Put a pin in Week 3. We’re almost a month into the season. That means we’re starting to learn more about players, schemes and coaches. It’s still too early to make any grand proclamations, but that doesn’t stop us from honing in on some key talking points from this weekend.
Green Bay’s offense labours to victory
This isn’t the Aaron Rodgers offense we’re used to seeing. The Packers’ offense has averaged 16 points per game over the first three weeks of the season, 27th in the NFL, and Rodgers has the lowest air yards per attempt out of all 32 starting quarterbacks. Rodgers and the offense are moving the ball, but everything feels condensed, including against the Buccaneers on Sunday.
The Packers ground out a 14-12 win with Rodgers completing 27 of 35 passes for 255 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Of course, the win matters the most, but there were some lingering concerns. Rodgers only completed four passes that travelled more than 10 yards, with everything restricted to quick concepts and RPOs. If the Packers want to challenge for a Super Bowl, they’ll have to find more ways to generate explosive plays.
They won’t be playing the Buccaneers’ defense every week, but an offense led by Aaron Rodgers shouldn’t feel so…meh.
Dolphins hang on against the Bills
The big matchup of the week was the 2-0 Dolphins against the 2-0 Bills. The battle for sole possession of first place in the AFC East in the heat. The Bills defense was without a number of key contributors – mainly their entire starting secondary, as well as Jordan Phillips and Ed Oliver.
Despite the short handed defense, the Bills outgained the Dolphins 497-212 in total yardage and dominated the time of possession. Bell to bell, the Bills were in total control but were left to rue missed opportunities as the Dolphins ran out 21-19 winners. Credit where credit is due, the Dolphins stuck around. Tua Tagovailoa executed the offense well, they took advantage of the big play when available and the defense played well.
Now, the Dolphins are 3-0 and sit atop of the East. They might not be the best team in the NFL, or even the best team in the AFC East, but they knocked off, arguably, the best team in the league and sent a message to the rest of the league. They’ll not lie down.
What’s happening with the Raiders?
Oh. What a disappointment. This was always going to be a tough year for the Raiders; matched up in the AFC West with three good offenses and quarterbacks. They spent aggressively in free agency and traded for a star wide receiver in Davante Adams. The Raiders didn’t want to be left behind.
However, they’re now the only 0-3 team in the NFL and things are looking bleak. The running game has been yet another weak point and the defense is allowing 25.7 points per game, 8th most in the NFL. Last week, the Raiders surrendered a 20 point lead to the Arizona Cardinals, this week, they found themselves trailing a poor Tennessee Titans team 24-10 at halftime before clawing their way back into the game. The Titans scored on their first three drives. Three long clock chewing drives to boot drives. The defense has struggled, the offense has felt unbalanced, and Davante Adams has just seven catches in his last two games.
The Raiders have been the ultimate disappointment so far this season. Oh, and they face the Broncos and Chiefs in their next two games. There is a real chance they head into their Week 6 bye without a win. Alarm bells might start ringing soon.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars are rolling
Who could have envisioned Trent Baalke as the runaway leader for Executive of the Year. Okay, it’s too early to crown that, or any other award, but the Jaguars have been the real surprise package. Their offseason moves were critically panned, especially on offense, but the trio of Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram are all making a sizable impact – especially the two wide receivers.
It also helps that second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence is absolutely rolling. He had the best game of his young career against the Chargers on Sunday, completing 71 percent of his passes for 262 yards and 3 touchdowns. He looks the part. His pocket management is smart beyond his years, his accuracy has vastly improved over the last two games, and his decision-making has been excellent.
Lawrence was the number one pick for a reason. He showed flashes in his rookie season, a poor roster mixed with Urban Meyer’s unsuccessful spell as head coach really weighed him down. Now, with Doug Pederson and some good weapons, Lawrence is showing out.
A resurgent Cowboys running game
Historically, at the center of the Cowboys offense has been a strong offensive line and a powerful running game. That hasn’t really been the case for the last two years, though for a number of reasons. The offensive line has gotten older and faced injuries, while Ezekiel Elliott’s impact has weaned as his usage has stacked up. Between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the Cowboys were 17th in EPA per rush play. They were 2nd in the three years prior.
We got a taste of what we’ve been missing for the last few seasons as the Cowboys defeated the Giants on Monday night. Elliott and Pollard combined for 178 rushing yards, averaging 6.3 yards per rush and 0.200 EPA per rush – third among all teams in Week 3. The duo pose a potent threat. Pollard has the speed and quickness to attack the edge, while Elliott can bully-ball his way up the gut of the defense – and is stellar in pass protection.
The offensive line is still patchy, but the addition of Jason Peters – even if he is playing at guard as opposed to his natural left tackle position – is a big help. With Cooper Rush at quarterback for, at least, the next few games, the Cowboys resurgent running game is essential for them to stay afloat in the NFC East. So far, so good.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.