Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - With a second-straight Sunday without the Buffalo Bills in action, I was able to spend more quality time with the NFL Red Zone channel.
Here are some observations from Week 3 around the NFL:
Back on track
Week 4 will find the Bills in a Sunday night matchup with the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Ravens were surprisingly 0-2 before going to Dallas to face the Cowboys.
Baltimore played like an angry and focused team, getting out to a 21-6 halftime lead. They took a 28-6 lead into the fourth quarter, and then hung on for a three-point win.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson was his usual dual-threat self, totaling 269 yards and accounting for two touchdowns.
The Ravens ran the ball right down the throats of the Cowboys, so the Bills better bring a stout run defense for this road game. Baltimore rushed for 274 yards on 45 carries for an eye-popping 6.1 yards per-carry average.
Derrick Henry (remember him?) had 151 yards on 25 carries, and reached the end zone twice.
Texas woes
The Cowboys weren't the only Texas-based team to lose on Sunday.
The Bills won't face an unbeaten Houston Texans team in two weeks after C.J. Stroud and company were roughed up in Minnesota against the Vikings.
Stroud was sacked four times and picked off twice. Playing without running back Joe Mixon, the Texans had no run game to speak of.
The Texans fell behind early, and never got back in the game.
In case you are wondering, former Bills wideout Stefon Diggs had 12 targets, 10 catches and 94 yards in the losing effort.
Cooked Dolphins
No shocker here.
The Miami Dolphins offense struggled without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. There was no passing game to speak of with Skylar Thompson (who left the game in the third quarter with a chest injury) and Tim Boyle.
Star wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for just 66 yards, as the Dolphins dropped to 1-2 on the season.
Don't call it a comeback
In the meantime, former New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold has been rejuvenated.
I thought Darnold was destined to be a backup for the rest of his career, but the season-ending injury to Vikings first-round pick J.J. McCarthy during training camp gave Darnold a golden opportunity.
He is certainly taking advantage of it.
Darnold threw four touchdown passes, as the Vikings improved to 3-0 on the season. The man who was taken four spots ahead of Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL Draft has multiple touchdown passes in three-straight games for the first time in his NFL career.
Titan down
The Tennessee Titans, who will visit Highmark Stadium in Week 7, are now 0-3 after getting crushed at home by the Green Bay Packers.
It's the Will Levis experience for the Titans quarterback each week, but this experience is like a roller coaster ride. You never know what you are about to get from the second-year pro.
While he did have a pair of touchdown passes, Levis was intercepted twice, one of which was the second pick-six in three games, and he lost a fumble.
Not feeling so Big Blue
Good news for former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, whose seat is getting hot with the New York Giants.
Daboll's club got a much-needed win in Cleveland over the Browns, so they avoided an 0-3 start.
Former Bills running back Devin Singletary isn't Saquon Barkley, but he has played well so far for the Giants. Singletary had 108 total yards and a touchdown, although he did lose a fumble for the second-straight game.
As for rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, he has been outstanding. He always seems to be open. And in the rare instance a defensive back is with him in coverage, Nabers wins the 1-on-1 battle.
Nabers already has 23 catches for 271 yards and three scores on the season.
Are they for real, though?
I'm still not a believer in the Pittsburgh Steelers, even though they improved to 3-0 with a home field win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Steelers have to lean too much on defense and special teams, but there were some positive signs from quarterback Justin Fields in this game.
Fields went 25-of-32 for 245 yards and a touchdown in the air, while adding another score on the ground. Hes was effective using the middle of the field, including a fourth quarter touchdown pass that essentially sealed the win.
The Steelers defense has given up 10 points or less in each of their first three games.
Quick hits:
- What a job by the Philadelphia Eagles defense holding a New Orleans Saints team that put up 91 points in their first two games to just one touchdown in a 15-12 road win.
- Speaking of defense, former Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds had an interception of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson in the end zone. However, the Colts went on to win despite some shaky play from Richardson, whose decision making has plenty of room for improvement.
- Way to lay an egg, Tampa Bay. One week after an impressive win in Detroit over the Lions, the Buccaneers showed no signs of life in a loss at home to the Denver Broncos. Tamoa Bay scored just seven points, and made Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix look good.
