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Another week of NFL football is nearly in the books, and Sunday was chock-full of drama. The New Orleans Saints suffered their first defeat before a roaring Superdome crowd. The Green Bay Packers won a second straight game without Jordan Love. And the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers stayed unbeaten, continuing to defy preseason expectations centered on once-daunting quarterback situations.
Who are the absolute biggest winners and losers of Week 3? Here’s a roundup:
Winner: Vic Fangio’s defense
Six days after Kirk Cousins embarrassed the Philadelphia Eagles with a flawless game-winning fourth-quarter drive, Fangio had his unit locked in to outlast the equally physical New Orleans Saints. Derek Carr and Co. came into Sunday’s matchup as the NFL’s highest-octane attack, but they got next to nothing on the ground and/or in the red zone. If not for the Eagles “D,” Philly might be 1-2 right now.
Loser: The Chargers’ health
Los Angeles sought to start 3-0 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, only to lose the game and a plethora of big names, from quarterback Justin Herbert and tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt to pass rusher Joey Bosa, to injury. Jim Harbaugh can instill physicality into this team, but you can only go so far if your star talent isn’t available.
Winner: Vikings’ reputation
It was impossible not to highlight Minnesota’s surprisingly solid start after the first two weeks, but now Sam Darnold and Co. have logged back-to-back home upsets of legitimate contenders — first the San Francisco 49ers, now the Houston Texans. Darnold has been exuding legitimately elite command in an impressively deep lineup, and Brian Flores’ defense might be the most versatile and physical in the entire NFL.
Loser: Mike McDaniel’s offense
It was going to be hard for the Miami Dolphins coach not to fall flat immediately following Tua Tagovailoa’s latest injury-related exit, and Skylar Thompson…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-week-3-winners-and-losers-vikings-are-for-real-while-chargers-dolphins-take-major-hits/
Author : Cody Benjamin
Publish date : 2024-09-22 23:59:52
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