NFL Week 3 Performance Recap

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills

The Bills won 31-21 over the Dolphins. They opened as −11.5 favorites with a ~48.5 O/U. Buffalo did not cover the spread, and the total went over. Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes and James Cook gained 108 rushing yards en route to a score, becoming the first player in years to crack 100 rushing yards against Miami. Terrel Bernard sealed the game with a late interception of Tua Tagovailoa, who had two touchdowns himself but also miscues. A roughing-the-punter penalty shifted momentum in the fourth quarter, handing the Bills field position for a go-ahead drive.

Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings won 48-10 over the Bengals. They opened as −5.5 point favorites with the over/under around 44.5; Minnesota easily covered and the total went over. The Vikings’ defense forced five turnovers, including two defensive touchdowns—Isaiah Rodgers returned one interception and recovered a fumble for another. Jordan Mason rushed for two touchdowns and added 116 yards on the ground. Carson Wentz, in his Minneapolis return, threw for 173 yards and two scores. Cincinnati’s offense sputtered throughout, managing just 171 total yards and hampered further by multiple mistakes.

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars won 17-10 over the Texans. They opened as about −6 point favorites with the over/under around 43; Jacksonville covered while the total went under. Houston’s C.J. Stroud finished 25 of 38 passing for 204 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and was sacked twice. Josh Downs had a key touchdown catch for Houston, but the Texans never found consistent offense. Jacksonville leaned on the ground game—Travis Etienne rushed for a score and chipped in on the receiving end—and their defense forced Houston into mistakes, including a turnover and an interception that helped seal the outcome.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans

The Colts won 41-20 over the Titans. They opened as −5.5 point favorites with the O/U around 42.5-43.0; Indianapolis covered the spread and the total went over. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns, including a long 46-yard breakaway in the third quarter. Daniel Jones was efficient, throwing for 228 yards and a TD to Michael Pittman Jr., and the defense helped set the tone—Kenny Moore II returned a Cam Ward interception 32 yards for a pick-6 on just the third play of the game. Tennessee struggled with turnovers and penalties throughout; they never led and never really threatened after falling behind early.

Las Vegas Raiders at Washington Commanders

The Commanders won 41–24 over the Raiders. Markets showed Washington between −2.5 and −6.5 with the total moving from 47.5 down to 44.5 by kickoff—Washington covered handily and the over cashed. Marcus Mariota threw for 207 yards and a touchdown and added a 2-yard rushing score, Jeremy McNichols ripped off a 60-yard TD run, and Jaylin Lane broke the game open with a 90-yard punt-return touchdown in the third quarter; Luke McCaffrey later added a 43-yard TD grab to ice it. Geno Smith passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns for Las Vegas, two of them to Tre Tucker, who finished with eight receptions for 145 yards and three scores, but Washington’s balance and special teams tilt decided it.

Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles won 33-26 over the Rams. They opened as −3.5 favorites with a 45.5 O/U; Philadelphia covered the spread and the total stayed just about on the edge. Jalen Hurts threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns, including a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, and Christian “P.J.” Katz (RB Kenneth Williams) added 94 rushing yards for L.A. Stafford passed for 196 yards with two TDs but couldn’t mount a final comeback. A blocked field goal by the Eagles in the closing minute that Jordan Davis returned for a touchdown sealed the victory.

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers

The Panthers won 30–0 over the Falcons. Atlanta opened as a −3.5 favorite with a 45.5 O/U and closed around −5.5 with a 44.5 total—Carolina won outright as a home underdog, and the total stayed under. Bryce Young ran for a first-quarter touchdown and finished 16-of-24 for 121 yards, while rookie Chau Smith-Wade delivered a third-quarter pick-six to headline a dominant defensive effort that forced three turnovers and held Atlanta to 5-of-16 on third- and fourth-down tries. Ryan Fitzgerald hit three field goals, including a 57-yarder, as Carolina posted its first shutout since 2020. Michael Penix Jr. went 18-of-36 for 172 yards with two interceptions before giving way to Kirk Cousins late; Bijan Robinson was the lone bright spot for Atlanta with 111 scrimmage yards.

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots

The Steelers won 21-14 over the Patriots. They opened as about −2.5 favorites with a 44.5 O/U; Pittsburgh did not cover but held on for the W. Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes—including a go-ahead 17-yard strike to Calvin Austin III with just 2:16 left—and the Steelers defense forced five turnovers to stifle New England. Kenneth Gainwell also punched in a short rushing TD, while Drake Maye threw for 268 yards and two scores but was undone by a critical interception, fumbles, and penalties. The Patriots had a chance late but couldn’t convert on fourth and-1 with under three minutes remaining.

Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns

The Browns won 13-10 over the Packers. They opened as −7.5 favorites, but held to around −7 by kickoff, with the O/U set near 40.5–43.5. Green Bay did not cover, and the total stayed under. Andre Szmyt drilled a 55-yard field goal as time expired for Cleveland. Green Bay led most of the game—Jordan Love threw for 183 yards and a touchdown, and Matt Prater’s field goal kept them ahead 10-0 going into the fourth. The Browns, trailing, cut the lead with a field goal then tied it when Grant Delpit intercepted Love and the team punched it in via Quinshon Judkins. On Green Bay’s final drive, a 43-yard FG attempt was blocked, giving the Browns one last chance to set up Szmyt’s hero kick.

Buccaneers at Jets

The Buccaneers won 29-27 over the Jets. They opened as −4.5 favorites (O/U around 46.5), and barely covered. Baker Mayfield led a final-minute drive, finding Emeka Egbuka and Sterling Shepard for critical gains to set up Chase McLaughlin’s game-winning field goal as time expired. The Jets had rallied late—after trailing significantly, they took a 27-26 lead with under two minutes remaining following a blocked field goal return for a touchdown—but Tampa Bay answered under pressure. Special teams defined much of the game; penalties and momentum shifts almost cost the Bucs, but key defensive plays and composure in the final minute secured the win.

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers won 23-20 over the Broncos. They opened as −2.5 point favorites with an over/under near 46.5; Los Angeles covered the spread and the total stayed under. Justin Herbert threw for 300 yards, but needed a late drive to do it, including a key 20-yard TD pass to Keenan Allen in the fourth quarter. The Broncos kept it tight with a big 52-yard catch by Courtland Sutton for a score and J.K. Dobbins added one on the ground, but the Chargers’ kicker Cameron Dicker drilled a 43-yard field goal as time expired to seal the win. Turnovers were minimal and field position mattered the most in the final minutes.

New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks won 44-13 over the Saints. They opened around −7.5 favorites with an O/U near 42.5, and Seattle covered while signalling dominance. Sam Darnold threw for two touchdowns, including a 12-yard score to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Kenneth Walker III powered the run game—including a 3-yard rushing touchdown—and wore down New Orleans with long sustained drives. Tory Horton electrified the crowd with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown and later hauled in a 14-yard scoring grab. The Saints managed just one offensive touchdown late and were held to under 300 total yards; Seattle forced multiple turnovers and didn’t allow much in the way of momentum.

Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears

The Bears won 31-14 over the Cowboys. They opened as −1.5 favorites with the over/under around 49.5; Chicago covered and the total went under. Caleb Williams threw four touchdown passes—including big strikes to Luther Burden on a flea-flicker and to Rome Odunze—and rushed for a first-quarter score himself. Dallas QB Dak Prescott threw for 251 yards and a touchdown but was picked off twice in the fourth quarter. Running back CeeDee Lamb exited early with an ankle injury, which limited the Cowboys’ offensive options. Chicago’s defense forced multiple turnovers and dominated time of possession, sealing their first win of the season under coach Ben Johnson.

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers won 16-15 over the Cardinals. They opened as −1.5 favorites with the over/under at about 43.5; San Francisco covered and the total stayed under. Mac Jones, stepping in for the injured Brock Purdy, calmly led the Niners down the field in the final minutes and set up Eddy Pineiro’s 35-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Earlier, the Cardinals had taken a lead via a fourth-quarter safety and kept it close with a 1-yard TD pass from Kyler Murray to Trey McBride, but fell just short. Christian McCaffrey chipped in with 52 yards from scrimmage. Defensive plays proved critical down the stretch—rookie Upton Stout broke up a key third-down conversion after the safety, and Fred Warner emphasized that those stops gave the 49ers just enough time to close. San Francisco improved to 3-0, holding on despite losing Bosa to injury.

Kansas City Chiefs at New York Giants

The Chiefs won 22-9 over the Giants. They opened as about −3.5 point favorites with an over/under near 44.5–46.5; Kansas City covered and the total stayed under. Patrick Mahomes threw for 224 yards and one touchdown while avoiding interceptions, though he endured pressure and a quiet first half. Tyquan Thornton led the receiving corps with 5 catches for 71 yards and a TD; Kareem Hunt punched in a short rushing score in the fourth to put the game out of reach. The Chiefs’ defense forced two key turnovers, including picks by Chris Roland-Wallace and Jaylen Watson, and limited New York on critical downs. Russell Wilson passed for 160 yards but was intercepted twice, and Giants running back Cam Skattebo’s lone touchdown was not nearly enough to counter Kansas City’s balanced performance.

Monday Night Preview: Ravens at Lions

Baltimore enters the game as about −5.5 point favorites with the over/under set around 53.5 points. The Lions are getting the +5.5, and the moneyline leans heavily toward the Ravens. Key injuries could shake up the matchup—Baltimore will be without defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, linebacker Kyle Van Noy, fullback Patrick Ricard, and tight end Isaiah Likely. Detroit has a few questionables too, including left tackle Taylor Decker, linebacker Jack Campbell, safety Kerby Joseph, and cornerback D.J. Reed.

Lamar Jackson has been sharp this season, accounting for multiple touchdowns (both throwing and on the ground) while avoiding interceptions so far. He thrives in primetime, especially under the lights at home, and will lean heavily on his top weapons—DeAndre Hopkins, Zay Flowers, and Derrick Henry—to push Baltimore’s offense. On the other side, Jared Goff and the Lions must try to stay clean, protect the ball, and avoid letting big plays blow the game open. Detroit’s pass rush has been spotty, which makes Jackson’s mobility and improvisational ability dangerous.