Each Sunday, three of The Athletic's NFL writers react to the biggest news, plays and performances from the day's games.
Week 3 of the NFL season brought some stormy weather and a few surprises. While we don't like to dwell on the negative, we're gonna focus on some of the unpleasant surprises so far.
It's no shock that the Miami Dolphins and the Tennessee Titans are 0-3 teams. It's very shocking that the Los Angeles Chargers and the Houston Texans are also winless.
It's also been a painful start for New England Patriots' quarterback Drake Maye, who's looked nothing like the MVP runner-up through three games this season. Maye threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in a 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
NFL writers Jeff Howe, Mike Jones and Ted Nguyen help make some sense of Sunday's games.
Who's the most disappointing team in the NFL through three weeks? The Houston Texans or the Los Angeles Chargers?
Howe: The Texans' issues are mostly fixable, though I'm concerned about the long-term viability of the offense because of Nico Collins' injury history. The Chargers, on the other hand, have been completely out of sorts offensively, and there hasn't been enough evidence that a turnaround is coming. The Chargers opened the game against the Buffalo Bills with a touchdown on their opening possession, thanks to a fumble in plus territory, and they only managed three more field goals the rest of the way. They scored 16 points despite winning the turnover battle, 5-1. The Chargers' offense has no answers through three weeks.
Jones: I'll say Chargers. Yes, you would've hoped for better from the Texans, but they tend to start slow. A retooled secondary is taking some time to gel, and the same goes for an offensive line that endured a good amount of change. C.J. Stroud is badly missing top targets Collins and Tank Dell as well. So, while they clearly hate their 0-3 record, at least they have been in every game, and they know reinforcements and improvements are coming. The Chargers, meanwhile, are a disaster. Justin Herbert is sporting the worst completion percentage and quarterback rating of his career. His offense ranks among the league leaders in turnovers. His defense is out of sync and offers little support. There's a disconnect both offensively and defensively, and coach Jim Harbaugh has to get this fixed in a hurry. There's a real possibility that the Chargers reach the midway point of the season without a win.
Nguyen: I thought the Texans were Super Bowl contenders so they are easily the most disappointing team in my opinion. The defense gave up too many explosives in the first two weeks. They made enough plays to win Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts (four sacks and three takeaways), but the offense is just lifeless without Collins. Their run game has been a bust after a strong Week 1, and the line is allowing way too much penetration. Stroud is actually playing decently but he doesn't have weapons to throw to right now, and their inability to run the ball makes it hard to score in the red zone. There's still some hope they can get it together when Collins returns.
The Buffalo Bills are 3-0 and look like the class of the AFC despite a shaky first half on Sunday. Who's the second-best team in the conference?
Howe: I'm going to mix it up and say the Jags, who thoroughly dismantled the Patriots to rebound from a tough meltdown in Denver. Liam Coen has hammered home the need to overcome adversity this season, knowing it'd come in many forms, and they've already passed their first test. It's a mentally tough squad that has fully bought into the collective mission, and they've shown clear improvements on both sides of the ball through three games. This looks like a team that will continue to get better, which will be necessary with the Kansas City Chiefs' resurrection. Speaking of …
Jones: The Chiefs would like to have a word. Yes, the Bills have gotten off to a good start, but Kansas City has one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the league, and also boasts a far superior defense. I'm not getting worked up over Buffalo after three weeks. We've seen them have great regular seasons before. And for all the weekly discussion about Josh Allen being the best quarterback in the league, let's not forget that Allen is still 0-4 against Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. I'm not diminishing Buffalo's 3-0 start. But in my book, Kansas City, with Mahomes, Andy Reid, that Kenneth Walker-led new-look rushing attack and a rejuvenated defense, scare me far more than Buffalo.
Nguyen: Just like old times, I think the Bills and Chiefs are the top two teams in the AFC. Reid had to reinvent his offensive system and he did to center around the under-center run game. The scary part is their run blocking has been inconsistent. It's just that no one has been able to tackle Walker. The Chiefs led the league in rushing yards after contact by a wide margin coming into the game -- they ranked dead last in this category over the last two seasons. Mahomes looks like himself with his ability to make highly difficult throws and scramble and he should continue to get better with more time. The defense is dependent on several young players (Mansoor Delane, Peter Woods, R Mason Thomas) to play key roles and they should also continue to get better as they get more experience.
Drake Maye's playoff struggles have bled into the first three games this season. Is it more likely he'll revert to his MVP runner-up form or that this run of poor play will continue?
Howe: Maye will be fine eventually, but I can't predict when that will happen. He's got to learn to live another play, and I can't imagine that point wasn't hammered home after the trio of fourth-quarter interceptions to close the Week 1 loss to Seattle. But while Maye is fighting it, he didn't play a snap for a short-handed defense that offered almost no resistance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's not the reason Romeo Doubs dropped a crucial pass in Week 1. It's not Maye who traded Kayshon Boutte before A.J. Brown's latest injury. It isn't Maye's responsibility to find the team's running game. Maye is just one of the Patriots' issues right now, and his long-term prognosis is the least of my concerns. But if the Patriots don't offer more support to Maye, this turnaround isn't happening anytime soon.
Jones: The Patriots keep waiting for the Drake Maye of old to return, but for that to happen, the third-year quarterback is going to have to regain the poise and patience with which he executed for much of his first two NFL seasons. During that span, Maye frequently drew praise for his sound decision-making and ball security. But he now looks like he's forcing things rather than taking what the defense gives him. And it feels like once he makes one mistake, things snowball. Can Maye regain his MVP form? He could. These problems are all mental, not physical. Will he? Hard to say. It might require some help from offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in the form of a more simplified approach that will take some things off of Maye's plate and help him recalibrate. But a rebound remains possible.
Nguyen: Last season, the Patriots only played one team that finished in the top 10 of points allowed per drive and then faced four defenses that finished in the top 10 in the playoffs and struggled to score points. This season, they've started with three top defenses and haven't played well. They ranked 30th in rushing success rate, they can't pass block, and their receivers are among the worst in the league without A.J. Brown. Maye is pressing and turning the ball over and missing passes he usually makes. Maye has shown he can elevate the offense when they aren't completely outmatched, but against top defenses they just can't match up. They'll get better as they play lesser defenses and eventually get Brown back, but I'm not sure we see Maye back in MVP form until we see substantial improvement from the offensive line.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
