NFL Week 3 grades from around the league

Missing 10 starters and a handful of key contributors, the 49ers (2-1) did not punt in a regular-season game for the first time since 1993. Down Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and two running backs, San Francisco can still rely on arguably the game's best play-caller. Kyle Shanahan helped backup QB Nick Mullens to a masterpiece -- all things considered -- in New Jersey. The former undrafted free agent's 343-yard day featured completions to 10 players, with a healthier Giants defense unable to stay with auxiliary 49ers targets. This Shanahan-Mullens showing tops any from their 2018 catalog.

49ERS GRADE: A-plus | NEXT: vs. Eagles (Sun.)

Losing by 27 to the 49ers' second team, the Giants showed how little progress they have made during the Dave Gettleman era. The Giants were down Saquon Barkley but entered Sunday with far more starters available than their opponent, but they dropped to 0-3 after one of their worst losses in years. Gettleman has not improved the Giants. The GM's third roster carries obvious defensive issues. But Daniel Jones sits 31st among starters in passer rating, and the team has a league-low 170 rushing yards. The Giants have lingered as a bottom-tier team for the first time since the 1970s. They have not provided a sign that is changing.

GIANTS GRADE: F | NEXT: at Rams (Sun.)

In shedding the Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks contracts, the Rams admitted two significant mistakes this offseason and ate plenty of cash to do so. Jared Goff regressed to the No. 25 QBR spot last season and entered 2020 on the Gurley-Cooks path (albeit with an uncuttable contract). Goff leading Los Angeles (2-1) to a 25-point comeback could be pivotal for a retooled Rams team, which saw its fifth-year quarterback slice up a perennially sound Bills pass defense in leading four second-half TD drives. Had officials not called an iffy pass interference penalty, Goff's comeback would be a major early-season storyline. 

RAMS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: vs. Giants

Stefon Diggs and John Brown combined for 49 receiving yards -- 186 fewer than their Week 2 output -- and the Bills (3-0) still managed to score 35 points and beat a Rams team that has not posted a losing season in four years. Cole Beasley's third-and-22, game-saving grab highlighted the Buffalo slot man's 100-yard day. Rookie Gabriel Davis' four-catch, 81-yard showing illustrates how far the Bills passing attack has come. The team has not possessed receiver depth like this since the 1990s. Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane have done well to fully equip Josh Allen, which could change the franchise's trajectory.

BILLS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: at Raiders (Sun.)

So far, Bill O'Brien's near-universally panned DeAndre Hopkins-for-David Johnson (feat. draft picks) trade is working out as most expected. Yes, the Texans (0-3) have played a vicious schedule. But they gave up the third-best player in team history and did not collect a first-round pick, so expecting Johnson to help against tough defenses is not too much to ask. Against Pittsburgh, the injury-prone back totaled 46 scrimmage yards -- a week after gaining 50 in Baltimore. Hopkins' 358 receiving yards are his most through three games. The coach-GM's trade unquestionably made Deshaun Watson's job harder.

TEXANS GRADE: C | NEXT: vs. Vikings (Sun.)

Last season, the Steelers went 8-8 with the NFL's worst passing offense. Said offense also ranked 30th in rushing DVOA. Through two 2020 games, Pittsburgh (3-0) held the same 30th-place DVOA ground ranking. But its contract-year running back played an essential role in the latest step of the franchise's 2020 recovery operation. James Conner's 109-yard effort led a 169-yard Steelers rushing day -- the team's most since Week 6 of 2017, when Le'Veon Bell was still involved. This outing helped Conner, who needs to display sustained health ahead of free agency, and shows more Steelers progress as an AFC threat.

STEELERS GRADE: B | NEXT: at Titans (Sun.)

The last time the Raiders (2-1) allowed a team to rush for 250 yards in a game, Adrian Peterson dismantled them en route to the 2015 rushing title. A noticeably slower Sony Michel and spot-duty veteran Rex Burkhead are a bit off All Day's level, yet this Raiders edition permitted the Patriots to rush for 250 yards and salt away a once-close game. Michel lumbered through wide run lanes in the second half, while a Raiders defense that neutralized Drew Brees was also ill-equipped for Burkhead's moves in the passing game. The Raiders' near-two-decade-long defensive concerns continue to hold them back.

RAIDERS GRADE: D-plus | NEXT: vs. Bills (Sun.)

Darren Waller fantasy managers' worst (non-injury) fear came true Sunday. The breakout tight end became the latest example of the Bill Belichick formula's enduring viability. Waller's two-catch, nine-yard outing -- which featured zero first-half targets, after a 16-target Monday night -- represents bad news for the AFC. The Pats (2-1) executed this strategy with lesser personnel, thanks to COVID-19 opt-outs. Devin McCourty's touchdown-saving pass breakup showed Belichick's "Eliminate the No. 1 weapon" routine can still function. The safety net that backed Tom Brady for years is still in place for Cam Newton.

PATRIOTS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: at Chiefs (Sun.)

Nick Foles offers a level of security Mitchell Trubisky did not, though the former has yet to prove he can flourish outside of Philadelphia. Sunday was a start, with the ex-Eagles playoff superstar quarterbacking a Bears 16-point comeback -- an old-school 16-point rally, thanks to a failed two-point try. Foles averaged just 4.8 yards per attempt from a clean pocket, per Pro Football Focus, but he is easily the best QB of Allen Robinson's seven-year career. The Trubisky era may not be completely over, but the Bears (3-0) need Foles to salvage their defense-fueled nucleus. 

BEARS GRADE: B | NEXT: vs. Colts

Another Falcons collapse should give GM Thomas Dimitroff more than enough information on the state of the Dan Quinn regime. The former Super Bowl-winning Seahawks defensive coordinator has yet to oversee a Falcons defense that ranked in the league's top half in DVOA in five full seasons, and another obscure record fell Sunday. Atlanta (0-3) became the first team in NFL history to blow a 15-plus-point fourth-quarter lead twice in one season; Quinn's Falcons have endured five such losses since 2016. Quinn and Dimitroff did not arrive together, and a split appears imminent.

FALCONS GRADE: D | NEXT: at Packers (Mon.)

The Eagles rampaged through the still-woeful Bengals offensive line to sack Burrow eight times, and their run defense resembled Jim Schwartz's units of the past few years. Burrow persevered, completing 31 of 44 passes and forging the 23-all tie that looks better from Cincinnati's perspective. The No. 1 overall pick continued to show a rapport with slot staple Tyler Boyd, and his two Tee Higgins TD strikes represent an obvious plus for the rookies' future together. The Bengals (0-2-1) could have won this game, but Burrow's performances are their A-plots in 2020. And this one built on early-season intrigue.

BENGALS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: vs. Jaguars

Doug Pederson doing what Frank Reich and Gary Kubiak refused to in recent years -- a punt to essentially guarantee a tie game -- prevented a third Eagles loss (and ensured a second Bengals-Eagles tie in 12 years). Against the Bengals, that is not ideal. But the Cowboys' loss buys the injury-riddled Eagles (0-2-1) time. This NFC East quartet, at 2-9-1, is off to the worst combined start of any division in 18 years. It might not get too much better for Philadelphia, which has seen a worse Carson Wentz surface this season, but the team has more time than its record would indicate to salvage its season. An opponent battling more injuries awaits.

GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at 49ers (Sun.)

Mike Vrabel showing patience with his former Patriots teammate, after his nationally televised Week 1 meltdown, has helped the Titans (3-0) stay unbeaten. Gostkowski is now 4-for-4 in 50-plus yard field goals -- and 2-for-2 in game-winning 50-plus-yard tries -- this season after his all-time performance Sunday. The 36-year-old specialist, signed in August, made a career-most six field goals and saved a Titans team that gave up 226 rushing yards -- their second-worst showing since 2011 -- and went 3-for-13 on third downs. After the Titans' disastrous 2019 kicker season, they made a crucial signing.

TITANS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: vs. Steelers

What looked like a transition season for the Vikings (0-3) now resembles something less productive, but Minnesota's Stefon Diggs replacement has at least entered the chat. After totaling five catches for 70 yards in two games, Jefferson detonated on the Titans in the form of a 7-175-1 line that surpasses any Vikings rookie's numbers since Randy Moss 22 years ago. The LSU slot demon only caught two of his passes Sunday out of slot, beating Malcolm Butler out wide on a few occasions. If this is a bridge season, Jefferson excelling on this level represents a win for a Vikes team that is losing on most fronts.

VIKINGS GRADE: C | NEXT: at Texans (Sun.)

Dwayne Haskins has a basement-level supporting cast and just saw his top offensive lineman -- guard Brandon Scherff -- land on IR. But these are the circumstances the 2019 first-round passer faces in a development year not going well. Haskins' four-turnover day in Cleveland marks a career-high number. Saddled with a new regime, the Ohio State one-year phenom may not have a third season to be Washington's starter. This shaky setup may be his chance. Many more outings like this from the reigning QBR last-place finisher and Washington (1-2) may call upon Kyle Allen (or perhaps Alex Smith).

WASHINGTON GRADE: D | NEXT: vs. Ravens (Sun.)

For the first time since the Browns benched local product Brian Hoyer for brief Cleveland resident Johnny Manziel in Dec. 2014, the team has a winning record. Some of GM Andrew Berry's free agent fliers played auxiliary roles in making that happen. Six players who received one-year deals in Berry's first offseason as Browns GM reside on Cleveland's defensive depth chart, and three -- safety Karl Joseph and linebackers B.J. Goodson and Malcolm Smith -- intercepted Haskins on Sunday. The Browns parlayed their four forced turnovers into 24 points and their first 2-1 record in nine years.

BROWNS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: at Cowboys (Sun.)

Although Tampa Bay was facing a decimated Denver team, Sunday showed the team's young secondary may no longer be a glaring need. Six draftees chosen in Rounds 2-4 over the past three years populate the Buccaneers' secondary, which ranked 26th or worse from 2017-19. This year's crew stifled a Broncos team that features three first- or second-round targets. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles sent Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead on successful blitzes, and the Broncos converted first downs on just two of their first six drives. This keyed a six-sack day and provided more support for a still-acclimating Tom Brady.

BUCCANEERS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Chargers (Sun.)

They do not profile as a front-line Trevor Lawrence team, but the Broncos (0-3) started an eighth post-Peyton Manning quarterback Sunday -- the most in the NFL since 2016 -- in Jeff Driskel. They are now 0-7 under Vic Fangio in September and, given their numerous injuries, nearly certain to finish with a losing record for a fourth straight year. That last happened in Denver from 1969-72. While Drew Lock will presumably restart the watchable portion of this Broncos season -- perhaps after a Blake Bortles cameo as a ninth post-Peyton QB1 -- the franchise's lower-middle-class ceiling shows no signs of cracking.

BRONCOS GRADE: D-minus | NEXT: at Jets (Thu.)

This was no way to stand out in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. The rebuilding Panthers (1-2) entered Sunday with one QB hit, no sacks and no turnovers. Carolina's young defense left its upset win over the Chargers with eight hits on Justin Herbert, two sacks and four forced turnovers. Brian Burns beating veteran Bolts right tackle Bryan Bulaga for a strip-sack provided a highlight for the young group, which showed signs of life after helping pad Josh Jacobs' and Tom Brady's stats. In perhaps the first of multiple developmental years under Matt Rhule, this is a nice start.

PANTHERS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Cardinals (Sun.)

Herbert repeatedly checking down on a timeout-less drive that began at Los Angeles' 1-yard line was not ideal, but it can be expected from a second-game starter. But the Chargers (1-2) managed to journey 70 yards to set up a 30-yard game-winning experiment. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen's play call may well have produced a historic Chargers win, with the Panthers biting on the Bolts' hook-and-ladder action . Austin Ekeler seemingly had a clear path to the end zone, but Keenan Allen's pitch misfired. Good play design nonetheless from the Bolts, who have a bad history with this concept.

CHARGERS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at Buccaneers (Sun.)

Josh Allen is rewarding fantasy GMs; Baker Mayfield has shown strides under Kevin Stefanski; Lamar Jackson: pretty good too. Darnold now sits a clear fourth among the 2018 first-round quarterback hierarchy, and sticking Josh Rosen on the Jets (0-3) could not go much worse. The former No. 3 overall pick fired two pick-6s Sunday in a three-INT effort that looked similar to his first two this season. Darnold was inconsistent in 2018 and '19 but showed flashes. The Jets have done Darnold few roster-building favors, and they look like the NFL's worst team. Their quarterback looks worse than ever. 

JETS GRADE: F | NEXT: vs. Broncos (Thu.)

The Colts (2-1) have submitted two of this season's top defensive performances. They recorded a safety in a second straight game for the first time since 1970, and free agent signings Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie took Darnold passes back for TDs. The Colts shut out the Jets over the final three quarters, with this outing looking similar to their Vikings demolition. Indianapolis (19th in 2019 defensive DVOA) has feasted on the struggling Vikings and woeful Jets, but the unit allowed Gardner Minshew to set a Week 1 efficiency record. The Colts will attempt to legitimize this start against (likely) Nick Foles.

COLTS GRADE: A | NEXT: at Bears (Sun.)

Dak Prescott absorbed a costly sack on Dallas' final drive -- one Seattle stopped after supplying more pressure to force a game-ending interception -- and lost a fumble earlier in the game on a Seahawk sack-strip. The Cowboys (1-2) again had to start backup tackles to fill in for Tyron Smith and La'el Collins. A starting O-line that included two undrafted free agents came up short in key spots against an anemic pass rush also missing key cogs. Although they can be categorized as the NFC East favorites by default, the Cowboys are a Falcons onside-kick misplay from being 0-3.

COWBOYS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: vs. Browns (Sun.)

Overused cooking-related references aside, an improved D.K. Metcalf is driving the Seahawks' crowd-pleasing, pass-heavy game plans. The size-speed nightmare has delivered consistency every other receiver-needy team did not expect from the 2019 Round 2 pick, and his improvement has ignited Seahawks team (3-0) that had been a run-based operation for most of Wilson's career. After Metcalf's game-winning grab, he has 297 yards through three games. Wilson has an NFL-record 14 TD passes through three games. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are on an early pace to break Steve Largent's 35-year-old franchise single-season receiving record (1,287 yards).

SEAHAWKS GRADE: B | NEXT: at Dolphins (Sun.)

While the Murray-to-DeAndre Hopkins connection continued to hum, a weakened Lions secondary provided enough interruptions for the underdog visitors to steal a win. Despite Detroit (1-2) mustering just one sack and two QB hits, its secondary intercepted three passes. This occurred in a game in which the Lions were missing Desmond Trufant and fellow high-priced starter Justin Coleman. No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah covered a lot of ground on his theft, which stopped a go-ahead Cards second-half drive. This should briefly quiet critics of a team that traded Quandre Diggs and Darius Slay for modest draft capital. 

LIONS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: vs. Saints (Sun.)

Cardinals 2019 second-round pick Andy Isabella caught nine passes in 15 games last year, doing so for a franchise that has wasted a few high-value draft picks recently. Isabella has made a better impression in Kliff Kingsbury's second Cardinals offense. The UMass product turning two of his four receptions into TDs came on a day in which Larry Fitzgerald caught one pass for zero yards. While the Cards (2-1) look set to push for a playoff spot, this year will double as an Isabella grooming season ahead of a 2021 campaign that may not include Fitzgerald. So far, so good.

CARDINALS GRADE: C | NEXT: at Panthers (Sun.)

While Aaron Rodgers' near-MVP form has catalyzed the Packers' 3-0 start, he needed one of the players maligned this offseason to help Sunday night. In perhaps the final matchup of the top two quarterbacks left off the NFL's 100th Anniversary team , Rodgers found Allen Lazard six times for 146 yards. The slot weapon's two deep receptions injected doubt in the Saints' ability to contain Rodgers, who noticeably outplayed Drew Brees, and helped validate Green Bay's decision not to draft a wide receiver this year. A 6-foot-5 ex-UDFA, Lazard (254 yards) is already over halfway to his 2019 full-season total.

PACKERS GRADE: A | NEXT: vs. Falcons (Mon.)

The Saints could not ensure Alvin Kamara's borderline time-capsule night secured a win. Their defense has fallen into a strange place after a late-2010s revival effort. New Orleans (1-2) allowed 30-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time since 2016, when it ranked 31st defensively and missed the playoffs for a third straight year. Penalties, an inability to contain Darren Waller and Allen Lazard hung two losses on the Saints -- who went 13-3 in 2018 and '19. Home field may not mean as much this year, but the No. 1 seed means more -- with each conference including one bye -- than it ever has.

SAINTS GRADE: C-plus | NEXT: at Lions (Sun.)

The league's teal-aqua showdown Thursday revealed how the Dolphins feel about their 2020 running back investments. The usage distribution looked rather strange, with Myles Gaskin logging 27 touches to a combined six for Jordan Howard and Matt Breida. The latter duo respectively cost the Dolphins (1-2) nearly $5 million guaranteed and a fifth-round pick in a trade; Gaskin was a 2019 seventh-round pick. Brian Flores is certainly not playing favorites in his second season.

DOLPHINS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: vs. Seahawks (Sun.)

Entering his final season at Colorado, Laviska Shenault loomed as one of the best receiver talents eligible for the 2020 draft. Injuries led to the multitalented prospect falling to the No. 42 overall slot. Expected to be a developmental player of sorts, Shenault is already working at nearly every offensive position for the Jaguars (1-2). They have used him out wide, in the slot, at running back and as a wildcat quarterback. That is a lot of responsibility for a first-month player. Shenault's 148 scrimmage yards and two TDs reveal a rare chess piece for a team in need of talent almost everywhere.

JAGUARS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at Bengals (Sun.)

Since beating the Ravens 33-28 last September, the Chiefs (2-0) have 11 come-from-behind victories. The Ravens have four, and none of those involved a two-score deficit. The Ravens have, amazingly, only trailed by more than one score twice (counting the playoffs) since their last Chiefs meeting. The Chiefs famously erased three two-score deficits in the playoffs, and Patrick Mahomes has proven he can win in more ways than Lamar Jackson to date. That may be a factor, especially with the Ravens lacking a true home-field advantage Monday night.

The third Jackson-Mahomes matchup may feature a major advantage for the home team. Despite the Chiefs winning both Pat-Lamar meetings, the Ravens (2-0) have dominated their two opponents defensively this season. Since its previous Kansas City game, Baltimore has added All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell, ex-Super Bowl starter Derek Wolfe, first-round linebacker Patrick Queen and old Chiefs friend Marcus Peters, who is coming off an All-Pro slate. Baltimore's defense (small sample size alert) ranks third in DVOA; Kansas City's sits 23rd.