NFL Nation recaps every game and answers the biggest questions from around the league in Week 3.
It’s Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season, and many games in the opening window came down to the fourth quarter — again.
After the Colts’ defense kept the Kansas City Chiefs close all game, Matt Ryan threw a go-ahead touchdown in the final 30 seconds to give Indianapolis its first win of the season. The Chicago Bears defeated the Houston Texans on a last-second field goal, while the Minnesota Vikings scored a late touchdown to take down the Detroit Lions. The undefeated Miami Dolphins also prevailed in a close divisional matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
Elsewhere, the Baltimore Ravens took down the New England Patriots on the road, while the Tennessee Titans handed the Las Vegas Raiders their third loss of the season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts led the 3-0 Eagles to a convincing win against the Washington Commanders, and the Cincinnati Bengals bounced back with a big win — their first of the season — against the New York Jets.
Our NFL Nation reporters react with the biggest takeaways and lingering questions coming out of this week’s matchups and look ahead to what’s next. Let’s get to it.
Jump to a matchup:
PIT-CLE | KC-IND | BUF-MIA | LV-TEN
BAL-NE| CIN-NYJ | PHI-WSH | DET-MIN
NO-CAR | HOU-CHI
What to know: The Ravens showed they can close out a game. A week after the biggest fourth-quarter collapse in team history, the Ravens’ defense rebounded with authority, producing three turnovers in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who was sidelined for the fourth quarter last week with a groin injury, picked off Mac Jones in the end zone. Then, rookie first-round pick Kyle Hamilton, who gave up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter a week ago, stripped the ball from Nelson Agholor with 5:35 remaining. The Ravens could have unraveled after failing to hold a 21-point lead against Miami. Instead, Baltimore is 2-1 with big games against Buffalo and Cincinnati looming.
Who is going to protect Lamar Jackson’s blind side? The Ravens were down to their fourth-string left tackle after Patrick Mekari exited in the first quarter with a left ankle injury. Mekari was starting his second straight game because Ronnie Stanley (ankle) remains inactive and Ja’Wuan James suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the season opener. That forced rookie fourth-round pick Daniel Faalele to play left tackle, a position that he didn’t play in college. The Ravens now must hope Stanley can make his debut Sunday in a big game against the Buffalo Bills. Stanley has missed 31 of Baltimore’s past 32 games (including playoffs) after breaking his left ankle. But he has practiced the past three weeks. — Jamison Hensley
Next game: vs. Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
What to know: The Patriots’ offense showed signs of promise, but QB Mac Jones’ decision making on two throws in the second half (both INTs) sabotaged their chance to win. This was as good as the offense has looked, particularly with the downfield passing game, as DeVante Parker was immense with 156 receiving yards. But Jones’ interceptions after halftime were too much to overcome, along with a Nelson Agholor lost fumble. Jones, who hobbled off the field with what appeared to be a left leg injury on his final pass of the day, finished 22-of-32 for 323 yards, with no TDs and three INTs. Specifically, his end zone heave that was intercepted midway through the fourth quarter was the type of decision you wouldn’t expect from him. That can be the difference between a win and a loss.
Why isn’t WR Kendrick Bourne playing more? Kendrick Bourne, who was the Patriots’ second-leading receiver last season, played just 20 snaps, an unofficial total charted during the game. That was significantly fewer than fellow receivers Parker (66), Lil’Jordan Humphrey (53) and Agholor (51). The discrepancy between Humphrey (zero catches) and Bourne (four catches, 58 yards) is most notable, as Humphrey was elevated from the practice squad one week into the season and isn’t as dynamic of a playmaker as Bourne. — Mike Reiss
Next game: at Packers (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET)
What to know: The Carolina defense, which came into the day ranked ninth in the league, is for real. Short of forcing a turnover in the first two games, this unit played well enough to win during an 0-2 start. The turnovers finally came Sunday, starting with a 44-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the first quarter, to make up for another subpar performance by quarterback Baker Mayfield and end a nine-game losing streak, which was the longest active streak in the NFL. The Panthers added a fourth-quarter interception to set up a field goal and another to seal the outcome with eight seconds to play. They kept quarterback Jameis Winston under constant pressure. The run defense that shut down New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley last week held Alvin Kamara in check after an early 27-yard run. The goal for this unit was to go from good to great, and Sunday’s performance was an early sign it’s headed in the right direction.
How secure should Baker Mayfield be as the starter? The Panthers finally won, but Mayfield had little to do with it. He had his third straight subpar performance that was saved by a missed tackle turned into a 67-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Laviska Shenault Jr. in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, Mayfield had gone 9-of-20 for 76 yards. He finished 12-of-25 for 170 yards. Mayfield won the starting job over Sam Darnold in training camp, and it wasn’t that close. But with Darnold set to come off injured reserve after next week’s game against Arizona and Mayfield struggling, it at least opens the door for a change. — David Newton
Next game: vs. Cardinals (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
What to know: The Saints’ offense continues to struggle badly. Between turnovers, penalties and protection issues, the Saints weren’t setting any offensive records against the Panthers on Sunday. There were a few nice moments: Wide receiver Chris Olave became the first Saints rookie to have more than 100 receiving yards since the 2018 season, and Marquez Callaway had a one-handed touchdown grab in traffic in the fourth quarter. But the fourth-quarter efforts aren’t enough. The Saints need to play consistently on offense for an entire game if they’re going to win this year.
Should the Saints make a change at QB? Jameis Winston’s play has been a concern since his back injury in Week 1, and things haven’t gotten any better. Saints coach Dennis Allen said he never considered making a change in Week 2 against the Bucs, but considering there wasn’t much improvement in Week 3, there could be hard choices ahead. The offensive problems certainly aren’t all on Winston, but it’s hard to imagine his back issue will improve by next week, especially with a long trip to London ahead. Making a change to Andy Dalton, even if it’s just to give Winston some rest, might give the offense a spark. — Katherine Terrell
Next game: vs. Vikings (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET)
What to know: Cincinnati’s offense got a much-needed spark in a 27-12 win over the New York Jets. The Bengals’ offense, which couldn’t score a first-half touchdown in the first two games this season, scored two on Sunday and jumped on the Jets early. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow looked as good as he did at the end of 2021. It was the performance Cincinnati desperately needed for its first win of the season.
Should there be concern about the running game? It’s probably time to get a bit worried about the ground attack. It has been very ineffective through three games. On Sunday against New York, Cincinnati struggled to get anything going with running back Joe Mixon, who has been ineffective against light defensive boxes this season. When Samaje Perine entered the game in the fourth quarter, he quickly surpassed Mixon’s 24 yards on 12 carries. It’s certainly something to monitor as the season progresses. — Ben Baby
Next game: vs. Dolphins (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
What to know: The Jets were supposed to be better on defense in 2022. They spent big free-agent money and used two first-round picks to improve a unit that ranked 32nd last season. The plan isn’t working out, as the defense continued to underachieve Sunday in a 27-12 loss to the Bengals. The Jets smelled blood, thinking they could join the Joe Burrow sack party, but they registered only two sacks and got shredded for 275 passing yards and three touchdowns. Burrow, sacked 13 times in the first two games, delivered the most prolific first quarter in his career (163 yards). The Jets were doomed by costly penalties, bad tackling and the weekly coverage mix-up, all of which contributed to the first three touchdowns. They got caught off guard by the Bengals’ pass-heavy attack at the outset and never recovered.
