The Week 3 games were a disappointment for some and a glimmer of hope for some of the NFL’s winless teams. There were also some meaningful moments for some coaches and quarterbacks.
65-YARD TOUCHDOWN BY SAQUON BARKLEY.
📺: #PHIvsNO on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/830L0j9R8o— NFL (@NFL) 22 September 2024
The Minnesota Vikings continue to hold their own, Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles avoided disaster, and the Pittsburgh Steelers may have found their quarterback. The athlete NFL writers Tim Graham, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei share their thoughts on all of these storylines and more.
Is it time to re-examine the Vikings as Super Bowl contenders?
Grahame: The Vikings are a funny story, as the much-maligned Sam Darnold enjoys his moments in the spotlight, and the Aaron Jones-Justin Jefferson combo is must-see TV. But let’s give credit to Brian Flores’ defense. Minnesota entered Sunday ranked third in points allowed and in the top 10 in yards per run and yards per pass attempt. With the help of U.S. Bank Stadium, they destroyed the AFC South favorites on Sunday. The Vikings tormented CJ Stroud with two interceptions and four sacks, and they’ll make the Texans’ offensive line cringe in its sleep tonight. Check out outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, who recorded three sacks against his old club and played a big part in Houston’s offensive line committing four straight O-line penalties before the snap at the end of the first half and turning a third-and-4 at Minnesota’s 25-yard line into a punt. Four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil was penalized three times for false starts and illegal formations. Minnesota stopped four runs behind the line and allowed Cam Akers to gain just 2.3 yards per carry.
Nguyen: Flores’ defense is naturally high-octane and still thrives on aggressiveness and confusion, but it’s hard to deny how good they’ve been. Last week they shut down the 49ers and this week they completely rattled CJ Stroud, who is normally very good against the blitz. This is Stroud’s first multi-interception game, where he was also sacked four times in his career. The Vikings’ offense is explosive on the ground and in the air — it ranks sixth in explosive play rate — but old, sloppy Sam Darnold doesn’t show up from time to time. Kevin O’Connell has been excellent at calling plays. I think they have a formula to win a lot of games and maybe make a splash in the playoffs, but until we see Darnold make some elite plays, it’s hard to say they’re Super Bowl contenders. And that’s not to take away from the Vikings and their excellent start to the season, but it will take more to get them into this league.
Pompeii: The Vikings are better than almost anyone thought they would be. That’s where we should be after three games. Two of their next three games are against the Packers and Lions – we’ll have a much better feel for them then. Being excellent for 17 games is a much different challenge than being excellent for three games, and January is still a long way away. But it probably wouldn’t be wise to doubt that Kevin O’Connell will continue to get the best out of Darnold, and if Darnold keeps playing like he has, the Vikings should be a playoff contender. And history tells us that every team in the playoffs is a Super Bowl contender.
Will Sunday’s win over the previously unbeaten Saints cool Nick Sirianni’s position, or will the uneven offense and backfiring fourth attempts keep the pressure on?
Grahame: We know how it goes in Philadelphia, where sometimes a win isn’t nearly enough. Sirianni got too cute, and that’s almost unforgivable. A long run by Saquan Barkley and Vic Fangio’s defense helped the head coach. You have to give Sirianni some leeway, as his already banged-up roster suffered even more Sunday when All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson and leading receiver DeVonta Smith were lost to head injuries. All-Pro cornerback Darius Slay also left the game late. But the wrong Brotherly Shove mistake just before halftime and being out for three quarters isn’t enough in Philly, let alone the NFC East. Sirianni better hope his luck holds, because he won’t last much longer if he keeps coaching cute.
Nguyen: That certainly cools his seat, but the Eagles have been very good for most of this season. They lost a bad game to the Falcons, but they could easily be 3-0 now. The defense has potential to improve as they continue to learn Fangio’s system. The run defense was excellent against the Saints, who crushed teams. The offense is hampered by Jalen Hurts’ inability to get the option game going and the absence of AJ Brown, but Kellen Moore has been able to call explosive plays at the right time. Sirriani has made several questionable decisions on fourth down – ones that analytics would even advise against it (such as attempting to go for it on fourth-and-one instead of kicking a field goal at the end of the first half). The Eagles have battled injuries and have to adjust to new coordinators on both sides of the ball, but this team seems too talented to falter. The benchmark for Sirrianni, however, may be competing for the Super Bowl with the roster in place.
Pompeii: The Eagles coaching job is always hotly contested, right? This is the organization that fired Andy Reid despite him clearly being one of the best head coaches in football, and the one that fired Doug Pederson three years after he led them to one of the most improbable Super Bowl victories in history. High expectations and a roster that most would say is at capacity aren’t going to help Sirianni’s job security. But it’s kind of crazy to talk about it considering the Eagles are 2-1 and Sirianni has a 36-18 record as their head coach. If the Eagles fire Sirianni, he won’t have to wait long to become a head coach somewhere else.
Do the Steelers have their quarterback in Justin Fields?
Nguyen: The Steelers are 3-0, and Fields has improved in every game. In the first two games, he had several big throws negated by questionable penalties. His play against an extremely stingy Chargers defense was by far his most impressive of the season. He completed nearly 80% of his passes – he threw several short passes, but that was part of the game plan against one of the league’s best pass rushes. Fields made throws down deep at key moments. The most impressive thing about his start to the season is his ability to avoid sacks, which has been the biggest challenge of his career. Despite poor pass blocking, Fields has been sacked just six times in three games. If he had had a bad game against the Chargers defense, it might have been easy to hand the reins to Russell Wilson in Week 4 – but I don’t think that can be done now.
Grahame: The Steelers have had unusual success with backup quarterbacks in the past. But this guy is no Mason Rudolph, Duck Hodges or Tommy Maddox. As annoying as Fields was in Chicago, he’s been great so far in Pittsburgh, an organization that doesn’t force a player into a job just because he’s paid to do it. The Rooneys and Mike Tomlin will stick with whoever deserves it. Fields has been successful in avoiding sacks and turnovers, and threw his first interception today. There’s certainly nothing wrong with 78 percent accuracy (or passing and running for touchdowns against the Chargers on Sunday). If the Steelers still believe Russell Wilson, who turns 36 in a few months, remains their best chance to win, they should probably be better off. But I think the Steelers’ leadership is smarter. Besides, as Crash Davis once said, you should never mess with a winning streak. Wilson will have to wait.
Pompeii: The Steelers have their starting quarterback for their game against the Colts next week because you don’t bench a quarterback who is 3-0 unless the player replacing him was playing at a much higher level before his injury. (That wasn’t the case with Wilson.) But it’s safe to assume Wilson will be in the starting lineup for the Steelers this season, perhaps in the not-too-distant future. It’s also possible that Fields could be back in the starting lineup at some point. Fields has a history of ups and downs. Perhaps he’ll be more consistent in his fourth season and in a new environment, but that remains to be seen. Unless Fields (or Wilson, if he eventually replaces him) is consistently outstanding and the team continues to win, there’s a chance of change.
Is it good or bad that Caleb Williams has to take so many hits so early?
Pompeii: It’s never good for a young quarterback to take a beating. How did it work for Bryce Young? Getting game experience is good, but you have to get the skill for it at some point. It hasn’t done much for Williams so far. He hasn’t had much help from plays, blocks or the running game. And he hasn’t helped himself much either. Williams and the Bears offense have to crawl before they can run, and often it looks like they’re trying to fly. A more conservative approach would help everyone.
Nguyen: I don’t think it’s ideal to put a quarterback who wants to take his time behind that offensive line, but I don’t think you can change course once you make Williams the starter. He’s not playing as poorly as his numbers suggest, and he’s handling many of the Bears’ pre-snap operations impressively while continuing to get better. He’s been unable to move the ball forward much in recent weeks, but today he threw for 363 yards and found a good connection with Rome Odunze, who had 112 yards – that’s progress! In a perfect world, the Bears block better, but as long as Williams is getting better, you have to let him play. Even when the going gets tough, you have to let him play.
Grahame: There are lumps and then there are Lumps. While the Bears offensive line isn’t doing him many favors, Williams isn’t exactly being treated like David Carr or Archie Manning yet. This was valuable experience for Williams, and you don’t want him thrown into the demoralization box along with Bryce Young, as players who lost their jobs as kids and need to rebuild their confidence. Williams already has a win under his belt and has shown the moments of brilliance you’d expect. He threw for 363 yards today, the kind of fat stat that will wow Chicago (and fantasy managers), not make him boo out of town. Bears fans have to hope his touchdown throw to Rome Odunze today is just the start of a wonderful relationship. Give Williams every chance. So far, he’s doing well.
(Top photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
