Really? 37-3? What a miserable fucking game. Forget about the bad weather; this team got spanked by Buffalo. Washington continues to get behind early, a recipe for disaster — Buffalo scored 37 unanswered points. This is an insane outcome for what is supposed to be a team on the verge of taking the next step.
Our only points was a consolation Field Goal in the 4th Quarter during garbage time. The overall QB protection was subpar — the O-Line was mediocre while not providing Howell with enough time to make throws. Howell threw 4 picks, and yes, I get it: this was Howell’s 4th start. But some of those picks were avoidable. Also, not having Logan Thomas blocking made a difference here.
Brian Robinson made the best out of 10 carries, gaining 70 yards. But Antonio Gibson fumbled again, which is now beyond concerning. Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel were the top Receiving targets, but not much came of it. But Jahan Dotson needs to be targeted more. And they are still not using Dyami Brown enough.
Defensively, we only allowed 3 TDs, which is acceptable. Two of those TDs were Red Zone runs. And we got burned only once on a Josh Allen to Gabe Davis 35-yard pass. James Cook rushed for 98 yards, and Josh Allen picked up 46 yards. This Defense has the personnel to shut down the run and contain mobile QBs, yet we continue to underperform in this area. Considering all the D—Line talent, there was no QB pressure to show for it. Also, the number of Field Goals allowed is concerning. We need to be more consistent in stopping teams before they reach Field Goal range.
Next, Washington visits Philly — this will be a crucial game for Washington to regain their confidence. Containing Jalen Hurts is critical, while neutralizing D’Andre Swift should be a top priority. This Washington Defense is built to achieve all that, but in 3 weeks this season, they have not lived up to expectations. Sam Howell has to get rid of the ball faster and avoid turning the ball over. The Running Game should be a more significant part of this upcoming game. Advantage, Washington Commanders.
WASHINGTON 3 — BUFFALO BILLS 37
And for the rest of the league…..
EAGLES 25 — BUCCANEERS 11
The Eagles are 3-0 and looking like the team to beat in the NFC East. Jalen Hurts mobility outside of the pocket keeps this Offense flowing, but it is also why they might not overcome elite Defenses. Plus, D’Andre Swift seems comfortable as the lead Running Back. Luckily, Philly has won 3 highly close games, but their luck will run out soon enough. Next, Philadelphia hosts Washington. Advantage, Washington Commanders.
Tampa Bay’s Offense was neutralized for most of this game. Baker Mayfield was under constant pressure through 4 quarters, throwing for 145 yards with 1 TD and 1 pick. And their Ground game went nowhere — Rachaad White Rushed for only 38 yards and no scores. Disappointingly, their Defense could not contain Jalen Hurts and D’Andre Swift. But there is no reason to panic; the Bucs should rebound in week 4. Next, Tampa Bay visits New Orleans. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
CARDINALS 28 — COWBOYS 16
The Cardinals shocked the NFL world, but not me. I expected Arizona to give Dallas more than they can chew. Joshua Dobbs had an outstanding game, throwing for 198 yards, with 1 TD and no picks, while rushing for 55 yards. Rookie Head Coach Jonathan Gannon got his first win as a Cardinal, and it seems like he has this Arizona team focused on making some noise in the NFC West. Next, Arizona visits San Francisco. Advantage, San Francisco 49ers.
The Cowboys’ rude awakening in Arizona brought me much joy Sunday evening. Every year, the national TV punditry hypes this team up, and every year, Dallas fails to deliver the goods. Dallas is not built to sustain any long-term success this year. As the season progresses, Dak Prescott will not thrive under Mike McCarthy’s new Offense. And Tony Pollard will show he is not lead RB material —and then things will slowly fall apart. Next, Dallas hosts New England. Advantage, New England Patriots.
49ERS 30 — NY GIANTS 12
The 49ers had their way with the Giants. Brock Purdy continues to impress, throwing for 310 yards with 2 TDs and no picks. Also, Christian McCaffrey is cementing himself as the most dynamic RB in the NFL. Even without Brandon Ayuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle combined for 219 yards. Next, San Francisco hosts Arizona. Advantage, San Francisco 49ers
The NY Giants had only 2 Field Goals and 1 lonely short-yardage TD run to show for all game. San Francisco’s Defense managed to contain Daniel Jones in the pocket, making things uncomfortable for Danny Dimes. Without Saquon Barkley, their Run game is suffering, and Darren Waller has not yet become the Receiving threat I was expecting him to become. Next, the NY Giants host Seattle, Advantage, Seattle Seahawks.
BENGALS 19 — LA RAMS 16
The Bengals needed to urgently win this game and avoid starting the season at 0-3. A lingering calf injury has limited Joe Burrow’s playmaking ability. Nevertheless, Burrow effectively spread the ball around, throwing for 259 yards with 0 TDs and 1 pick. Cincinnati has a demanding schedule ahead, and they are at risk of finishing at the bottom of the AFC North. Next, Cincinnati visits Tennessee. Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals.
The LA Rams are a rebuilding team, but they are a dangerous rebuilding team. Their Defense keeps them in close games, and their Offense is slowly re-emerging as a top offense. Rookie WR Puka Nacua is also showing flashes of becoming a potential elite Receiving threat. Once Cooper Kupp returns from injury, this Offense will look much more dynamic. However, they need to get more consistency from their Ground game. Next, the LA Rams visit Indianapolis. Advantage, the LA Rams.
CHIEFS 41 — BEARS 10
The Chiefs had their way with the hopeless Bears. Patrick Mahomes threw for 272 yards with 3 TDs and no picks. Meanwhile, the storyline for this game was Taylor Swift showing up to the game in support of Travis Kelce. In any case, Kansas City has many favorable matchups in the upcoming weeks. Next, Kansa City visits the NY Jets. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs
The Bears are 0-3, and Matt Eberflus seems over his head. Essentially, Justin Fields is the entire Offense, and their Defense is awful. If things don’t improve soon, there is a good chance Eberflus will get fired midseason. Next, Chicago hosts Denver. Advantage, Denver Broncos.
PATRIOTS 15 — NY JETS 10
New England avoided going 0-3 and won their first game of the season. Mac Jones threw for 201 yards with 1 TD and no picks. Ezekiel Elliot resurfaced with 80 solid yards on the ground but without scores. It wasn’t a pretty game, but the Patriots found a way to win. Next, New England visits Dallas. Advantage, New England Patriots.
The NY Jets are going nowhere fast. Especially if they continue to stick with Zach Wilson at QB this season. The run game continues to be a problem. They are not using Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook effectively; this needs to change immediately. Next, the NY Jets host Kansas City. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
STEELERS 23 — RAIDERS 18
The Steelers’ Defense led the way to a Pittsburgh victory here. Encouragingly, their Offense played better than in previous weeks. Still, their Offensive struggles are an obvious issue. Pittsburgh fans are frustrated with Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada and continue to voice their discontent. Next, Pittsburgh visits Houston. Advantage, Houston Texans.
The Raiders are having a lackluster start to the season. Jimmy G is in constant distress, and the picks are piling up. Their Ground Game is a non-factor — Josh Jacobs was neutralized against Pittsburgh, so they need to figure out how to get Jacobs going again. Next, Las Vegas visits the LA Chargers. Advantage, LA Chargers.
DOLPHINS 70 — BRONCOS 20
The Dolphins lit up Denver in a historic blowout win. Tua threw for over 300 yards with 4 TDs and no picks. Tyreek Hill finished with 157 yards and 1 TD — De’Von Achane rushed for 203 yards and 4 TDs. Miami is extremely dangerous, and they have officially put the entire NFL on notice. Next, Miami visits Buffalo. Advantage, Miami Dolphins.
The Broncos got spanked, simple as that. Russell Wilson tried to keep up with Miami’s firepower but to no avail. Denver is now 0-3, and their season is spiraling out of control. Fortunately, their week 4 matchup against Chicago looks favorable for the Broncos. Next, Denver visits Chicago. Advantage, Denver Broncos.
BROWNS 27 — TITANS 3
The Browns needed to urgently win this game and start to keep pace with the rest of the AFC North. Deshaun Watson had his most productive game of the season, throwing for 289 yards with 2 TDs and no picks. Amari Cooper torched Tennessee with 116 yards and 1 TD—this is a momentum-building win for Cleveland, leading up to a crucial week 4 divisional matchup. Next, Cleveland hosts Baltimore. Advantage, Cleveland Browns.
The Titans need to start panicking, especially with their Offensive struggles. Mainly for their inability to run the ball — Derrick Henry had only 20 yards rushing in the entire game. Also, the Passing game has been vanilla; Ryan Tannehill is not finding DeAndre Hopkins consistently. Head Coach Mike Vrabel needs to figure out how to jump-start this Offense. Next, Tennessee hosts Cincinnati. Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals.
LA CHARGERS 28 — VIKINGS 24
The LA Chargers saved Brandon Staley’s job. Well, at least for another week. Justin Herbert had an outstanding game, throwing for 405 yards with 3 TDs and no picks. Without Austin Ekeler, the Running game struggled to get going, with a pathetic 30 yards of total Rushing. At 1-2, the Chargers must start putting some wins together to keep pace with Kansas City. Next, the LA Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders. Advantage, LA Chargers.
The Vikings are now 0-3, and the time to panic is here. Kirk Cousins is not the issue here; Cousins is having a productive season, and so is Justin Jefferson. It seems like Minnesota relies on Kirk’s cousin’s 4th Quarter comebacks from week to week, which is not a good strategy. Their Defense is underperforming, so Kevin O’Connell needs to make drastic adjustments to turn things around. Next, Minnesota visits Carolina. Advantage, Carolina Panthers.
TEXANS 37 — JAGUARS 17
The Texans came into this game determined to give DeMeco Ryans his first win as a Head Coach. By halftime, they were leading 17-0 and never trailed. CJ Stroud had an exceptional game, throwing for 280 yards with 2 TDs and no picks. Rookie WR Tank Dell emerged as their top-receiving target with 145 yards and 1 TD. Next, Houston hosts Pittsburgh. Advantage, Houston Texans.
The Jaguars were dominated from beginning to end. Their Offense was inefficient for most of the game. Trevor Lawrence threw for 279 yards with 1 TD and 1 pick. Travis Etienne ran the ball for 88 yards, with 50 yards receiving but no scores. And Calvin Ridley dropped crucial balls in the end zone, which could’ve turned this game around for the Jags. Next, Jacksonville takes on Atlanta in London. Advantage, Jacksonville Jaguars.
PACKERS 18 — SAINTS 17
The Packers pulled off an unbelievable comeback win — By the 4th Quarter, they were trailing 17-0, but they came alive to score 18 unanswered points to put New Orleans away. Jordan Love scored 2 TDs and showed that Green Bay made the right move to let Aaron Rodgers go. Next, Green Bay hosts Detroit. Advantage, Detroit Lions,
The Saints had this game in the bag, but they fell apart in the 4th Quarter. Derek Carr left the game with a shoulder injury, so Jameis Winston took over and did a decent job. But their inability to establish an effective Run game in the 4th Quarter and chew away some clock allowed Green Bay to take the lead. Next, New Orleans hosts Tampa Bay. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
SEAHAWKS 37 — PANTHERS 27
The Seahawks have put together back-to-back wins and are slowly positioning themselves as potential contenders. Geno Smith threw for 296 yards with 1 TD and 1 pick; Smith is having another strong start of the season. Kenneth Walker III had another productive game, with 163 yards of Rushing and Receiving with 2 TDs. Next, Seattle visits the NY Giants. Advantage, Seattle Seahawks.
The Panthers are 0-3 and will probably end up with the first pick of the draft in 2024. Andy Dalton took over for an injured Bryce Young and had a notable game, throwing for 361 yards with 2 TDs and no picks. Offensively, there were some bright spots: Adam Thielen had 145 yards with 1 TD (his best game of the season), and DJ Chark had 86 yards with 1 TD. Next, Carolina hosts Minnesota. Advantage, Minnesota Vikings.
LIONS 20 — FALCONS 6
The Lions had a solid rebound game from their week 2 loss. Jared Goff continues to provide steady QB play for Detroit, throwing for 243 yards with 2 TDs and 1 pick. Besides having a star Receiver like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit now has Sam LaPorta, who seems to be on the verge of a breakout season. Next, Detroit visits Green Bay. Advantage, Detroit Lions.
The Falcons took their first loss of the season and got somewhat exposed. Offensively, Atlanta had a rough time moving the ball or creating significant scoring opportunities. Bijan Robinson was neutralized with only 33 yards for the entire game. And Kyle Pitts continues to be a non-factor. Next, Atlanta travels to London for Jacksonville. Advantage, Jacksonville Jaguars.
COLTS 22 — RAVENS 19
Without Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor, the Colts rose to the occasion. Gardner Minshew was effective, throwing for over 200 yards with 1 TD and no picks. Zack Moss rushed for 122 yards and caught 1 TD. Surprisingly, the Colts are 2-1, and they might be better than I thought. Next, Indianapolis hosts the LA Rams. Advantage, LA Rams.
The Ravens are now officially in trouble this season. They’ve lost JK Dobbins for the year, so Gus Edwards was supposed to be the next man up, but he left the game with a concussion. Melvin Gordon III and Kenyan Drake could not provide the spark needed to get their Run game going. As a result, Lamar Jackson became their primary Rusher with 101 yards on the ground with 2 TDs. The absence of Odell Beckham was also felt, and Mark Andrews hasn’t made much of an impact. Next, Baltimore visits Cleveland. Advantage, Cleveland Browns.
Rod Rioja 