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NFL Winners and Losers from Week 3: Tua stakes MVP claim, Jags look lost

It's NFL Week 3, which means we're starting to get a sense for the contenders and the pretenders.

By Christopher Kline

Tyreek Hill, Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill, Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins / Carmen Mandato/GettyImages
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NFL Week 3 loser: Desmond Ridder

He's bad, folks. The Atlanta Falcons somehow managed a 2-0 start to the season, featuring a remarkable comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers last week, but the Detroit Lions put a stop to the ATL celebration on Sunday. The Lions' defense completed shut off the Falcons' run game and Desmond Ridder could not muster success through the air.

Before the season, Atlanta fans were hopeful that Ridder's efficiency and game management skills would be enough to allow a loaded collection of playmakers to thrive. Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, Tyler Allgeier. The Falcons aren't short on offensive talent. And yet, Ridder can't even make the simple plays half the time. The juice he displayed during Cincinnati's college football playoff run has not carried over to the professional game.

The Falcons are 2-1 with a real shot to win the reliably shoddy NFC South but don't mistake poor competition for team quality. The Falcons' offense is not good enough to accomplish anything of note with Ridder under center.

NFL Week 3 winner: Zack Moss

The Colts entered Week 3 with a lot going against them. Jonathan Taylor is on the PUP list, which still feels like an unofficial holdout, and Anthony Richardson was out with a concussion, setting the stage for All-American journeyman Gardner Minshew at QB. The Baltimore Ravens, meanwhile, have an MVP candidate at QB and were 2-0 coming into the game.

Indy got the win, in large part due to the contributions of new RB1 Zack Moss. He took over lead back duties in Week 2 and scrambled for 88 yards and a touchdown. Moss built on that success with an even more impressive performance on Sunday afternoon, notching 30 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 23 yards and another TD.

Indy has won two straight to claim first place in their division. With Moss looking like one of the best backs in the country, the absent Taylor is quickly losing bargaining power. Whether JT gets traded or not, it's hard to imagine Moss not factoring into Indianapolis' game plan for the rest of the season.

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