NFL gameday information: Lamar Jackson vs Dak Prescott and a Patrick Mahomes acid check for Kirk Cousins’ Atlanta | NFL Information

Can Kirk Cousins lead the Atlanta Falcons to an announcement win over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs? Will the New Orleans Saints proceed their lightning begin to the season? We sit up for Week Three of the season…

Editor’s observe…

The NFL season is an extended, winding battle of attrition, however it’s Week Three and already the Dallas Cowboys and their championship credentials are underneath the microscope after they have been dismantled by the New Orleans Saints. Jerry Jones made CeeDee Lamb the second-highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL historical past, made Dak Prescott the highest-paid participant of all time and entered the season having determined to stay with head coach Mike McCarthy regardless of the workforce’s shock playoff exit to the Inexperienced Bay Packers; it makes for overwhelming stress that solely continues to mount on a workforce determined to finish its oft-reminded Tremendous Bowl drought.

A recreation of the season contender beckons in opposition to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, who face scrutiny of their very own after failing to capitalise on their regular-season supremacy in 2023 and having began the brand new marketing campaign winless via two weeks. Does anyone wish to cease Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs? The one man that at the moment seems to be able to as a lot is enjoying in Buffalo; on Sunday, Lamar and Dak will search to remind that they too may be in that dialogue.

However whereas the 2 star quarterbacks will take the headlines, it’s the two defensive succession plans which will show defining.

To evaluate Baltimore’s early struggles is to forged a watch on the early affect of Mike Macdonald as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, who poached the defensive mastermind from the Ravens as their alternative for Pete Carroll on the again of final season. A staple of any profitable protection in trendy soccer is the power to create stress from four-man fronts, with Macdonald’s Seahawks protection at the moment ranked ninth in stress fee within the NFL whereas blitzing at simply the twenty first highest fee.

Seattle are at the moment ranked seventh in defensive EPA/play (a sophisticated metric for down-by-down effectivity), sixth in yards allowed, third in passing, twenty third in speeding and fifteenth in scoring. Baltimore’s protection has in the meantime suffered to this point underneath Zachary Orr, rating twenty fifth in EPA/play and thirty second in passing yards allowed per recreation whereas pressuring on the Tenth-lowest fee within the league, their secondary specifically proving trigger for concern.

Dallas are additionally adjusting to a interval of change after shedding defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to the Washington Commanders within the offseason, with Mike Zimmer arriving as his alternative. The Cowboys tackle a Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry-led floor assault having simply been manhandled by Alvin Kamara and the Saints, their protection at the moment rating twenty sixth in opposition to the run after two video games.

Elsewhere Kirk Cousins is driving the momentum of a uncommon primetime victory as he seems to be to encourage the Atlanta Falcons and their star-studded forged of weapons to a message-sending win over the threepeat-chasing Chiefs. In every week that noticed Bryce Younger moved to the bench, fellow No 1 decide quarterback Caleb Williams continues his bid to settle into the NFL after a bumpy introduction with the Chicago Bears, whereas Sam Darnold resumes his redemption story in opposition to CJ Stroud’s contender-looking Houston Texans and Andrew Thomas meets Myles Garrett in one of many week’s fascinating one-on-one match-ups.

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Neil Reynolds and Phoebe Schecter sit up for the NFL’s Week Three fixtures and make their predictions…

Across the league

• The Miami Dolphins formally positioned quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve following his concussion in final Thursday’s loss to the Buffalo Payments; the workforce in the meantime signed Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens’ apply squad.
• Former No 1 Draft decide Bryce Younger was benched by the Carolina Panthers, with veteran Andy Dalton taking up as starter following the workforce’s 0-2 begin to the season.
• The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs positioned operating again Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve, with a fractured fibula anticipated to maintain him out for six-to-eight weeks; the Chiefs have since re-signed former Browns operating again Kareem Hunt, who was launched by Kansas Metropolis after a video emerged of him pushing a lady to the bottom in 2018.
• Packers quarterback Jordan Love returned to apply this week after struggling an MCL sprain in opposition to the Eagles in Week One.
• Rams head coach Seam McVay admitted star huge receiver Cooper Kupp will miss an ‘prolonged’ time period following the ankle damage he suffered in opposition to the Cardinals in Week Two.

What to look at in Week Three

Sunday, 6pm – Philadelphia Eagles @ New Orleans Saints: So lengthy has Philadelphia’s defensive entrance been a number one power of its trench supremacy, however via two weeks there are obvious query marks over Vic Fangio’s cross rush. The Eagles have managed simply three sacks thus far in 2024 (tied second-fewest within the league) whereas rating twenty fourth in stress fee; big-money offseason addition Bryce Huff has been a no-show, second-year edge rusher Nolan Smith is being thrown round by operating backs and tight ends, and there’s a case that 36-year-old Brandon Graham stays the workforce’s finest cross rusher. What’s extra, the Eagles are ranked worst within the league in opposition to the run whereas permitting 6.4 yards per carry. This weekend they run into the league’s most prolific offense, with Derek Carr and the Saints have dropped 91 factors on their opponents over the primary two weeks. Klint Kubiak simply nullified the Dallas Cowboys protection in ruthless vogue, with Alvin Kamara notching 4 touchdowns whereas spearheading the league’s third-ranked speeding assault.

Sunday, 9.25pm – Baltimore Ravens @ Dallas Cowboys: It’s a ‘show it’ recreation for the Ravens and Cowboys, Baltimore trying to keep away from going 0-3 following their loss to the Raiders and the Cowboys nursing the injuries of their heavy defeat to the Saints. Dallas have been bullied on the bottom by Klint Kubiak’s speeding assault, struggling in opposition to heavier units in opposition to base personnel as New Orleans flourished via play-action and display performs. Micah Parsons was expertly neutralised, whereas Alvin Kamara ran throughout Mike Zimmer’s protection to show main flaws to the inside of his entrance. Now they’re tasked with thwarting one of many league’s most dynamic floor tandems in Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, the total efficiency of which is but to return to fruition over the opening two weeks. The Cowboys are ranked final within the league in rush EPA, whereas the Ravens offense at the moment ranks third in rush EPA. There’s your key duel.

Sunday Night time Soccer, 1.20am – Kansas Metropolis Chiefs @ Atlanta Falcons: Floor management has grow to be a staple of Andy Reid’s Chiefs offense lately, from his masterful display designs to a stout inside blocking scheme, behind which Isiah Pacheco has emerged as an integral complement to Patrick Mahomes and the passing recreation. With Pacheco heading to injured reserve, undrafted rookie Carson Steele is predicted to inherit an elevated workload alongside veteran Samaje Perine and newly-returned Kareem Hunt. Among the many wrinkles to watch shall be Reid’s unicorn use of linebacker Leo Chenal, who was employed as a blocking fullback at instances throughout final weekend’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

For Kirk Cousins, it beckons as the most recent acid check for his Atlanta Falcons as they search some momentum within the wake of their win over the Eagles on Monday night time. His game-winning drive underlined precisely why the Falcons moved to signal him within the offseason as they search a confirmed veteran to pilot an offense brimming with expertise, with Cousins nonetheless evidently getting on top of things along with his receiving core. Darnell Mooney loved his arrival recreation, Bijan Robinson is simply warming up and Cousins’ rapport with Drake London will solely proceed to develop.

Monday Night time Soccer, 12.30am – Jacksonville Jaguars @ Buffalo Payments: Doug Pederson, Press Taylor and the Jaguars offense have issues. A normally unflappable Trevor Lawrence regarded as pissed off as he ever has since getting into the NFL Sunday as his Jags assault hobbled to an 18-13 defeat to the Cleveland Browns, throughout which their lack of id on offense grew in concern. Lawrence is lacking throws and making poor choices, whereas cross safety points are negating the possible affect of downfield routes. The Jags can’t get the ball to their most trusted receiver Christian Kirk, are seemingly underusing spectacular rookie Brian Thomas Jr and are twenty ninth in rush EPA as they wrestle to ascertain a operating recreation.

Buffalo had confronted their very own questions on offense following the departure of star huge receiver Stefon Diggs within the offseason. Consider it or not, having a field-flipping bulldozer like Josh Allen at quarterback retains you fairly helpful. However the Payments have additionally benefited from the ascending affect of James Cook dinner, who has 198 yards and three touchdowns from scrimmage thus far this season. Khalil Shakir is in the meantime trending upwards as one among Allen’s most reliable targets as he takes on an elevated goal share in his third season.

Monday Night time Soccer, 1.15am – Washington Commanders @ Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow’s Bengals are famously sluggish starters, however there have been some minor indicators of evolution to Zac Taylor’s offense. Amongst these is the heavier use of pre-snap movement seen in the course of the loss to the Chiefs, in addition to a higher emphasis on tight finish use – as a lot amounting to Mike Gesicki’s seven catches for 91 yards in Week Two. Taylor, maybe extra importantly, is popping to tight ends and movement in 12 personnel as a way of promoting the run extra creatively with a purpose to shift from the earlier under-center tells and purchase Burrow extra time within the pocket to utilize his receiving expertise. Monday night time’s conflict can even serve up one other alternative to watch the event of quarterback Jayden Daniels, who, with out being spectacular, has out-performed his fellow rookie play-callers thus far in 2024.

Who mentioned what?

Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce talking on his New Heights podcast: “We’ve got to play better as an offense. The defense is playing their asses off – I put that on me. I think it starts with the leaders, I think it starts with making sure you go in with the right mentality. I didn’t play my best. It spreads if you don’t fix it and I’ve got to get that thing fixed.”

Texans quarterback CJ Stroud on Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams: “I want him to do amazing in this league. I think he will. I think that he’ll get his groove and once you get your rhythm, I didn’t get my rhythm until like Week Three, Week Four. So, I can see his game picking up from here.”

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield on Bryce Younger being benched by the Panthers: “I’m sitting here right now in a way better fit than the other places I’ve been. That’s not to put other teams down, but it’s a matter of the pieces around you, the coaches. For Bryce, a guy that – I can relate to this – finding that belief within yourself again. He’ll get it. His story is far, far from finished.”

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce on Tua Tagovailoa following his newest concussion setback: “I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it. Playing the game, I haven’t witnessed anything like what’s happened to him three times. Scary – you could see right away, the players’ faces on the field. You could see the sense of urgency from everybody to get Tua help. I just think at some point – he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence: “We suck right now. We know we’ve got a good group, we’ve got good players, and we can be a really good offense, but clearly we’re not. Everybody has to take accountability, look in the mirror and fix it. I’ve got to play better. I’m the leader of this offense. It’s on me.”

The stats

• Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson is 2.5 sacks away in Sunday’s assembly with the Cardinals from having 13 sacks in 5 video games, which might characterize a brand new NFL file
• Bears quarterback Caleb Williams enters Week Three with the worst completion proportion in opposition to the blitz thus far within the 2024 season
• Texans quarterback CJ Stroud has not thrown an interception in seven successive begins, marking the longest lively streak amongst beginning quarterbacks
• The Saints offense have used movement on 88 of 115 offensive snaps (76.5 per cent) in 2024, the Tenth-highest fee within the league; final season they used movement on the sixth-lowest fee
• Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh are the one head coaches since 1980 to teach no less than 4 seasons with out posting a shedding file
• Mike Evans leads the NFL with 15 receiving touchdowns since Baker Mayfield joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023
• Raiders tight finish Brock Bowers’ 15 catches and 156 receiving yards are essentially the most by a rookie tight finish via his first two video games within the frequent draft period (since 1967)
• Bryce Younger’s 2-16 file is the worst via 18 begins by a quarterback drafted No 1 total within the frequent draft period (since 1967)

Important studying

‘Not Like Us’… Kendrick, Klint & the NFL’s shock Saints

Derek Carr is essentially the most harmful quarterback in soccer, Klint Kubiak is essentially the most damaging offensive architect within the league, Dennis Allen is dropping Kendrick Lamar references into locker room speeches and abruptly the NFL is scatting to the tune of jazzy New Orleans Saints supremacy.

Who had that down on their Week Two bingo card? Yeah, proper. How lengthy will it final? Do not reply that, the NFL needs you to fall into its lure.

Carr, the Saints and their scintillating offense have emerged as one of many tales of the NFL throughout the primary fortnight of the 2024 marketing campaign, torching a sorry Carolina Panthers workforce – the character of whom’s dire scenario made for ‘pinch of salt’ perceptions – earlier than dismantling the Dallas Cowboys to heap the stress on Mike McCarthy, Dak Prescott – now the highest-paid participant in historical past – and Jerry Jones’ Tremendous Bowl-desperate minions.

Sky Sports activities NFL editor Cam Hogwood explores Carr, Kubiak and the Saints’ emphatic begin to the season…

Watch the Philadelphia Eagles on the New Orleans Saints from 6pm Sunday, dwell on Sky Sports activities NFL, adopted by the Baltimore Ravens on the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on the Atlanta Falcons, in addition to a Monday Night time Soccer double-header; Additionally stream with NOW.