Corey Sipkin; Getty Photographs (3)
Three weeks into the NFL season, solely two groups are unbeaten following the Giants’ loss Monday night time, and just one has began the yr 0-3.
That may be the extremely disappointing Raiders, particularly following their offseason acquisition of Aaron Rodgers’ longtime favourite goal, stud receiver Davante Adams.
Week 3 featured a puzzling upset (Colts over Chiefs), a possible divisional energy shift (Dolphins over Payments) and an unsightly step-back sport for the Jets following their beautiful comeback the earlier week.
However these are the 5 takeaways that jumped out to me as we put together for the following slate of video games starting Thursday night time with an intriguing AFC matchup between the rising Dolphins and the defending convention champs, the Bengals.
Not all is misplaced for the Giants
The Giants, surprisingly, had been unbeaten by means of two video games, however their revamped offensive line was utterly overrun in move safety all through Monday night time’s deserved 23-16 loss to the Cowboys.
Daniel Jones was underneath heavy stress all through, with rookie proper deal with and first-round choose Evan Neal enduring an particularly tough night time towards Cowboys defensive finish DeMarcus Lawrence, who recorded three of their 5 sacks.
Jones really took care of the ball and toughed out a number of optimistic performs whereas underneath duress, working for 79 yards and throwing for 196. His late-game interception additionally was the results of David Sills falling down on a timing route.
The Giants a minimum of can take one other encouraging offensive efficiency by Saquon Barkley (126 whole yards and a landing) into Sunday’s winnable residence sport towards the Bears, though Sterling Shepard doesn’t appear like he’ll be taking part in after he needed to be carted off with what gave the impression to be a severe non-contact leg harm on the Giants’ closing offensive play.
Dolphins are for actual, however…
Admit it, you cringed watching Tua Tagovailoa have his head crashed into the turf Sunday after which stumble again towards the bottom after attending to his ft late within the second quarter of the Dolphins’ 21-19 win in Buffalo to stay unbeaten.
The third-year QB was virtually instantly allowed to proceed to begin the second half, however the NFLPA is totally proper in initiating an investigation over whether or not head-injury protocols had been correctly adopted.
Tagovailoa completed the sport and helped the Fish pull out the spectacular victory, however the former Alabama star is also coping with ankle and again points. He may not be prepared with a brief week of preparation time for Thursday’s go to to Cincinnati. (Veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater was on the sector for 3 snaps Sunday in Tua’s absence).
Both method, the newly assembled receiver duo of Jaylen Waddle and commerce pickup Tyreek Hill stays largely unstoppable, combining for 40 catches for 659 yards (16.5 per) and 5 touchdowns already.
Even the viral “butt punt” from Sunday — which fittingly caught the eye of ex-Jets QB Mark Sanchez — couldn’t forestall the Dolphins from upending the Payments, who many thought to be the Tremendous Bowl favorites out of the AFC.
He guess on himself, too
Aaron Decide posted a historic season after turning down the Yankees’ spring contract supply, and Lamar Jackson seems intent on displaying he’s well worth the assured cash he sought all through the offseason by thrusting himself again into the MVP dialog after three video games. (Most likely alongside Allen and Jalen Hurts).
Jackson accounted for 5 touchdowns (4 passing) in Sunday’s rout of the Patriots, giving him an NFL-best 10 TDs by means of the air. He’s additionally exceeded 100 dashing yards in every of the previous two video games, and he ranks third within the AFC on the bottom behind solely star working backs Nick Chubb and Jonathan Taylor with a house conflict towards Allen and the 2-1 Payments on faucet in Week 4.
The Chargers are in hassle
Justin Herbert was in a position to play Sunday regardless of fractured rib cartilage, however accidents to 5 different mainstays are threatening to torpedo the Chargers’ possibilities early within the deep AFC West.
Professional Bowl left deal with Rashawn Slater is completed for the yr after tearing his left biceps tendon in Sunday’s blowout loss to the improved Jaguars. And on Monday, it was revealed that receiver Jalen Guyton is also out for the season after tearing his ACL on Sunday. These intestine punches got here after L.A. already was with out its different Professional Bowler on the offensive line — heart Corey Linsley, who missed the sport with a knee difficulty — and No. 1 receiver Keenan Allen (hamstring). On the opposite facet of the ball, the Chargers additionally might be with out edge rusher Joey Bosa and $83 million cornerback J.C. Jackson (ankle) this week in Houston.
The Chiefs’ surprising loss in Indy saved the 1-2 Chargers inside a sport of the divisional lead, with the Broncos additionally successful their second sport with an enormous efficiency by their protection in what turned out to be extra of a slog-fest than a slugfest in a 12-11 win over Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners.
Hurts so good
With apologies to John Mellencamp (nee Cougar), Hurts has been much better than good by means of three video games in main the Eagles to a 3-0 begin for the primary time since 2016 with a 24-8 win over the Commanders.
Hurts threw for over 300 yards for the second straight sport, because the Eagles’ receiver tandem of DeVonta Smith and imported A.J. Brown has been the NFC model of the potent Hill-Waddle combo in Miami.
The Giants (2-1) received’t face Philly till Week 14 (at residence on Dec. 11) and Week 18 (on the street on Jan. 8), however the Eagles to this point have regarded like probably the most full group within the NFC East and perhaps within the convention underneath second-year coach Nick Sirianni.
At present’s again web page
(Deliberately) stroll this fashion
The Blue Jays’ technique to deliberately stroll Aaron Decide with a base open within the tenth inning paid off Monday night time, resulting in a 3-2 win within the backside half to disclaim the Yankees’ first probability to clinch the AL East title.
Decide’s quest to tie Roger Maris’ league and franchise report of 61 residence runs will shift to Tuesday night time after he completed 1-for-3 with two walks and two strikeouts — the sixth straight sport through which he didn't go deep.
Toronto pitched to Decide all through the sport, however Jays supervisor John Schneider made the suitable name in electing to stroll the Triple Crown candidate with runners on first and second to load the bases within the tenth earlier than Anthony Rizzo grounded out to finish the inning.
Decide, who has acknowledged that he plans to stay within the lineup till the Yankees clinch the division title, will face Jose Berrios on Tuesday night time. He's 6-for-18 with one homer in his profession towards the righty.
Hoop desires
The Nets and the Knicks held their respective media days on Monday, with the previous’s begin of coaching camp noteworthy for who was there and the latter’s opening notable for who was not.
One of many craziest midsummer cleaning soap operas in New York basketball historical past ended with each Kevin Durant (commerce request rescinded) and Kyrie Irving (opt-in) staying in Brooklyn, though I nonetheless contend that Ben Simmons is totally the important thing as to if the Nets return to contending standing.
Kyrie, particularly now that there are not COVID-19 vaccination restrictions, and KD are identified commodities so long as they will stay wholesome. Simmons didn’t play in any respect final yr with a holdout and mental-health points to begin the season in Philadelphia and a again harm (that ultimately required surgical procedure) after the midseason James Harden blockbuster.
As for the Knicks, clearly they had been unable to tug off their focused commerce for homegrown All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who as an alternative was dealt from the Jazz to the Cavaliers. It’s definitely no lock that the return of most of final yr’s core — RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and so forth. — and the addition of free-agent guard Jalen Brunson shall be sufficient to vault Tom Thibodeau’s group again right into a playoff place following final yr’s 37-win, step-back marketing campaign.
We’d even be remiss if we didn’t observe the absence of longtime Put up beat author Marc Berman, who publicly introduced on Monday his departure after 23 relentless seasons of protection, most of which had been operated inside a circus-like ambiance inside the Knicks’ group.
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