detroit lions

san francisco 49ers

Week 3 in the NFL was an interesting one, to say the least. The Buffalo Bills upset the Minnesota Vikings in a big way. Baker Mayfield made his debut. The New Orleans Saints took down the Atlanta Falcons in overtime, and the New England Patriots appear to be on a losing streak. The Dallas Cowboys didn’t fair too well this week either.

Detroit Lions vs. New England Patriots (26-10)

The chances that Detroit would beat New England weren’t that great, especially after losing their first two games (including a blowout against the Jets). But Detroit put together its best offensive and defensive performance of the season to beat the Patriots. Can the Lions put up this type of performance consistently? That remains to be seen, but Lions fans can be a bit more optimistic heading into Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.

New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons (43-37)

Despite losing, the Atlanta Falcons might just have a successful season. Injuries have put a dent into their defensive line, starting with safety Ricardo Allen who suffered, what appeared to be a significant leg injury on Sunday. The offense needs to do better and find better success running the ball in order to keep the defense off the field in Week 4 against Cincinnati.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Indianapolis Colts (20-16)

Why are the Colts 1-2? Their offense. They were one-for-five in the red zone on Sunday, even after the defense forced two turnovers inside the Eagles’ 20-yard line (the Colts came away with only two field goals). But the defense, they played their hearts out and the offense needs to match that kind of intensity. The next step for the Colts is to get back on track next week against the winless Texans.

Carolina Panthers vs. Cincinnati Bengals (31-21)

The Bengals couldn’t stop the Panthers and didn’t help themselves by committing four turnovers and failing to capitalize on offensive opportunities late in the game. They couldn’t come up with that killer turnover as they did in the first two weeks (although they came close) and several Bengals players felt like they beat themselves. Considering how many missed opportunities they had, there’s reason to be hopeful they’ll turn it around with linebacker Preston Brown likely making his return next week against Atlanta.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers (38-27)

The loss to the Chiefs on Sunday was nothing compared to the loss of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said that he fears that Garoppolo has had a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee. This particular injury comes after an offseason spent signing Garoppolo to a massive contract and building their entire offense around him. Without Garoppolo, the 49ers will turn to CJ Beathard, but it’s definitely hard to imagine this season without him.

Buffalo Bills vs. Minnesota Vikings (27-6)

The Bills showed that they have talent – especially on the defense. The performance of Josh Allen — who ran for two touchdowns and threw for another — was exactly what the Bills needed from their rookie, but their defensive turnaround is just as notable. The highly paid defensive line showed up in a big way with back-to-back strip sacks of Kirk Cousins to begin the game, setting the tone for a first half in which Buffalo allowed 46 yards, their fewest given up in a first half since 2004.

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