We’re through Week 3 in the NFL. San Francisco is cooking. Green Bay is, um, not. Riley Moss continues to be at the center of the story every single freaking week in Denver and it’s exhausting. Noah Fant’s having a great start. Let’s take a look back at Week 3.
Noah Fant
Let’s start with one of Iowa’s former tight ends. Honestly, I didn’t follow a ton of offseason moves in the NFL and I had no clue where Fant landed. He’s now on his fourth team after three seasons in Denver and Seattle apiece and one in Cincinnati.
It just hasn’t worked out so far.
While his yardage totals so far have been pedestrian – 66 yards through 3 games, including a bagel in Week 2 – Fant is now at THREE touchdowns. His career high in a season is four, done twice (once in Denver, once in Seattle.) He tacked on two this weekend in a 35-27 loss to the /checks notes 3-0 Las Vegas Raiders. Here’s Fant’s second touchdown of the day.
George Kittle
Also off to a hot start is George Kittle. Coming off that bad Achilles injury in January, it was reasonable to expect Kittle to miss most of the season. Best-case, I figured he’d be back in December for a few games, then see if San Francisco makes the playoffs and he can really ramp up for those games.
Instead, he’s back in Week 1, and now through Week 3, he’s found the end zone an astonishing three times as well. He led San Francisco in receptions, yardage, and touchdowns (6-82-2) and scored the clinching score in the 49ers’ 36-30 win over Arizona to move to 3-0.
Just keep Mr. Kittle away from the substation…
Drew Stephens
Kicker time! Stephens won the starting job in Washington coming out of camp. He’s been solid ever since winning the role. He’s 5-7 on field goals so far. Ok, doesn’t seem great, right? Well the two misses have been from 50+. He’s missed extra points, but one was blocked.
This week, he was instrumental in Washington’s 33-31 upset over Seattle, moving the Commanders into the win column for the first time this season. Stephens was 2-2 on field goals in the game, including this monster 57-yarder right before half.
Riley Moss
This is getting tough. Moss is seemingly the center of attention/criticism here in Denver every week. I don’t know how Moss handles it. He wasn’t horrible in Denver’s bizarre 30-26 win over the Rams, picking up 6 tackles and 1 pass defended, but he did allow…this.
Woof. Caught looking in the backfield, then he slipped slightly to allow an easy pitch and catch that saw the Rams re-take the lead. He does a great job flushing these plays, but the locals are awfully restless with him. Let’s have a week where he isn’t in the spotlight, please?
Potpourri
Jack Campbell picked up 6 tackles and a fumble recovery, while Sam LaPorta had 3 receptions for 44 yards in Detroit’s 31-24 win over the New York Jets. Dane Belton finished with 7 tackles for the Jets.
Things are going poorly in Green Bay. In their first home game of the season, the Packers entered as favorites against an Atlanta team that’s looked like one of the worst teams in the league. Instead, the Falcons climbed out of an early 7-0 hole and blew the Packers out in Lambeau, 35-14. At least Kaleb Johnson continues to get touches – 4 carries for 6 yards and 1 reception for 10; Green Bay only ran the ball 9 times in this game – while Lukas Van Ness logged 4 tackles and Nick Niemann picked up 1. Bad days in Green Bay.
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