There were several highlights and even more lowlights during NFL Week 3 action. The Miami Dolphins did something we’ve never seen from a team in the history of the league. Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay also made some history.
On the other side of the ledger, the Denver Broncos proved themselves to be a very unserious team. Speaking of unserious, what we saw from Zach Wilson and Sam Howell was eye-opening in a bad way.
Meanwhile, officials on hand in Baltimore played a major role in the Colts’ overtime win over the Ravens Sunday afternoon. These are among the highlights and lowlights from NFL Week 3.
Highlight: Miami Dolphins set records, commit violent crime against NFL team
We knew the Miami Dolphins’ offense was something special heading into NFL Week 3. Little did we know that Miami would drop an NFL record 726 total yards against the Denver Broncos. Little did we know that Miami would score 70 points in a regular-season football game.
Fans in South Beach were treated to one of the greatest offensive performances in the history of football at any level. Tua Tagovailoa had more touchdown passes (four) than incompletions (three). Rookie running back De’Von Achane went for 203 yards on the ground. Fellow running back Raheem Mostert had four total touchdowns. Tyreek Hill gained 157 yards on nine receptions.
Not too bad of a performance for former Broncos ball boy Mike McDaniel who had his team clicking on all cylinders.
Related: Miami Dolphins rewrite NFL and franchise record book with 50-point win over Broncos
Lowlight: Zach Wilson just ain’t it
At one point in the first half on Sunday, an unnamed Jets fan nearly lost his teeth screaming NSFW words in the Jets’ direction. Yes, this is a thing that actually happened inside MetLife Stadium. At that point, Wilson had gained six net passing yards about midway through the second quarter.
The Jets ended up making it a game against the New England Patriots, only to lose by the score of 15-10. But Wilson was just a disaster class (18-of-36 passing, 133 net passing yards). It was so bad that Jets legend Joe Namath took to social media to call Wilson out after the quarterback pretty much sacked himself.
“Why would Zach just go down when he could’ve spun outta there and maybe found a receiver, bought some time. Geez,” Namath tweeted out.
A season that started with Aaron Rodgers bringing the Jets Super Bowl expectations has now led to more misery in Jersey. Unfortunately for long-suffering Jets fans, head coach Robert Saleh is still committed to Wilson as the starting quarterback. Define insanity, again.
Related: NFL Week 3 power rankings
Highlight: Arizona Cardinals playing inspired football
Jonathan Gannon’s squad entered Week 3 without a win. However, the talent-stricken team was competitive in both outings. We saw that taken to a whole new level at home against the mighty Dallas Cowboys Sunday afternoon.
Arizona was 12.5-point home dogs heading into this one, and absolutely obliterated a Cowboys team many had No. 1 in their power rankings. That included the Cardinals running for a whopping 222 yards on 30 attempts. Meanwhile, Joshua Dobbs (17-of-21 passing, 189 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) outplayed Dak Prescott (25-of-40 passing, 249 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT). What a win for Gannon and the Cardinals.
Lowlight: Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears
Fresh off a drama-filled week in which Justin Fields called out his coaches and defensive coordinator Alan Williams surprisingly resigned, the Bears were no match for the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Chicago found itself down 41-0 after three quarters. At that point, Fields had completed 6-of-16 passes for 30 net passing yards.
Fields then went down after a violent hit from Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay. Despite being escorted off the field by teammate D.J. Moore after being wobbly on the field, Fields returned to the game with his Bears down 41-3. What was the point of that? Now losers of 13 consecutive games, these Bears are the true laughingstock of the NFL.
Highlight: Jordan Love brings Green Bay Packers all the way back
Love and his Packers were down 17-0 at the half against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Sure the Derek Carr injury impacted the road team in this one. But Jordan Love did his thing to bring the Pack all the way back for an 18-17 win.
The quarterback led Green Bay to three scoring drives in the fourth quarter alone, including two 80-yard touchdown-scoring drives in the final seven minutes. This span saw Love complete just 5-of-12 passes for 67 yards. However, his playmaking ability led to multiple Saints defensive penalties as that unit was on its heels throughout. It sure looks like Green Bay has found that guy.
Lowlight: Officials play major role in Indianapolis Colts win
The Baltimore Ravens were facing fourth-and-three from Indianapolis 47-yard line in overtime on Sunday. Head coach John Harbaugh opted to go for it. Lamar Jackson looked up the middle for rookie receiver Zay Flowers. The ball fell incomplete. But even watching it live, we could tell that it was clear pass interference on the part of the Colts.
How can officials miss such a blatant pass interference call at such a critical moment? Indianapolis would go on and kick the game-winning field goal on the following drive. Zebras helping decide the outcome of a game is never good.
Related: NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions
Highlight: Indianapolis Colts’ Matt Gay makes NFL history
NFL Week 3 saw several record-breaking performances. None were as astonishing as what the Colts’ kicker did in their overtime win over Baltimore. Gay became the first kicker in NFL history to make four field goals of 50-plus yards in a single game. It culminated in a walk-off 53-yard field goal in overtime.
Gay proved during NFL Week 3 that kickers are people, too.
Lowlight: What in Sam Howell was that?
Sam Howell and the Commanders entered NFL Week 3 with a 2-0 record and feeling really good about themselves. The first-year starter had just led Washington to a comeback win over the Denver Broncos last Sunday. Could Ron Rivera’s squad step up and make a statement against the Super Bowl-contending Buffalo Bills?
About that? Not so much. Howell and the Commanders’ offense was a disaster class throughout. The quarterback threw four interceptions and was sacked a whopping nine times. He gained 125 net passing yards on 29 attempts. It was brutal in every possible way.
A 37-3 home loss is one thing. Putting up mistake after mistake is a completely different thing. Where do Ron Rivera and Co. go from here?
Related: NFL Week 3 QB rankings
Highlight: C.J. Stroud is him
With the two other rookie first-round picks at quarterback sidelined during NFL Week 3 due to injury, C.J. Stroud continued to prove himself to be a cut above. The Ohio State product was coming off a Week 2 performance in which he completed 30-of-47 passes for 384 yards with two touchdowns in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Stroud was just as good Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Only this time, he led Houston to a shocking road win over the defending division champs. The final score of 37-17 was indicative of just how dominant DeMeco Ryans’ squad was in this one.
As for Stroud, he completed 20-of-30 passes for 280 yards with two more touchdowns and zero interceptions. This kid is the real deal.
Related: Russell Wilson era with the Denver Broncos at tipping point following humiliating loss
Lowlight: Denver Broncos are an unserious football team
Denver’s defense gave up 726 total yards and 70 points to the Miami Dolphins in NFL Week 3. Do we really need to repeat that? Seven hundred and twenty six yards and seventy points. In. An. NFL. Game. Just how unserious do you have to be as an NFL team to be humiliated like this?
The Broncos now find themselves at 0-3 on the season and playing out the string. They have lost 14 of Russell Wilson’s 18 starts since acquiring him in a blockbuster trade ahead of last season. They are winless with Sean Payton as a head coach after exhausting a first-round pick on him in a trade with the New Orleans Saints this past spring. Three first-round picks, two second-round selections and multiple players to acquire this “power duo.” The end result? Giving up 70 points in an NFL game. Just pathetic.