NFL Week 3 is nearly finished, with another slew of memorable performances to go with it. We even had a tie in the NFL this week, so you know it was memorable. There are also plenty of teams that dropped to 0-3, including one that did so with a brutal collapse, and another that never even came close. It’s hard to say which is worse.
Here are five big disappointments from Week 3 of the 2020 NFL season.
Atlanta Falcons
It’s never good when a franchise becomes so infamous that their collapses aren’t even all that surprising. The Falcons led the Bears 26-10 in the fourth quarter, and then the team gave up 20 unanswered points to drop to 0-3. It’s the second consecutive week the Falcons have blown a big lead in the second half, and at this point, it’s becoming a trend. This team simply cannot close out games. If it goes on much longer, Dan Quinn won’t have a job.
Sam Darnold, QB, Jets
The Jets are a mess. Darnold had an awful game against the Colts. He was held to 168 yards and three interceptions. In his defense, he has few weapons and struggles to make the most of them. Still, he opened the game with a pick-six and added a red zone interception. He couldn’t blame his receivers — or lack thereof — for those. There’s no reason to believe it’s going to get any better, either.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
Dallas’ gameplan on Sunday was strange, as they appeared content to get in a shootout with Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. That wasn’t smart, not just because it put the ball in Wilson’s hands more. Elliott was overlooked as a weapon as Dak Prescott threw the ball 57 times. Elliott scored a touchdown, but was limited to just 34 yards on 14 carries. That’s not really a winning gameplan for the Cowboys, and it made for a letdown day for Elliott.
Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals
Sometimes it’s good to be reminded that Murray is still quite young. Sunday provided a reminder of that. Murray was erratic against a subpar Detroit Lions defense, throwing three interceptions and fortunate not to add more. His 270 passing yards aren’t that impressive either when you consider that he threw the ball 35 times. Murray was outplayed by Matthew Stafford. Murray is still working on the consistency that comes with being an elite NFL quarterback.
Darren Waller, TE, Raiders
Expectations had to be high for Waller in Week 3 after erupting for 12 catches and 103 yards a week ago. The Patriots knew to focus on him, too, and their gameplan worked perfectly. With no Henry Ruggs in the lineup, Waller was identified as the Raiders’ main weapon in the passing game, and the Patriots took him away. He was only targeted four times, catching two of them, and didn’t offer much of anything until garbage time. Credit to the Patriots for their gameplan, but Waller had to find a way to get more involved.
