Week 3 on the NFL schedule is almost in the books (we still have Monday Night Football to go) and the best performances deserve to be recognized by our MMQB staff. Even if you’re feeling down because your team didn’t win, maybe one of your favorite players or coaches gets awarded a game ball by our staff. Let’s go!
Michael Fabiano: Lamar Jackson. The Ravens quarterback continues to produce huge numbers. Jackson scored 42.6 fantasy points last week vs. the Dolphins, and his encore was pretty good, too. He threw four touchdowns and rushed for a fifth in a 38-26 win over the Patriots, which was good for 39.4 points. He has now scored a combined 102.2 points in his first three games, which puts him on pace to score 579.1 points over a 17-game slate. Patrick Mahomes (2018) holds the single-season record with 417.1 fantasy points.
Conor Orr: Cordarrelle Patterson. Here’s hoping that for every wide receiver who is drafted into a bad situation, labeled a bust, marginalized and cast aside, there is a Patterson waiting to show coaches what a little creativity can do. At 31, he’s one of the most athletic and versatile backfield options in the NFL. On Sunday, he propelled the Falcons to their first win of the season.
Gary Gramling: Eddie Jackson. His play has been uneven for a couple of years now, and his strength—forcing turnovers—makes his production very feast-or-famine. In a year where the Bears’ offensive approach calls out for the defense to do, like, stuff, Jackson did just that against the Texans. He caught a deflected interception (toe-taping at the back of the end zone) to stop a goal-to-go series, his second of the season, and looks like he could once again be a difference-maker on the back of a defense that’s rebuilding on the fly.
Mitch Goldich: Eagles’ pass rushers. I don’t care if we cut one ball into panels or find a whole bag of them to give out, but I’m dishing my weekly game balls to a group. Philly’s defense mauled Carson Wentz early and often in his first game against the team that drafted him No. 2 in 2016. The defense set the tone early with sacks on three consecutive snaps on the first two drives. At halftime, the Commanders had five first downs and the Eagles had six sacks. In all, Wentz was sacked a career-high nine times, fumbled twice and lost one. Brandon Graham led the way with 2.5; Fletcher Cox, Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick all had 1.5; and T.J. Edwards and Javon Hargrave each had one. At one point, the Eagles led in net passing yards 323 to minus-1. The Commanders were shut out through three quarters and never really in the game.
John Pluym: Doug Pederson. Jaguars owner Shad Khan finally got a coaching hire right. Pederson has the Jaguars (2-1) playing some of their best football in years. Maybe their best since the AFC-championship loss to Tom Brady and the Patriots a few years ago. The Jaguars have put together two of the most dominating victories in back-to-back weeks, shutting out the Colts 24-0 in Week 2 and now a 38-10 demolition of the Chargers in Week 3. And don’t call Trevor Lawrence a bust. The former No. 1 pick has put together the best games of his NFL career and seems locked in under Pederson. Are the Jaguars a legit playoff contender? We’ll find out next week when Pederson takes on his former team in Philadelphia.
Claire Kuwana: Jelani Woods. As Conor wrote last week, the Colts were out of excuses after tying the Texans and getting shut out by the Jaguars (which admittedly doesn’t look quite as bad after their 38-10 win over the Chargers) to start the season. But Woods played a major role in the Colts’ 20-17 win on Sunday, hauling in both the winning touchdown pass, as well as the first score of the game.
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