Case Keenum, QB, Broncos
There’s a case to be made that this was actually Keenum’s shakiest showing yet under center for Denver. He threw for just 192 yards against the Baltimore Ravens, tossed an interception, and failed to find the end zone. He struggled to move the ball consistently in the face of pressure. An indication of Denver’s struggles to move the ball? Punter Marquette King was called into action seven times on the day. Keenum had gotten by with middling performances previously, but that came crashing to earth on Sunday.
David Johnson, RB, Cardinals
If the Cardinals are making changes to get Johnson more involved in the offense, they’re not working. He showed a flash of what he is capable of with a 21-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, but that accounted for all but nine of his receiving yards. He wasn’t a lot better on the ground, rushing 12 times for 31 yards. They didn’t even give him the ball on a key 3rd-and-2 with the game on the line late. Obviously a better quarterback than Sam Bradford would likely do wonders for him, but it’s just not clicking at the moment.
Miami’s run game
Oakland’s run defense looked vulnerable coming into this one, but the Dolphins beat them with just 39 plays and barely needed their run game at all. Kenyan Drake got the most touches, but only got three yards on five carries plus a pair of short catches. Frank Gore got the most carries with six, but only 12 yards. Miami was able to lean on Ryan Tannehill to the detriment of their running back tandem and their stat lines.
Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
On the road against a winless team, Prescott had the chance to take the Cowboys to 2-1 and perhaps demonstrate that they should be taken seriously this year. He failed to do so. Despite Ezekiel Elliott having a big game, the offense never got going for Dallas, as Prescott frequently settled for checkdowns or made bad throws. He completed just 19 of his 34 passes for 168 yards and threw two interceptions, both to Earl Thomas, who trolled the Cowboys afterwards. Dak has yet to throw for 200 yards in any game this year, and it’s becoming a serious problem for a Dallas team that is becoming far too reliant on their defense to make plays and keep them in games.
Favored by 17 points at home against the woeful Buffalo Bills, it was the Vikings who looked like the hopeless 0-3 team on Sunday. Their offensive line play was poor, leading to a lot of early trouble and turnovers for Kirk Cousins. Despite throwing from the first quarter, Minnesota ended with the same amount of yardage as Buffalo, but were dominated in turnovers and time of possession. This is likely a fluke, but it’s still a worrying one for the Vikings, who would have hoped to get off to a better start.
Phillip Lindsay, RB, Broncos
Case Keenum’s cause wasn’t helped by the fact that the Broncos’ top running back did not last long. Lindsay was ejected late in the first half for throwing an apparent punch during a scrum after a Terrell Suggs strip-sack. Lindsay’s ejection hurt him as much as it hurt the team; he’d gone for over 100 yards during Week 2 and looked like he was gaining momentum as Denver’s undisputed lead back. This might hurt him in that regard.
Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons
You would think Coleman would have produced more in a game that produced 80 combined points between the Saints and Falcons, but it was a passing extravaganza, and the Atlanta lead back was more or less left out of the fun. Coleman got 15 carries, but just 33 yards, though he did add a late touchdown catch to his ledger. Coleman was really good against Carolina last week, and there was some hope that he might be able to take advantage of a New Orleans defense that has been shaky. It didn’t really happen, even if the rest of the offense took off.
