The NFL season is starting to take shape after three weeks, as some teams establish themselves as contenders and others quickly fall out of the playoff race. However, the water is still murky for a number of teams in the middle, some of which suffered very frustrating losses on a wild Sunday in Week 3.
The Week 3 slate was highlighted by defensive touchdowns, blocked kicks, and crazy comebacks all over the league. While that leads to some happy fanbases and teams that feel on top of the world, the other side is in shambles until Week 4 rolls around.
There was not shortage of that this week, so let's dive into the biggest losers of the Week 4 slate.
Special teams coaches everywhere
Week 3 was defined by special teams plays, for better or worse. The morning slate was filled with four pivotal blocked field goals and a critical return for a touchdown.
The Jets almost completed an epic comeback against the Buccaneers, one where they started the fourth quarter down by 17 points, when Will McDonald blocked a kick and took it back to the house to give the Jets a 27-26 lead and spark one of the all-time NFL GIFs from Aaron Glenn. Baker Mayfield didn't let that ruin his day, leading Tampa Bay down the field for a game-winning field goal, but the gaffe by the field goal team nearly cost the Bucs a critical game.
Meanwhile, the Packers failed to escape an upset bid from the Browns thanks to a blocked field goal in the final minute of that game that would have given Green Bay a 13-10 lead. Instead, it was the Browns marching across midfield and kicking a game-winner to hand Matt LaFleur and company their first loss of the season.
And then there was the Rams. Sean McVay's ball club had numerous chances to kick a field goal and salt away a convincing win over the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, and they failed even more epically every time. First, Joshua Karty had a field goal blocked by Jalen Carter with the Rams holding onto a five-point lead, and the Eagles took advantage with a touchdown drive to take the lead.
Karty got another chance to win it for Los Angeles, but Jordan Davis broke through the line and blocked it before taking it all the way to the house in a move that was very significant to some.
Elsewhere around the league, the Saints and Raiders both allowed punt returns for touchdowns and the Saints also had a punt blocked, so it was a bad day for sound special teams all around.
Is it already over for the Texans?
Coming into 2024, the Texans were one of the top young teams in the NFL coming off of a very promising rookie season for both CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. and an excellent first year as head coach for DeMeco Ryans. Offensive line issues spoiled the 2024 campaign, but Houston still won the AFC South and a playoff game before bowing out in the Divisional Round.
There was plenty of optimism coming into year three for Stroud, but the Texans are now 0-3 and appear to have the same exact problems that they did last season. The offensive line is in shambles, the running game is nonexistent, and Stroud is constantly uncomfortable in the pocket.
Meanwhile in the AFC South, the Colts are humming at 3-0 and the Jaguars are 2-1 with a win over the Texans already in the bag. Even if an elite Houston defense will win it some games over the course of the season, Ryans and company are already in a massive hole that they may not be able to get out of with the current state of the roster.
Falcons hype train
The Falcons were one of the most impressive teams in Week 2, shutting down the Minnesota Vikings in prime time to get to 1-1 with a masterful performance on both sides of the ball with the exception of the red zone offense. Surely they would take that momentum and knock off the Panthers in Week 3, right?
Not the case. The Panthers destroyed Atlanta on Sunday in a 30-0 rout that absolutely nobody saw coming. Atlanta stunningly could not run the ball and Michael Penix Jr. played the worst game of his young career despite not being pressured on very many of his dropbacks.
As a whole, the Falcons finished Sunday with a -0.45 EPA per play in Week 3, the second-lowest number of the week and the fourth-lowest single-game total by any team this season. Penix threw a pick-six on a checkdown after passing up a wide open dig route for a chunk gain over the middle and overall was not able to get anything going for the offense.
Now, a Falcons team that looked like a contender for the division title is now two games back of the Bucs and have already lost the first leg of the head-to-head. After Sunday's debacle, it is a long road back for him.
Patriots fumble away a win
You won't be able to tell from the final score, but the Patriots absolutely dominated the Steelers on Sunday afternoon. New England finished the day with 26 first downs, outgained the Steelers by 166 yards and held them to just 203 total yards, and finished with a 58% dropback success rate (4th in the NFL in Week 3).
There was one problem. The Patriots didn't hold onto the football! On top of a tipped-ball interception in the end zone thrown by Drake Maye, the Patriots put the ball on the ground four times and lost them all. Four times!
The fumbles came at increasingly inopportune times. Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled in Patriots territory on the first drive of the game, setting up a Steelers touchdown. Later in the game, he fumbled inside the one-yard line and essentially took seven points off the board.
Mike Vrabel quickly benched Stevenson, and it only took three plays for Antonio Gibson to put the ball on the ground himself. Drake Maye added another fumble in plus territory later in the game, and the five giveaways cost the Patriots a very important game against a fellow wild card contender.
Is the Ravens defense… bad?
The Ravens came into the season as a trendy Super Bowl pick, but they sit at just 1-2 after dropping games against both the Bills and Lions in the first three weeks. The offensive line has been problematic, but the offense as a whole should be just fine.
The defense has been another story. Buffalo and Detroit put up 79 points combined against this Baltimore defense, a number that is very concerning moving forward.
The pass rush is toothless and didn't register a single sack of Jared Goff on Monday night. Roquan Smith is off to a bad start in 2025, and the non-Marlon Humphrey corners are being targeted relentlessly in the passing game.
The Ravens defense struggled at times at the start of last season as well, and Zach Orr had them playing some good ball by the time the playoffs rolled around. However, getting run up and down the field by two very good offenses is a very concerning start to a season many were hoping would be a coronation for a franchise that has been so close, but so far for years now.
