The NFL Roundup 2019: Week 3 – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

I think it is safe to say at this point, that the 100th season of the NFL is going to be a memorable one, and for proof, look no further than this past weekend’s slate of games. Because this was a weekend of football filled to the brim with incredible surprises and stunning matchups, the kind that saw new heroes rise to the occasion and old standbys fall to the wayside and really, with this many incredible moments and stories on the docket, it’s best we waste zero time today and get right down to discussing what we learned from Week 3 in the NFL.
 
Marcus Mariota continues to be a disappointment.
When a franchise drafts a quarterback at number two overall, some high expectations fall upon that new player’s shoulders. Because that means the player in question is more or less a franchise quarterback, one that needs to grow quickly and lead the franchise to glory and well, efficiency and glory is where the Titans should be when it comes to Marcus Mariota since they selected him at #2 in 2015. But sadly, thus far #8 has been quite the disappointment and Thursday Night’s game reinforced that fact. Because once again, Marcus was unremarkable and did little to get his team a victory and that’s just the same old story year in and year out with him and at this point, I honestly don’t know what it is going to take to get Marcus to move to the next level, but the Titans need to figure it out and quick. Because the clock is ticking and if they can’t get him to the next level, it’s back to the drawing board in the draft and that will easily set the franchise back a couple of years.
 
New year, same old Denver Broncos.
For the past few years, all we and Broncos Country hear about is how the team needs a solid veteran QB to take the reins, and how a new coach is the answer to all their ails and well, despite the changes that General Manager John Elway has made to those positions, the team just isn’t progressing in the slightest, in fact, they’re taking a step backwards. Because the offense is mediocre at best yet again and Joe Flacco made some seriously dumb throws on Sunday, the kind you expect from a 7th round rookie, and the defense suddenly cannot generate a pass rush or turnovers. Which means its sadly business as usual in the Mile High City and at this point, I haven’t a clue when this team is going to get its head out of the clouds and play some quality football.
 
The Kansas City Chiefs are scary good.
Normally when teams make it deep into the playoffs and lose, you see them take a brief step back because of the sting that comes with getting so close to the big game, only to be sent home. But the Kansas City Chiefs are apparently going to forgo that proverbial licking of the wounds, because they are coming out of the gate hot right now. For week in and week out, Patrick Mahomes is lighting up the scoreboard with touchdown after touchdown, and the defense is doing just enough to keep them in games and it’s quite incredible to watch them play to be honest, and at this point, the sky is the limit for KC and really the only way to beat them is to outscore them. And when one considers the fact that #15 can send the pigskin into the endzone with a flick of his wrist, best of luck to any team who thinks they can outscore this savvy gunslinger.
 
Daniel Jones gave the New York Giants the spark they were hoping for.
Sometimes it really is amazing what a change at quarterback can do for a team and Daniel Jones reinforced that fact on Sunday. Because the Giants were a different team with him on the field, and his mobility helped keep the offense alive and energize all of his teammates with hope and oddly enough, the kid was pretty sound skill wise as well. Because he did a wonderful job in reading the defense and protecting the ball during this game and his on-field results speak to all of that and really, this is quite the redemption moment for #8, since so many of us questioned this draft pick back in April. But it would seem the Giants made the right call and if Daniel continues to grow and produce like he did Sunday, New York is looking at one hell of a ride in 2019 and marked success in the future.
 
Kyle Allen made quite the splash for the Panthers.
There were a lot of young quarterbacks who played the hero on Sunday, and of the many young guns who impressed the football world on Sunday, one performance that caught my eye was Kyle Allen’s. Because this undrafted QB, who had some ho-hum starts late last year, put it all together in this game, completing 73% of his passes and dropping four touchdowns in a thriller against the Arizona Cardinals and really, his performance here speaks volumes to the fact that Carolina is indeed loaded with talent and that they need a healthy and competent quarterback to properly utilize that talent. And I hate to say it, but if #7 continues to play like this while Cam Newton works to heal, there’s a chance that there might be a permanent change at quarterback since winning is everything in this league and so far, Kyle Allen is a winner.  

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