Week three is in the books, and there was plenty of drama to go around. Teams that we thought were playof bound still haven't gotten it together and some teams are surprisingly still unbeaten. Here are the scores and stories that caught my eye from Sunday's action.
(3-0) Kansas City Chiefs 31
(0-3) San Francisco 49ers 10
Let's just say it already. The Niners aren't very good right now. Their offense is predictable and Alex Smith is wildly inconsistent. Frank Gore and the running game haven't gotten started yet which means Mike Singletary has to rely on Smith more than he should. KC's Matt Cassel still didn't complete a high percentage of his passes, but his three touchdown throws and the production of Dexter McCluster and running backs Jamaal Charles (97 yards) and Thomas Jones (95 yards) gave the Chiefs a complete offensive performance. That's exactly what they needed. (That gadget play was pretty fun too.)
(2-1) Atlanta Falcons 27
(2-1) New Orleans Saints 24
It was exactly the type of game we expected from these NFC South contenders. The Falcons proved they aren't going anywhere with this overtime win, but Saints kicker Garrett Hartley missed a 29-yarder in the extra period, giving Atlanta the opportunity they needed. Following a few solid performances, the Saints defense couldn't generate enough turnovers to make up for their offense's. Drew Brees uncharacteristically tossed two picks in the loss. Matt Ryan wasn't spectacular, but he avoided the big mistakes.
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(2-1) Tennessee Titans 29
(1-2) New York Giants 10
This was a sloppy awful perfomance from the New York Giants. Dumb penalties, missed field goals and three ill-timed turnovers cost the Giants dearly despite outgaining the Titans by 200 yards (471-271). Chris Johnson's 125 yards and two scores helped take the pressure off Vince Young, who had to attempt only 16 passes. If Eli Manning can stop throwing ridiculous interceptions sometime soon, maybe the Giants can keep up in the NFC East. I mean, someone's knocking...
(1-2) Dallas Cowboys 27
(2-1) Houston Texans 13
Either Houston isn't as good as everyone thought (though I wasn't buying it completely) or Dallas doesn't completely suck. It's likely a bit of both, but Dallas came out and tore apart the Texan's pass defense. They ran enough to keep the defense honest, but Tony Romo's 284 yards and 2 TD's weere the story. A rare Roy Williams sighting didn't hurt either. He'll have to step-up when teams are giving extra coverage to Miles Austin. Matt Schaub's two interceptions were an oddity. I'd bet this team is back on track next week against Oakland. Just a hunch.
(1-2) St. Louis Rams 30
(1-2) Washington Redskins 16
I don't know what it is about the Rams that has given the Redskins such a headache over the past few seasons, but now that they have Sam Bradford at quarterback I expect those troubles to continue. Even after losing Steven Jackson to a groin injury early on, the Rams kept fighting and sealed the wiin by giving up just three points in the second half and scoring 17 of their own. They're not making a playoff push this year, but this is a win they can build off of. For the Redskins it was a ailed chance to keep pace in their division. There won't be any easy wins for them this year with the way their offense has struggled.
(2-1) Philadelphia Eagles 28
(1-2) Jacksonville Jaguars 3
Anyone questioning Andy Reid's decision to go with Michael Vick now? He sure looks good as an Eagle. His completion percentage was more in line with what we've seen from Vick in the past, but 291 yards and three scores through the air sure isn't. His deep ball is as clean as ever, giving the Eagles the big play ability they enjoyed with McNabb. As long as he plays like this, there's no reason to pull Vick out of the line-up. In Jacksonville, things are ugly. I wouldn't be sure David Garrard would last the entire season as the starter if they didn't have Luke McCown and Todd Bouman as his back-ups. He's the starter by default.
(2-1) Seattle Seahawks 27
(1-2) San Diego Chargers 20
Hey, the Chargers lost another game early in the season they were heavily favored to win! What a McShock! That NEVER happens. San Diego had plenty of chances to get back into this contest, much as they did versus Kansas City in week one. Unfortunately, their special teams unit let them down by allowing TWO return touchdowns to Leon Washington. How good does that trade look for the Seahawks now? At 2-1, the Seahawks have two solid wins on their resume and look to have the talent to compete in this weak division.
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(2-1) New York Jets 31
(2-1) Miami Dolphins 23
Man... can't anyone shut these Jets up? With questionable offensive play-calls down the stretch, the Miami Dolphins brought themselves back to the pack in the AFC East. Braylon Edwards sat out the first quarter, which totally taught him a lesson, for suresies. The Dolphin defense gave up too many big plays and couldn't help out their offense enough to win.
Keywords: Alex Smith, Atlanta Falcons, Chris Johnson, Dallas Cowboys, David Garrard, Donovan McNabb, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Garrett Hartley, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Leon Washington, Matt Cassel, Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Miami Dolphins, Michael Vick, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Roy Williams, Sam Bradford, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, Tony Romo, Vince Young, Washington Redskins
