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Look in the end zone of an NFL game this weekend, and there was a decent chance a tight end was celebrating. There were 20 touchdowns caught by tight ends Sunday, the most on any single day in NFL history. The Las Vegas Raiders’ win over the New Orleans Saints was a gluttony of TE TDs, with four tight ends combining for six total touchdown catches. “I think it’s amazing,” Saints tight end Juwan Johnson, who caught two touchdowns on Sunday, told me. “I think it’s a true dedication to what guys have done in the offseason. It is a mental drain that you’re blocking some of the best edge rushers in the game, corners, safeties, linebackers, but then you’re asked to go out there and run around and catch a ball. Sometimes, you can get into the end zone.” The Saints ultimately lost when Raiders tight end Brock Bowers caught a touchdown with 6:22 left, as teammate Michael Mayer had earlier in the day. And Johnson wasn’t the only Saints tight end with multiple scores on Sunday, either. Noah Fant also had two touchdown grabs in New Orleans’ loss. The NFL is enjoying a Tight End Renaissance, and the numbers may surprise you. In 2024, tight ends totaled 178 touchdowns across the league, accounting for 22% of all passing touchdowns. Last year, that number grew to 231 touchdowns — a 30% increase — and accounted for 28% of all passing touchdowns. It’s a small sample, but three weeks into the 2026 season, NFL tight ends are on pace for 289 touchdowns — that’s 62% more than two years ago, and a 32% share of all TD passes. The rise of 12 personnel — with two tight ends and two receivers — got headlines last year, with offenses liking a look that didn’t easily point to an obvious run or pass, setting up mismatches downfield. Offenses used 12 personnel in nearly a quarter of their snaps in 2024 (22.1%) and again in 2025 (22.1%), per FOX Sports Research. “You have teams who made a big jump, like the Rams paved the way for a lot of ways to know the opportunities of what it can be,” Johnson told me. “You have teams with a West Coast offense like [Raiders head coach Klint] Kubiak, [San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle] Shanahan, guys in Seattle who are running a majority of 12 personnel. The way they operate with tight ends — it’s encouraged a lot of coordinators to do the same. We’ve piggybacked off that, and it’s been really good to show that.” The ascending value of tight ends was evident in this year’s draft, when nine were taken in the first three rounds — up from just three in 2024. You’re seeing it in lucrative contracts as well — the Raiders gave Mayer, their No. 2 tight end, a three-year, $45 million extension this summer, making him the league’s sixth-highest-paid tight end. The NFL already has four tight ends with three touchdowns in three weeks, showing promise of bigger season-long production. George Kittle is among that group, logging two touchdown grabs on Sunday as he continues his miraculous rehab from an Achilles tear. Johnson, Fant and Dallas Cowboys standout Jake Ferguson are the others with three touchdown grabs already this year. However, only twice in the last decade has a tight end gotten 12 touchdowns or more in a season (Eric Ebron in 2018; Travis Kelce in 2022), but this could get back to the Rob Gronkowski/Jimmy Graham/Vernon Davis heyday of 2009-15, when there were 10 such seasons. Tight ends led the league in touchdown catches three times in a span of five years during that stretch, which may never happen again. The Saints had as many tight end touchdowns Sunday as they did in all of 2025, but Johnson said he doesn’t keep track of how tight ends across the league are doing, though he has someone else on the lookout for him. “To be very honest, I had no idea,” Johnson said. “The person who tells me about any of this stuff is my wife [Chanen]. She’ll update me: ‘He did this. He did that.’ The more that I’ve played football, she’s fallen in love with watching football, and it’s something we can bond over. At the end of the day, these guys are my friends, too, so I’m confident that a lot of these guys will do well. We have a lot of great, explosive, elusive tight ends in this game, so whenever they do something positive, it’s not a shock to me.” As much as we make a point of the importance of keeping your starting quarterback healthy, the first three weeks of the NFL season haven’t exactly illustrated that yet. Six teams have had to start quarterbacks other than their Week 1 starter, and those teams are 6-0 in those games, including Case Keenum’s big win Monday night for the Bears. Those six (Keenum, Atlanta’s Michael Penix, Minnesota’s Carson Wentz, the Giants’ Jameis Winston, Seattle’s Drew Lock and Washington’s Marcus Mariota) have thrown for 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions. The same teams that are 6-0 with a second quarterback are a combined 5-7 with their Week 1 starters, with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions from those quarterbacks. The Vikings’ aggressive defense is a huge part of why they’re 3-0 to start the season, with defensive coordinator Brian Flores blitzing much more than any other defense in the league. They’ve blitzed on 68.4% of their opponents’ dropbacks, which is over 20% higher than the team in second (New England Patriots, 45.2%), per Sharp Football Analytics. With all of that blitzing, the Vikings have a league-best 14 sacks, rank second in scoring defense and first in third-down and red-zone defense. What’s underappreciated is how much opponents are resorting to penalties to avoid even more sacks. Through three games, the Vikings have the best penalty differential in the league — opponents have 13 more penalties for 102 more penalty yards than Minnesota does. They’ve forced opponents into four false starts and eight holding penalties. Tampa Bay struggled to contain Minnesota’s defense on Sunday, going 0-for-9 on third downs. The Buccaneers’ average third-down distance was 14 yards for first downs. Penalties pushed them into a first-and-27 and, separately, a third-and-29 and third-and-36, so that league-leading sack total could actually be much higher. How strange is it that the first two rookie quarterbacks to take snaps this season were both … undrafted? First, Atlanta’s Jack Strand played as a function of the Falcons’ injury issues, and now the Buccaneers will turn to Jalon Daniels with Baker Mayfield injured. Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick, has yet to take a snap with Kirk Cousins guiding Las Vegas to a surprising 3-0 start. Undrafted rookie quarterbacks generally have a rough time — over the last two years, they’ve combined for a 1-5 record as starters, two touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The best recent examples were the Giants’ Tommy DeVito and the Bears’ Tyson Bagent in 2023, who went a combined 5-5 with 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions. When was the last time that the first two rookie quarterbacks to play were undrafted? That looks like 2000, when Doug Johnson played for the Falcons and Clint Stoerner for the Cowboys in the first four weeks. Throw in the draft picks from that year, and those rookies went on to win seven Super Bowls.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Depth over the marathon of a 162-game season helped 12 teams reach the postseason. Now, it’s the stars and standouts who will take center stage. Here are the 26 players who will define the 2026 MLB playoffs, whether through their talent, their storylines entering October, their importance to their clubs or all of the above. In other words, here are the people we will remember — for better or worse: The most valuable all-around player in baseball this season, Crow-Armstrong did it all for the Cubs in a 40-40 season. It was, by fWAR, the best season by a Cubs player since Rogers Hornsby in 1929. He personifies the Cubs, who had the highest OPS and the best defense in the sport this year. They’ll need that defense to mask their pitching concerns. He was, without question, the best hitter in baseball this year, leading all qualified players in every slash line category. And he was, without question, the reason the Astros made it to the playoffs, despite an 81-81 record. The worst playoff team in MLB history will go as far as the AL MVP favorite can carry it. Even if he won’t be the MVP of his league for the first time since 2022, the baseball world still revolves around him. Will MLB’s modern marvel get back to looking otherworldly? Or will the injuries to his left knee and right biceps continue to make him look like a shell of himself at the plate? More than anything else, Ohtani’s health will have the biggest impact on a potential Dodgers three-peat. Yes, he throws incredibly hard. Historically so. But Misiorowski, who’s learning how to harness his extraordinary stuff, is more than the novice flamethrower he was a year ago. He cut his walk rate nearly in half from his rookie season while leading all qualified starters in strikeouts, strikeout rate, ERA and WHIP and surrendering the lowest batting average in MLB history, transforming into the best pitcher in baseball while becoming arguably the most important piece to the Brewers’ World Series hopes. That Caminero even made the AL MVP conversation a debate speaks to what an exceptional talent he is. On a Tampa Bay team built for contact and speed, he is the exception. Caminero led the Rays with 42 homers — 20 more than the next closest players on the team (Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz each hit 22). The Rays will be relying on Caminero’s power to make a deep run. It’s not a coincidence that the Padres had the worst offense in MLB before the break and one of the best in the second half. Tatis didn’t hit his first home run until May 30 and had just three homers through his first 82 games; then he blasted 22 homers over his next 72 games. Meanwhile, after a slow start, the Padres posted the best record in MLB from July 24 through season’s end. The Padres will go as Tatis goes. Rotation depth is the biggest concern on Atlanta’s roster entering the postseason. There’s a lot riding on the success of their ace, Sale, who ranked third in MLB in ERA and recorded 200 strikeouts at 37 years old. Surprise, surprise: The Dodgers won the sweepstakes for the best pitcher available at the deadline. Was it worth it? That will all depend on how much the reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner helps them over the next month. Contreras is right up there with Alvarez as one of the most important hitters in baseball to his team’s success this season. That’s not hyperbole. Contreras finished the year with a 151 wRC+, a tally that ranked third in MLB behind only Alvarez and Crow-Armstrong. The next closest qualified Red Sox hitter was Wilyer Abreu at 112. Needless to say, his health after getting hit by a pitch on the hand a couple weeks ago will be something to monitor. Harper wasn’t pleased last October when Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski questioned if the two-time MVP would be elite again. He claimed Dombrowski’s comments wouldn’t serve as motivation, but a year later, you have to wonder if those words still stick with him. The Phillies, who had the lowest OPS in the National League in September, need him to be an impact player. It’s not October yet, but Bregman’s face looked more like a Halloween mask after he got hit by a foul ball on Sept. 20.  Despite suffering facial fractures, he was back in the lineup days later. And in the regular season finale, a week after the incident, he went 4-for-4 with two home runs. Bregman was the best hitter in baseball in the season’s second half, and that performance erased any doubts about what he might be able to do going forward. He didn’t make the wild-card roster after straining his calf, so he can’t be top 10 on this list. But could he be back for the ALDS if the Yankees advance? And if he is, what version will the Yankees get? They were 41-25 with Judge in the lineup and 52-43 when he wasn’t. Obviously, the health and availability of the three-time MVP will be one of the biggest storylines of the postseason. Is there a pitcher in October you trust more with in a must-win game or series? It’ll be fascinating to see how he builds on his postseason reputation after his heroics last October — he pitched back-to-back complete games in Game 2 of the NLCS and Game 2 of the World Series, then pitched on consecutive days in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series — earned him World Series MVP honors. Schlittler announced his presence on a national stage last October with 12 strikeouts in eight scoreless innings against the Red Sox. A year later, he has proven himself as the best pitcher in the American League as he gets set to face Boston in the postseason once again. He’s the star of a Yankees rotation that will be their key to a deep run. Limited again by injury, Acuña had a largely forgettable 2026 season…until late August. Over his final 26 games, Acuña slashed .337/.393/.604 with seven homers and six doubles, looking like a superstar once again. After missing the postseason during Atlanta’s 2021 World Series run and again during the 2024 wild-card series, he might be especially motivated to demonstrate what he can do on the biggest stage. Arguably MLB’s biggest All-Star snub, Turang launched 21 homers, knocked in 100 runs and stole 19 bases this season. By fWAR, he was the fifth-most valuable position player in the sport. After a knee issue sapped much of his power in August, he bounced back in September to slash .361/.475/.602 in the season’s final month. While Milwaukee didn’t do much to change their offense after last year’s NLCS disappointment, Turang’s ascension as a star talent is a big reason why this year’s team might be different. He’s the best reliever in baseball, and he pitches on the best bullpen in the sport. The Padres will need Miller and their relief group to be electric, given the concerns in their rotation. The Red Sox paid a massive price to make the surprise deal of the deadline, sending three of their top prospects to Baltimore to acquire Rutschman. He’ll need to be a difference-maker for Boston to make that price worth it. After a rough August (.500 OPS), he certainly looked like a player who could swing a game or a series in September (.845). Is it fair to put Messick, Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana all in one spot? Well, I make the rules here. Messick will get Rookie of the Year consideration and down-ballot Cy Young votes. DeLauter will also likely find himself on some Rookie of the Year ballots. Whatever happens to Cleveland over the next month, their rookies will play a significant role. It’s hard to know what to expect from Jesus Luzardo, who hasn’t made a full start since Sept. 7. Zack Wheeler, meanwhile, started Sunday in the regular season finale, putting his wild-card availability into question. The Phillies’ rotation should be its biggest strength, but that will only be the case if Sánchez looks like the Cy Young contender he was all season. King was the lone source of stability in the Padres’ volatile rotation. They’ll need his innings and dependability in the postseason to make sure their elite bullpen doesn’t get overworked. The Red Sox scored the fewest runs in MLB in September. If Contreras doesn’t look like himself at the plate after hurting his hand last month, they’ll need someone else to step up. Anthony, who missed nearly four months, had an OPS over 1.000 over his last eight games of the season and has the talent to be that star. The most valuable player on the team this year was Miguel Vargas. But the one who could decide how far they go? That might be Murakami, who led the White Sox with 35 homers in 127 games but also had the second-highest strikeout rate among all qualified MLB hitters. The former NPB star personifies Chicago’s all-or-nothing offense. If Murakami and Colson Montgomery launch balls out of Daikin Park, the White Sox could move on. If they struggle to put the ball in play, Chicago’s magical summer won’t continue deep into autumn. No Judge in the wild-card series means the Yankees need to find their power elsewhere. Rice, who hit 41 home runs this season, is their best source of it. Will they get the guy who had a .948 OPS in May, a .947 OPS in July and a 1.055 OPS in September? Or the guy who had a .657 OPS in June and a .641 OPS in August? The Brewers decided to hold onto Henderson at the deadline rather than include him in a potential Skubal deal. He rewarded them with a 2.22 ERA over 11 second-half starts. Given the uncertainty in the Brewers’ rotation after Misiorowski, Henderson’s success this October will be critical for Milwaukee. Tucker was a league-average hitter this season in the first year of a four-year, $240 million contract in Los Angeles. It was mostly a disaster. But he started to look like a difference-maker down the stretch, slashing .333/.406/.667 with five homers over his final 17 games. If he helps the Dodgers three-peat, it will wipe away the stench of his previous six months of mediocrity. (Honorable mention) Tyler Mahle, SP, Atlanta Braves: The Braves need a starting pitcher they can trust after Sale. Their options are limited and could be their downfall. Mahle, who had a 1.99 ERA in nine starts after getting traded to Atlanta at the deadline, is their best hope to eat up innings. Also worth mentioning: Kyle Schwarber (DH, Philadelphia Phillies), Drew Rasmussen (SP, Tampa Bay Rays), Miguel Vargas (3B, Chicago White Sox), Hunter Brown (SP, Houston Astros), Jackson Chourio (OF, Milwaukee Brewers), Payton Tolle (SP, Boston Red Sox), Jackson Merrill (OF, San Diego Padres), Bryan Baker (RP, Tampa Bay Rays), Mookie Betts (SS, Los Angeles Dodgers), Drake Baldwin (C, Atlanta Braves), George Lombard Jr. (SS, New York Yankees), Didier Fuentes (RP, Atlanta Braves), Ethan Salas (C, San Diego Padres)​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Welcome to “In The Pocket” — my opportunity to take you on a tour around college football and highlight the quarterbacks driving the conversation across the sport. This week, I’m taking a look at some of the quarterbacks who are back for another season of college football, but wearing different uniforms: same faces, new places. These are signal-callers who have already proven they can play at this level, and now they’re making an impact at their new schools. Whether you like it or not, the transfer portal is here to stay. But some of the sport’s top signal-callers are proving that sometimes, a fresh start is exactly what a quarterback needs. Same Faces, New Places The former Tulane and Duke signal-caller left Durham, North Carolina, for greener pastures in sunny Miami this spring. Former Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck — also a transfer. Notice a trend here? — exhausted his college eligibility, which left a void in the team’s QB room. My guess is it wasn’t just about the money for Mensah, but also the opportunity to showcase his skills for a blue-blood program that gave him the best chance to win a national championship. Oh, and by the way, it doesn’t hurt to have one of the best wide receivers in the nation to throw the ball to in Malachi Toney. The two have already developed a chemistry that would even make 2 Live Crew jealous. Mensah’s physical gifts allow him to be a dual-threat quarterback, but he often resists the temptation to scramble, only doing so when necessary. What makes him a true game-changer is his lethal accuracy from the pocket. If there was a component missing from Miami’s offense last season, it was the quarterback’s ability to extend plays. That’s quite the opposite with Mensah. He’s a smooth operator under pressure. Mensah provides offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson with a veteran presence and the command to utilize the entirety of his playbook. One of the most ridiculous stats to showcase through four weeks of the season is that Mensah currently has more touchdown passes (14) than incompletions (12), and he has yet to throw an interception. Another notable stat: Mensah has now started 31 games in his collegiate career, which seems to be a theme among recent national championship-winning quarterbacks — Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Ohio State’s Will Howard and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. In fact, you’d have to go back to former Alabama star Mac Jones in 2020 to find a quarterback with fewer than 20 starts who won a national championship. Keep in mind, Miami has not played a ranked opponent to date, and it won’t until its clash with my Fighting Irish in November. But that road win over Wake Forest is looking better with each week. Mensah has all the ability to ace the remaining tests, starting this week when the Hurricanes head to Death Valley looking to build on their 4-0 start to the season. Limited playing time and a head coaching change led Sam Leavitt to initially transfer from Michigan State back to his West Coast roots. He committed to play for Kenny Dillingham and an Arizona State team that was looking for a spark at the quarterback position. In his first year starting, Leavitt led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth, taking the Texas Longhorns to the wire in the CFP quarterfinals. A disappointing encore, which included a foot injury that required season-ending surgery, opened the door to the Bayou. Early returns this season have been mixed. Leavitt led the Tigers to a pair of impressive wins over Clemson and Texas A&M, but he threw three picks in the team’s Week 2 win over Louisiana Tech, and then went 16-of-27 for 158 yards with a touchdown and an interception in LSU’s loss to Ole Miss. When Leavitt is at his best, LSU can beat anyone in the country. The question is, can Charlie Weis Jr. and Lane Kiffin unlock his full potential and get that version of Leavitt every week? A 6-foot-2, 216-pound junior with flowing locks, Leavitt looks as if he’s casting for a “Remember the Titans” reboot, playing the role of Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass. He has the ability to take off and run, creating a dilemma for defenses and leading to some incredible plays at times. The issue is that he’s often too reliant on his ability to scramble when his first read isn’t there. I’m always hesitant to be overly critical of a quarterback playing in his first year in a system. There are a lot of moving parts, not to mention he’s still developing chemistry with his receivers. The issue is, there seems to be a pattern dating back to Leavitt’s time at Arizona State. When he gets pressured or the game is moving too fast, he looks to escape the pocket instead of keeping his eyes downfield and working through his next read. This past week was a better example of the ceiling Leavitt can offer. He was efficient, took what the defense gave him, got the ball out on time and delivered it to the right read. The offensive staff clearly coached up the mistakes from the previous two weeks, when Leavitt seemed hesitant to pull the trigger. He threw with anticipation and demonstrated why so many were high on him as a transfer quarterback and as a potential NFL Draft prospect. The small things, like stepping up in the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield, allow the Tigers’ offense to take shape. Leavitt’s connection with Winston Watkins Jr. is evident and should only get better as the season continues. There won’t be much to take away from this week’s matchup with McNeese State, but it does give Leavitt another opportunity to develop a rhythm and get more comfortable in this system. The best backup quarterback in college football has to get some love after stepping in for an injured Dante Moore at a crucial moment and leading the Ducks to a huge win in the Coliseum. The former Nebraska quarterback transferred to Oregon knowing he would back up Moore in 2026, with the idea that the Ducks would be better positioned to compete for championships and help improve his NFL draft stock after a lackluster couple of years with the Cornhuskers. At the end of the day, it may be a blessing in disguise for both. Raiola is now needed in a big way for an Oregon team with national championship aspirations after Dante Moore made the surprising decision to return for another year. Moore’s status is now in question after taking a brutal hit to the head from USC LB Desman Stephens II. Head coach Dan Lanning has stated that Moore is “doing much better” and in “recovery mode,” but the Ducks are being cautious with his return. Oregon has a bye before taking on one of the surprises in the Big Ten this season: a 4-0, Top 25-ranked UCLA team. Raiola’s arm talent has never been in question. The concern was throwing off balance when it wasn’t necessary. It’s a small sample size, but it appears that the issue has been addressed, with Raiola only utilizing that ability when necessary. What makes Raiola special, besides his arm talent, is his vision downfield. He processes at a level that allows him to anticipate windows and stretch the field vertically while also knowing when to check the ball down. We may not see him for a while after this past week’s win, but when we do, the Duck won’t miss a beat. One Name To Know … Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor came into the season as an under-the-radar quarterback, but that has quickly changed. The true sophomore signal-caller has led the Bulldogs to a spot in the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since the end of the 2022 season. The Macon, Mississippi, product is the next phenom in college football, standing at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, and blessed with the type of athleticism that makes opposing defensive coordinators sleepless at night. Somehow, his smooth release generates more RPMs than a Dodge Challenger. After a true freshman season in which he didn’t see much playing time until the final weeks, Taylor has led his team to a perfect 4-0 record this season, including road wins over Minnesota and South Carolina and a top-25 upset of Missouri last week. If that didn’t get your attention, maybe this week will. The Bulldogs host No. 7 Alabama, and Taylor will go head-to-head with another top quarterback from the 2025 recruiting class in Keelon Russell. Given the porous pass defenses on both sides, this game should have all the fireworks and splash plays that leave us clamoring for more — and NFL teams salivating while having to wait until the 2028 NFL Draft. Enjoy! What I’m Watching … I could give you a list of games that have my attention this weekend, but one off the beaten path that deserves consideration is the surprising, undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats heading to Tucson to take on a 3-1 Arizona team that suffered a tough road loss to BYU earlier this season. Arizona may be more spoiler than contender in the Big 12 this season, but quarterback Noah Fifita is always a pleasure to watch. The four-year starter is off to another solid start, leading the Big 12 in completion percentage, tied for the lead in touchdown passes and third in passing yards. On the other side is Cincinnati transfer quarterback JC French IV, who arrived from Georgia Southern. Another quarterback who has assimilated well, French has helped fill a huge hole left behind by Brendan Sorsby. French has been the consummate pro this season. A three-year starter who has yet to throw an interception and is completing almost 75% of his passes, he has complete command of the offense. Look for some big plays downfield in this game.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The first three weeks of the season are like a game of two truths and a lie. There might be one performance in the mix that serves as an outlier. But in many case, we’re starting to confirm what the season holds for this crop of quarterbacks. Welcome back to the QB Stock Market. These aren’t your typical QB rankings. I’m focused on monitoring the fluctuations of starters’ performances throughout the season. No one — not even Josh Allen — is safe at the top. No one — not even Cam Ward — is stuck at the bottom. There is room for quick ascent — and rapid decline. One question holds the most importance: What have you done for your team lately? Previous: Offseason | Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 It has been nothing short of astonishing to see Drake Maye dissolve into a puddle of piss-poor performance. Over roughly seven games (four postseason performances in 2025 and three games in 2026), he has gone from being one of the five best quarterbacks to one of the five worst quarterbacks. Maye is on pace to throw for 3,315 passing yards, six touchdowns and 34 interceptions. That’s immediately following a season in which he threw for 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. It’s a total box-score reversal. It would’ve been one thing if Maye simply regressed. But he looks like a different person. Maye ranks 29th in EPA per dropback (-0.21) this year after leading the NFL last season (0.28). That’s the biggest slide for a QB in the history of Next Gen Stats. So what has gone wrong? From my vantage point, coach Mike Vrabel explained it perfectly on WEEI on Monday. “We need to stop trying to choke the life out of every single play. We need to relax,” the Patriots coach told the Boston sports radio show. But therein lies the problem. You cannot simply tell someone to relax. That usually only instigates more stress. Vrabel can’t simply tell Maye to chill out and expect it to work. Because the more you watch all six of Maye’s interceptions, the more you can see that there’s nothing wrong with his throwing motion or his footwork. Any speculation that he’s dealing with a lingering shoulder injury from last year is just that — speculation. The pattern in Maye’s interceptions is just awful, overly aggressive decision-making. It’s a pattern the Patriots will have to reverse this season. And if the Patriots want to make the playoffs, Maye will have to make big changes quickly, because New England heads to Buffalo this week — before hosting the unbeaten Raiders in Week 5. It took all of Sean Payton’s offensive superpowers to help the Broncos overcome Bo Nix’s stinker of a game. Nix was throwing the ball into harm’s way for the entirety of Monday night against the Rams. It’s a miracle he finished with only one interception. It’s an even bigger miracle the Broncos finished with a win. I counted three additional turnover-worthy passes on top of the interception. And then there was the interception that the officials (errantly) negated. That throw was probably the most egregious given the situation. Nix heaved the ball recklessly in the direction of Pat Bryant, who flopped to draw pass interference. If not for the officials falling for Bryant’s flop, Nix would have been credited with throwing a game-sealing interception. The results belied a bad process. Nix was overthrowing his receivers with regularity in Week 3, and his two touchdown passes were on carefully schemed routes and play designs that got the pass-catchers wide open. Even Nix’s best throw — a gorgeous deep ball along the sideline to Courtland Sutton — preceded one of his worst: a pass to Jaylen Waddle in which the receiver broke one way and the QB threw the other. Rams CB Josh Wallace easily got in the way of the throw for an interception. (At least that one counted.) The Broncos are making up for Nix — no one more than Payton. Nix has got to grow. Maybe Denver will keep winning games in the regular season like this. But it’s not going to get it done in the postseason. Sometimes it’s smart to feed your WR1 until the defense stops him. And in the case of Drake London, the Packers never figured out how to do that. Michael Penix Jr. may be a quick passer and a quick thinker on the field. But London took all the thinking out of it. The QB and WR linked up for nine completions on 10 attempts for 194 yards. That accounted for the majority of the Falcons’ passing attack, with Penix going 18 for 25 with 256 yards, one touchdown and an interception in his season debut. He came out shaky, perhaps a bit rusty from his offseason recovering from yet another season-ending injury. Penix’s early mistakes included an interception, an intentional grounding penalty and a few dangerous throws. It all left me initially concerned about what he might have to contend with in the game, especially considering how putrid Cooper Rush looked in this offense. But Penix began to feed London as a complement to Bijan Robinson going off for 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns. There’s no doubt that Robinson can go off on any given week. But London? He’s not the class of receiver who can dominate for the next 14 weeks of the season. Penix will have to give up his safety blanket and distribute the ball to all his weapons. And there are many, from Robinson to Kyle Pitts to Jahan Dotson to Austin Hooper to rookie receiver Zachariah Branch. It’s sort of a good thing for Matthew Stafford that Drake Maye has been such an abomination, because the Patriots QB has provided cover for the Rams QB following their tight MVP race last year. It’s not like Stafford has been outwardly bad. As you can see, I still think highly of him. But he’s definitely not in the discussion with the QB elites this year. Not even close. Among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks, Stafford has regressed to .02 expected points added per dropback (7th) — down from .19 in 2025, per Next Gen Stats. His completions over expected is just 1.7% (9th). He’s thrown for six touchdowns but also four interceptions. And of course, the Rams are now 1-2 after their messy and embarrassing loss to the Broncos. This is a season where there hasn’t been a lot of consistency at the quarterback position across the league. It was easy to give Stafford a pass for his performance in Australia. But in Denver, he had to do way too much, throwing 30 of 55 for 390 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He saw pressure on 39.3% of his throws, per Next Gen Stats. Against pressure, he was 6 of 20 for 81 yards and an interception (a pick-six, no less). I don’t want to say he looked old. But … he did. It’s likely that Puka Nacua will cure basically many of the Rams’ offensive ills. It’s not just that Nacua is always open. It’s that he gets open quickly, providing an easy and explosive option for Stafford in the quick game, particularly against — you guessed it — pressure. But the Rams aren’t the superteam we thought they were. And that’s, in part, because Stafford hasn’t looked like the MVP that he was last year. We’re beginning to forget that Trevor Lawrence was once touted as the best prospect in a decade. And that’s actually a good thing. Lawrence has a profound (and newfound) reliability to his game that he’d lacked before head coach Liam Coen arrived in Jacksonville last year. The former No. 1 overall pick actually had a ho-hum performance in a thorough walloping of the Patriots, completing 19 of 29 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. He took just one sack. But most impressive, he was totally unaffected by pressure, finishing 6 of 8 for 64 yards with a +20.1% completion percentage over expected. And that’s because the game keeps slowing down for him. My favorite play of the day wasn’t one of his touchdowns. (Though, his beautifully shaped score to Jakobi Meyers was awesome.) It was a simple 5-yard pickup on first down. And that’s because it showed why things ran so smoothly for Lawrence in Week 3. Before the snap, Lawrence sniffed out New England’s blitz. That comes from good film study and strong awareness at the line of scrimmage. So Lawrence moved the members of his backfield into a different position to help with pass protection. Lawrence then got the ball out quickly for a short gain — and, most importantly, he avoided the potential for a disastrous surprise, which must have been what the Patriots had in mind with a seemingly random all-out blitz on first down. Lawrence wasn’t good against the Broncos in Week 2, so I’m not ready to crown him an MVP candidate. But with Justin Herbert and Jordan Love struggling this year, Lawrence is the clubhouse leader for the Nerd’s Choice Award Winner in 2026. It’s an award I just made up that honors the QB whose stats don’t properly represent the massive impact he’s having on his team. There often seems to be something special brewing in Baltimore around Lamar Jackson. This year is no exception. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle — the first apple to fall from the “Ben Johnson Tree of Coaching” — has delivered upon the hype. Doyle is dressing up the Ravens’ offense nicely to get Zay Flowers the windows he needs to get the ball. If not for Flowers’ hamstring injury, I don’t think it’s crazy to wonder if he might be leading the NFL in receiving yards. He currently sits at 11th with 234. He’s been that good on his 26 routes run, a minuscule number. He has roughly the same number of receiving yards, for example, as Garrett Wilson (243), who has run four times the number of routes (102). But it’s not just about Flowers. It’s about the way Baltimore is using Rashod Bateman. It’s about the way it’s using rookie tight end Matt Hibner. And even old reliable Mark Andrews. Just wait until training camp star receiver Jakobi Lane returns to the lineup. The rookie should be a high-impact player. How many times have we wondered if the Ravens have the playmakers to help out Jackson? (Countless times.) Turns out it wasn’t the playmakers. It was the play designer. Jackson is playing as well as any QB in the NFL. We saw him exchange punches with the Cowboys all the way to the final second, where he exposed Dallas’ idiocy on defense. With only seven seconds remaining, Jackson dropped the ball into the perfect spot on the field and with perfect timing. I haven’t pulled punches with my criticisms of the Cowboys, but let’s also give credit where credit is due. It’s no coincidence that Jackson exposed the defense. It’s because he’s still really, really good.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There are five undefeated teams left in the NFL, but only three are good enough to be in the top 10. One barely made it into the top 20, showing how much they still need to prove. So no, winning isn’t everything, especially this early in the season, and especially considering the number of upsets there were in Week 3. Here’s a look at where my NFL Power Rankings stand heading into Week 4. *Super Bowl odds courtesy of DraftKings Super Bowl odds: +100000Next game: @ Vikings (4:05 p.m. ET) They hung with the Kansas City Chiefs until the final three minutes on Sunday, and they should hang a banner and print up some hats and T-shirts for that, because that’s probably as good as it’s going to get. They were already in deep trouble offensively, and now they’ve lost RB De’Von Achane for the season with a knee injury. That hurts even more because he would’ve been their biggest trading chip, too. Now, a lost season has turned completely hopeless. Seriously, who could the Dolphins possibly beat? Their schedule isn’t terrible, and it’s still nearly impossible to find a win. Stat To Know: Miami has now started 0-3 in consecutive seasons (2025-2026) for the first time since 1968-1969. Super Bowl odds: +50000Next game: @ Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) At some point, Cam Ward and the offense are going to show some improvement, right? If not, the Robert Saleh era in Nashville will be a short one. Ward was terrible for most of three quarters in a rain-soaked game against the Giants. But even when he got things going, he still ruined it with an awful throw (and decision) for a game-ending interception. They fought the Giants and the Eagles hard, mostly thanks to their defense. But Ward still hasn’t looked like the No. 1 overall pick of last year’s draft. In fact, he’s really been the third-best QB of that generally weak class. Good luck turning that impression around with the Ravens and the Texans up next. Stat To Know: After their loss to the Giants, the Titans have started 0-3 in three consecutive seasons. Super Bowl odds: +10000Next game: vs. Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They are an absolute mess, and Baker Mayfield is now hurt. But honestly, he wasn’t playing well before his thumb injury. He’s got two TD passes in three games, and he looks unbelievably out of sync with No. 1 target Emeka Egbuka. The numbers say Todd Bowles’ defense is good, but they’re really propped up by back-to-back games against the QB-challenged Browns and Vikings. At this point, he has to be the odds-on favorite to be the first coach fired this season. And maybe soon if he can’t find wins against the Packers, Cowboys or Steelers in the next three weeks. Stat To Know: After their loss to the Vikings, the Buccaneers are now 2-10 and in their last 12 games dating back to last season. Super Bowl odds: +6500Next game: @ Seahawks (4:25 p.m. ET) They’re probably too talented to be ranked this low. Then again, this has been the most consistently overrated team in the NFL for about a decade now, so maybe this is just about right. The reality is they’re 0-3 and facing a brutal schedule that could leave them 0-9. They played the Bills close, and that’s nice. But next up is Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, the Rams, Houston, Baltimore. Maybe it’s time for Justin Herbert to elevate his team a little? It would also help if his offensive line would protect him and if WR Quentin Johnston would just hold on to the ball. Stat To Know: The Chargers have now scored fewer than 20 points in six straight games dating back to last season (regular season and playoffs). This is their longest such streak since 1998. Super Bowl odds: +20000Next game: @ Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Geno Smith has been unexpectedly good. He threw for 321 yards and three TDs in a loss to Detroit on Sunday. He also has yet to throw an interception this year. And the Jets’ defense has been good, for the most part. Even giving up 31 points and 381 yards to the powerful Lions is about average. Don’t get me wrong, the Jets still won’t win many games, but they’re a heck of a lot more watchable. If the Jets can get through a trip to Chicago on Sunday, they’ve got a very winnable stretch — vs. Cleveland, at New England, vs. Miami, vs. Las Vegas — coming up. Stat To Know: Kenyon Sadiq’s 105 receiving yards is the most in a game by a Jets rookie tight end since Dustin Keller had 107 yards on Nov 9, 2008. Super Bowl odds: +30000Next game: @ Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They really do have some impressive, young, offensive weapons. Head coach Mike LaFleur probably can do a lot this season with RB Jeremiyah Love, WR Michael Wilson and TE Trey McBride. Maybe he’ll eventually get something out of WR Marvin Harrison Jr., too. And QB Jacoby Brissett sure will throw a lot of passes for a lot of yards. But that might just mean they’re going to lose a lot of high-scoring games. Arizona will have a shot to beat the broken-down Giants this week. But this team lives in the NFC West, so it’s going to take a lot of lumps. Stat To Know: Jacoby Brissett’s 38 completions against the 49ers marked the third-most in a single game in Cardinals franchise history. Super Bowl odds: +5500Next game: @ Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) This is for all the Packers fans who screamed at me for having them too low when I ranked them … 16th. Was the embarrassing loss at home to the Falcons on Thursday night enough to convince you I’m right about this team? They are a fluky, overtime win against the Jets away from being ranked in the 30s. Turns out, they can’t run at all without the suspended Josh Jacobs. Given the passing trio of QB Jordan Love-WR Matthew Golden-WR Christian Watson, they should be way better than this. The Packers better prove it in Tampa this week, though. Otherwise, look out below! Stat To Know: The Packers allowed 35 points on Thursday, their most in a home opener since 1971. This is also the first time since 2012 that the Packers have lost their home opener, ending a 13 year streak that was tied for the longest such winning streak in NFL history. Super Bowl odds: +12000Next game: @ Saints (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET) What in the name of Bijan Robinson was that last Thursday night? This team was a contender for the 32nd spot in this ranking — maybe even the favorite. Then Robinson and WR Drake London just went off versus the Packers. Could it be that all they were missing was the competent play of QB Michael Penix Jr.? Maybe head coach Kevin Stefanski can turn this sinking ship around now that he has the right guy at the helm. I need to see it again, though. And I’m not sure whether that will happen because the road ahead is rough, with the Saints, Ravens, Bears and 49ers coming up in October. Stat To Know: This was the third game in which Bijan Robinson had 150+ rushing yards and Drake London had 150+ receiving yards, the most by any pair of teammates in NFL history. Super Bowl odds: +8000Next game: vs. Colts (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET in London) Marcus Mariota pulled off a big and impressive upset against the defending champs (albeit with the help of some errant throws by Seattle QB Sam Darnold). And that was huge for this battered team, knowing that starting QB Jayden Daniels’ return may only be a couple of weeks away. The Commanders didn’t get much of a running game — and now RB Rachaad White is hurt — and Dan Quinn’s defense offered little resistance until two late interceptions. So there are still issues to be fixed. Mariota’s mission is to keep them afloat until Daniels is back. The Colts and Giants are up next, so he’s got a shot. Stat To Know: The Commanders snapped a six-game home losing streak in their win over the Seahawks. Super Bowl odds: +20000Next game: vs. Steelers (Thursday night, 8:15 p.m. ET) Two in a row for the Browns? They are so giddy in Cleveland that their fans are suddenly even cheering for Deshaun Watson. He’s still not doing a lot with his array of young weapons (such as WRs Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion and TE Harold Fannin), and their success has been more about their Jared Verse-led defense. But hey, they’re out of the cellar, so deal with it. It’ll make for a fun rivalry game against the Steelers on Thursday night. Stat To Know: With their win over the Panthers, the Browns are now 4-1 in their last five games dating back to last season. Super Bowl odds: +3500Next game: vs. Cowboys (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Their defense is too good for this team to be 0-3. But their offense is comically bad, which is why they keep falling. C.J. Stroud hasn’t been a force since he was a rookie, and he has definitely been bad enough to drag them down. Their running duo of David Montgomery and Woody Marks is as bad as it gets, too, probably thanks to a shaky offensive line. Here’s the good news: The Texans were 0-3 last year and still made the playoffs and even won a playoff game, and they’re also about to enter the softest part of an already soft schedule. But here’s the bad news: It’s not last year anymore. Stat To Know: The Texans have fallen to 0-3 in back-to-back seasons. The only teams to make the playoffs after an 0-3 start since 2000 are the 2025 Texans and the 2018 Texans. Can they do it again? Super Bowl odds: +15000Next game: vs. Cardinals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They beat the Titans in an ugly, wet game, and they’re 2-1, so I get that their fans will be outraged (what else is new?) that they both dropped and are ranked this low. Maybe that’s unfair, and maybe they’ll be OK with games against the Cardinals and Commanders coming up. They certainly could emerge 4-1. But Jameis Winston’s play on Sunday exposed a quarterback problem that won’t go away anytime soon with Jaxson Dart out for the season. And now their best defender, edge rusher Brian Burns, is out for the season. It’ll take some wizardry from John Harbaugh to keep this team afloat. It’s not impossible, but it won’t be easy either. Stat To Know: Sunday marked the Giants’ first win in their last seven games without Jaxson Dart at quarterback. Super Bowl odds: +9000Next game: vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Yes, this is ridiculously low for a 3-0 team. I get it. But they had a very soft opening, and their schedule is about to get rock hard over the next eight weeks. Besides, do you really believe Kirk Cousins can keep this up? Nine TDs and three interceptions hasn’t been a standard ratio for him in a while. And the Raiders still haven’t really gotten RB Ashton Jeanty going. Las Vegas’ bigger issue, though? They’ll get the Chiefs, Bills, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos over the next eight games. So enjoy this record now, while you still can. It’s hard to see the Raiders pushing much higher. Stat To Know: Before Sunday, the last time the Raiders scored 30+ points in a regular-season game was on Dec. 14, 2023. It snapped a 39-game streak without reaching 30 points. Super Bowl odds: +7000Next game: @ Commanders (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET in London) They showed the Houston Texans what a good defense really looks like — which is incredible considering how bad the Colts defense was the first two games. I mean, they went from giving up more than 500 yards per game to giving up only 223 in Week 3. The Texans’ offense isn’t good, but still, that’s an impressive turnaround. If the Colts can get defensive efforts like that, they have more than enough on offense with QB Daniel Jones and RB Jonathan Taylor to make a run at the playoffs. Good news for the Colts: They won’t face a really good offensive team again until they travel to Jacksonville in November. Stat To Know: The Colts snapped a five-game losing streak vs. the Texans on Sunday. Super Bowl odds: +2800Next game: @ Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) If Jerry Jones’ old man money is really going to be “dangerous,” he better do something with it soon, because his expensive defense is blowing yet another season. Two sacks, no interceptions … and has anyone seen Jones’ prize DTs Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark? Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb can’t do it all for this team. And all it would’ve taken was just a little defense to prevent the Cowboys’ heartbreaking, last-second loss to the Ravens in Rio on Sunday. The Cowboys have the Texans, Bucs and Packers next — three teams with offensive issues. It’s really now or never for the Dallas D. Stat To Know: CeeDee Lamb notched his 29th career 100-yard receiving game, ranking second in Cowboys franchise history behind only Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. Super Bowl odds: +2400Next game: @ Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Remember when everyone thought Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye were going to start another New England dynasty? Yeah, those were fun times … eight months ago. Since then, Maye has gone from near-MVP to turnover machine. And still, it’s hard to say who’s dragging the defending AFC champs down more: him or head coach Mike Vrabel. They can’t run, their defense was a sieve this past weekend against Jacksonville, Maye is a mess … and the defending AFC champs could be finished if they lose in Buffalo this weekend. Stat To Know: Drake Maye is the first quarterback since 2007 with only one passing touchdown and at least six interceptions through his first three games of a season. Super Bowl odds: +10000Next game: vs. Lions (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET) Losing in Cleveland isn’t the embarrassment it used to be, but it still hurts that the Panthers only got in the end zone once. And that’s why the Panthers are languishing in the middle of these rankings. Bryce Young leads the NFL in passing yards, and with weapons like RB Chuba Hubbard and WRs Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan, they are capable of fireworks. But they couldn’t get McMillan going on Sunday and couldn’t find another way to win. Expect more offensive fireworks when they face the Lions on Sunday night. Carolina just needs to figure out how to stop Detroit, too. Stat To Know: Bryce Young has reached 939 passing yards through three games, the second-most passing yards through the first 3 games of a season in Panthers history. Super Bowl odds: +8000Next game: vs. Falcons (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET) They are so close to being a 3-0 team, and yet they are 1-2 and really so far away. Their latest … um … fumble came against the Raiders when their last four possessions ended with three fumbles and an interception. That spoiled what was previously a brilliant game by QB Tyler Shough. With Shough, WR Chris Olave, and head coach Kellen Moore’s offensive mind, New Orleans will always score points (though the hamstring injury to RB Travis Etienne hurts). The Saints belong in the top 15. To stay here, they have to stop their stretches of playing stupid. Stat To Know: Juwan Johnson (2 TDs) and Noah Fant (2 TDs) became only the third pair of tight end teammates in NFL history to each catch 2+ touchdown passes in the same game. Super Bowl odds: +5000Next game: @ Browns (Thursday night, 8:15 p.m. ET) Aaron Rodgers going throw-for-throw with Joe Burrow at his age, and after his ugly start to the season, wasn’t on anybody’s Bingo card. He even dusted off DK Metcalf, his forgotten No. 1 receiver, and RB Jaylen Warren had a big game with Rico Dowdle out. Beating the Bengals was huge, surprising (at least to me), and deserving of a big jump, even if none of this is exactly how head coach Mike McCarthy drew it up. It was the first sign of life from the Steelers’ stagnant offense. There are no defensive juggernauts in the next five weeks before their bye week, so they’ve got a chance to go on a run if they can keep the scoring up. Stat To Know: Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy reached 100 regular-season wins together, becoming the seventh starting quarterback–head coach duo to hit that mark. They’re the only duo to do it across two teams. Super Bowl odds: +1900Next game: @ Panthers (Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET) There aren’t many more dynamic offenses in the NFL, and few teams can boast a dynamic duo like RB Jahmyr Gibbs and WR Amon-Ra St-Brown. This team is a juggernaut, averaging more than 31 points per game. But man, does their defense stink. And it shouldn’t, not with defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (3.5 sacks), yet it still does. You know who the Lions remind me of? Last year’s Cowboys. The offense is unstoppable, but it’s the trainwreck defense that’s keeping them out of the top 10. Stat To Know: This is the first time in Lions franchise history that they have scored 30+ points in each of their first three games of a season. Super Bowl odds: +2400Next game: vs. Dolphins (4:05 p.m. ET) Please move quickly and calmly to your seats as you hop on the bandwagon of this surprisingly 3-0 team. It’s surprising because while QB Kyler Murray is back, he’s still not very good. But Brian Flores’ defense is phenomenal, and Kevin O’Connell is still one of the elite head coaches in the league. If the latter can get anything more out of Murray, this team will be really dangerous. They could also get rolling with the Dolphins and Saints up next. Keep an eye on the ankle injury to WR Justin Jefferson. He’s one player the Vikings need, especially for Murray to have the bounce-back season O’Connell hopes he will. Stat To Know: After Sunday’s win over the Bucs, the Vikings have now won eight straight games dating back to 2025. Super Bowl odds: +1700Next game: vs. Rams (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) The Eagles didn’t look right through their first two games — getting narrow wins over the Commanders and Titans — and that haunted them as they stepped up in competition in Chicago. Jalen Hurts didn’t do much through the air or on the ground. Saquon Barkley seemed to stop running after the first quarter. And the Eagles’ defense just makes way too many mistakes. The loss might not matter in what looks like a really weak NFC East, but Philly got the Rams and Jaguars the next two weeks, and defeats in those games could send the Eagles spiraling. Stat To Know: Monday was the Eagles’ first loss in the month of September since Sept. 29, 2024, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Super Bowl odds: +2200Next game: @ Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) It feels like Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars haven’t come close to their best game yet. Liam Coen’s offense hasn’t been anything special. Lawrence had his second straight game with less than 200 yards passing. RB Bhayshul Tuten still hasn’t topped 75 rushing yards in a game. And yet Jacksonville still won two of its three games by two-plus touchdowns. Go figure. Maybe it’s because those wins were against Cleveland and New England. I want to believe. I really do. But we will probably learn a lot more about this offense in Cincinnati next week. Stat To Know: Jacksonville is 10-1 in its last 11 regular-season games, the best record in the NFL over that span. Super Bowl odds: +670Next game: @ Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) I still love everything about this Rams team, but I’m starting to think their brutal schedule might be a little too much for them in the long run. They looked worn down against the Broncos, especially late in the game. They still are a top-10 team and might be even better once star defensive end Myles Garrett and WR Puka Nacua return. In Week 3, the Rams should’ve done better on a night when Matthew Stafford threw for nearly 400 yards. Too many late mistakes (including some by Stafford) killed them. That could be a problem against their next two opponents — the Eagles and Bills — too. Stat To Know: Matthew Stafford became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 20,000 yards with two franchises. But he also set a less welcome record: the most pick-sixes thrown in NFL history. Super Bowl odds: +900Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They pulled out a wild win on a bad field in Rio versus the Cowboys, despite another shaky effort from Jesse Minter’s defense. The Ravens probably belong in the top 10, though, as long as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry stay healthy, because that remains one of the most lethal 1-2 punches in the league. This Ravens defense has a shot to get on track with a relatively soft stretch of games against Tennessee, Atlanta and Cleveland up next. That’s Baltimore’s chance to make an early run. Stat To Know: The Ravens are now 16-1 (.941) in road regular-season games against non-conference (NFC) opponents since the start of the 2019 season, the best mark in the NFL over that span. Super Bowl odds: +1700Next game: vs. Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) What happened to the Bengals defense from the first two games? They made Aaron Rodgers suddenly look young again. The way Joe Burrow is clicking with both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it should be hard for anyone to hang with the Cincinnati offense, let alone a 42-year-old QB. Maybe it was just one bad week. Clearly, that’s what I’m counting on by keeping them ranked this high. But it was enough to keep them out of the top five heading into what could be a high-octane showdown against the Jags. Stat To Know: Joe Burrow recorded his 14th career game with 3+ passing TDs and 0 INTs, passing Boomer Esiason (13) for the third-most in Bengals history. Super Bowl odds: +2400Next game: vs. Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They made it look surprisingly easy against the Eagles on Monday night, even with third-stringer Case Keenum at QB, and they didn’t even need to lean on their powerful 1-2 RB punch of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. It was a reminder of what an elite mind head coach Ben Johnson is, even when he doesn’t have everything working. Chicago still needs a healthy Caleb Williams to be a real Super Bowl contender. But even without him, not many teams are better. And with the Jets, Packers, Falcons and Patriots up next, the Bears might not be challenged again until Williams is back anyway. Stat To Know: Case Keenum is just the sixth quarterback in NFL history to record at least 240 passing yards, two-plus passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in a single game at age 38 or older. Super Bowl odds: +1000Next game: vs. Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) They got QB Sam Darnold back, and he mostly lit the Commanders up. But his two interceptions were the entire difference in the game. I’ll assume that’s an anomaly for the defending champs, though. Mike Macdonald’s defense mostly throttled the Commanders, and it has looked championship-caliber through the first three weeks. Expect the tandem of Darnold and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to get back on track against the Chargers in Week 4. Stat To Know: Jaxon Smith-Njigba joined Jerry Rice (1989) as the only players with at least 120 receiving yards and a touchdown in each of their first three games of a season. Smith-Njigba also joined Marvin Harrison Sr. (1999) as the only players with at least 400 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns through three games. Super Bowl odds: +1050Next game: @ Raiders (4:25 p.m. ET) Everyone was finally convinced they were back to their old, dynastic selves, and then they go and let a terrible Dolphins team hang around for an awfully long time. But they are 3-0 and not every game can be perfect, I guess. They’re on the rise, though. They have a whole new dimension with RB Kenneth Walker III, and they still have the ever-dangerous Patrick Mahomes and an array of weapons. Kansas City also has a pretty soft schedule. With the Raiders up next, they’re looking at 4-0 heading into their bye. So I have a feeling this isn’t the last stop on their climb up the charts. Stat To Know: With the Chiefs win on Sunday, Patrick Mahomes passed Tom Brady for the third-most wins by a player in his first 10 seasons since 1950. Super Bowl odds: +2000Next game: @ 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) They had a second half for the ages against the Rams, maybe with a little help from the officials. If they could just get QB Bo Nix and their offense going a little sooner, they’d be a scary team. But they certainly have the defense to play against anyone, and Sean Payton may be the best coach in the NFL when his team is playing from behind. They’ve already come from behind twice to win this year. And yes, I know they were blitzed by the Chiefs in Week 1, and they are still ranked ahead of them. These are power rankings, not standings. Thanks for your continued concern. Stat To Know: Since the start of 2025, Bo Nix now has seven fourth-quarter comebacks and nine game-winning drives, which is the most in the NFL in that span. Super Bowl odds: +900Next game: vs. Broncos (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Their defense had an alarmingly soft stretch in the second half on Sunday, but their Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey-led attack is clicking on all cylinders. And when that happens, this team looks like the best team in the NFC. Losing WR Mike Evans to a rib injury could hurt, but Deebo Samuel should be able to step into a bigger role. And they have a whole mess of injuries on defense, including a big one to DE Nick Bosa. Nobody has been better in recent years at getting production out of his backups than head coach Kyle Shanahan, though. He’ll have to work that old magic quickly, though, with the Broncos and Seahawks coming up next. Stat To Know: The 49ers have now started 3-0 for the third time in the past four seasons. Super Bowl odds: +670Next game: vs. Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They had a ridiculous five turnovers on Sunday, not to mention 10 penalties, and Josh Allen was far from his best. But the Bills hung around and their MVP-caliber QB was still clutch when it mattered. That’s what Allen does better than anyone in the league, and as long as he’s healthy, they’re going to be a hard team for anyone to beat. No, their defense isn’t great, but the tandem of Allen and RB James Cook is built to bludgeon and outscore opponents, so they’re fine in high-scoring games. And now, next week against the Patriots, they can turn the AFC East race into a runaway. The big test of their power comes in two weeks in L.A. against the Rams. Stat To Know: The Bills won despite a minus-four turnover margin, their first victory with a margin that poor since beating the Colts in 1997. Jim Harbaugh started at quarterback for Indianapolis in that game.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Did National Tight Ends Day come early this year? It certainly felt like it if you were glued to NFL action all day on Sunday. In fact, tight ends accounted for 20 of the touchdowns scored across the 13 games on Sunday, which was the most touchdowns scored by tight ends across the league on a single day in NFL history. Unfortunately, for all the tight ends that scored over the weekend, only one of them can make our All-Star Team for Week 3. As we pick our top standouts from each position and the top team offensive line performance over the weekend, here are our Week 3 All-Stars. For all the talk of the 49ers’ injured receivers, Brock Purdy has been amazing to open the season. He has nine touchdown passes against one interception for a league-best 133.1 passer rating, 17 points higher than anyone else. He threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns without a pick as the 49ers held off the Cardinals to improve to 3-0. Mike Evans is injured now, so there’s even less talent to throw to. It wasn’t a huge week for quarterbacks, though. Marcus Mariota (three touchdown passes, no picks) was perhaps the next best option, filling in for Jayden Daniels and leading the Washington Commanders to an upset win over the Seattle Seahawks. These were seemingly the top two picks in every fantasy football draft, and this week was a reminder why. Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson had huge games with 25-plus touches each. Gibbs rushed 20 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns while catching seven passes for 65 and another score in the Detroit Lions’ victory over the New York Jets. That came after Robinson had a huge Thursday game, rushing for 194 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns to help the Atlanta Falcons stun the Green Bay Packers on the road. Kenneth Walker III nearly landed on this list for a third straight week, rushing for two touchdowns in the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Miami Dolphins. Derrick Henry also rushed for two touchdowns this weekend, helping the Baltimore Ravens beat the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil as he nearly earned his second weekly All-Star nod of the season. Not a ton of obvious challengers here, just like there was at quarterback. Jaxon Smith-Njigba actually lost, so his 10 catches for 128 yards and two scores might be vulnerable, but the biggest yardage games were zero-TD types. It marks the third straight game that Smith-Njigba has logged at least 120 receiving yards, too. And it’s wild to have two Falcons on this team, but Drake London put up 194 receiving yards in Thursday’s rout of the Packers, clicking with Michael Penix Jr. in the third-year quarterback’s first start of the season. So, even without a score, London gets the nod over the Cincinnati Bengals standout Tee Higgins (six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers). As we mentioned earlier, it was a monster day for tight ends across the league, with a record 20 touchdowns caught at the position. The Las Vegas Raiders-New Orleans Saints game had six tight end touchdowns! But we’ll give the nod to George Kittle, who had six catches for 82 and two scores. It was tempting to look at Cleveland Browns second-year standout Harold Fannin (51 yards, two touchdowns in a win over the Carolina Panthers) or the healthy return of Raiders star Brock Bowers, who had 10 for 116 and a score as Las Vegas improved to 3-0. It was a proud week for tight ends everywhere, though. Let’s just say we gave real consideration here to going 12 personnel and doubling up on tight ends instead of receivers. There were actually quite a few zero-sack showings from offensive lines this week, as we could have easily gone to the Ravens, 49ers, Chiefs or Falcons that way. For sheer dominance, we’ll go with the Jacksonville Jaguars and their starting five (left to right) of Anton Harrison, Emmanuel Pregnon, Robert Hainsey, Ezra Cleveland and Cole Van Lanen, in controlling the line in a 35-6 rout of the New England Patriots. The Jaguars rushed for 137 yards on 30 carries and Trevor Lawrence had only one sack in 30 dropbacks. Jacksonville has the second-best point differential in the league at plus-46 behind only San Francisco, and its line has been a solid part of that. Greg Rousseau continues to put up big numbers every week, with two more sacks to give him a league-leading six on the season. He also had four tackles for loss and three QB hits in the Buffalo Bills’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers, so he leads the position here. There were also lots of compelling games from defensive linemen and edge rushers in losing efforts. Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young all had multi-sack days, with Anderson leading that group with 2.5 sacks. But we’ll go with Mason Graham, who now has four sacks in three games after totaling 0.5 sacks as a rookie. He had two sacks in the Browns’ win over the Carolina Panthers. That defense is a surprising part of Cleveland’s 2-1 start, showing they can create pressure without Myles Garrett. The Raiders continue to validate their success with each win, and Nakobe Dean was all over their win on Sunday. He had 12 tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble, with that fumble serving as the game-sealing play in their win over the Saints. You could make a case for 49ers star Fred Warner piling up 17 tackles in San Francisco’s win, but 12 of them came on gains of 5 yards or more. Also considered: Vikings lineback Eric Wilson, who had 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a key part of Minnesota’s six-sack day. Talanoa Hufanga is the runaway winner here. He had the game-sealing interception in the end zone after a pick-six in the final five minutes to put the Denver Broncos ahead. To do that against the Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford is no easy task, and if the Broncos are able to get back atop the AFC West, this is the kind of comeback win that will be remembered, with Hufanga at the center of that wild finish. Minnesota won with its defense in Tampa on Sunday, but Price’s 86-yard touchdown on a punt return gave the Vikings a 10-0 early lead and helped put the Bucs in an early hole. Special teams had been a strong suit for the Bucs in their first two games, but Price’s score was ultimately the difference in a hard-fought, six-point final margin of victory.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

With Caleb Williams out, the Chicago Bears needed Case Keenum to provide a steady presence in their Monday matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Keenum delivered, and then some. Keenum, who entered the season as the Bears’ third-string quarterback and hadn’t started a game since 2023, played nearly flawless football. He completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns to go with a rushing score, leading the Bears to a decisive 27-7 victory. Here are my takeaways from the Monday night matchup that Chicago fans will forever know as the Case Keenum Game: Monday night brought a new challenge for Ben Johnson’s reputation as a top offensive mind: Can he pull off a big win with a backup quarterback? Taking the field without Caleb Williams for the first time, Johnson’s answer, a 38-year-old Case Keenum in his first NFL snaps since 2023, was a resounding yes. Chicago’s defense helped out with three takeaways, but Keenum earned the win himself, throwing for touchdown passes to Luther Burden and Kalif Raymond against an Eagles team that came into the game 2-0. The Bears had already seen highs and lows offensively, scoring 59 points in an opening win over Carolina before a three-point showing in a rainy slog of a loss to Minnesota. For Keenum, the journeyman now has a cool piece of NFL history, joining Ryan Fitzpatrick as the only quarterbacks to start and win games with seven different NFL teams. For Keenum, that covers the Texans, the Rams (in both St. Louis and Los Angeles), the Vikings, the Broncos, the Commanders, the Browns and now the Bears. For the Bears and Johnson, they continue to keep pace in a talented NFC North, behind the surprising 3-0 Vikings and even at 2-1 with the Lions. Chicago stays home to face the Jets on Sunday before a biggest test at Green Bay in Week 5. With the Eagles’ loss, they fell into a tie with the New York Giants at 2-1 atop the NFC East, on a day that New York traded a fifth-round pick to acquire quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings. The Washington Commanders got their first win Sunday, upsetting the Seattle Seahawks, and the Dallas Cowboys are 1-2 with the highest-scoring offense (and defense) in the division. Philadelphia’s offensive woes continued on Monday, though. The Eagles mustered only seven points against a Bears defense that gave up 37 two weeks ago to Carolina. Jalen Hurts threw for just 153 yards on 25 attempts, and Saquon Barkley rushed for 82 but couldn’t get into the end zone for a third game in a row. What’s more, the Eagles’ next two games are at home against the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars – neither an easy opponent – while the Giants host the Cardinals and go to the Commanders, so it’s reasonable to think the Giants could be alone atop the NFC East entering Week 6. The Giants and Eagles play in Philadelphia in Week 9 and then close the regular season against each other at MetLife in Week 18, with plenty of division games for Washington and Dallas to get involved as well. The first half had two and nearly three drives that got to the 1-yard line but did not result in any points. First, the Bears thought they had a Colston Loveland touchdown, but after review, he was ruled down inside the 1-yard line. D’Andre Swift was dropped for a 2-yard loss, Case Keenum threw an incomplete pass and the Bears went for it on fourth-and-goal, with Keenum’s pass broken up by Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. The drive that followed was even tougher, with the Eagles also driving to the 1-yard line. Jalen Hurts was hit hard as he went out of bounds and was pulled for the game to check for a concussion. While he was out, Saquon Barkley ran to the 1-yard line, and again, the drive stalled. Barkley was dropped for a 1-yard loss, and on third-and-goal from the 2, backup Andy Dalton was intercepted in the end zone by rookie safety Dillon Thieneman. The Eagles nearly did it again just before halftime. With no timeouts and 11 seconds left, Hurts threw a pass to DeVonta Smith, but he was stopped at the 1. With the final seconds ticking off, the Eagles quickly lined up and got the snap off in the final second, with Hurts diving in for a touchdown. Had he attempted to spike the ball to stop the clock, it didn’t look like he’d have done it in time. And just like the Eagles, the Bears avenged their previous 1-yard line shortcoming when Keenum scored a 1-yard QB sneak that extended the Bears’ lead to 27-7. How rare is it for an NFL team to drive 90-plus yards and not score? There were 81 drives of 90 yards and longer last year, and only five of them failed to yield points: 74 touchdowns, two field goals, three interceptions, one fumble and one turnover on downs. It’s worth noting that two of those came against Chicago: one field goal and a Dak Prescott interception for Dallas. Before Monday, the Eagles’ last 11 drives of 90-plus yards had all resulted in touchdowns.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The biggest disappointments in the NFL so far this season? That’s easy: Patriots quarterback and 2025 MVP runner-up Drake Maye and the 1-2 Packers. What about the biggest surprise? The 3-0 Raiders, even with No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza yet to take a snap. Meanwhile, pressure is already mounting on 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward just three games into his second season with the Titans. All these teams are represented in my best and worst superlatives coming out of Week 3. In this edition, I focus on individual plays, offenses and overall team performance. Let’s dive in. Remember last season when kicker Tyler Loop missed the field goal in Baltimore’s regular-season finale against Pittsburgh that would’ve sent the Ravens to the playoffs? Afterward, remember how then-Ravens coach John Harbaugh consoled Loop on the way to the locker room? That’s part of what makes his 56-yard, game-winning field goal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — the kick that lifted the Ravens past the Dallas Cowboys 34-31 as time expired — so awesome. In his first chance at a walk-off field goal since that Week 18 miss last season, Loop rose to the occasion. And he’s been delivering since the season began. A brief competition with veteran Jake Moody after Loop went 3-of-8 on field goals in the preseason ended when he went 2-for-2 in the Ravens’ 41-23 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, hitting from 57 and 45 yards. Baltimore released Moody from its practice squad after that performance. A sixth-round pick last year, Loop is 5-for-6 on field goals so far this season, showing that he can be a reliable scorer for a Ravens team expected to contend. It was all set up for Cam Ward to have his moment. The Titans were knocking on the end zone at the Giants’ 7-yard line, trailing by five points with 24 seconds left. Ward’s second career game-winning drive was at his fingertips … but it slipped through when he made a very bad decision. The second-year Titans quarterback rolled to his left and fired a pass intended for wide receiver Elic Ayomanor at the back of the end zone, failing to see Giants safety Jevon Holland lurking around the goal line. It was an easy pick for Holland, sealing the game for New York. It wasn’t a do-or-die situation for Tennessee. Ward could’ve thrown the ball away if he had any doubts about the window he was seeing. It was a first-down play, after all. He had space to run, too. Even if Ward couldn’t get out of bounds, the Titans had two timeouts to stop the clock. So time wasn’t an issue either. It was just a terrible decision all the way around by Ward, who had flushed a shaky performance through three quarters with a terrific final period up until the interception. Now, the clock must be ticking on last year’s No. 1 overall pick. And not the clock for a benching, to be clear — another Titans season appears to be headed nowhere, so to sit Ward in favor of veteran backup Mitch Trubisky and miss out on reps doesn’t make sense. But at the current trajectory, the franchise could be having the quarterback conversation this offseason — whether to bring in veteran competition or to draft a QB to compete with Ward in 2027. We’re 20 games into the Ward era in Tennessee. He’s 3-17 in those games. Ward has had a lot of dysfunction around him for much of that time, and he’s flashed at times in spite of that dysfunction, but his development has been headed in the wrong direction to this point in Year 2. The Titans have invested heavily at the wide receiver position with No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate and free-agent acquisition Wan’Dale Robinson. The pass protection has been fine — Ward has been sacked just five times through three games and has faced a 34.3% pressure rate, 12th-lowest amongst qualified quarterbacks, according to Next Gen Stats. So the onus is on Ward to start playing better. We’re running out of excuses to make for last year’s No. 1 overall pick. Turns out that the return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was the solution to the Falcons’ problems. After missing Atlanta’s first two games as he worked his way back from the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season, Penix returned for Thursday Night Football against the Packers, leading an electrifying Atlanta offense that netted 500 yards before his back-to-back kneel downs to end the game. Superstar running back Bijan Robinson had 29 carries for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Standout wide receiver Drake London caught nine passes for 194 yards. Robinson and London became the first teammate duo in league history to finish with 150-plus rushing yards and 150-plus receiving yards in the same game three times, according to Next Gen Stats. So the Falcons’ biggest stars led the way in what was a thorough whooping for Atlanta, which recorded 242 yards rushing and had a 37:05 time of possession. All of a sudden, the Falcons become an intriguing team. It remains to be seen whether Penix can stay healthy and replicate his Week 3 success (72.0% completion rate for 256 yards and a touchdown with an interception). But with competent play at the quarterback position, Atlanta is a legit NFC playoff contender given its talent at the offensive skill positions and on the offensive line. Right now, it’s difficult to believe that the Patriots were in the Super Bowl just seven months ago. Their offense continued to sputter Sunday, when they were blown out 35-6 by the Jaguars. New England reached Jacksonville territory seven times but failed to score a touchdown on any of those possessions, its most drives in plus territory without a TD since Week 8 of 2023, per NGS. The play of quarterback Drake Maye is the biggest concern. Against the Jags, he completed just 56.0% of his throws for 199 yards with no touchdowns and three total turnovers (two interceptions, one lost fumble), giving him a league-high seven giveaways. His throw to a tightly-covered Efton Chism III in the end zone just before halftime that was picked off by Travis Hunter was a shockingly bad decision — awfully similar to his game-sealing interception in New England’s season opener in Seattle. The Patriots need to figure out what’s wrong with their young quarterback and fix it fast, because things could get even spookier for New England. Its offensive line, which was an Achilles’ heel in the Super Bowl run last season, is already becoming problematic again. The Patriots were down to their third-string right guard against the Jaguars because starter Mike Onwenu (broken ankle) is on IR and backup Greg Van Roten didn’t finish the game because of a thigh injury. How about those Raiders? They improved to 3-0 with their 35-27 win over the New Orleans Saints. And it was truly a complete victory — the Raiders scored four touchdowns and forced four turnovers, all of which came in the fourth quarter. It marked their first 30-plus point performance since Week 15 of 2023, and the four takeaways in the final period were more than what the team had in the fourth quarter of the entire 2025 season (3). No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback eventually, but Las Vegas has no reason to move off the Kirk Cousins wave right now. The veteran QB has thrown three touchdown passes in each of the first three games of the season. He’s leading a team that has far exceeded expectations under first-year coach Klint Kubiak. And Las Vegas just got one of its best players back in star tight end Brock Bowers, who had a team-high 10 catches for 116 yards in his season debut Sunday. We knew that the AFC West would be tough, with the talented Broncos and the return of Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes, but didn’t anticipate the Raiders being part of the equation. Now, here we are. No NFL team is inspiring less confidence right now than the 1-2 Packers, relative to the expectations for Matt LaFleur’s squad this season. The Packers were completely overwhelmed in their 35-14 loss to the Falcons. Green Bay’s run game produced 17 net yards, while quarterback Jordan Love completed just 52.8% of his passes and was pressured 23 times. Defensively, the Packers gave up 242 rushing yards and pressured Penix just five times on 25 dropbacks. As lead running back Josh Jacobs sits on the commissioner’s exempt list, Green Bay is averaging an alarmingly-low 48.7 rushing yards per game through three weeks, by far the NFL’s worst. Its offensive line is in shambles. The defense has no identity without Micah Parsons. Parsons is eligible to return from his ACL rehab in Week 5, but nothing changes in Green Bay’s outlook until the offensive line play improves. And that’s difficult to imagine right now, considering right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele — the team’s best lineman — suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 and Green Bay’s struggles at the guard position. The team signed veteran Laken Tomlinson off the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad and free agent Mekhi Becton in recent days for reinforcements.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Well-executed football was in short supply across the NFL in Week 3. But, as always, the slate provided plenty of drama. The Bills rallied from a double-digit hole to avoid an upset against the Chargers; the Ravens and Cowboys gave football fans in Brazil quite the show; and the Broncos, with some help from the refs, knocked off the Rams with late defensive heroics. All three games turned on pivotal fourth-quarter plays, from Justin Herbert’s poorly timed interception to Lamar Jackson’s last-second pass to Zay Flowers and Talanoa Hufanga’s pick-six. As always, we’ll dive into the strategies, the matchups, and everything else that created those memorable moments – along with what those moments mean for the future. Tom Brady just has a way with words, I guess. A week after sending the internet into a frenzy by calling a Dak Prescott throw a “piss missile,” he used a more PG descriptor for Justin Herbert’s fourth-quarter interception in Sunday’s loss to the Bills. “There’s a safety in the middle of the field,” Brady said. “Poor awareness, poor decision. Throws him a meatball sub.” It’s never good when the greatest quarterback of all time is comparing your throws to Italian sandwiches. This was a new low for Herbert in a season full of them. So what, exactly, did Herbert see before serving up that meatball sub to C.J. Gardner-Johnson? Here’s the all-22 angle of the interception, which took points off the board for the Chargers and set up Buffalo’s go-ahead drive. Herbert wasn’t asked about the play after the game, so we’ll have to do some guesswork. Herbert’s eyes go to Gardner-Johnson, and he sees the Bills safety turn his hips toward the sideline. It looks like Gardner-Johnson is bailing to the deep half, and Buffalo is rotating into a Cover 2 look. In theory, Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s post route would be open against Cover 2, which leaves the deep middle of the field vacated. But as soon as Herbert’s eyes left Gardner-Johnson, he changed direction and worked back to the middle of the field, taking away that route. It’s unclear whether the Bills were actually playing Cover 2; either way, Gardner-Johnson made a heady play baiting the throw. And, either way, Herbert has to do a better job holding the safety with his eyes, since there’s no deeper route to the right to pull Johnson out of the middle. Herbert (wrongly) assumes the deep middle is wide open and tosses up a meatball sub that Gardner-Johnson devours for a momentum-swinging play. The takeaway: The Chargers’ deep passing game is a mess. Herbert is 1-for-12 with three interceptions on deep pass attempts this season. There have been some drops, and receivers are struggling to separate, but Herbert has also served up a few sandwiches. L os Angeles has had no issues moving the ball, but the lack of explosives and the repeated blunders in enemy territory have prevented the offense from taking off like everyone expected before the season. This play was a good microcosm of the issues. The play design doesn’t stretch the safeties to open up the deep middle; the Chargers are relying on a receiver who was just signed off the street; and Herbert makes a disastrous decision while trying to do too much. Seven seconds. That’s all Lamar Jackson needed to get the Ravens from their own 35-yard line into range for Tyler Loop’s game-winning kick. Here’s how he did it. As easy as Jackson makes it look, that’s a remarkable throw. Per Next Gen Stats, the pass traveled 36.4 yards in 1.6 seconds. Based on my back-of-the-napkin math, that works out to a 46-MPH throw. As much as I’d like to heap praise on Jackson for the game-winning effort, the Cowboys’ defense really botched this one. Some have blamed deep safety Alijah Clark for the coverage bust, but he’s actually doing his job by retreating downfield. The blame falls squarely on two Cowboys defenders who were nowhere near Zay Flowers when he caught the ball. The first culprit is safety Marquise Bell, who’s playing the “robber” role for Dallas. The robber’s job is to help with in-breaking routes over the middle, which Bell does—he just picks the wrong route to help on. Bell latches onto Mark Andrews, who’s running a crossing route that’s about 15 yards short of field goal range. With only seven seconds on the clock, Andrews didn’t pose much of a threat, and Bell didn’t need to jump his route. That put our second culprit, Caleb Downs, in a tough spot. Once Bell takes Andrews, Downs becomes the new robber. Downs needs more depth to get into deeper passing windows. Instead, he parks himself around midfield and is in no position to help on the routes behind him. Reddy Steward, the cornerback responsible for Flowers, expects help inside and plays with outside leverage. Could he have been tighter to Flowers? Absolutely, but his teammates left him out to dry. The takeaway: The coverage was poorly executed on the field, but this epic failure ultimately falls on first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Man coverage, with just one deep safety, is a bold call in that scenario. And if the young Cowboys secondary lacks the situational awareness to take up a deeper position, Parker should have gone with a more conservative call, like a soft zone. Over three weeks, this Dallas defense has played like a poorly coached unit. Parker was brought in to clean up last year’s mess and help out the offense. That hasn’t happened and the 2026 Cowboys look an awful lot like the 2025 version of the team. Let’s stay on the subject of coaches not putting their players in a good spot to succeed. Only in Denver, Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga found a way to make a play for his team despite his defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph, putting him in a precarious situation. Hufanga’s game-changing pick-6 of Matthew Stafford came on a play where he was left to fend for himself in a two-on-one situation. The Broncos sent an all-out blitz on third-and-6 and disguised it by lining up a safety in the deep middle. With only Hufanga lined up over the two receivers to Stafford’s right, the Rams quarterback assumed one of the potential blitzers on the line of scrimmage would have to drop into coverage. That didn’t happen. Denver sent the house and asked Jones to come out of the deep middle to cover one of those receivers man-to-man. Stafford recognized it instantly and targeted Kyren Williams’ quick out route. Quick outs are typically a good answer against the blitz, with defenders often playing with inside leverage to guard against quick slants and in-breakers. So, this was a bit of an I-know-you-know situation. Hufanga knew Stafford would be looking for the quick out against the blitz and fell off his original assignment to jump that route. Hufanga made a similar play to seal the win. With the Rams needing a touchdown and only seconds on the clock, the Broncos sent another blitz, leaving the secondary in man-to-man coverage across the board. Knowing Stafford would likely target Davante Adams, Hufanga left his man and made a break on the ball to pick it off and end the game. “Your [thought] is, ‘best player on the field, they’re trying to get him the ball,” Hufanga said after the game. “So I kind of left my coverage and just went over there and made a play.” The takeaway: After a rough start to the season, this Broncos defense is rounding into championship form. Zach Allen was the hero in the Week 2 win over the Jaguars. This week, it was Hufanga, who also had a key third-down sack in the fourth quarter. Joseph has an ideal collection of plays to run his chaotic brand of defense. When this unit is at its best, even the league’s most experienced quarterbacks can struggle to figure out what they’re seeing. Next week’s matchup against the 49ers and the league’s hottest quarterback, Brock Purdy, will be a real test. The Broncos defense looks up to the challenge. 1. NFL teams should be running more lateral plays like the one the 49ers used to score an 82-yard touchdown on Sunday. That play inspired me to look into how effective those plays are, and the results are stunning. I excluded desperation plays in the dying moments of a game or half and focused on lateral plays called in more typical situations. I found 25 of them dating back to 2021. Those plays have averaged 18.9 yards and resulted in 15 first downs. Almost all of them have come in second- or third-and-extra-long situations. Ben Johnson has been the tactic’s biggest advocate. The Lions ran the play five times over his three seasons as offensive coordinator, and he used it once last year in Chicago. Kyle Shanahan had used it once before Sunday’s game. In last year’s loss to the Jaguars, Christian McCaffrey picked up a first down on second-and-16 after receiving a lateral from Ricky Pearsall. Maybe Sunday’s big play will convince Shanahan to lean into the strategy a bit more. After all, Purdy is now averaging 56 yards per attempt on those plays. 2. The Jets lost in Detroit on a sack-fumble by Geno Smith, but the veteran quarterback was hardly to blame. New York’s protection broke down, giving Lions safety Chuck Clark a clear path to Smith. So who was to blame? It looks like left guard Jordan Meredith caused the bust. The Jets are sliding three linemen to the left, with running back Braelon Allen working away from the slide. With six in protection, the Jets should have enough to pick up Detroit’s pressure. Instead, Meideth gets hung up on the defensive tackle and pins center Josh Myers inside. Myers and Allen both end up on Jack Campbell, leaving Clark unblocked. 3. As FOX Sports’ Joe Davis observed during Washington’s upset of Seattle on Sunday, Marcus Mariota looked like Peyton Manning orchestrating the Commanders’ offense at the line of scrimmage. Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald noticed it too, and credited Mariota’s pre-snap checks for making the difference. Mariota’s most important change came on the final drive. With the Commanders facing a third-and-9 and holding onto a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter, Seattle’s defense lined up in a blitz look with seven defenders on the line of scrimmage. Mariota had seen this look before. Earlier in the game, Seattle aligned the same way on second-and-long, and Mariota checked into a run that went for a 48-yard touchdown, but an illegal formation penalty negated it. Mariota made the same check on the key third-down play. This time, Washington lined up correctly, and Rachad White ran for 19 yards to pick up a key first down. A few plays later, Mariota iced the game with a zone-read keeper.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

In their idea of a perfect world, the New York Giants would be building towards a better future right now under the leadership of quarterback Jaxson Dart, and Jameis Winston would be standing nearby offering smiles, wisdom and moral support. But that plan blew up in Week 2 when Dart went down with a knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the regular season, at least, and what he left behind is a bit of a mess. For now, Dart’s job belongs to Winston, but the Giants were so uncertain about him that they went out and traded for J.J. McCarthy. And even John Harbaugh confirmed that McCarthy might be able to give Winston a push. “Jameis did all the things as a quarterback that we needed to do to win that game [against the Titans on Sunday],” Harbaugh said on Monday afternoon. “But that doesn’t mean that’s where we stand. We’re going to keep growing. There’s going to be new challenges in front of us.” Indeed, both now and maybe — just maybe — in the future too. This is not a team headed towards an inevitable quarterback controversy. In the end, they might only have one viable NFL quarterback in the room. But there’s too much uncertainty — from Dart’s recovery, to Winston’s ability, to whether McCarthy can salvage his own career — to rule anything out. So with that in mind, here’s how the Giants’ new-look quarterback situation shakes out: The now: The Giants love the 32-year-old Winston so much that it was just three weeks ago that they gave him a two-year, $13 million contract extension. Sure, a lot of that was about how loved he was in the locker room and what he meant to Dart. But teams don’t hand backups that kind of money just for being a swell guy. They believed Winston was one of the better backups in the NFL and that he could carry them if Dart went down. That was about a short-term injury, though. Their faith is shakier when it comes to Winston carrying them almost the entire length of the season, and they couldn’t have liked what they saw in his first two games since Dart went down. That’s why the Giants went shopping for alternatives. They felt they needed Winston insurance. That said, their preference is for Winston to play like he did when he was a full-time starter in this league, albeit without all the interceptions. A team source said they believe they can win games with a run-first attack, and some big plays from the cannon-armed Winston, as long as they can manage him away from situations where he might throw games away. So the job is his for now, and probably for a few more weeks. But his performance will dictate how long he holds it. The future: Once McCarthy is up to speed on the playbook, probably in a couple of weeks, Winston will have to watch his back. His hold on the job could very much be week-to-week. Some of that is because of how one team source described the Giants’ interest in McCarthy: “He’s just a better fit for what we want to do. He’s athletic. He’s much more like Dart than Winston is. He may not be better, but he’s a better fit.” Longer term, Winston is what he is at this point: A career backup. The Giants like him in that role, so it seems likely he’ll be asked back in that role next year. The now: There isn’t much for him to do right now other than rehab his injured knee. The recovery from surgery — believed to be to fix a torn meniscus — and whatever else was wrong with his knee is expected to last into the offseason. Yes, John Harbaugh left open a return for the playoffs and anything is possible. But one team source said that was overly optimistic, meant more as an aspirational statement to keep everyone’s spirits up. What the Giants are focused on with Dart is making sure there are no setbacks so he can at least ease through the spring and be fully ready to go when training camp begins — a timeline one source indicates shouldn’t be a problem at all. The future: Make no mistake, this is Dart’s team. The Giants love him and his potential. Even Harbaugh, who wasn’t around when the Giants traded back into the first round to get him in 2025, fell in love with Dart quickly. He made it clear that Dart was a big selling point when he took the Giants job. There are almost no scenarios where he doesn’t enter camp with his old starting job. But never say never because McCarthy is a 23-year-old former first-round pick too, and he’s also under contract for 2027. It would be unexpected, and a pleasant surprise, but what if McCarthy took over in a few weeks, played like the former first-rounder he is, and led the Giants to the playoffs? Suddenly there would be some Phil Simms-Jeff Hostetler vibes in New York. Again, it’s unlikely and probably improbable. But not impossible. The Giants, however, are absolutely going into this believing they will be Dart’s team in 2027, too. The now: The Giants wanted to add a veteran quarterback as insurance in case Winston got hurt and stumbled, and the best they could do was acquire McCarthy from the Vikings for a fifth-round pick. It’s a pretty low price for a young, inexpensive quarterback with starting experience, who the Giants believe can fit their offensive scheme. But there are certainly people around the league asking “Why?” The Vikings invested the 10th overall pick in McCarthy in 2024, and as recently as last season they were talking him up as the future of their franchise. Yet on a roster with a fixer-upper in Kyler Murray and 33-year-old Carson Wentz, he still couldn’t get on the field. Yes, he’s had injury issues. But Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has a well-earned reputation as a quarterback whisperer. If he was willing to give up on McCarthy so soon, for so little, it’s fair to wonder if he’s just irreparably damaged goods. The future: It’ll take a few weeks to get McCarthy up to speed, but the Giants didn’t get him just to be ready if Winston gets hurt. If they see anything out of him at all, any sign that he can run the offense they want to run better than Winston can, they will make a move and give him a shot. A lot of that is up to Winston. If he plays well and the Giants start winning, there’ll be a change. But McCarthy will be pushing from behind, just with his presence. And don’t think for a second Harbaugh will hesitate to switch if he thinks the season is on the line. As for the longer-term future, barring a really unlikely run deep into the playoffs, the best the Giants are hoping for is that McCarthy develops into a viable backup for them, or plays so well they can flip him in the offseason for a relatively high draft pick. They have absolutely no intention of giving him a shot at Dart’s job, ever. Unless their hand is forced, of course.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports