Every week in the past, Andy Dalton was a 36-year-old backup quarterback for the worst workforce in soccer tasked with mentoring final yr’s prime choose whereas Bryce Younger slogged by a disastrous begin to his second season.
Dalton had bounced between 5 groups in 5 years. He had 163 NFL begins to his title. He severely doubted if he’d see a 164th.
Then got here final Monday morning, and all the things modified. Panthers coach Dave Canales pulled Dalton apart. Younger was heading to the bench, Canales instructed him, and he was heading into the huddle.
“It’s a tricky state of affairs,” Dalton stated just a few days later, admitting he’d grown near Younger during the last yr and a half. “I’ve been on either side of it, and it’s laborious on all people.”
Then, on Sunday, Dalton did what no quarterback within the league has achieved all yr: throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a recreation. He flung it everywhere in the discipline, and the Panthers instantly appeared reborn. The end result was a 36-22 rout of the Raiders in Las Vegas.
“They’re not all going to go like this,” Dalton stated after the win, “however once they do, you’ve obtained to get pleasure from that.”
Certainly. Elsewhere within the NFL, the Saints got here again to earth after a scorching two-game begin, and the Eagles’ one-two punch of Saquon Barkley (156 whole yards and two touchdowns) and Dallas Goedert (10 catches for 170 yards) pulled Philadelphia out of its first-half funk and to a 15-12 victory in New Orleans. Nonetheless, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni rightly cautioned, “this isn’t sustainable.”
In Cleveland, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones discovered simply how particular a expertise Malik Nabers is, and Nabers’ two touchdowns helped New York earn its first win of the season. The Broncos pulled off an upset in Tampa, routing the Bucs 26-7. The Lions took care of the Cardinals, 20-13.
In Los Angeles, the Rams scored the sport’s ultimate 13 factors to stun the 49ers, 27-24. Immediately, San Francisco’s Week 1 rout of the Jets appears like historical historical past: Kyle Shanahan’s bruised workforce — the 49ers have been with out Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle on Sunday — has dropped two straight and is 1-2 on the season.
After a straightforward win over the Dolphins, first-year coach Mike Macdonald stays unbeaten in Seattle. Relationship to 2000, he’s now the fifth head coach underneath the age of 40 to win his first three video games, becoming a member of Mike McDaniel (2022), Matt LeFleur (2019), Josh McDaniels (2009) and Mike Tomlin (2007). Along with the Seahawks, 4 extra groups stay undefeated: the Vikings, Steelers, Chiefs and Payments. Buffalo (2-0) hosts the Jaguars on Monday evening.
The Titans are the league’s solely 0-3 workforce, whereas the Jaguars and Bengals are additionally nonetheless trying to find their first wins at 0-2.
Right here’s what we realized in Week 3 of the NFL season.
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What we realized in NFL Week 3: Cowboys protection no-shows at dwelling, Bears offense seems to be misplaced
