NFL Week 3 takeaways: What We Learned from Sunday's 14 games

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• REWATCH: Falcons-Panthers on NFL+ Premium

David Ely's takeaways:

1. Panthers defense flips narrative in dominant performance. The Carolina defense was historically bad in 2024, and the improvement was marginal through two weeks this season. That was not the case on Sunday, however, as the Panthers put the clamps on the Falcons. While the pass rush didn’t log a sack, 11 QB pressures through three quarters flummoxed Michael Penix Jr. into an ineffective day. Pennix finished 18 of 36 for 172 yards and two interceptions – including a game-changing pick-six by Chau Smith-Wade that gave Carolina a 17-point lead early in the third quarter. Similarly, Bijan Robinson (111 total yards) was kept largely in check and out of the end zone. 
2. Reports of Falcons’ kicking fix were short-lived. John Parker Romo was a Week 2 hero when he booted 5 of 5 field goals in Atlanta’s rout of the Vikings. That performance earned Parker Romo a two-year contract, and led to the Falcons release of veteran kicker Younghoe Koo. One bad game shouldn’t be cause for buyer’s remorse, but Parker Romo had a Sunday to forget in Carolina. He badly missed right on a 49-yard attempt to end what was a promising first drive for Atlanta, and then he pushed a 55-yard attempt left as the Falcons failed to take advantage of a first-quarter muffed punt. Six points weren’t the difference on Sunday, but those missed opportunities were emblematic of a Falcons squad that didn’t show up in Week 3.
3. Panthers avoid 0-3 hole with best win in Canales-Young era. Things were grim in Carolina after the Panthers fell to 0-2 for a fourth consecutive season. To add injury to insult, two starting interior linemen (center Austin Corbett, guard Robert Hunt) were placed on injured reserve this past week, a point of concern given Bryce Young’s stature. While the final numbers aren’t flashy – Young went 16 of 24 for 121 yards – the reworked offensive line only gave up one sack against a Falcons defense that logged six sacks just one week before. The Panthers had an effective plan to limit the rush and then leaned on the ground game to close things out as Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle combined for 103 yards on the day. Carolina will need to put up more than 244 yards of offense to win most weeks, but this was a clean step in the right direction.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Falcons-Panthers (via NFL Pro): Bryce Young negated the Falcons’ blitz-heavy scheme (63% blitz rate) by getting rid of the ball in less than 2.5 seconds against extra pass rushers (2.46 seconds). Young finished 9 of 14 for 72 yards against the blitz.

NFL Research: The 30-point win is the Panthers' largest since Week 14 of the 2015 season (38-0), which also came against the Falcons

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• REWATCH: Packers-Browns on NFL+ Premium

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Browns finally cash their defensive checks. Cleveland's offense has been dreadful so far this season and remained a painful watch on Sunday, averaging just 3.9 yards per play and finishing 4 for 13 on third down. Conversely, while their offense has struggled, the Browns' defense has been excellent, suffocating another opposing offense and keeping Cleveland in contention. In Week 3, the defense tipped the scales in their favor, securing a crucial interception (snagged by Grant Delpit) to set up the offense for a high-percentage scoring opportunity in the final minutes, a chance made possible only after spending the afternoon harassing Jordan Love and finally receiving some offensive production thanks to rookie Quinshon Judkins' fourth-quarter rushing explosion. Fittingly, Judkins scored the game-tying touchdown, and while the Browns needed their special teams to deliver in the clutch, they never would have had a chance to win the thriller without the consistently dominant performance of their defense.
2. Packers need to get healthy up front. Green Bay welcomed back two starters on the offensive line Sunday and enjoyed the luxury of its starting five for exactly one play. Zach Tom left after just one snap, aggravating an oblique injury that kept him out of action in Week 2, and guard Aaron Banks' groin ailment forced him out of the contest before he saw 30 snaps, requiring the Packers to shuffle linemen at right tackle and left guard for the remainder of the game. Cleveland's stifling defense capitalized on the absences, sacking Jordan Love five times and significantly limiting the Packers' offensive potential to an average gain of just 3.8 yards per play. Love completed 18 of 25 passes for 183 yards and a nice touchdown toss out of structure, but Green Bay's offense never found a sustainable rhythm. The Packers have impressed plenty in the first month of the 2025 season but if they're going to sustain their success -- Sunday notwithstanding -- they'll need their offensive line at full strength, especially when they face stingy opposition like they did in Cleveland.
3. Szmyt earns sweet redemption. Browns fans watched their team lose their season opener in gut-wrenching fashion in Week 1, largely because their rookie kicker Andre Szmyt couldn't convert. Szmyt missed an extra point and a field goal in the 17-16 loss and spent the next week tuning out calls for his job. He found himself in a similar situation on the shore of Lake Erie on Sunday. This time around, he delivered, nailing a field goal to cut Green Bay's lead to seven, converting a crucial extra point and calmly drilling a 55-yard game-winner at the buzzer. Instead of reaching Monday as the scapegoat, Szmyt was mobbed by his teammates at midfield and will start the work week in the unfamiliar role of local hero.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Packers-Browns (via NFL Pro): Quinshon Judkins rushed 18 times for 94 yards and a touchdown in Week 3, generating plus-34 rushing yards over expected and 22 yards after forcing four missed tackles. His +34 RYOE performance ranks as the third-highest among all rookies in a game this season. Judkins leads all rookies with +56 RYOE and has gained the second-most yards after forcing missed tackles (58) through Week 3.

NFL Research: The Browns' win was the first time any NFL team has come back from a 10-plus point deficit with less than 4:00 remaining and won without needing overtime since the Titans in Week 14, 2023.

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• REWATCH: Texans-Jaguars on NFL+ Premium

Michael Baca's takeaways:

1. Defense powers Jacksonville past Houston. Liam Coen's offense gained a lot of yards and scored a lot of points through two weeks, but it was the Jaguars defense that ultimately halted an alarming trend against its AFC South rival. As a defensive battle through three quarters turned hairy in the final frame, the Jaguars defense maintained its dominance by forcing two turnovers in Houston's final two drives. Josh Hines-Allen's pressure hurried C.J. Stroud into an underthrow that landed in Antonio Johnson's arms for the game-clinching pick with under a minute to play. However, Tyson Campbell's strip of Nico Collins in Houston's prior possession was perhaps the bigger turnover as it ruined the only momentum the Texans had in the game. Overall, it was a collective effort from Jacksonville's defense, forcing three fourth-quarter turnovers while collecting two sacks, six QB hits and four tackles for loss. It was a big win for the Jaguars, who had previously lost 12 of their last 14 games against the Texans. Stopping these skids are essential for the Coen era.
2. Houston's offense remains stuck in the mud. The Texans were fortunate to have a shot late in the game given their continuous struggles on offense. The C.J. Stroud-led unit gained just 119 total yards of offense through three quarters, but the defense forced its only turnover of the game at midfield to inspire a comeback attempt. Stroud found Nico Collins for a 50-yard touchdown on the very next play and the offense seemingly woke from its slumber thereafter with 152 yards in the final frame, but Collins' fumble and Stroud's second interception of the quarter doomed Houston into an 0-3 start to the season. As they have been through the first three games, the Texans' offensive line struggled protecting their quarterback and there was little to no ground attack to keep Jacksonville honest. In the few times Stroud did have time to throw, Texans receivers couldn't get open, forcing Stroud to roll out and sometimes try to make the impossible throw. Stroud, who finished 25-of-38 passing for 204 yards with one TD and two picks for a 66.1 passer rating, isn't getting a lot of help from his teammates, but his big mistakes are also holding back the Texans. 
3. Dropped passes continue to haunt Jaguars. Jacksonville pass catchers dropped a total of five passes on Sunday, and it might have influenced its lowest offensive output of the early season (291 total yards, 17 points). The drops came in big moments on third-down attempts or on situations with plenty of room to gain more yards. Brian Thomas Jr.'s drops issues reared their head in the fourth quarter after mishandling a would-be chain-mover on third down in the fourth quarter to prevent the Jaguars from stepping on the gas. Thomas did make up for it with a big 46-yard reception on the game-winning drive, but the dropped passes will need to be cleaned up as the Jaguars look to catch the undefeated Colts in the divisional race. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Texans-Jaguars (via NFL Pro): Travis Hunter played more defensive snaps (41) than offensive snaps (35) for the first time in the Jaguars Week 3 victory over the Texans. This comes after playing 39 defensive snaps (three fewer than offensive snaps) in Week 2 against the Bengals. Hunter was targeted five times on defense, allowing five receptions for 54 yards.

NFL Research: C.J. Stroud has not thrown for 250 yards in a game since Week 11 of last year.

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• REWATCH: Bengals-Vikings on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Rodgers races into record books with two defensive TDs

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Rodgers’ two defensive TDs power Vikings blowout over Burrow-less Bengals. Isaiah Rodgers made it easy on the Player of the Week selectors. The Vikings cornerback was all over the field as the Vikings smothered the Bengals, forcing four turnovers on eight Cincy first-half possessions. In the first quarter, Rogers jumped a tipped ball and sprinted 87 yards to paydirt. After the two-minute warning, the CB punched out the ball from Noah Fant, scooped up the pigskin, and jaunted 66 yards for another score. The next drive, Rodgers created another forced fumble. Rodgers, who came over from Philly in the offseason, not only stabilized the corner slot opposite nickel Byron Murphy, but brought heady playmaking to Brian Flores' defense. Minny’s D swarmed like sharks to chum against the Joe Burrow-less Bengals. Flores’ crew forced three straight fumbles to end the half, blowing the doors off the game. Even with little to play for over the final two quarters, the Vikings D gave up only one TD and gobbled up four total sacks.
2. Wentz looks comfortable in Vikings offense. Can we call it another successful Kevin O’Connell QB reclamation project already? Carson Wentz ran KOC’s offense with aplomb, not forcing passes and mostly avoiding the negative plays that have characterized his career. He took three sacks early, but starting for a sixth team in six seasons, Wentz played comfortably. He spread the ball around, peppering the middle of the field. The defensive scores made life easy on the Vikings offense, allowing Wentz to play within the system without forcing. It was the best Minnesota's offense has looked all season. Everything worked. Wentz hit Justin Jefferson on deep in-routes, and he peppered balls to T.J. Hockenson. Jordan Mason blasted through arm-tackle attempts for 116 yards on 16 carries (7.3 YPC) and two TDs. The stats won’t jump off the page, but it was the ideal start for Wentz, a three-quarter demolition, allowing him to get his feet wet in an easy win ahead of a two-week trip overseas.
3. Bengals fumble, stumble, bumble their way to embarrassing loss in first game sans Burrow. Jake Browning needed to steady the ship, not force passes and let his playmakers do the work. He didn’t do that early, forcing a ball that was tipped and wound up a pick-six the other way. In scoring range, it’s a ball Browning needed to toss into the bench and live for another day. Browning was under constant pressure and struggled to find consistency or downfield action. The fourth quarter INT was ugly, but we won’t pin the blowout solely on the QB. The run game was nonexistent, with Chase Brown running 10 times for 3 yards (0.3 YPC), and the fumbles led to the dam breaking. After the two-minute warning, the Bengals were on the move with a chance to cut into a 17-3 deficit. Just as CBS’ Jim Nantz was suggesting the Bengals could make it “interesting” with a score to end the half and then getting the ball after the break, Isiah Rodgers was punching out the ball and scampering the other way for a TD. In four plays to end the half, the Bengals fumbled three times. Woof. That’s how a game turns into an embarrassment. Cincy earned just 171 total yards, going 3 of 11 on third downs. If defenses are going to key on the ground game, not fearing Browning, the backup is going to have to make plays in the coming weeks or it will get late early in Cincinnati.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Vikings-Bengals (via NFL Pro): Carson Wentz threw a quick pass (under 2.5 seconds) on 60% of his pass attempts, completing 9 of those 12 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Across Weeks 1-2, J.J. McCarthy attempted a quick pass on just 17.1% of his dropbacks.

NFL Research: The 34-3 halftime deficit was tied for the largest in Bengals history. Cincy was down, 31-0, to the Lions in 1970.

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• REWATCH: Steelers-Patriots on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Rodgers passes up old teammate Favre on TD list

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Steelers came up big with timely defensive plays. The Steelers were on their heels most of the game after taking a 14-0 lead Sunday, but they finished off the Patriots with some massive defensive stops when they had to have them. Down two members of the starting secondary, the Steelers gave some ground defensively but came up with five sacks, five takeaways and a fourth-down stop with the Patriots driving to try to tie it late. Cameron Heyward remains the heartbeat of the Steelers’ defense, and he had two massive plays near the goal line – a tipped pass that was intercepted in the end zone before halftime and a strip of Rhamondre Stevenson before he crossed into the end zone. Jabrill Peppers also got in on the fun, stinging his former team with a strip on Antonio Gibson. It wasn’t terribly pretty, but this was the kind of timely defensive showing the Steelers needed after allowing 30-plus points the first two games. 
2. Patriots were their own worst enemies with turnovers, red-zone failures. It’s stunning that the Patriots even had a chance to tie or win the game late considering how they cared for the ball Sunday. They committed five turnovers and an unofficial sixth after being stopped on fourth down in the final minute. Drake Maye lost a fumble and threw a pick, and Rhamondre Stevenson coughed up two fumbles – including one at the goal line. Both players turned the ball over inside the Pittsburgh 2-yard line, costing them at least six points. Maye also had two more passes that could have been picked but were dropped by Steelers defenders. The last time the Patriots lost four fumbles in a game was against the Browns in 1992 … when Bill Belichick was Cleveland’s coach. The last time they had five turnovers in a game, Mike Vrabel was on the field for them in Week 13 of the 2008 season, also versus the Steelers. Vrabel knows his team coughed another one up at home because of mistakes, falling to 0-2 at Foxborrough.
3. Steelers were sluggish offensively. This was not a great performance by the Steelers’ offense on the whole, starting the game with two strong TD drives but going cold offensively until late in the fourth quarter. Despite finishing the game plus-four in the turnover department, they had to hang on to win. Aaron Rodgers led a late scoring drive to give them the winning edge, hitting Calvin Austin III on a pretty fade pass, and Jaylen Warren had some impressive runs and yards after contact. But overall, this was a bit of an alarming showing, with nine negative plays (not counting kneeldowns) and hurt themselves with penalties. DK Metcalf caught a TD pass but had only three catches for 32 yards on four targets. Jonnu Smith had the long gain for Pittsburgh with a 21-yard catch but also coughed up a late fumble to keep the Patriots in it. The Steelers’ offense remains a work in progress, and Sunday was a step backward in some respects.  

Next Gen Stats Insight for Steelers-Patriots (via NFL Pro): Aaron Rodgers was pressured only four times and wasn’t sacked on 23 pass attempts Sunday.

NFL Research: Aaron Rodgers passed former teammate Brett Favre to move to No. 4 all time in touchdown passes with 510. Rodgers now trails only Peyton Manning (539), Drew Brees (571) and Tom Brady (649).

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• REWATCH: Rams-Eagles on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Stafford surpasses Ryan on all-time passing TDs list

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Eagles awaken, erupt for comeback win. Perhaps all the Eagles' offense needs is a couple of explosive pass plays to unlock their operation. After a frustrating first-half showing prompted home fans to rain boos on Nick Sirianni's squad, Philadelphia took the field in the third quarter with renewed energy and increased schematic aggression that quickly advanced the offense from a crawl to a sprint. The key: Two long passes to A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert for a quick-strike score, a crucial sequence that followed a disastrous turnover and prompted Jalen Hurts to explode with a rare display of passionate (if not angry) celebration. This lightning-fast scoring drive injected hope and belief into the Eagles offense, which mounted three total touchdown drives in the second half, including one compiled after blocking a field goal to preserve their chances of victory. Hurts came through repeatedly in key situations, including his final touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith on fourth-and-goal, quelling complaints of a stagnant offense that reminded many of the same problems the Eagles overcame on their way to a Super Bowl triumph last season.
2. Rams fail to finish. Los Angeles flat out dominated in the first half Sunday, outgaining Philadelphia, 212-33, in the first two quarters and tacking on another score after recovering a fumble caused by Jared Verse in the first minute of the second half. At 26-7, the Rams appeared poised to run away with a big road victory but might have eased up at the worst possible time, allowing a quick Eagles touchdown drive that made a comeback possible. From there, the Rams lost on the margins, getting stuffed on fourth-and-short for a turnover on downs near midfield, then had two fourth-quarter field goals blocked -- including a last-second attempt to escape with a win. The details bedeviled the Rams in Philadelphia, yet much of this collapse can be traced back to the first half in which the Rams failed to cash in on two red zone trips and settled for short field goals. If even one of those trips ended in a touchdown, they might have done enough to hang on. Instead, they're flying back to Southern California lamenting what could have been.
3. Have a day, Jordan Davis. 2022 first-round pick Jordan Davis made a ton of significant plays in this game, starting with a lateral chase-down of a scrambling Matthew Stafford that prevented the veteran from gaining a first down early in the third quarter and forced a stop the Eagles desperately needed. He continued by stuffing Kyren Williams fourth-and-1 attempt short of the line to gain, forcing another change of possession to preserve the Eagles' comeback. With the game on the line and just three seconds left on the clock, Davis surged through the middle of Los Angeles' field goal unit, stuck up a meaty paw and blocked Joshua Karty's 44-yard attempt, ending the Rams' chances of victory. The ensuing return of that blocked field goal for a touchdown -- a truly joyous scene for those who enjoy big man scores -- was simply the cherry on top of a stellar day for the big man in the middle.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Rams-Eagles (via NFL Pro): The Eagles' second-half comeback included an increased sense of urgency, utilizing no-huddle on 53.7% of their plays in the final two quarters after doing so just once in the first half.

NFL Research: The Eagles' comeback from a 19-point deficit is their largest comeback win since Week 15 of the 2010 season, the game known as the Miracle at the Meadowlands II.

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• REWATCH: Jets-Buccaneers on NFL+ Premium

Jeremy Bergman's takeaways:

1. Unbeaten Bucs still not playing their best. Tampa Bay's perfect start is only in the standings. For the third straight week, the Buccaneers won one at the buzzer, a sign that despite coming away victorious, they're not hitting on all cylinders yet. Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke's injuries on the offensive line left the Bucs down three of the starting O-line for their home opener. It showed on the field, as Tampa Bay saw five holding penalties on the line set the offense back in the first half. Both clubs struggled with penalties – 15 combined in the first half – but Tampa Bay finished with a ghastly 14 for 124 yards. Baker Mayfield did his best to maneuver the pocket and move the ball despite the encroaching pressure, throwing for 233 yards and running for 44. Tampa Bay leaned on Bucky Irving in the ground game, feeding him with 25 carries, but the running back wasn't efficient (66 yards, 2.6 yards per carry). The only facet that was clicking early was the defense, which kept the Jets at bay in the first half and turned the tide with a Jamel Dean pick-six late in the first half to create some distance. Tampa Bay logged four sacks of Tyrod Taylor, who was scrambling for his life as the Bucs defense shut down the passing game. That was until New York's furious second-half comeback. Tampa Bay will be truly tested next week, when it hosts the undefeated reigning Super Bowl champs.
2. Jets nearly complete improbable comeback. Through three quarters, New York looked left for dead, limping to an 0-3 start. Then, a slow comeback – and a sudden turn of events. Down, 23-6, to start the fourth quarter, Tyrod Taylor, filling in for the injured Justin Fields, led New York's two best drives of the day. New York moved down the field in bits and pieces on consecutive 10-plus-play marches in under four minutes, punctuated with touchdowns passes to Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard to cut Tampa Bay's lead to six. The Bucs responded with what looked to be a game-sealing drive of their own. But on a fourth-and-1 42-yard field-goal attempt, Will McDonald IV hopped through the heart of Tampa Bay's line, blocked Chase McLaughlin's kick and took it 50 yards to the house. The unthinkable return flipped the game on its head … but only for a minute or two. Gang Green's defense was forced right back onto the field to attempt to thwart a Tampa Bay comeback -- and failed. All Baker Mayfield needed was two chunk plays to Emeka Egbuka and Sterling Shepard to get into range for McLaughlin, who this time banged home a 36-yarder with ease. Aaron Glenn's first win as a Jets coach will have to wait, but the spirit of Sunday's comeback will have to be consolation enough for now.
3. Egbuka stands out again, as another Bucs WR injury looms. The star of Tampa Bay's early season success has been Emeka Egbuka, and that was the case again on Sunday. Egbuka's one-handed catch in the first half woke Tampa Bay out of its early funk and led to a Mike Evans TD. The early Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite paced all Bucs pass catchers with six catches for 85 yards, including a big 28-yard catch-and-run on the game-winning drive. Unfortunately, Egbuka's breakout might be all the more necessary in the near future. The veteran Evans left the proceedings late in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return, leaving Egbuka and Sterling Shepard to carry the load. Chris Godwin, who's been out for the start of the season, could return in Week 4, providing a reprieve if Evans is to miss significant time. But regardless, Tampa Bay has a star in the making in Egbuka, already making game-saving plays on the regular.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Jets-Buccaneers (via NFL Pro): Yaya Diaby generated 11 pressures on 30 pass rushes (36.7%) against the Jets, including four quick pressures (pressures under 2.5 seconds), and a sack. Diaby’s 11 pressures and 36.7% pressure rate are both career highs in a game. Diaby matched up against Jets left tackle Olu Fashanu on 20 pass rushes, totaling seven pressures (35.0%).

NFL Research: Mike Evans, who left the game with a hamstring injury, has 140 receiving yards through three games in 2025 (14 receptions, receiving TD). The Buccaneers veteran is on pace for only 793 receiving yards in 2025, a total which would snap Evans’ record 11 straight seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.

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• REWATCH: Colts-Titans on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Jones, Colts offense continues to roll. Shane Steichen continues to call excellent games and Daniel Jones keeps executing with aplomb. Indy tossed a plethora of rollouts at the Titans' defense, allowing Jones to move the pocket and pick apart a limp Titans secondary. Jones once again played mistake-free football and hit deep splashes when they were called for. The quarterback did a magnificent job avoiding sacks and used his legs to key first downs while the game was still in doubt. Jones is the first player in the Super Bowl era with three-plus passing touchdowns, three-plus rushing TDs and no giveaways in the first three games of a season, per NFL Research. Jones was picking up chunk gains early through the air. Then Jonathan Taylor took over. JT averaged 3.1 yards per carry on nine totes in the first half. He blasted off in the final two quarters, running through tackles and bowling over Titans defenders. Taylor finished with 102 yards and three TDs on 17 carries (6.0 YPC). Indy scored on six of eight possessions with Jones under center. The offense was so impressive and the blowout so complete that Anthony Richardson entered the game for the final garbage time drive.
2. Titans still can’t get out of their own way. Cam Ward started out shaky, tossing an opening drive pick-six. It was a rookie-type error from the QB, who was late getting to his checkdown and threw the ball without seeing Kenny Moore baiting him into the lob. It’s the sort of play the rookie will learn from. Ward bounced back, flashing his big arm and off-schedule playmaking. It started ugly, and the rookie continues to take avoidable sacks, but the young signal-caller was the only bright spot in the loss. The offensive line, starting several backups, rarely created holes on the ground and missed blocks in pass protection. The receiver corps continues to drop balls, particularly Calvin Ridley. The defense gets pushed around and struggles to tackle. Once again, coach Brian Callahan made clunky mistakes. The end of the half sequence, in which the coach called a timeout to kick a lengthy field goal, only to see his team penalized for delay of game, was inexcusable. The ensuing 62-yard attempt was predictably blocked. It’s the latest Callahan boondoggle, and we’re only in Week 3 in what is shaping up for another long season in Tennessee.
3. Indianapolis does, in fact, employ a punter. It took until 9:20 of the second quarter in Week 3, but Rigoberto Sanchez finally performed the job for which he is employed. It was a short-lived exhibition for the Colts punter. After going 259 days between punts, the booter still only punted once on nine drives. Indy scored four TDs, made two field goals, missed a field goal, and ended the game in victory formation. The little-used punter underscores how efficient Shane Steichen’s team has been to open the season 3-0 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Colts-Titans (via NFL Pro): The Colts generated pressure on 40.0% of Cam Ward’s dropbacks, sacking him four times. Five Titans linemen allowed at least three pressures on the day, including both right tackles, John Ojukwu (5) and Olisaemeka Udoh (3), who split time filling in for an injured JC Latham.

NFL Research: Indianapolis has 103 points through the first three games of 2025 (tied for second in team history). The Colts only scored more points in the first three games in 1967 (117; coached by Hall of Famer Don Shula). The club also scored 103 points in the first three games in 1958 (coached by HOFer Weeb Ewbank).

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• REWATCH: Raiders-Commanders on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Mariota passed his first test, and Washington’s run game did the rest. Making his first start in three years, Marcus Mariota did what was asked of him in the Commanders’ victory Sunday. Mariota lost a fumble on a read-option keeper, and a missed field goal kept the door open for the Raiders early on, but Washington controlled the ground game and put the game away in the third quarter. Mariota ran for 40 yards, opened the scoring with a touchdown run and threw a TD. One of Mariota’s scrambles before halftime gave Dan Quinn a bloody nose – and the coach seemed to love it. Jeremy McNichols ripped off a 60-yard TD run on his first touch. Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jacory Croskey-Merritt gained some tough yards inside, and Deebo Samuel chipped in with three productive runs. No matter who was getting it, the Commanders were having success moving the ball. This was a good development to see following the injury to Jayden Daniels. If Mariota is needed next week against Atlanta, the Commanders have to feel better about their situation.
2. Raiders must protect better for battered Smith. In three games, Geno Smith has now been sacked 12 times on 101 dropbacks. Five of those sacks, plus eight QB hits, came in Sunday’s loss. The soon-to-be 35-year-old can’t keep going at this pace, brave and resilient as he might be. The Raiders have multiple issues with their pass protection, but right tackle Delmar Glaze was once again victimized, struggling to handle quality pass rushers so far this season. After Ashton Jeanty missed some pass pro assignments this season, the Raiders turned to Dylan Laube, who also gave up a sack. When Smith had time, he made some good throws, but too often he was under heavy duress. The Raiders found themselves in long-yardage situations often on Sunday and once again couldn’t really get Jeanty and the ground game going. This offense had one first down in the first 20-plus minutes, and everything felt labored early. The season could turn sour fast if this isn’t fixed.
3. Lane gives Commanders a boost. The Commanders appeared very excited to draft Jaylin Lane in Round 4 this spring, with general manager Adam Peters boasting about Lane’s big-play ability. On Sunday, when they needed an extra boost with the starting QB injured, the Commanders received that boost. Lane was exceptional on punt returns, running one back 90 yards for his first NFL touchdown. That gave Washington a 27-10 lead in the third quarter and all but put the game away. Earlier in the game, Lane had a 25-yard return called back because of a hold, but he was a positive force all game on special teams. He’s seen limited time on offense so far this season, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him given more chances to touch the ball, given what he’s done on special teams.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Raiders-Commanders (via NFL Pro): Jeremy McNichols hit a top speed of 20.03 mph on his 60-yard TD run, also picking up 57 rushing yards over expected on the play.

NFL Research: With 74 receiving yards Sunday, Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (6,528) passed Hall Of Famer Bobby Mitchell (6,492) for fifth in Washington franchise history.

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• READ: Chargers' Harris leaves game with non-contact injury



Kevin Patra's takeaways to come:

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Michael Baca's takeaways to come:

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Eric Edholm's takeaways to come:

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Nick Shook's takeaways to come:

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Grant Gordon's takeaways to come