National Football League

What We Learned in NFL Week 3: C.J. Stroud might be special; rookie DBs turning heads

Updated Sep. 25, 2023 7:09 p.m. ET

FOX Sports NFL Staff

What have we learned thus far in Week 3? FOX Sports' staff of NFL writers joined forces to deliver insight and analysis from around the league.

In this weekly story, we'll tell you what we noticed, what we heard and what to keep an eye on next.

Contextualizing Broncos' historic futility against Miami

It's fun to point out the historic offensive outburst from the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, piling up 70 points and 726 yards of total offense, but we also need to point out how historically bad the Denver Broncos defense was.

How bad is giving up 70 points in a game? Fully half the NFL — 16 teams — have not allowed 70 points in total this season, and that's three games for most of those teams. The NFL all-time record of 72 points in a game, set by the 1966 Washington Redskins, included two defensive touchdowns and a punt-return touchdown, so the Giants defense that day "only" really gave up 51 points. The Broncos on Sunday? Defense gave up every point, though we'll point out two touchdown drives were 3 and 8 yards after turnovers, so they've got that going for them.

The Broncos are giving up 40.7 points a game so far, which is to say they could lower their per-game average by a full touchdown and still be the worst defense in NFL history — shoutout to the 1981 Colts, who gave up 33.3 points per game.

What's amazing, after three games, is that the Broncos aren't last in every defensive category. They aren't worst against the run (the Bengals have struggled more) and aren't the worst in the red zone (giving up touchdowns 84.6 percent of the time).

They gave up 17 points in their opening loss to the Raiders, then 35 in losing to the Commanders, managing to double their points allowed in each game. That's tough to maintain too long, and the easy punchline here is that their next game is at the Bears. How many NFL defenses can get 70 points better in a single week? —Greg Auman

Dave Helman on Dolphins' historic win

Giants' trench troubles have been lining up for years

The end of Eli Manning's career in New York was ruined by a crumbling offensive line that kept him under constant pressure. The same thing is happening to the beginning of Daniel Jones' career.

The line has been a chronic problem in New York for more than a decade. It might make you wonder why the Giants don't invest more in fixing their biggest problem.

But they do.

What's crazy about their decade-long Achilles' heel is the Giants have used seven first- or second-round picks on offensive linemen in the last 11 drafts. That spans the regimes of three different general managers, all of whom made the line a priority.

Even the current line includes two first-rounders (left tackle Andrew Thomas and right tackle Evan Neal) and a second-rounder (rookie center John Michael Schmitz). Guard Josh Ezeudu, who is currently filling in for Thomas while he's injured, was a third-rounder in 2022.

Between that and the free-agent money they've spent — like a three-year, $20 million deal for since-benched veteran guard Mark Glowinski last year — the Giants have tried and tried to get this right. It's remarkable it's still going so wrong.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jones has been pressured on 47 percent of his dropbacks this season. He had an average of 2.2 seconds to throw the ball Thursday night in the Giants' 30-12 loss in San Francisco.

And the pass-blocking grade PFF gave to the Giants that night was the third-worst they've graded in the last four years.

Will it get better? Maybe. When Thomas recovers from his hamstring injury, he's likely still one of the best left tackles in the game. Neal and Schmitz are still young and will likely improve. The same goes for Ezeudu. And it's a good bet that a good chunk of whatever cap room the Giants have in the offseason will be directed toward a top veteran guard.

Dave Helman reacts to 49ers' victory over Giants

Until all that happens, though, don't expect a lot from this Giants team. Jones might have some new, improved weapons, but they're useless if he doesn't have the time to use them.

Of course, that has been the story of the Giants and their quarterbacks for most of the last decade. They know it. They've tried to change it. But they just can't figure out how. —Ralph Vacchiano

The Bills are letting James Cook … cook

James Cook might not be making fantasy football owners happy, given that he has zero touchdowns. But he has been an explosive playmaker for the Buffalo Bills over the first three weeks.

Cook has 44 carries for 267 yards at 6.1 yards per carry. He has added 10 catches for 67 yards. He is likely to finish in the top three in rushing yards by the end of Week 3.

"Just give me the ball, you know? Things are going to happen," Cook said in the locker room after the game.

His performance in Week 3 comes on the heels of the birth of his daughter.

"It's actually been motivation," Cook said. "It's been a great feeling."

The Bills had one glaring weakness in 2022: their run game. That has not been the case this year, with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey dialing up a much improved rushing attack. Cook has help from running backs Damien Harris and Latavius Murray.

The results haven't just been favorable for Buffalo's running backs. The Bills have also had taken the load off quarterback Josh Allen. Through three games last year, Allen had 19 carries. He has 12 through three games this year. It might not seem like much, but that projects to roughly 40 fewer carries over the course of the regular season.

That's as many as 40 fewer hits to the team's most valuable player. — Henry McKenna

C.J. Stroud is special

Whenever a quarterback is selected with a top-five selection, the team expects the prospect to develop into an elite player at the position. Though C.J. Stroud's career is only three games old, the Texans have secured a blue-chip player who will keep them in title contention for the next decade.

While I know it is bold to put great expectations on a young quarterback leading a one-win franchise, my eyes tell me Houston's QB1 has the "it" factor that coaches covet in a signal caller.

From his confidence, composure and poise to his A-plus arm talent and pinpoint passing skills, Stroud checks off all the boxes as a high-end quarterback. He dazzled against the Jacksonville Jaguars despite missing four of his starting offensive linemen against a team viewed by the football world as a playoff contender.

The lack of frontline support did not affect the rookie, as he completed 20 of 30 passes for 280 yards and a pair of scores.

C.J. Stroud breaks down the Texans' win over the Jaguars

In shredding the Jaguars with precise passes to an unheralded group of pass catchers, Stroud became the first quarterback to have 900 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in his first three career starts, per ESPN Stats & Information. He joins Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (931) and 2015 MVP Cam Newton (1,012) as the only quarterbacks to throw for 900-plus yards in their first three starts.

Given his performance and production, while guiding an overmatched squad viewed as a cellar-dweller by most observers, Stroud deserves a round of applause for putting the Texans on his back as a young player. As more observers pay closer attention to his performance as the QB1 of a team on the rise, the second overall pick in the 2023 class will start to hear his name included in the conversation as a potentially elite playmaker at the position. — Bucky Brooks

Has the Bills defense taken a step forward? The Dolphins will show if Buffalo is the real deal

Sean McDermott's vision is working.

The Bills coach is leading one of the best defensive units in the NFL. In fairness to last year's defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, the Bills were really good last year, too. Buffalo finished with the second-fewest points allowed per game (17.9) and the fewest yards (5,106). So far this season, the Bills are looking like they will land in the top five in both categories after three weeks. But McDermott's takeover has been smooth, with the unit excelling.

There was some speculation that the absence of Von Miller (on IR due to his ACL tear) might impact their pass-rush. But the Bills had nine sacks against the Washington Commanders in Week 3. (For context, the Cowboys led the NFL with 10 sacks over two games going into this week.)

There was some speculation the departure of Tremaine Edmunds (now with the Bears) would signal a decline in run defense. But they're OK there, too. And if anything, Edmunds' departure has given Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard a chance to thrive. Bernard finished Week 3 with two sacks and an interception. And Milano had an epic interception in Week 2, ripping the ball away form Raiders running back Josh Jacobs.

Quarterback Josh Allen has been shaky this year. He had four turnovers in the team's Week 1 loss to the New York Jets. Allen also had a second-half interception against the Washington Commanders. He's not a strikingly consistent presence on the roster this year. Maybe he will never be. But it won't matter if the defense makes up for his mistakes like they did in this week's 37-3 victory over Washington.

It's clear the Bills (2-1) are a really good team. It's unclear just how good the Commanders (2-1) and Raiders (1-2) are. But Buffalo lost to the New York Jets in Week 1, which has diluted the quality of their work this year. They're clearly putting that behind them. And if there's any opportunity to prove themselves, the Bills can take down Miami in Week 4 in Buffalo.

"I just saw the Dolphins put up 70 points," McDermott said. "I got a long week ahead."

Dang right. — McKenna

Christian Gonzalez is quietly doing what Sauce Gardner did last year

The New England Patriots have not shied away from giving rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez the toughest assignments in any given game.

While Bill Belichick only gives rookies the playing time he thinks they can handle — often acting more conservatively than other coaches around the league in the way of playing time — the Patriots coach has been generous with Gonzalez, who has played just about every snap this season. Clearly, Belichick trusts the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

It's not just that Gonzalez is playing. It's also about who he's playing against: receivers A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard. Those are among the players who Belichick has assigned to Gonzalez in these early weeks. And the rookie is doing extremely well against some of the league's best receivers.

"One of the best things about Christian, especially at that position, is that he's very even-keeled," Belichick said Monday during an appearance on WEEI sports radio. "Not overly emotional one way or the other. A lot like [Stephon] Gilmore did."

Gonzalez has been a willing and capable tackler (16 tackles). It's notable because that was a part of the knock on him coming out of Oregon — that he didn't hold up in run support. So far, that does not check out. He might not hit hard, but he keeps checkdown options behind the sticks, including a pair of third-down tackles that led to fourth downs. (And to be clear, he was not in coverage on the players — but rather came up to help on another person's mark after the catch.)

In coverage, Gonzalez entered the week as one of the highest-graded cornerbacks in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. His coverage grade (81) was ninth-best among cornerbacks and his defense grade was fourth-best (82.6) among corners who have played 10 or more snaps. Gonzalez's grades should hold up given how well he kept Wilson in check.

He is exactly what the Patriots defense needed: a bonafide CB1. And given how bad the Patriots offense has been, he has an absolutely crucial piece for New England's success. — McKenna

Julian Edelman gives his best "Bill Belichick pep talk" to Patriots fans

The Texans' young WRs are blowing by expectations

There was a lot of chatter going into this year about how bad this Texans receiving corps was. How they didn't have a No. 1 option after trading Brandin Cooks to the Cowboys. How they didn't have enough talent to support rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, either.

So much for that chatter.

The wide receivers have been Houston's best position group amid the injury hell they've experienced to start the season. Third-round rookie Tank Dell had five catches on seven targets for 145 yards and a touchdown in the Texans' blowout victory Sunday over the Jaguars, the most receiving yards in a single game by a Houston rookie in franchise history.

Just last week, third-year pro Nico Collins had seven catches on nine targets for 146 yards and a touchdown, the most receiving yards by a Texan since DeAndre Hopkins in 2018. Entering Week 3, Collins ranked third in the NFL with 226 receiving yards.

Texans receivers have benefited from great passes thrown by Stroud — who has continued to look the part as a franchise quarterback — to start their season, but they've had to make the plays too. And they've delivered much more than expected. — Ben Arthur

Titans' new-look OL the crux of offensive issues

No one expected the Titans' offensive line issues from a year ago to be fixed overnight.

They have four new starters up front (left tackle Andre Dillard, left guard Peter Skoronski, right guard Daniel Brunskill, right tackle Chris Hubbard), Skoronski, the No. 11 overall pick in this year's draft, has missed the last two games with an abdomen issue. The lone returning starter, Aaron Brewer, has moved from guard to center. Tennessee has played three really good defensive fronts to start the year, too (Saints, Chargers, Browns). But the outlook for the unit is starting to look pretty grim.

Derrick Henry is still the engine of the Titans offense, but the team can't block for him. He was held to 11 carries for 20 yards (1.8 yards per carry) in the 24-3 loss to Cleveland, including four carries for negative-seven yards in the first half (yes, you read that correctly). Entering the game, he was already on pace for his worst yards-per-carry mark of his career through three games at 3.6. That number has dipped to 3.2.

Tennessee hasn't been able to pass-protect for quarterback Ryan Tannehill either. I gave them the benefit of doubt in a story published a few days ago, but it is hard to defend giving up five sacks in back-to-back games. Browns All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett was exposing Titans left tackle Andre Dillard all game Sunday.

The Titans are a competitive team because of their defense, but they can't win games consistently without improving their offense. And that can't get going unless the offensive line figures out how to play better. — Arthur

Brian Branch, DROY candidate?

Brian Branch was used as a rationalization for Detroit's rookie class immediately following the 2023 NFL Draft.

"OK; they took a running back and overdrafted an inside linebacker in the first round, but look where they got Brian Branch!"

The varied skillset of the former Alabama defensive back was already known. Put him in a defense that knows what to do with him, and he can be a Swiss Army Knife who opens up many possibilities. Well, that's what happened — and Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is having fun.

Branch totaled 11 tackles Sunday against the Falcons, three of which were for loss. He added two broken-up passes. Branch had myriad duties throughout the game, from slot corner, where he broke up one of those passes, to inside linebacker to his named position of safety. He had seven tackles and two pass breakups through the first two weeks of the season.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions recap

Branch also tallied an interception on a tipped pass from Geno Smith in Week 2 against Seattle. He is actively getting better and at this rate, Branch could start making some real noise in a Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation if that isn't a foregone conclusion for Will Anderson Jr. in Houston or Jalen Carter in Philadelphia. — Carmen Vitali

Sam LaPorta succeeding early, bucking standard for young TEs

If we're already talking about this Lions draft class, I can't in good conscience let this weekend go without mentioning one name: Sam LaPorta. It's like the Lions just swapped one tight end, wearing 87, from Iowa, for another. In fact, that's exactly what they did — except LaPorta is making more of an immediate impact than T.J. Hockenson did in his rookie season.

LaPorta caught eight passes on 11 targets in Sunday's win over Atlanta for 84 yards and a touchdown, which was the only receiving touchdown of the day for Detroit. That doubled his total in targets from the previous two games. On the season, LaPorta already has 18 catches for 186 yards and a touchdown. He has an 81.8% catch rate and a 10.3 yards per reception average.

And we haven't even talked about his skill as a blocker.

Tight ends are treated as big wide receivers in college. Finding a true "Y" tight end who can block and catch is rare. But that's what LaPorta is. He's a big-bodied receiver who doesn't mind bodying guys in the trenches and throwing blocks. It has to make a former tight end like his head coach Dan Campbell very proud. So on-brand. — Vitali

Packers, Jordan Love continue to find a way

No one would blame you for turning off the Packers game when they were down 17-0 heading into the fourth quarter to the New Orleans Saints. It was the home opener but just didn't seem to be their day. The first offensive play was a penalty for offensive holding on Jon Runyan. The second play was a false start by Royce Newman. The series ended in a turnover on downs after quarterback Jordan Love recovered a fumble by Emanuel Wilson only to throw an incomplete pass.

At the half, the Packers and Love had just 60 yards passing. They also had seven penalties for 60 yards.

Fast-forward to the fourth quarter and neither team had scored since the first half. Green Bay's Rashan Gary looked back to his old self. He had three sacks on the day. But there was still no offense to speak of. Slowly but surely, the Packers got going.

Love completed back-to-back chunk passes to rookie Jayden Reed and second-year receiver Romeo Doubs of 22 and 17 yards, respectively. But the drive still only yielded three points. The next offensive drive for the Packers was helped along by penalties this time, multiple on the Saints that got Green Bay down the field. Finally, they'd get into the end zone, on fourth down at that, on a one-yard run by Love. A two-point conversion later and the crowd was back into it, just like the team.

Love and Co. would score again on the next drive, putting them one point ahead of New Orleans with just under three minutes to play. And this time, Love was able to rely on his defense to hold onto what he put on the board.

The Packers are growing with their young quarterback in real time. It doesn't look perfect. A lot of the time it doesn't look pretty at all. But they're figuring it out week by week and finding ways to win in the process. —Vitali

Dave Helman reacts to Packers' comeback win

NFC South hits a wall

Remember how the NFC South had three of the league's undefeated teams after two weeks? The same division whose division champ last season didn't have a winning record stormed out to a combined 6-2 record, and the only two losses came against other NFC South teams.

Then came Sunday, and three difficult losses for the South: The Falcons couldn't muster even 200 yards of offense in a 20-6 loss to the Lions, the Saints lost quarterback Derek Carr to a shoulder injury and saw a 17-0 fourth-quarter lead disappear in an 18-17 loss at the Packers, and then the Panthers stayed winless as they let the Seahawks pull away to a 37-27 victory in Seattle.

The Buccaneers (2-0) could salvage the weekend Monday night, but that's a tall order against the defending NFC-champion Eagles. Not only did the NFC South go 0-3 on Sunday, but the six teams that the NFC South had beaten in the first two weeks went a combined 1-5 on Sunday, with the lone win coming from Green Bay … against the Saints.

The division had essentially four new quarterbacks to open the season, and injuries have already forced changes for two of them, with Andy Dalton starting for rookie Bryce Young with the Panthers and Jameis Winston coming in for Carr in Sunday's loss for the Saints.

Is Week 4 a bounce-back opportunity? The Saints host the Bucs, so that will be a wash for the division. Can the Falcons beat the Jaguars (1-2) in London? Can winless Carolina edge winless Minnesota? Even those wins would only carry so much weight. — Auman

An ill-advised gamble in Vegas

Josh McDaniels, what were you thinking?

If you make a decision so bad that no coach in 29 years of regular-season football has chosen the path you took, it isn't contrarian. It isn't outside the box. It's wrong.

The Raiders, trying to rally from 16 points down late Sunday night against the Steelers, faced a fourth down in the final four minutes down by eight and chose to kick a field goal, hoping their defense could get them the ball back for a game-winning drive.

They chose this twice, actually. They had a fourth-and-5 from the Pittsburgh 29 with 3:15 left and made the kick, but the Steelers were flagged 15 yards for leverage, setting them up at the 14. Three plays later, facing a fourth-and-4 at the 8 with 2:25 left, they doubled down and chose the field goal again.

Narrator: Their defense didn't get the initial stop it needed to, and when the Raiders finally got the ball back, it was at their 15-yard line with 12 seconds left, and of course, a desperation pass was intercepted to lock up a win for Pittsburgh.

If there's any place where you should be keenly aware of how the odds are stacked against you, it's in Las Vegas. Analytics shouldn't exist in a vacuum — a decision should be made in the full context of your strengths and weaknesses, which makes McDaniels' decision even more confounding.

Las Vegas paid considerably to land perhaps the best touchdown receiver in the NFL in Davante Adams, who scored 14 touchdowns last season and two more in the very game we're speaking of. They have the reigning NFL rushing leader in Josh Jacobs, and a quarterback they're paying well in Jimmy Garoppolo.

McDaniels chose not to trust any of those things, even though the offense had scored a touchdown and executed a two-point conversion just minutes earlier. Instead, he chose a plan that begins with his defense making a stop, something they don't do consistently at all.

The Raiders ranked 26th in third-down conversions allowed last season, and they rank 27th this season, giving up a first down on exactly half of their opponents' third downs.

Instead of converting a fourth-and-4, controlling the clock, scoring a touchdown and a conversion and taking his chances from there, he chose a path requiring a field goal, a defensive stop and his offense pulling off a (potentially long) touchdown drive.

The only precedent for this since the NFL added its two-point conversion in 1994 is a cruel one to bring up. The Packers, on their home field against the Bucs in the 2020 NFC Championship Game, took the ball out of MVP Aaron Rodgers' hands and kicked down eight, and the Bucs ran out the clock and won a Super Bowl.

I was there that day, and so was Adams, who has now been snubbed twice in the most clutch of NFL situations, when he should be exactly the kind of player you trust in those moments. His coach hasn't twice now and has lost twice by no coincidence. — Auman

Brandon Staley's reckless approach will cost the Chargers down the road

Kudos to the Los Angeles Chargers for earning their first win of the season despite a decision by their head coach that calls his expertise into question. Brandon Staley kept his offense on the field while facing a fourth-and-1 from the Chargers' 24-yard line with 1:51 remaining in the contest. The fourth-down gamble was unsuccessful, and the defense was forced to defend the Vikings from the red zone with the game on the line.

While the coach's confidence in his franchise quarterback and offense is admirable, Staley's high-risk, high-reward approach is another in a long line of reckless calls that have undermined the Chargers' title chances throughout his tenure. Although his defense bailed him out in this scenario with an end-zone interception in the game's waning seconds, the decision reeks of arrogance born out of a know-it-all mentality that rubs traditionalists the wrong way when watching his team play.

Chargers vs. Vikings recap

As a repeat offender with a long track record of off-the-wall gambles based on analytical data, it is only a matter of time before his players begin to question his tactics as the leader of a team with legitimate title hopes. Following last season's playoff meltdown, the third-year head coach was sitting on the hot seat due to the Chargers' underachievement under his direction. Staley was already on the hot seat. With a few more gaffes, the head coach could end up elsewhere. — Brooks

Keenan Allen charges to new heights

For a franchise known for throwing the ball — with a past that includes Hall of Famers Lance Alworth and Charlie Joyner — Keenan Allen now stands alone in at least one way.

The 31-year-old receiver finished with career highs in receptions (18) and receiving yards (215), helping the Los Angeles Chargers earn their first victory of the season, a 28-24 road victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Allen finished with 18 catches — his third career game with 15-plus catches and the most by any player in NFL history. Allen's 9,689 yards gives him the most receiving yards by a wide receiver in team history, passing Alworth (9,584). Allen's mentor, tight end Antonio Gates, leads the Bolts with 11,841 career receiving yards.

Allen also threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to fellow receiver Mike Williams on a double pass.

"It really capped off a maestro performance for him," Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said about Allen's touchdown throw. "A career game, a record-setting game. If your best players play like that in a big game, it gives you a chance." — Eric D. Williams

AFC South reporter Ben Arthur (@benyarthur)
NFC South reporter Greg Auman (@gregauman)
NFL analyst Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks)
Dallas Cowboys reporter David Helman (@davidhelman_)
AFC East reporter Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis)
NFC West reporter Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams)
NFC East reporter Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano)
NFC North reporter Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV)