If Week 2 of the new NFL season didn’t provide enough surprises, Week 3 added to the haul as six teams — the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants — all earned their first win of the season, with two more — the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals — hoping to break their duck on Monday night.

Four teams, meanwhile, improved to 3-0 by the end of Sunday’s slate, with Buffalo — who play the Jaguars on Monday — looking to join Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Kansas City in remaining unbeaten.

***

While Carolina getting off the mark was impressive enough, they had at least made a change at quarterback in an effort to halt the slide that had begun during then rookie QB Bryce Young’s 2023 campaign. Over in Denver, the Broncos (1-2) were only at the start of a similar path, but Bo Nix came through with a first win — and on the road against no lesser opposition than the previously unbeaten Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1).

Nix opened the scoring with a two-yard rushing touchdown that provided the icing on a 70-yard drive, before Jaleel McLaughlin went over on a fourth-and-inches effort to increase the lead and Wil Lutz added a 43-yard field goal to make it 17-0 before Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers finally got on the board courtesy of a Chris Godwin touchdown catch. Three further Lutz conversions either side of the interval salted the game away to give the Nix-Sean Payton combination their first success. Protected by an interior O-line trio of Ben Powers, Quinn Meinerz and Luke Wattenberg — who did not allow a single pressure against the Buccaneers’ pass rush — Nix finished the game with a statline of 25/36 for 216 yards and zero interceptions, leaving just a maiden touchdown pass remaining on his to-do list.

The rookie QB was helped in no small way by a smothering performance from Vance Joseph’s defense. With Mayfield stymied, Tampa punted four times before the half, and committed a couple of turnovers, with safety Brandon Jones picking up an interception before the Bucs turned the ball over on downs on the drive prior to finally getting on the board. A similar occurrence preceded cornerback Riley Moss forcing a fumble by Tampa tight end Cade Otton and Jones returning the ball close to midfield. The Broncos finished the game with nine QB hits and seven sacks — the first time they had reached that number since the 2019 season — as they move to 1-2. Linebacker Dondrea Tillman recorded two sacks in his first career game, becoming just the fourth undrafted player since 1990 with at least two takedowns on debut, joining Ryan Delaire, Howard Jones and Kendrick Office.

With new head coach Dave Canales taking the decision to bench Carolina QB Young in favour of veteran Andy Dalton, the Panthers (1-2) appeared rejuvenated from the very first play of their game against the Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) who, of course, had upset the fancied Baltimore Ravens in Week 2.

Despite having warmed the bench for the best part of a year, Dalton showed few signs of rust, becoming the first quarterback this season to throw for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns, all of which came before the half-time interval. Wide receiver Adam Thielen recorded his 60th career touchdown reception, becoming only the third undrafted player in the common-draft era with that number, joining Antonio Gates (116) and Rod Smith (68). Perhaps justifying Canales’ call, Dalton finished the game with 26/37 for 319 yards and zero interceptions go with his three touchdown tosses, finding eight different receivers in the process.

The Raiders (1-2) were no better against the run, allowing Chuba Hubbard (21/114) to join WR Diontae Johnson in posting career-best numbers. After totalling just 352 yards through their first two games, the Panthers racked up 437 against a Las Vegas team that got booed out of its own arena. QB Gardner Minshew looked out of sorts all afternoon, leading to back-up Aidan O’Connell coming in late on and leading a 13-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in Tre Tucker going over for a touchdown to join Alexander Mattison and Jakobi Meyers on the Raiders scoresheet.

Also on the road, the New York Giants (1-2) finally found their feet with a comfortable victory over the mercurial Cleveland Browns (1-2) that originated largely from the blossoming connection between under-fire QB Daniel Jones and rookie WR Malik Nabers. Taken with the Giants’ first round draft pick, when quarterback options were still on the board, Nabers is rapidly proving Big Blue’s front office right, recording eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns in this week’s 21-15 win to move to 23 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. The LSU product is the first player in NFL history with at least 20 receptions and three touchdown catches in his first three games, while his 23 receptions tie him with Anquan Boldin for the second-most in that span, trailing only Puka Nacua’s 30 receptions from his amazing 2023 campaign. Nabers, at 21 years and 56 days old, is also the youngest wide receiver in NFL history with two touchdown receptions in a game, surpassing Mike Evans. The connection also provided some respite for Jones, who ended the game with a line of 24/34 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. The one apparent blemish, an interception, was called back for a roughing the passer penalty.

Against the best defense of 2023, the Giants’ unit came to play, becoming the fourth team — after Buffalo (2011), Dallas and Kansas City (both 1985) — to have nine different players record at least half a sack in the same game since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Despite having been questionable before the game, former Panther Brian Burns led the Giants D with a career-high seven pressures and a sack, helping to further subdue a Browns offense that reverted to the sort of showing it offered against Dallas in Week 1. QB Deshaun Watson was inaccurate between sacks, while RB Jerome Ford fumbled at a key moment in the fourth quarter. Nick Chubb’s return from injury probably can’t come fast enough for head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was far from blameless in defeat.

With Baltimore holding on in Dallas and Indianapolis overcoming the scattershot Bears confirming widely-expected results, the final surprise of the weekend — Monday Night Football pending of course — came in Los Angeles, where the injury-hit Rams (1-2) somehow found a way to come from behind and overcome a similarly-afflicted San Francisco 49ers team (1-2) that appeared to be having things all their own way at SoFi Stadium.

San Fran quarterback Brock Purdy — without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel in his arsenal — still threw for 292 yards, three touchdowns and a 137.1 rating, taking his career tally of 130+ games to nine and surpassing Lamar Jackson for the most in his first three seasons. Purdy, in 24 career regular season starts, has 16 games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, tied with Kurt Warner for second on the all-time list behind Patrick Mahomes (18) for the most such performances in their first 25 games. Purdy did his damage via fifth-year receiver Jauan Jennings, the seventh-round selection hauling in a career-high three touchdowns on 11 catches for 175 yards and putting himself in exalted company as the only 49ers player other than Jerry Rice to have at least 10 receptions and three receiving TDs in a single game, something Rice did three times in his career. Jennings’ three scores were also the most by a 49ers receiver since Terrell Owens in 2001.

The Rams, however, were not to be cowed and, despite being without leading receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, leant heavily on RB Kyren Williams and some inspired playcalling from HC Sean McVay to come back from two-score deficits. After going down 14-0 in the first quarter, a 16-play drive that lasted half of the second period resulted in Williams getting on the board for the first time in the game, and a similar situation when 21-7 down early in the third, saw the running back barrel over for his second score. Williams ended the day with 26 touches, 116 total yards and three touchdowns, including the game-tying effort in the final period, where the Rams scored 10 points in the final two minutes. The touchdown followed a missed 55-yard FG attempt by 49ers kicker Jake Moody and opened the door for Joshua Karty to slot home the deciding points after QB Matt Stafford (16/25 for 221 yards) had gone to work, finding receivers all over the field to march the Rams into scoring range.

Of those teams remaining unbeaten, the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) appear to have got themselves something of a quandary, with supposed backup QB Justin Fields playing well enough that yanking him for the expected starter, Russell Wilson, would seem extremely harsh. Fields, who has now started each of the Steelers first three games in Wilson’s injury-induced absence, went 25/32 for 245 yards and a 55-yard touchdown dime to breakout receiver Calvin Austin III, as well as running one score in for himself from the five. Yes, there was an interception, but one that wasn’t entirely on the quarterback as Fields meshed with the Steelers defense to produce a consummate all-around performance that prevented the Los Angeles Chargers (2-1) from adding to their winning start under Jim Harbaugh. It didn’t help that L.A. lost four of their best players — QB Justin Herbert, DE Joey Bosa and tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater — to injury at various stages of the game, but this was Fields’ coming out party as Pittsburgh improved to 3-0 for the first time in four seasons. The Steelers, who allowed 10 points in Week 1, six in Week 2 and only 10 more in Week 3, become the fifth team since 2000 to win each of their first three games and allow 10-or-fewer points each time, joining the 2009 Broncos, 2005 Colts, 2004 Seahawks and 2001 Packers.

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, QB Sam Darnold defied injury to throw four more touchdowns and guide the Vikings (3-0) to a comfortable victory over the highly-touted Houston Texans (2-1). The home team improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2016 with a 34-7 victory, registering another five sacks as wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jalen Nailor again recorded a touchdown reception apiece. The Vikings – who had five sacks in Week 1, six sacks in Week 2 and five sacks in Week 3 – are the third team since 1990 with at least five sacks in each of their first three games of a season, joining the 2001 Saints and 2000 Buccaneers, and DC Brian Flores’ defense also added two INTs as 2023 phenom QB C.J. Stroud was made to look jumpy. Former Texan Jonathan Greenard led the way with three of his new team’s five sacks, while Jefferson and Nailor became the first pair of teammates to record a touchdown reception in the first three games of a season since 2018, following Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. There was a scary moment for the Minnesota crowd, however, when Darnold crumpled to the turf after a low hit, but the veteran returned after missing just one play to pick up where he left off.

Seattle continued their unexpectedly good start to the new season with a third win on the bounce for rookie HC Mike Macdonald after getting out to an early lead over the Miami Dolphins (1-2). It wasn’t pretty for the Seahawks (3-0), and the defense showed that it remains the team’s better unit, even if that isn’t saying too much. However, Seattle are the first team to start 3-0 and allow fewer than 150 passing yards in each game since the 1979 Steelers, and also played much of Sunday without Leonard Williams or Byron Murphy II. Boye Mafe, however, now has sacks in three straight games, while Derick Hall dented the Dolphins with two sacks and a forced fumble as Miami, with backup QB Skylar Thompson in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa (and then out for Tim Boyle after suffering a chest injury), failed to get anything going. Macdonald therefore became just the fifth head coach under the age of 40 (and since 2000) to win each of his first three career games, joining ‘Fins head man Mike McDaniel (2022), Matt LaFleur (2019), Josh McDaniels (yes really, 2009) and Mike Tomlin (2007).

More expected to remain undefeated, the Chiefs (3-0) made heavy going of their victory in Atlanta, and were another team thankful for good defense as they defeated Kirk Cousins and the Falcons (1-2) by just five points, 22-17. While DC Steve Spagnuolo’s run defense prevented Atlanta from putting up more than 82 yards on the ground, his pass rush also came to play, denying Cousins the chance to post back-to-back comebacks against more fancied opposition. Drake London had capped the Falcons’ opening drive with a touchdown reception, but there was little else to enjoy beyond that. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes again admitted that it had been far from a good performance from the offense, but scores from WRs Rashee Rice and JuJu Smith-Schuster — combined with three Harrison Butker FGs — were enough to see Andy Reid’s squad across the line. Mahomes’ two touchdown tosses were offset by an interception, picked for the sixth time in his career by Falcons’ late summer signing Justin Simmons. The safety, who previously played in the AFC West with Denver, has now claimed a Mahomes pass in four consecutive games.

The Baltimore Ravens (1-2) got off their own personal schneid on the road in Dallas, as the hometown Cowboys (1-2) again did little to help themselves — and, when they did, it was too little, too late. Penalties, mistakes and the ongoing lack of a viable run game left Dallas in a 14-3 first quarter hole and a blowout akin to last week’s capitulation against New Orleans appeared on the cards. With the Cowboys equally unable to stop the run, it was no surprise to see Baltimore use the power of Derrick Henry (25 for 151 and two touchdowns) and Lamar Jackson (14 for 87 and a score) to pound their hosts into submission. The Cowboys rallied in the fourth quarter, with Dak Prescott finally able to connect with his receivers to bring the game to within three points, but allowing Jackson to get a last-gasp first down on a keeper prevented the comeback from going any further. With veteran kicker Justin Tucker on the opposite sideline, it was perhaps apt that Dallas’ incumbent Brandon Aubrey converted a 65-yard field goal to confirm his ascension to the top of the kicking tree.

The Indianapolis Colts (1-2) were the last of the weekend’s teams to break their 2024 duck, ending the Chicago Bears (2-1) hopes of, remarkably, remaining unbeaten. Defense was the key for the Colts, with three turnovers — including two for Jaylon Jones — and strip sack fumble by rookie Laiatu Latu that helped set the stage for the fourth-quarter touchdown that put the game out of reach. Colts QB Anthony Richardson (10/20 for 167 yards) contributed two picks of his own, including a particularly nasty one in the redzone, to ensure that quarterback play on both sides of the ball remained infuriatingly inconsistent, although Bears rookie Caleb Williams did put up a career-high 363 air yards (on 33 completions from 52 attempts) and finally connected for his first two NFL touchdown passes.

Coming off their blowout of the Cowboys in Week 2, the New Orleans Saints (2-1) would have fancied their chances of taking down another NFC East team in the Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) and remained in with a chance of doing so throughout a tense, low-scoring affair in the Superdome. The Eagles helped their hosts stay competitive through a string of errors, but came good at the last when safety Reed Blankenship picked off Saints QB Derek Carr as he threatened to move his team back into game-tying field goal range. Still without A.J. Brown, the Eagles lost another receiver to injury in Devonta Smith (as well as tackle Lane Johnson) and relied on the defense to keep the previously free-scoring Carr and Co in check. While Dallas Goedert put up the most receiving yards (170) by a tight end in Eagles history on Sunday, it was running back Saquon Barkley who did the more telling damage, collecting 156 scrimmage yards (147 of which were on the ground) and two rushing touchdowns as the Eagles triumphed 15-12.

Tennessee remains winless on the season after former QB Malik Willis showed just what they had given up on when trading him to Green Bay in the offseason. With Packers (2-1) starter Jordan Love again ruled out through injury, Willis produced a career-best performance with 13-of-19 for 202 yards and a passing touchdown to go alongside a game-high 73 yards and another score on the ground. Although the Titans (0-3) lived up to their promise to keep RB Josh Jacobs quiet (14 for 43), they could not quell the entire Packers offense and went down meekly 30-14 as the man they preferred to Willis under center, Will Levis, committed further turnover sins — including a pick six to Packers CB Jaire Alexander — to take his tally to eight through just three games. Green Bay’s summer signing, safety Xavier McKinney, also grabbed an INT to become the first player to do so in each of his first three games with a team since the Rams’ Courtland Finnegan in 2012.

Finally, the Detroit Lions (2-1) righted their ship by downing the hitherto high-flying Arizona Cardinals (1-2) in Glendale, although it took a bit of trickery from OC Ben Johnson to confirm the 20-16 win. Detroit came out with their manes on fire and it appeared that a comfortable afternoon might be on the cars (pun fully intended), but they proved unable to break away from their opponents. Going scoreless after the half-time break only put more emphasis on the hook-and-ladder play that saw RB Jahmyr Gibbs became only the second player in the Super Bowl era to score a receiving touchdown in a game in which he had zero receptions. With the Lions defense stifling Arizona’s run game, the secondary was able to key more closely on the connection between QB Kyler Murray and rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr and, although the pair did hook up for another score in the first quarter, double-teaming the breakout receiver proved enough of a frustration for the Cardinals to ensure they slipped below .500 through three games.