That needs to change.

Next Gen Stats Insight for (via NFL Pro): Colts edge Laiatu Latu generated seven pressures and one sack on 28 pass rushes against the Bears in Week 3 (25.0%). Latu’s seven pressures are the most by any rookie in a single game this season. Five of Latu’s pressures came on 19 one-on-one matchups against Bears LT Braxton Jones (26.3%).

NFL Research: The Colts allowed the most rushing yards (474) through two games but only 63 rushing yards on 28 carries Sunday against the Bears. The Bears had four negative-yard rushes that totaled minus-20 yards. 

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• RE-WATCH: Texans-Vikings on ����������

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Flores' D bamboozles Stroud, Texans offense. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores had C.J. Stroud in a spin cycle, vacillating between bringing pressure and faking it to confuse the second-year quarterback. Minnesota's defense started the game with a first-official-play tipped pass interception and never looked back. Before a garbage-time final drive by backup quarterback Davis Mills, Flores' defense allowed just 224 total yards to the Stroud-led Texans. The Vikes generated two INTs, five sacks and completely controlled the line of scrimmage. Former Texans edge rusher Jonathan Greenard subjugated his former squad, generating three sacks on the afternoon and six QB pressures. The Vikings had a feeding frenzy at the quarterback. Ten Minnesota defenders earned at least two QB pressures, including six apiece by Greenard and Jihad Ward. The pressure got to Stroud, who looked as uncomfortable as he has in his career. The QB's second interception of the game was a woeful pass well behind his intended target. It was the type of pass that comes from a QB getting hammered all day by a Flores defense.
2. Darnold continues his career renaissance. The Vikings offense took advantage of short fields on its first two drives to open up a 14-0 lead and never looked back. Sam Darnold calmly zipped passes to Justin Jefferson (six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown) on key downs to move the chains. Twelve of the Vikings' 19 first downs came through the air, including all eight in the first half. It wasn't the most prolific afternoon for Kevin O'Connell's offense, generating just 274 total yards, but Darnold made plays when needed. Minnesota going 4 of 5 in the red zone underscored Darnold's capability in critical situations. The QB threw four touchdowns on the day, marking the first time in his career he has thrown multiple touchdowns in three straight games. In 66 games with the Jets, Panthers and 49ers, Darnold earned one game with four touchdowns. He's already hit that mark in three tilts with KOC. Darnold's sterling play was underscored by legit concern when the QB got hit low in the second half. Luckily, he missed just one play.
3. Everything that could go wrong went wrong for the Texans. It was a "bury the ball" game for DeMeco Ryans' club. From the first-snap tipped-pass INT, there was bad juju in the air for Houston. On the ensuing drive, Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a field goal. Poor coverages and missed tackles troubled the Texans. Penalties also plagued Houston, particularly of the pre-snap variety. Midway through the second quarter, the Texans drove to the Minnesota 25-yard-line, but four consecutive pre-snap penalties turned a third-and-4 into a fourth-and-19 and a punt. Every bounce of the ball seemed to go against the Texans. For example, a third-quarter would-be sack-fumble on Darnold was picked up by Brandon Powell for a 7-yard gain. Sometimes – particularly on the road – bad things cascade. All Ryans can do is burn the tape, clean up the correctable errors, and move on.

Next Gen Stats Insight for (via NFL Pro): After blitzing C.J. Stroud on over half of his dropbacks in the first half (54.4%), the Vikings dialed back the aggression and sent five-plus pass rushers on just 27.3% of Stroud's dropbacks in the second half. Stroud struggled against the blitz, completing 9 of 15 for 103 yards, a touchdown, and an interception (-15.6% CPOE).

NFL Research: Sam Darnold became the fourth quarterback in Vikings history to start a season 3-0, joining Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, Daunte Culpepper and HOFer Brett Favre.

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• RE-WATCH: Eagles-Saints on ����������

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Barkley, Goedert save Eagles in New Orleans. If games were judged on yards alone, the Eagles would have won in a blowout. But that’s not how it works in football, and in spite of outgaining the Saints, 366-98, in the fourth quarter after Saquon Barkley's 65-yard touchdown run, they led only, 7-6. After the Saints scored their only touchdown of the game, they somehow led, 12-7, with two minutes remaining, but Dallas Goedert's 61-yard catch-and-run set up Barkley’s go-ahead touchdown (and two-point conversion) in a stirring win. The Eagles were without wide receiver A.J. Brown, and they lost right tackle Lane Johnson and wide receiver DeVonta Smith to injury on Sunday. Even still, they moved the ball consistently all game but were foiled time and time again by giveaways, turnovers on downs, a missed field goal and a blocked punt. Jalen Hurts didn’t play his cleanest game ever, but he made big plays and his two remaining workhorses – Barkley and Goedert – and a beat-up offensive line made just enough plays to win a big one. This had to be especially redeeming for Barkley after his late dropped pass in the shocking loss to the Falcons.
2. Saints’ offense stalls for too long. Derek Carr was 8-of-15 passing for 59 yards entering the fourth quarter, as the Eagles had completely befuddled the NFL’s hottest offense through two weeks of the 2024 season. But the Saints somehow trailed only 7-6 thanks to enough timely plays on defense, and Carr and the offense finally got on track with field goal and touchdown drives against an Eagles defense that lost cornerback Darius Slayton and was reeling late. After the Eagles took the lead late, though, Carr forced a deep interception to the Eagles’ Reed Blankenship, and the Eagles got out alive. The Saints just never looked comfortable offensively, losing Erik McCoy to injury on the first series, causing some issues up front. The Eagles were using five men on the line to help with their run defense on base downs, and four on nickel downs, and it worked as Alvin Kamara was kept under wraps most of the game. Carr and Chris Olave connected for the late TD in Olave’s best game of the season, but Carr was 0 for 5 targeting Rashid Shaheed and couldn’t get much else going through the air. It was a big step back for the offense after two brilliant games.
3. Eagles’ defense steps up with a statement performance. The Eagles’ run defense was atrocious the first two games of the season, but it responded in a big way against the Saints. Kamara was held in check in spite of a heavy workload, at least until the fourth quarter. The Eagles started bending late, but Blankenship’s late pick was the save they needed. Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Milton Williams all played forcefully up front. Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean each made big plays on the second level. And a secondary that lost Slay to injury held together in the fourth quarter when the Saints finally found a little rhythm, making enough plays to win. The offense gained a lot of yards but couldn’t score. The special teams suffered a missed field goal and a blocked punt in the second half. Even Nick Sirianni’s decision-making once more stood to be a big postgame talking point. But because the defense clamped down for the majority of the game, the Eagles had a chance – and they turned it into a signature victory right when the doubters were circling.

Next Gen Stats Insight from (via NFL Pro): Derek Carr was pressured on 11 of his 27 dropbacks (40.7%), the highest pressure rate he’s faced in a game this season. Carr was pressured on only 23.8% of his dropbacks in Weeks 1-2, which was the fifth-lowest rate in the NFL.

NFL Research: Dallas Goedert had the most receiving yards (170) by a tight end in Eagles history on Sunday.

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• RE-WATCH: Chargers-Steelers on ����������
• READ: Chargers QB Herbert aggravates ankle injury in loss

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Fields takes a big step forward. Justin Fields' first couple of games didn't require him to make many plays with his arm, and the Steelers found ways to win without much of an aerial attack. That changed Sunday in a game that quickly became Fields' best outing as a Steeler. The Ohio State product completed his first 10 passes for 58 yards, properly executed a read option in a goal-to-go situation for a 5-yard rushing score and consistently delivered on-target passes all afternoon, finishing with a 25-for-32, 245-yard, one-touchdown passing line. He threw an interception on a dump-off attempt that ricocheted off a handful of players, which looks bad in the box score, but didn't hurt the Steelers. In total, Fields handled the job with newfound confidence and seems to be maturing right before our eyes. Don't be surprised if Russell Wilson doesn't get his job back anytime soon.
2. Chargers meet their match. Through two weeks, Los Angeles won with a physical style and a defense that limited opponents on the scoreboard. In Week 3, the Chargers might as well have been one half of the Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man meme, because they encountered a Steelers team that wins with the same identity, but does it better. With Justin Herbert battling through an ankle injury, the Steelers went hunting, sacking Herbert twice and registering a pressure rate of 40% before Herbert exited due to the same ailment. Los Angeles managed to jump ahead early, but its offense ran aground from there, failing to score at all in the second half. For the first time in 2024, the Chargers' running game fell short, too, tallying just 61 net rushing yards as a team in a contest that remained close throughout. If Week 3 was a measuring stick, the Chargers now know they're tough enough to compete, but need to be better to get over the hump against the NFL's stingiest defenses. And if they don't have Herbert available in the weeks ahead -- Taylor Heinicke finished this game in underwhelming fashion -- the challenge will only grow.
3. A new contributor emerges. As the Brandon Aiyuk saga unfolded in the latter stages of the summer, most everyone saw Pittsburgh as a great fit for the receiver because of their lack of established contributors at the position. When that fell through, the Steelers decided to proceed without making another addition, and through two weeks, Pittsburgh's passing game largely depended on the likes of George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth. That reality shifted Sunday, thanks to the production of Calvin Austin III, who finished as the Steelers' leading receiver (four catches, 95 yards, one touchdown) and proved to be a trusty slot receiver, catching multiple passes down the seams for key pickups. His 55-yard score in the fourth quarter was fitting, given how he'd stepped up in big spots all afternoon, and finally provided Pittsburgh with another worthy pass catcher outside of the aforementioned two. He'll undoubtedly attract more attention in future weeks, but it had to be at least slightly comforting for Steelers fans to see Fields connect with someone other than Pickens and Freiermuth.

NFL Research: This is the fourth 3-0 start for the Steelers under Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh made the playoffs each time previously (2007, 2010, 2020).  

Next Gen Stats Insight from (via NFL Pro): Pittsburgh's deep edge-rushing group shined Sunday thanks to the effort of Nick Herbig, who replaced the injured Alex Highsmith and generated a career-high four pressures and two sacks on just eight pass rushes.

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• RE-WATCH: Broncos-Buccaneers on ����������

Christian Gonzales' takeaways:

1. Nix has best game so far in win. Right from the beginning of the game, Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix was dialed in. On the first drive, Nix went 4-of-4 passing for 70 yards and capped off the drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. Denver’s momentum continued after Brandon Jones came up with an interception. On a fourth-and-inches near the goal line, Jaleel McLaughlin put a Bucs defender on skates to force his way to the corner of the pylon for six. In the second half, the Broncos and Nix managed the game clock. Nix finished the game completing 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. Even though Nix hasn’t thrown a touchdown through the first three weeks of the season, his performance on the road showed that brighter days could be ahead for the Broncos with him under center.
2. Buccaneers’ offense goes missing. It wasn’t Baker Mayfield's day. To start the game, the Bucs’ offense had a three-and-out. Mayfield, on the next drive, made an erred throw by forcing the ball to Mike Evans , which Brandon Jones picked off and led to the Broncos scoring an easy touchdown. Tampa Bay took advantage after a mistake from Javonte Williams. The Broncos RB fumbled the ball late in the second quarter, which led to the Buccaneers' lone score of the afternoon. It started with rookie Bucky Irving contributing two big runs (32 and 13 yards), leading to a 6-yard TD catch from Chris Godwin . Other than the one scoring play, Irving was the only bright spot in the Bucs’ offense on Sunday. The Oregon product outrushed Rachaad White, 70-17. Despite the poor outing from Tampa Bay’s offense, head coach Todd Bowles found another playmaker with Irving’s burst and big-play potential.
3. Vance Joseph’s defense shines in Sunshine State. The Broncos’ defense smothered Baker Mayfield and did not let him find a rhythm until the final minutes of the first half. Denver forced Tampa into four punts and two turnovers. In the closing minutes of the game, the Broncos defense didn’t allow any hope of a comeback. Second-year cornerback Riley Moss forced a fumble after Cade Otton caught a pass near the red zone. Brandon Jones scooped the ball up and returned it for 34 yards to put the finishing touches on the win. The Broncos finished the game with seven sacks and nine QB hits. Joseph’s defense was on point from start to finish to complete the upset for Denver’s first win of the season.

Next Gen Stats Insight from  (via NFL Pro): The interior of the Broncos’ offensive line -- Ben Powers, Quinn Meinerz and Luke Wattenberg -- did not allow a single pressure against the Buccaneers’ pass rush.

NFL Research: The Broncos finished the game with seven sacks. It was the first time Denver had seven or more sacks since Week 6, 2019 vs. Titans.

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• RE-WATCH: Packers-Titans on ����������

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Willis destroys former team as Packers roll sans Love. Malik Willis tortured his former Titans teammates, making plays with his arm and legs. From the jump, the Packers quarterback generated big plays, earning two 30-yard passes on the opening drive, including a deep 50/50 ball to Christian Watson, and capping it off with a 5-yard touchdown scamper. On the afternoon, Willis generated four passes of 30-plus yards. When he wasn't hitting targets in stride for yards after catch, Willis was escaping the pocket to pick up big first downs with his leg. During his time with Tennessee, former Titans coach Mike Vrabel often lamented Wills' propensity to bail backward in the face of pressure. On Sunday, he frequently stepped up and through to earn scramble yards -- a sign of growth in Green Bay. It took just the first half for Willis to set a career high with 158 passing yards through two quarters. He finished 13-of-19 passing for 202 yards with a touchdown for a 120.9 passer rating and added a game-high 73 yards rushing and another score on six totes. Credit Packers coach Matt LaFleur for getting the best out of Willis. With the inside run game stymied by Tennessee, the Packers dominated on the edge and with quick, easy passes for Willis. The past two weeks, LaFleur sublimely managed his backup QB. 
2. Another week, another backbreaking Levis turnover. It wasn't an ill-advised flip or meme-inducing head-exploder, but turnovers continue to plague Will Levis. Following a splendid opening drive, in which Levis drove Tennessee 10 plays to paydirt, another brain cramp struck. Levis stared down first read DeAndre Hopkins and threw a telegraphed ball that Jaire Alexander easily jumped for a pick-six. The play gave the Packers a 10-point lead, and the game would never get closer. Levis later fumbled in scoring range after right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere got burned. A late-game Hail Mary-type INT also goes on Levis' ledger. As with the first two games, the second-year QB has flashed some playmaking, including good back-shoulder rapport with Hopkins, who looks fully healthy. However, the big mistakes have been too much for Brian Callahan's 0-3 club to overcome.
3. Hafley's defense continues to make plays. This is the type of defense we expected when the Packers signed defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley this offseason. In addition to Alexander's pick, Xavier McKinney nabbed his third INT in as many games. The safety's pick marked the Packers' seventh of the young season (seven all off last year). The defensive backs are playing with eyes on the ball and anticipation. Sunday, the defensive line dominated the Titans up front. Hafley's crew generated eight sacks, including two by defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. Kingsley Enagbare was all over the field, earning 1.5 sacks, three QB pressures, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. The Packers D was playing on a string Sunday. When it faces an overmatched O-line, Hafley's crew can dominate.

Next Gen Stats Insight from (via NFL Pro): Xavier McKinney as the nearest defender in coverage this season: four targets, three interceptions, one reception allowed (8 yards).

NFL Research: Malik Willis had more rushing yards in the first half (73) than any Packers QB has had in a game since 1990 (Don Majkowski: 88 in Week 4, 1990 at DET).

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Analysis to come from Christian Gonzales

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Analysis to come from Eric Edholm

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Analysis to come from Nick Shook

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Analysis to come from Kevin Patra

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Analysis to come from Jeremy Bergman

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Analysis to come from Grant Gordon