Rams trip Buccaneers, Chiefs concerns, Packers-49ers and more
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams clashed at SoFi Stadium in Week 3, and there was plenty to take away in the aftermath.
The five-hour flight from back to Tampa Bay was certainly filled with silence and ice.
On Sunday, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers were humbled 34-24 by the Los Angeles Rams at glistening SoFi Stadium. Tampa Bay fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, largely watching Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford slice up its injury-riddled secondary for four touchdowns and 343 yards.
For Stafford, the game was the biggest win of his career. While that seems a verbose assessment, consider the alternatives. The former No. 1 overall pick hasn’t won a division title or playoff affair, and in his 12 years with the Detroit Lions, only once won double-digit games.
In a standalone window against Brady and the defending champs, Stafford stared down the league’s premier front four and torched them.
Meanwhile, the Rams hit Brady often behind otherworldly defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer registered a sack, deflected pass and tackle for loss, while his teammates helped account for three sacks and five QB hits. The Rams played a physical brand of ball, knocking running back Gio Bernard and tight end Rob Gronkowski from the game for spells.
Today, it feels like the win makes Los Angeles the early favorite for a ring. In reality, the Rams simply won the moment while the epic is far from decided.
Tampa Bay now trails Los Angeles by a game and loses the tiebreaker should it matter, but the Buccaneers have a quarterback with seven titles and 34 playoff victories. Come January, Brady won’t blink. Whether Stafford does remains an unknown.
What we learned is the Rams’ revamp was worth the two first-round picks. Stafford gives them a considerably higher ceiled than Jared Goff did, even I the latter helped lead Los Angeles to a Super Bowl appearance in 2018. With Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods on the outside, and Stafford’s ability to throw to any blade of grass, head coach Sean McVay’s playbook is wide open.
Furthermore, the NFC West is the best division in football, but Los Angeles is clearly its best. The Rams will welcome the also-undefeated Arizona Cardinals in this weekend, and with a win would own sole possession of the top spot as the calendar turns to October.
As for the Buccaneers, they play in a weak division, even as the Carolina Panthers are 3-0. Tampa Bay should have no issue winning 12-13 games even if injuries crop up. The roster is too good, the 44-year-old quarterback remains too great, and the coaching staff is too smart. The only question is what seed Tampa will be in the NFC playoffs.
Yet on Sunday, the Rams announced their candidacy for a Super Bowl run. The Bucs are now on official notice, something undoubtedly considered on the cross-country jaunt.
Power rankings
Top 10 running backs with less than 10,000 career rushing yards
1. Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears (HOF, 5x All-Pro, 4x Pro Bowl, ’65 ROY)
2. Steve Van Buren, Philadelphia Eagles (HOF, 5x All-Pro, 2x champ)
3. Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers (HOF, MVP, 3x OPOY, 5x Pro Bowl, 3x All-Pro)
4. Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos (HOF, MVP, 2x OPOY, 3x Pro Bowl, 3x All-Pro, 2x champ)
5. Jim Taylor, Green Bay Packers (HOF, MVP, 5x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro, 5x champ)
6. Lenny Moore, Baltimore Colts (HOF, 7x Pro Bowl, 5x All-Pro, 2x champ)
7. Joe Perry, San Francisco 49ers (HOF, 3x Pro Bowl, 2x All-Pro)
8. Larry Csonka, Miami Dolphins (HOF, 5x Pro Bowl, 2x All-Pro, 2x champ)
9. Priest Holmes, Kansas City Chiefs (3x Pro Bowl, 3x All-Pro, ’02 OPOY, 1x champ)
10. Ollie Matson, Chicago Cardinals (HOF, 6x Pro Bowl, 5x All-Pro)
Quotable
"“We’re going to be all right, guys. All right? We’re going to be all right.”"
– New York Giants head coach Joe Judge on being 0-3 after losing 17-14 at home to the Atlanta Falcons
I’ll have what Judge is having.
Podcast
Random stat
Only Vinny Testaverde and Kerry Collins have ever thrown for at least 5,000 yards on four separate teams.
Info learned this week
1. 49ers-Packers stage epic, with Green Bay winning at gun
Aaron Rodgers was amped up. For him, this was personal.
As a kid entering the 2005 Draft, Rodgers wanted to play for the 49ers as a No. 1 overall pick. Sixteen years later, he wanted to return to California and star in San Francisco. The Niners passed on him both times. On Sunday night, Rodgers got a measure of revenge, engineering a comeback drive in the final 37 seconds to win 30-28 on kicker Mason Crosby’s 51-yard field goal.
At 2-1, it feels the Packers are ready to run away and hide in the poor NFC North. After being blown out in Week 1 by the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay has gotten right as the offense rebounded and the defense, while still poor at times, has made a few opportunistic plays.
If you’re the Packers, you feel great about Rodgers’ play after a stink bomb in Week 1. If he keeps up the level of play we’ve seen in the last six quarters, Green Bay will be there in late January.
As for the 49ers, they’re 2-1 and right where they need to be after arguably their toughest game on the slate following a pair of road games. San Francisco has gotten excellent defensive play and the offense, while still finding itself, has the bones of a good unit with tight end George Kittle and receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
Don’t be surprised if this isn’t the only matchup this season between these two teams.
2. Chiefs suddenly last in strong AFC West
Raise your hand if you had the Kansas City Chiefs alone in the AFC West basement after Week 3.
Incredibly, that’s the situation after the Chiefs lost 30-24 at home to the Los Angeles Chargers. Kansas City, despite racking up 437 total yards and 33 first downs, lost due to four turnovers including two in the red zone. For the Chiefs, that means six turnovers across their last five quarters. It doesn’t mix well with a defense that in 12 red-zone trips, has allowed 11 touchdowns.
For Chargers first-year head coach Brandon Staley, he earned a signature moment. Tied 27-27 with 48 seconds remaining in regulation, Los Angeles faced a 4th and 4 at Kansas City’s 30-yard line. Then star rookie left tackle Rashawn Slater jumped. False start, 4th and 9. Staley kept the offense on the field and with the benefit of a controversial pass interference call, converted. The Chargers proceeded to score a touchdown two plays later, sealing the game.
Los Angeles remains in third place of the AFC West, though, as the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos stayed undefeated. The Raiders took care of the Miami Dolphins in overtime, 31-28, while the Broncos blanked the New York Jets, 26-0.
The Chiefs remain the betting favorites to win the division (and the conference), but they are off to an uneven start at best.
3. Bears, Justin Fields get battered, embarrassed in Cleveland
Yikes. Big, incredible yikes. Sums up the Chicago Bears in a nutshell.
In rookie quarterback Justin Fields’ first NFL star, few things could have gone worse in Chicago’s 26-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Bears totaled 47 total yards and six first downs, the former figure being the fewest surrendered by the Browns in their 75-year history. Fields threw for 68 yards but the passing game only netted one yard, with six sacks erasing 67 of those yards.
For Fields, it was a nightmare. He was running a static offense built for an immobile, veteran quarterback. The result was the Ohio State product getting hammered repeatedly in the pocket while the Bears and their coaching staff appeared to have no answers against a defense which struggled over the first two weeks.
While fans will call for head coach Matt Nagy’s head — and understandably so — that fixes nothing in the present. The Bears may start Fields or go to Andy Dalton this weekend against the Detroit Lions, but none of it matters if the line can’t block.
Fields deserves a share of blame. He was awful by any standard. But he barely had any first-team reps all year and was given no support. It’s a recipe for disaster, and we saw one bloom in Cleveland.
4. Steelers have few options, but Ben Roethlisberger is clear anchor
It was true last year, and it’s true now. The Pittsburgh Steelers are sunk with Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger struggled mightily to gain chunk yardage a year ago, and the same problems are gaining momentum once more. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, the two-time champ threw for 318 yards on 5.5 yards per attempt with a touchdown and two interceptions. Frankly, the tape is even worse than the box score.
At 38 years old, Roethlisberger’s arm is cooked. He can’t throw deep down the middle or drive the ball to the boundary on corner and out routes. Any defensive coordinator with eyes sees it, and the Steelers are left to operate between the numbers against units designed to force everything outside and down the field.
At 1-2, the Steelers now face the Packers at Lambeau Field before coming home for dates with the Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. Tough, tough road ahead.
5. Josh Allen finally shines in blowout win over Washington
For two weeks, Josh Allen looked awful. He found his form against the Football Team.
The Buffalo Bills demolished Washington 43-21 with Allen throwing for 358 yards and four touchdowns, putting him group atop the languishing AFC East with a 2-1 record. Oh, and the Houston Texans are next up.
Buffalo looked lethargic in the passing game over the first two weeks, with Allen averaging a meager 5.3 yards per attempt. That metric bumped to 8.3 on Sunday, with both Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley each topping 90 receiving yards. If Allen has regained his 2020 form — which saw him named Second-Team All-Pro — Buffalo should be ready to take off.
Meanwhile, Washington’s much-ballyhooed defense has stunk to this point. Last week, the Football Team allowed 29 points to the Giants and now see 43 put on the board. Ugly, ugly stuff from a front four with a bevy of first-round picks.
Gambler’s game
The Broncos are laying a single point at home against the Ravens. Love Baltimore in this spot, which is going to get chewed on all week from the coaching staff after almost losing in Detroit. The Ravens have their issues, but Denver hasn’t played a varsity team all year. The step up in class might be jarring this Sunday.
Two cents
The Panthers are 3-0. Now comes the first test.
Yes, the Saints were a respectable opponent in Week 2 but Carolina now faces injuries along with a tough road game. The Panthers will be without All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey for a few weeks with a hamstring injury. Additionally, star rookie corner Jaycee Horn broke bones in his foot during Thursday’s win over the Texans, putting him out 2-3 months.
Without McCaffrey and Horn, Carolina travels to Dallas for a Week 4 clash. The good news? Head coach Matt Rhule’s team will have 10 days rest while the Cowboys come off a short week from their Monday night clash with Philadelphia.
Even with the ailments, don’t expect the Panthers to fall apart. After Dallas, the slate has the Eagles and Minnesota Vikings coming to Charlotte before road date with the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons. Tough to see Carolina as a potential underdog until Nov. 7, when the New England Patriots visit.
Inside the league
Every year, the NFL places an emphasis on something. This season, taunting penalties.
Much to the chagrin of fans, officials whistled a jarring 11 taunting infractions through the first two weeks, generating nearly $100,000 in fines.
Typically, we see the annual point of emphasis quickly dissipate as the year goes on. Partially because officials have bigger calls to worry about, and partially because players catch on. In Week 3, we heard little from the zebras in this way, with nary a consequential call for a player being excited.
With a few weeks of overkill in the background on taunting, expect it to die down in the coming months.
History lesson
The Seattle Seahawks are the only team to retire a number for a non-player. In 1984, they raised “12” to the rafters of the Kingdome, honoring the fans as the now-famous 12th Man.
As for the most retired numbers? The Giants and Bears, tied at 14 apiece. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Texans haven’t retired any.
Parting shot
The race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 Draft is taking shape.
We’re only three weeks into the season, but a few frontrunners are emerging. The Jets, Lions and Jaguars are all 0-3, while the Texans are 1-2 and without their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Of the quartet, Detroit seems best-suited to win a few games. Rookie head coach Dan Campbell has the Lions playing hard in a weak division, and quarterback Jared Goff is the only experienced signal-caller of the group. In Houston, there’s a complete teardown underway while Jacksonville and New York has first-year head coaches, rookie quarterbacks and hideous rosters.
A betting man might see the Jets as the favorite. Wilson has struggled mightily and his offensive line is non-existent. New York is also in the toughest division of the aforementioned teams, playing the Bills, Patriots and Dolphins twice each.
It’s a long way to Week 18, but the Jets, Lions, Texans and Jaguars are worth watching, painful as it may be.