Week 3 of the NFL season was one to remember, with some of the league’s best quarterbacks delivering MVP-caliber showings. On the other end of the spectrum, some familiar faces continue to finish with the worst performances every week.
One thing we’ve learned early this season, there is a Grand Canyon-sized gap in quarterback play in the NFC East. As the Dallas Cowboys enjoy Dak Prescott’s greatness, the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team are left dreaming about what that would be like.
Quarterbacks can rebound from a bad performance. We saw Tom Brady turn things around after his ugly showing in Week 1. Once a passer starts making regular performances on this list, it’s time to sound the alarms and seriously discuss their future.
Here are the worst quarterback performances from Week 3 of the NFL season.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
It’s time for Philadelphia to be worried. Quarterbacks can have a few bad games, but the past three starts have been some of the worst in Wentz’s career. It’s not like he faced the 1985 Chicago Bears; Cincinnati’s secondary is atrocious. Despite a cupcake matchup, Wentz couldn’t get much right in Week 3.
Wentz’s first interception was inexcusable and his second pick wasn’t much better. He has thrown two interceptions in each of his starts this season and is already on the verge of matching his total from 2019 (seven). On top of that, he completed 61.7% of his throws and racked up just 225 passing yards on a whopping 47 attempts. We can’t blame the offensive line or receiving corps anymore. Wentz is one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks right now.
Dwayne Haskins, Washington Football Team
Unsurprisingly, Haskins is on this list again. It’s a weekly tradition for the second-year quarterback, joining Wentz and Jones with a reservation as the worst performers. In Week 3, the rough outing came against a Cleveland Browns defense with an injury-plagued secondary.
Washington might have felt confident early on Sunday, when Haskins connected for a go-ahead touchdown late in the first quarter. The momentum quickly vanished after that. On Washington’s next three drives, things unraveled with an interception, three-and-out and then a second pick. Haskins threw another interception in the second half and also lost a fumble. On top of that, in a 34-20 loss, he needed 37 attempts to hit 224 passing yards. Fans might start calling for Alex Smith, but putting him behind this offensive line sounds like a massive disservice to his health.
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Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears
It finally happened and it only took until Week 3 of the 2020 NFL season. Matt Nagy saw enough of Trubisky and admitted the Bears needed a change at quarterback. Of course, the realization only came after Trubisky threw an interception and averaged 5.8 yards per attempt in the first half.
Keep in mind, Atlanta’s secondary came in allowing the second-most passing yards (372) and most points (39) per game this season. This should have been Trubisky’s chance to put some distance between himself and Nick Foles. Instead, he gifted the job to his backup quarterback. Given Foles led this team to a comeback victory with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the job should be his. Yet, despite the obvious evidence, Nagy may still be committed to Trubisky.
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Daniel Jones, New York Giants
It’s not like we’re surprised by this outcome. New York already put Jones behind a turnstile offensive line and the issues worsened when Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard landed on injured reserve. Beating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3 was likely impossible for the Giants, but Jones didn’t exactly help their efforts.
Once again, as is the case with all of his worst performances, the big problem is turnovers. He threw an interception and lost a fumble, the result of a bad pitch on a reverse. Even if you look past him giving the football way multiple times – again – Jones completed only 17-of-32 attempts and averaged 5.6 yards per pass. We’re not seeing improvement in his second season and if he can’t stop turning the ball over, he doesn’t deserve to be a starting quarterback.
Sam Darnold, New York Jets
If you’re a fan of this team, it might be best to find something else to watch. Adam Gase is a terrible head coach and shouldn’t be allowed near any young quarterback whose talents he will waste. Yet, in his slightest defense, it’s impossible to run an offense when your quarterback throws more touchdowns to the opponent than his teammates.
Darnold was a scoring machine in Week 3, just for the Colts. Two pick-sixes and a safety handed 14 points to Indianapolis. The 23-year-old threw three interceptions on Sunday and finished with a 47.0 quarterback rating. At this point, a change of scenery might be the only way to save Darnold. Even if that happens, the damage may be done to the former No. 3 overall pick. It’s time for the Jets to start thinking about Trevor Lawrence, but only if they promise to fire Gase.