NFL Week Three Thoughts: Zach Wilson sucks, is Denver the worst team, are the Dolphins the best team, plus much more!

Week three has come and gone, and it keeps getting crazier every week. From 0-2 teams fighting to keep playoff hopes alive, to playoff hopefuls getting blown out, to the Dallas Cowboys doing Dallas Cowboy stuff, week three was full of fun and story lines. Let’s jump right in to my NFL week three thoughts!

• Zach Wilson isn’t very good. Watching him play is brutal – he has not improved at all since his rookie season. He struggles going through progressions, has no confidence when he throws, and hasn’t shown any improvement in his decision making. The Jets have an elite defense, but the quarterback is holding the team back. The offensive line isn’t doing anyone any favors either. Fans are clamoring for a different quarterback, but there aren’t any worth seriously considering. Teams probably aren’t interested in trading backup quarterbacks like Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew, so who’s left? Carson Wentz? The retired Philip Rivers? Marcus Mariota? Gross.

• The Giants have more talent than last season, but aren’t much better for it. The offensive line is still a mess, the new weapons at receiver aren’t doing anything, and Barkley being hurt doesn’t help. The issues aren’t just on offense – the defense fell off and can’t tackle anyone. The defense is averaging over 10 missed tackles per game so far – last season they averaged around three. Unless there’s drastic changes on either side of the ball, it’s gonna be a looooong season in New York.

• Arizona was widely considered to be the worst team in the league and tanking for USC quarterback Caleb Williams, but they might not actually be the worst team in the league. The Bears are fighting hard for that title. Justin Fields has regressed to this point, with little reason to think that’s going to change anytime soon. Chicago tried to beef up their defense by bringing in guys like Tremaine Edmunds this past off-season, but the defense has been one of the league’s worst. They’ve allowed over 35 points per game (2nd worst) and over 400 yards per game (4th worst) thus far, and have only one sack as a team.

• If the worst team in the league isn’t Chicago or Arizona, it might be Denver. I’ve been a big believer in the Broncos the last couple of years, but this defense is atrocious. Denver ranks last in points allowed (over 40 points per game!), last in rushing yards allowed, last in QBR allowed, last in total yards per game allowed, and 4th worst in passing yards allowed. It’s one thing to get blown out, it’s another to allow 70 points as an NFL defense. The game was so lopsided, that Miami opted to kneel on their final drive, on 4th down, so they wouldn’t break the single game scoring record and put the cherry on top of this embarrassing display by Denver. Defenders seemed to totally give up in the second half, bouncing off of runners, not wrapping up when tackling, and looking deflated. Payton has to get it together and quick.

• There’s one thing football fans can expect every single season: Dallas being Dallas doing Dallas things. They came into the game against the Cardinals as heavy favorites, and understandably so. They had just come off of two games where they absolutely dominated their opponents (both New York teams…), and were coming into a game against arguably the worst team in the league (on paper). Then something happened – they played the game. Aaaaand Dallas’ defense fell apart, allowing Arizona to run all over them and the Cowboys offense unable to keep up. Is this a team ready to make a push for the playoffs, or are they just a playoff first round disappointment? We’ll find out sooner than later…

• Is Miami the best team in the NFL? A lot of people sure think so after week three. Dropping 70 points in Madden is doable; dropping 70 points in an NFL game is something special (and rare). Only three teams in NFL history have scored 70 or more points: the Rams in 1950 (70 points scored), the 1966 Redskins (72 – most all time), and now the Miami Dolphins. Not only did they finish with the most points in franchise history and tied for the second most points scored in NFL history, they also finished with 726 yards – the second most in NFL history. I’m not sure they’re even the best team in their division, but IF Tua stays healthy, this team should challenge for a top seed in the playoffs.

• This is the Buffalo Bills team most people expected to see this season. It’s now two straight blowouts of inferior opponents, outscoring the Raiders and Commanders 75-13. The Bills defense has been absolutely dominant the last two games. Forcing four turnovers and getting nine sacks is a banner day for any defense, and Buffalo ranks as one the elite units in the league thus far. We already knew how good Josh Allen is coming into the season, but if Buffalo’s defense is going to play this way and the ground game keeps producing, this team will be hard to stop.