Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota threw three touchdown passes as the Washington Commanders ended the Seattle Seahawks’ 12-game winning streak with a 33-31 upset in Week 3 of the NFL season. In Rio de Janeiro, Tyler Loop kicked a 56-yard field goal on the final play to give the Baltimore Ravens a 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys, while the Las Vegas Raiders moved to 3-0.
Mariota and Washington topple the champions
Seattle arrived in Landover having won 12 straight games, a run that included last season’s Super Bowl title. Washington were without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is nursing a dislocated left elbow, and Mariota completed 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, ESPN reported.
The decisive play came from backup linebacker Kain Medrano, who returned a Sam Darnold interception 50 yards for a touchdown with 3:57 remaining. Darnold threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns in his return from a glute injury, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes for 128 yards and two scores, but Washington converted two third downs on their final drive to run out the clock.
According to the Associated Press, Smith-Njigba is only the second player to record at least 120 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in each of his team’s first three games of a season, joining Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in 1989.
“It’s one week,” Mariota said, “but it could be a steppingstone for us.”
Ravens win a Rio thriller
The game at Rio’s Maracanã Stadium went down to the last snap. Dallas led 28-24 after a KaVontae Turpin touchdown run with 9:42 left, before Lamar Jackson found Matthew Hibner for a two-yard touchdown with 1:30 remaining. Brandon Aubrey levelled the scores with a 23-yard field goal with seven seconds left, only for Loop to win it from 56 yards as time expired, according to the ESPN game log.
Derrick Henry ran for two touchdowns and Jackson completed 15 of 20 passes for 186 yards and two scores as Baltimore improved to 2-1. Dak Prescott threw for 276 yards and CeeDee Lamb had 112 receiving yards for the Cowboys, who fell to 1-2.
Raiders make it three from three
The Raiders came from 27-16 down in the third quarter to beat the New Orleans Saints 35-27, scoring 19 unanswered points. Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes and Brock Bowers marked his season debut with 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Tight ends scored six touchdowns in the game, which ESPN noted ties the NFL record for a single game. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough threw four touchdown passes, two each to Noah Fant and Juwan Johnson.
Hufanga and Nix complete Broncos comeback
The Denver Broncos came from 16-0 down at half-time to beat the Los Angeles Rams 30-26 on Sunday Night Football. Safety Talanoa Hufanga gave Denver its first lead with a 66-yard interception return for a touchdown with 4:49 left, Matthew Stafford hit Konata Mumpfield for a 48-yard touchdown four plays later, and Bo Nix then scored the winner on a one-yard run with 47 seconds remaining, the Associated Press reported. Hufanga sealed it with his second interception, in the end zone, on the final play.
Nix completed 17 of 34 passes for 186 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and threw both of Denver’s two-point conversions, as the Broncos improved to 2-1. Stafford threw for 390 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and Harrison Mevis kicked four field goals for the Rams, who fell to 1-2 and lost cornerback Jaylen Watson to a shoulder injury before half-time. “Obviously a gutsy win,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.
The other big storylines
- Maye’s struggles deepen: The Jacksonville Jaguars thrashed the New England Patriots 35-6. Drake Maye threw two more interceptions and lost a fumble before being pulled in the fourth quarter, and now has one touchdown pass and six interceptions in three games. He described the offense’s performance as “unacceptable”.
- Bills survive five turnovers: Buffalo beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16 despite turning the ball over five times, with Josh Allen scoring two rushing touchdowns. The Chargers are 0-3 for the first time since 2017.
- Colts snap their skid: Spencer Shrader kicked a 53-yard field goal with 16 seconds left as Indianapolis beat the Houston Texans 19-17, ending the league’s longest active losing streak at nine games. Houston are 0-3.
- Gibbs does it all: Jahmyr Gibbs scored three touchdowns, including the go-ahead catch with 2:25 left, as the Detroit Lions beat the New York Jets 31-24.
- Rodgers bounces back: Aaron Rodgers threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers edged the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27 on a Chris Boswell field goal.
- Winston keeps the job: Jameis Winston led the New York Giants past the Tennessee Titans 12-7 in their first game since Jaxson Dart’s knee surgery, and coach John Harbaugh said Winston would remain the starter even if the club adds another quarterback.
- Three from three: The Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Bills and Raiders are all 3-0.
Key injuries from Week 3
- Justin Jefferson (Vikings): Ruled out after a first-quarter ankle injury in the 23-16 win over Tampa Bay. Reports differ on which ankle, with ESPN reporting his left and the Associated Press his right.
- De’Von Achane (Dolphins): Left the 24-10 loss to Kansas City with a knee injury on Miami’s opening drive. “To be very honest with you, it does not sound very optimistic at this moment,” coach Jeff Hafley said, per ESPN.
- Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers): Hurt his thumb late in the fourth quarter and was replaced by rookie Jalon Daniels.
- Leo Chenal (Commanders): The linebacker was carted off with a neck injury late in the second quarter. Commanders coach Dan Quinn said after the game Chenal was at the hospital but had feeling in his extremities, the Associated Press reported.
- Brian Burns (Giants): Injured his right knee in the fourth quarter and will undergo further testing. “There is some hope there, but we won’t know until we see the MRI,” Harbaugh said.
- Mike Evans (49ers): Ruled out at half-time with a rib injury. Left tackle Trent Williams (stinger) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quadriceps) also left the game.
- Breece Hall (Jets): Injured his right thigh in the fourth quarter and said he will probably have an MRI on Monday (US time).
Australians in Week 3
- Michael Dickson (Seahawks): Punted four times for 174 yards (43.5-yard average) in the loss to Washington.
- Mitch Wishnowsky (Patriots): Punted twice for a 53-yard average, with a long of 73, in the loss to Jacksonville.
- Cameron Johnston (Steelers): Punted once for 51 yards in the win over Cincinnati.
- Jeremy Crawshaw (Broncos): Punted five times for 248 yards (49.6-yard average), with a long of 62 and two inside the 20, in the win over the Rams. The Penrith product also held for Wil Lutz, who converted both extra points but hit the left upright with a 43-yard field goal attempt.
- Brett Thorson (Vikings): Inactive with a hamstring injury.
- Daniel Faalele (Jaguars): Listed among Jacksonville’s inactives.
Jordan Mailata’s Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) face Tory Taylor’s Chicago Bears (1-1) on Monday Night Football at 10:15am AEST on Tuesday.
NFL Week 3 results
- Atlanta Falcons 35 def. Green Bay Packers 14 (Thursday)
- Buffalo Bills 24 def. Los Angeles Chargers 16
- Cleveland Browns 21 def. Carolina Panthers 18
- Detroit Lions 31 def. New York Jets 24
- Indianapolis Colts 19 def. Houston Texans 17
- Kansas City Chiefs 24 def. Miami Dolphins 10
- New York Giants 12 def. Tennessee Titans 7
- Pittsburgh Steelers 30 def. Cincinnati Bengals 27
- Washington Commanders 33 def. Seattle Seahawks 31
- Jacksonville Jaguars 35 def. New England Patriots 6
- San Francisco 49ers 36 def. Arizona Cardinals 30
- Minnesota Vikings 23 def. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16
- Baltimore Ravens 34 def. Dallas Cowboys 31 (Rio de Janeiro)
- Las Vegas Raiders 35 def. New Orleans Saints 27
- Denver Broncos 30 def. Los Angeles Rams 26 (Sunday Night Football)
- Monday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears, 10:15am AEST Tuesday
For how the week shaped up beforehand, see our NFL Week 3 preview, and catch up on the biggest upsets from Week 2.
Monday Night Football, the Philadelphia Eagles at the Chicago Bears featuring Jordan Mailata and Tory Taylor, is still to come at 10:15am AEST on Tuesday.
