• The Jets continue to fly with Aaron Rodgers under center: New York has won two games on the bounce, and its veteran quarterback continues to show his sharpness.
• The Ravens churn out yards vs. the Cowboys: The Ravens rushed for 274 yards against the Cowboys. Are there alarm bells ringing in Dallas?
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Three weeks into the 2024 NFL season, we continue to learn more with each passing week. Let’s break down key data points from the weekend’s action and analyze what went right and what went wrong.
Click below to jump to a game:
NE@NYJ | CHI@IND | NYG@CLE | HOU@MIN | PHI@NO | LAC@PIT | DEN@TB | GB@TEN | CAR@LV | MIA@SEA | DET@ARZ | SF@LAR | BAL@DAL | KC@ATL | JAX@BUF | WSH@CIN
New York Jets 24, New England Patriots 3
Why the Jets won: Aaron Rodgers looks to be rounding back into his cerebral best. The veteran quarterback diced up the Patriots behind a strong offensive line on Thursday night, completing 27-of-35 pass attempts for 281 yards and two touchdowns, earning an 82.1 PFF overall grade. Rodgers was excellent on the few dropbacks he was pressured on, earning an 82.7 passing grade and completing 7-of-9 attempts for 106 yards.
Why the Patriots lost: The Patriots offense was eaten alive by a resurgent Jets defense. New York earned 29 total pressures and hurried Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye combined 14 times. That’s simply no way to operate, and the Jets' lead forced the Patriots to abandon a rushing game — which, in fairness, was also anemic, earning -0.112 EPA per rushing play.
Indianapolis Colts 21, Chicago Bears 16
Why the Colts won: The Colts' commitment to the ground game yielded productivity across the board, with the offense combining for 150 yards on 33 carries. Jonathan Taylor carried the bulk of the loading, rushing 23 times for 110 yards and a touchdown, earning a 73.8 rushing grade.
Why the Bears lost: Asking your rookie quarterback to drop back 56 times in his third-ever NFL start — while he’s struggling as a passer — is a peculiar choice. Williams passed for a season-high 363 yards but struggled when pressured. The Colts defense generated 21 pressures, and Williams posted a 35.7 overall grade while averaging just 3.6 yards per attempt under duress.
Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Los Angeles Chargers 10
Why the Steelers won: The Steelers’ defense got after the Chargers in Week 3, but Justin Fields’ ability to handle the blitz shone through. Fields completed 8-of-9 attempts when blitzed for 119 yards and a touchdown, earning an 89.1 overall grade.
Why the Chargers lost: The Chargers run game, which had been the best in the league on a yards-per-game basis heading into Week 3, was swallowed whole by the Steelers' defensive front. J.K. Dobbins rushed 15 times for just 44 yards, earning a 48.5 rushing grade, while the offense combined for just 61 rushing yards.
Denver Broncos 26, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7
Why the Broncos won: The Broncos' defense did a good job of getting to Baker Mayfield, who has been so good this season. Mayfield was pressured on 40% of his dropbacks and was sacked seven times, and the defense earned 29 total pressures.
Why the Buccaneers lost: Aside from struggling to keep Mayfield upright, the Buccaneers' defense struggled to make things hard for rookie quarterback Bo Nix. The first-round pick was kept clean on 75% of his dropbacks, as the defense only racked up 10 total pressures.
Minnesota Vikings 34, Houston Texans 7
Why the Vikings won: The Vikings' passing game remained incredibly efficient, and Sam Darnold looked more capable than ever. Darnold completed 17-of-28 passes for 181 yards and four touchdowns, while his connection with star receiver Justin Jefferson continues to grow. Jefferson caught six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, earning a 78.0 receiving grade.
Why the Texans lost: The Texans were outmatched for four quarters, including struggling to deal with the Vikings' heavy blitzing. The Vikings' defense blitzed on 57.9% of Stroud’s dropbacks, chipping away at the pass protection and muddying the looks in the secondary. Stroud completed just 57.9% of his pass attempts when blitzed and was sacked three times, earning a 63.6 overall grade.
Green Bay Packers 30, Tennessee Titans 14
Why the Packers won: The Packers have been dominating on the ground without Jordan Love and did so again against a strong Titans defensive front. The offense combined for 188 rushing yards at a 5.1-yards per attempt clip, with Josh Jacobs, Malik Willis and Emanuel Wilson all earning plus-70.0 rushing grades.
Why the Titans lost: Levis moved the ball more efficiently than he has all season, but his ability under pressure — as well as a propensity for committing turnovers, including one backbreaking pick-six — still plagues him. The Titans quarterback earned a 32.7 passing grade when pressured and was pressured on 34.1% of his dropbacks.
New York Giants 21, Cleveland Browns 15
Why the Giants won: The Giants have one of the most electric talents in the NFL at receiver in Malik Nabers. The No. 6 overall pick caught 8-of-12 targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns, earning an 85.0 receiving grade. Having a rookie who can prove to be such a difference-maker at the position could prove to be big for a passing game needing a star.
Why the Browns lost: Deshaun Watson is prone to holding onto the ball for too long, but the Browns’ offensive line did him no favors in Week 3. The offensive line accounted for 21 total pressures. Altogether, Watson was pressured on 21 dropbacks and was sacked eight times.
Philadelphia Eagles 15, New Orleans Saints 12
Why the Eagles won: The Eagles did an excellent job at slowing down the highest-scoring offense in the NFL to just 12 points. The defense pressured Derek Carr on 44.4% of his dropbacks, and the veteran quarterback completed just 3-of-11 attempts when pressured, earning a 39.6 overall grade.
Why the Saints lost: The ground game that afforded the Saints so much breathing room was humbled in Week 3. Alvin Kamara forced just one missed tackle on 26 rushing attempts and averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt. This was a slog fest the Saints weren’t ready for.
Seattle Seahawks 24, Miami Dolphins 3
Why the Seahawks won: Geno Smith was emphatic in a clean pocket against the Dolphins. Smith threw two picks under pressure but completed 19-of-21 pass attempts for 212 yards and a touchdown when kept clean, earning a 73.3 passing grade. The veteran quarterback has started the season like a house on fire.
Why the Dolphins lost: On the flip side, the Dolphins offense couldn’t function with Skylar Thompson at quarterback. Thompson was pressured on 50% of his dropbacks and averaged 1.6 yards per passing attempt, completing 42.9% of his passes for 11 yards.
Carolina Panthers 36, Las Vegas Raiders 22
Why the Panthers won: Andy Dalton tore apart the Raiders' defense from a clean pocket. The Red Rifle was kept clean on 82.1% of his dropbacks. He completed 25-of-32 pass attempts for 314 yards and two passing touchdowns, earning an 82.5 overall grade while adding two big-time throws.
Why the Raiders lost: The game got out of reach early for the Raiders, but the lack of balance in offense is hurting them. The ground game is among the worst in the NFL, and the offense carried the ball a combined 16 times for 55 yards, with starting running back Zamir White earning a 50.9 rushing grade.
Detroit Lions 20, Arizona Cardinals 13
Why the Lions won: The Lions might have the best one-two-punch running game with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The two combined for 189 rushing yards on 39 attempts, forcing a combined eight missed tackles. Their ability to create yards after contact shone through, too, with the pair combining for 129 yards after contact.
Why the Cardinals lost: Kyler Murray couldn’t carry on his big performance from a week prior, and the Cardinals' offense was condensed and constricted. The Lions kept a roof on the offense’s head, and Murray completed just 1-of-8 pass attempts of over 20 yards, restricting the big plays.
Los Angeles Rams 27, San Francisco 49ers 24
Why the Rams won: The Rams fought back from a 14-point deficit to knock off the 49ers, and Matt Stafford was excellent when kept clean. The veteran quarterback completed 12-of-15 pass attempts for 180 yards and a touchdown, averaging 12.0 yards per attempt and earning a 70.6 passing grade.
Why the 49ers lost: The 49ers did everything they could not to win this game, and mistakes cost them. Brock Purdy was efficient aside from a fumble, but his receivers struggled with drops. Ronnie Bell had two costly drops, while Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk had one apiece.
Baltimore Ravens 28, Dallas Cowboys 25
Why the Ravens won: The Ravens' rushing attack ripped apart the Cowboys' defense, with Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson and Justice Hill combining for 272 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Jackson and Henry both earned plus 80.0 rushing grades, and the Ravens combined for 149 yards after contact.
Why the Cowboys lost: The Cowboys just couldn't win up front. They were gashed in the run game but also couldn’t lay a hand on Lamar Jackson. Jackson was pressured on just 23.5% of his dropbacks and sacked zero times.
Kansas City Chiefs 22, Atlanta Falcons 17
Why the Chiefs won: Rashee Rice put the offense on his back again, earning a 79.5 receiving grade and catching 12 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs defense showed up again, stopping Bijan Robinson on a fourth-and-1, shutting down a red zone drive and picking off Kirk Cousins.
Why the Falcons lost: Cousins struggled when pressured by the Chiefs' defense. The Falcons quarterback was pressured on 35.5% of his dropbacks, completing 3-of-9 attempts for 41 yards and one interception, earning a 45.6 overall grade.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS VS. BUFFALO BILLS
Why the Bills won: Josh Allen has been playing like the best player in the NFL through three weeks and had arguably his best performance of the season so far against the Jaguars, completing 23-of-30 pass attempts for 263 yards and four touchdowns. Allen earned an 83.1 grade and didn't miss a beat.
Why the Jaguars lost: The passing offense has struggled all season and was anemic against the Bills. The Jaguars averaged just 4.3 yards per pass attempt and -0.605 EPA per pass attempt.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS
Why the Commanders won: Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels delivered one of the performances of the season so far, completing 21 of his 23 pass attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns while adding a third rushing touchdown. Daniels earned an excellent 95.9 grade and produced a big-time throw rate of 8.9%.
Why the Bengals lost: The Bengals are now 0-3 but have been unlucky in the last two weeks. The Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase connection is back, but the defense just couldn't hang and allowed the Commanders offense to convert on 8-of-12 third- and fourth-down opportunities.
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