The NFL regular season is more volatile on a week-to-week basis than the Stock Market. One team that lost by several touchdowns the week before can follow up with a blowout victory. Players who are responsible for the blame one week could be responsible for a game-winning play the next.
With Week 3 of the regular season in the books, let's take a look at three NFC East players who saw their stock rise, and three NFC South players who saw it fall as we get set for Week 4.
THREE UP
Cam Newton, quarterback, Carolina
Newton has gotten progressively better. He's gone from posting 175 yards passing with one touchdown, one interception and 35 rushing yards in Week 1, to 315 yards passing, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and a rushing touchdown in Week 3. Newton is the definition of a player whose stock is rising. More importantly, Newton saw his completion percentage go from 48.6 percent in Week 2 to 64.5 percent in Week 3. Newton is looking like a player who can put the offense on his back and win games.
Greg Olsen, tight end, Carolina
It's almost impossible not to pair Olsen with Newton. While Olsen came into the season expecting to have a strong year, he started off slow, catching one ball for 11 yards in Week 1. His stock increased a bit after Week 2, when he caught six balls for 70 yards. Then, came the Week 3 explosion. Olsen caught eight balls for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Carolina's stud tight end is back to looking like a Pro Bowler.
Devonta Freeman, running back, Atlanta
When Freeman's name was called after rookie Tevin Coleman went down with a rib injury, not only did he step up, he exploded. Freeman rushed 30 times for 141 yards and three scores against a Dallas defense that was previously allowing 53 yards per game on the ground. Tack on the five catches for 52 yards for good measure, and the second-year running back had one of the best performances across the NFL in Week 3.
THREE DOWN
Roddy White, wide receiver, Atlanta
We'll get the elephant out of the room right out of the gate here. While the Atlanta Falcons are playing great football, White simply hasn't been getting looks. Currently, White has gone a total of 121 snaps on the field without getting a single catch. While the veteran receiver has caught four balls for 84 yards, they all came in the first game against the Philadelphia Eagles. White's stock is plummeting.
Kyle Brindza, kicker, Tampa Bay
Unfortunately, there's no way to leave Brindza off this list. While he was essentially one of the heroes of Tampa Bay's 26-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints, he was the opposite in Week 3 against the Houston Texans. Against New Orleans, Brindza made four field goals out of five tries, with the longest coming from 55 yards. His field goals made the difference in the game. Then, in the Week 3 loss, the young kicker connected on one of his four tries, while also missing an extra point. The Buccaneers lost by 10, 19-9, and in turn, his missed opportunities cost the team 10 points.
Doug Martin, running back, Tampa Bay
Martin was surrounded by preseason hype. Rumors were flying that he had returned to being the player we all saw during his rookie season, but apparently he's not quite back to that level. While he did start the season strong, rushing 11 times for 52 yards, it's gone downhill. Martin has seen his yards-per-average drop from 4.7, to 3.7 to 3.3 over the last three weeks. There's plenty of reason to believe Martin can turn it around, but the Buccaneers need him to do it quickly.
