The NFL Roundup Week 3 - What We Learned

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Charles Krupa/AP)

I'm not sure what it was in the air this weekend when it comes to the NFL, but so many of the games I watched had a special ferocity to them. It just seemed as though a good majority of players were giving it their all, doing their best to make a difference win or lose and that was simply stunning to see. It made for some memorable performances, some late game heroics and incredible stories that taught us plenty about every team in the NFL. So without further ado, let's look back at this intense weekend and discuss what we learned from Week 3 in the NFL. 

The New England Patriots are unstoppable so far.
It doesn't matter which player is under center or filling in on defense, this team just keeps on rolling. The Patriots are a shining example of the ferociousness that I made mention of a moment ago because holy cow, they dismantled the Houston Texans on Thursday Night in embarrassing fashion. Every play was aggressive on either side of the ball and they are simply imposing their will on other teams. Call it a revenge tour or whatever you like, but as of right now, this is a tough team to beat, and they still have Tom Brady's return to look forward to. At this point, the easy answer as to how to beat these guys, is to be as aggressive as they are, and it should be interesting to see which team decides to take up that challenge. Until then, get used to hearing about New England winning for quite some time.

Brock Osweiler has not lived up to expectations.
In the process of dismantling the Houston Texans in prime time, the Patriots also exposed Brock Osweiler to be what the Broncos were afraid he was going to be before he bolted Denver for a giant payday...a slightly above average QB that can execute an offense but has zero ability to adjust during a game. He looked confused and lost Thursday night, to the point where Houston started to rely on the run game alone and when all is said and done, should anyone be surprised that Brock is having issues? He only has a handful of starts, and while he may be able to prepare like Peyton Manning, he most certainly cannot read a defense like Peyton was able to do. He still needs more time and experience, but one has to wonder if the Texans executive brass isn't starting to think they have made a terrible mistake, because if Brock doesn't show progress later in the year...they just paid $18 million for a journeyman QB.

Trevor Siemian passed his biggest test in the NFL to date with flying colors.
The first quarter of the Broncos/Bengals game was quite frankly a little scary for Broncos fans. After all, the defense couldn't stop the run, and Trevor Siemian was once again just doing an adequate job at QB, and then suddenly, the young man turned it on. Four touchdowns later, two of which were long bombs that we had never seen before from #13, we learned that Siemian can outright play. He carved that Cincy defense up like a roast and never looked back, and for the first time in a long time, it was the offense that sealed the deal for the Denver Broncos and well, this has been Elway's vision all along, stifling defense that controls their opponents while the offense puts up enough points to secure the win and if this keeps up, the Broncos are looking at another incredible season.  

The Super Bowl Hangover is strong with the Panthers. 
There's no denying that the Carolina Panthers have been and will continue to be a team that rely on swagger as part of their game plan. They enjoy being cocky, imposing their will on a team and celebrating in doing so...except for this year. Their losses to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50 and the season opener are clearly hanging over this team, because that swagger is gone and what's left is a team that knows they can be beaten and on Sunday, they got smacked around. Cam Newton was sacked eight times by the Vikings defense and he threw for three interceptions in their 22-10 loss to Minnesota and well, if they want to compete and defend their title as NFC Champions, it's time for this team to clear their heads and realize...it's a new year with new possibilities. The longer they hang on to last season, the longer this awful play will continue and it's up to the coaching staff and the leaders on this team to clear their heads and get this season back on track.

Stick a fork in Cleveland and Jacksonville, they're done.
Both of these teams are 0-3 and both of them keep losing in embarrassing fashion, so it's time for both of these teams to start looking forward to 2017 and beyond. Yes, I understand it's three weeks in. But let's be honest, it's the same old song from these squads. Jacksonville has a talented roster that isn't getting anything done which means there's a good chance Gus Bradley is coaching his last season for the team and Cleveland continues to rotate out quarterbacks for injury because the offensive line lets everything through. It's a coaching issue in Ohio as well, and there's a chance that Hue Jackson is another one of those coaches that is a brilliant coordinator, and sub par coach. Either way, it's going to be a long and ugly season for both teams, and we'll revisit them again at the end of the year to discuss a new head coach in Jacksonville, and who the Browns will take with another high level draft pick.

How about those Philadelphia Eagles?
A year ago, it was dark times for the Philadelphia Eagles. Chip Kelly had traded all of his talent away, they looked awful on the field and their record reflected that and after Kelly was shown the door and his 'dream team' roster was heavily revamped...here we are looking at the 3-0 Eagles, who by the way, dismantled the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and much of their success comes from one surprise decision...to start their rookie QB, Carson Wentz. The kid has looked like a polished pro in his first three starts, able to make all the big throws a QB needs to and he's able to read defenses well and any way you slice it, for the first time in a long time, things are looking up in Philly and the sky is the limit with this team, and it should be fun to see just how far they go this season.

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