The NFL delivered another compelling slate of games in Week 3. We saw historic offensive performances, big moments late in games, and even the appearance of Taylor Swift at Arrowhead. We’re not going to dive into the latter, but there were still plenty of key takeaways on the field. Let’s dig into what they were.
An historic day for the Miami Dolphins offense
The Miami Dolphins made NFL history on Sunday night, routing the Denver Broncos 70-20 at Hard Rock Stadium in one of the most one-sided performances ever. It was a total masterclass from Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins Offense. They were just three points away from the most points in NFL history – scoring the most points in an NFL game since 1966 – and racking up 716 total yards of offense, averaging 0.599 EPA per play.
The terrifying part is it never seemed like the Dolphins had to work too hard for the result. How can an offense so casually cruise to 70 points and average 10 yards per play? Everything was clicking. Tua Tagovailoa didn’t throw an incompletion until midway through the third quarter, the run game was perfectly designed, and the Dolphins’ laundry list of playmakers went to work. On top of that, the offensive line looked as good as it ever has.
The Dolphins offense is operating at an historic pace through three games. Their 0.378 average EPA per play would be a record-setter, and while they won’t average 43.5 points per game all season, there’s also a strong chance that they’ll be one of the highest-scoring offenses in NFL history. Best of all, the Dolphins are now 3-0 and take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. If they win that, they’ll stretch their lead in the AFC East even further.
The Jacksonville Jaguars falter again
There were high hopes for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023. The addition of Calvin Ridley gave Trevor Lawrence a true No. 1 receiver. And if the third-year quarterback could take another step forward, he’d be considered one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. The Jaguars weren’t bonafide contenders, but a clear route to the playoffs in a weak AFC South meant they could cause trouble.
That could still happen, but things haven’t been great for the Jaguars over the last two weeks, culminating in an embarrassing 37-17 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. It was a flat offensive performance that started with a missed field goal and was followed by a punt, a blocked field goal, a punt, and a fumble on their next four drives. The offense just couldn’t get out of its own way. Through the first three weeks of the season, the Jaguars are 28th in EPA per play on offense – seemingly a consequence of their turnovers more than anything.
The moment that summed up the Jaguars day? Well, that would be when fullback Andrew Beck broke five tackles and returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. At 255 lbs, Beck becomes the heaviest player to ever return a kickoff for a touchdown. All credit should be given to DeMeco Ryans and the Texans – they were great value for the win. But the Jaguars have to find a way to get on track against the Falcons in Week 4. It won’t be easy.
The Chargers get a win on the board
One of the bigger games in Week 3 was the winless Los Angeles Chargers taking on the winless Minnesota Vikings. Both teams knew that a loss would effectively put their playoff hopes on life support, as only six teams since 1979 have made the playoffs after starting 0-3.
Both offenses moved the ball with relative ease, combining for 950 yards of offense and seven touchdowns. But it was the Chargers who ran out 28-24 winners with the game coming down to the wire. The win was much needed. The offense is too talented to be held down by the defense.
The Chargers ground game struggled to get things going, but Justin Herbert was electric, completing 40-of-47 pass attempts for 407 yards and three touchdowns. Herbert’s completion percentage of 85 percent was the highest-ever completion percentage for a quarterback attempting 40 passes or more. Despite the Chargers losing record, he’s been on a tear.
So much of the offense stemmed from Herbert’s connection with Keenan Allen, who had a career-high 18 catches for 205 yards, and even threw a 49-yard pass to Mike Williams. Allen was everywhere. His crisp route-running and ability to create yards after the catch were paramount to the Chargers’ offensive explosion. Now, the Chargers are 1-2 and have a slither of hope. They take on a struggling Las Vegas Raiders team next.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
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