NFL

NFL Week 3 Sunday winners and losers: Sam Darnold, Malik Nabers and Malik Willis star

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2 months ago

September 22, 2024

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NFL Week 3 Sunday winners and losers: Sam Darnold, Malik Nabers and Malik Willis star

Fall is here and football season is getting into rhythm.

The early games on Sunday in Week 3 weren’t particularly close for the most part, with five of the seven games decided by double digits. There were several upsets and a few surprising standouts, though, so let’s get into it all.

Here are all the winners and losers from Sunday’s action:

Winner: Malik Willis revenge game

There wasn’t much thought given to the Tennessee Titans trading Malik Willis to the Green Bay Packers for a seventh-round pick. But a month later, the outcast quarterback got his revenge.

Willis put together another strong performance in relief of Jordan Love. The third-year pro went 13 of 19 for 202 passing yards, 73 rushing yards and two total touchdowns in the dominant 30-14 road win. In limited action for Tennessee over his first two seasons, Willis had just one total touchdown with four fumbles and three interceptions.

The Packers are now in an excellent position with their starting quarterback seemingly on the verge of returning from a knee injury. Matt LaFleur’s team is 2-1, with a home game against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings looming next Sunday.

Loser: Russell Wilson’s job security

Russell Wilson hasn’t played a snap this season due to a calf injury. It might be a while before he returns, and it’s not because of the injury.

After another respectable showing, Justin Fields has Pittsburgh at 3-0. The former Chicago Bears quarterback hasn’t been perfect, but he’s done just enough to keep his team unbeaten. It’ll be hard to bench the quarterback who hasn’t lost a game, even if Wilson returns to full strength soon. The veteran was questionable going into Week 3, so it appears he could be healthy in the near future.

Sunday was perhaps Fields’ best showing of the season, going 25 of 32 for 245 yards with a passing and rushing score in the 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. This is a situation to monitor as the year goes on.

Winner: Malik Nabers is a star

The New York Giants are finally in the win column, and it’s mostly due to their first-round pick.

Malik Nabers was once again a standout for the Big Blue. He followed up his 10-catch, 127-yard Week 2 outing by amassing eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Most of his damage came in the first half, as the Giants took a 21-7 lead over the Cleveland Browns and held on late for the 21-16 victory.

While the Giants might not win a ton of games this season, they can rest easy knowing they didn’t miss on their top draft pick. Nabers has 23 receptions, 271 yards and three touchdowns through his first three games, making him the first player in NFL history with over 20 receptions, 250 yards and three touchdowns in his first three games (h/t Tony Holzman-Escareno).

Loser: Saints high-powered offense

Klint Kubiak’s offense was unstoppable through two weeks. But on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles put an end to the New Orleans Saints’ dominance.

The Eagles went down to Louisiana and secured a 15-12 win, though it wasn’t pretty. Derek Carr and Co. led 3-0 through three quarters, with Philly passing up on two field goals and coming up empty on six straight possessions to open the game. Two Saquon Barkley touchdowns in the fourth quarter put the Eagles ahead 15-12, and Reed Blankenship sealed the deal with an interception in the final minute.

Carr had just 142 passing yards and the Saints mustered 3.1 yards per carry against a stout Eagles D-line. Now at 2-1, the Saints travel to Atlanta in Week 4 for a date with the rival Falcons — a team that just beat the Eagles.

Winner: All of Minnesota

The first three games of 2024 couldn’t have gone any better for the Minnesota Vikings.

Starting with the offense, Kevin O’Connell has turned Sam Darnold into an early MVP contender. The former first-round pick was stellar again in their Week 3 win over the Houston Texans — 17 of 28, 181 yards and four touchdowns. He has 657 yards and eight touchdowns through three games for the undefeated Vikings.

Then there’s the defense, which Brian Flores has completely transformed in his second season as coordinator. The unit held C.J. Stroud’s offense to just seven points and two turnovers on Sunday. That was one week after limiting Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers to 17 points and two turnovers. It’s still early, but Minnesota is looking like a legitimate contender with its combination of coaching, skill players and steady QB production.

Loser: Trap games

Fresh off a monster road win over the Detroit Lions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a no-show in Week 3.

The previously 0-2 Denver Broncos marched into Florida and left with a 26-7 win over the previously 2-0 Bucs. Rookie QB Bo Nix had his best game yet for Denver, completing 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards and adding a rushing touchdown. The Bucs offense had just 223 yards and two turnovers in the loss.