Week three of the 2024 National Football League season is now complete. Here are the top five storylines.
5) Andy Dalton shines.
Last week we discussed the quarterback change in Carolina, as Andy Dalton of Katy, Texas was replacing 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young. The decision made by new Panthers head coach Dave Canales paid off as Dalton was excellent on Sunday. Dalton had 319 passing yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers won their first game of the season in beating the Las Vegas Raiders 36-22.
4) Ravens beat Cowboys with the running game.
Entering the season, there were expectations the Ravens would be a running first team with the addition of Derrick Henry. On Sunday, he was amazing in a 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Henry had 176 total yards (151 yards rushing and 23 yards receiving). What was stunning from the game is the fact that the Ravens star tight end Mark Andrews was only targeted once and did not have a single catch.
3) Five teams undefeated.
Three weeks in and five teams are 3-0. They are the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers. Of the five unbeaten squads, the biggest surprise are the Vikings, who have looked great the last two weeks in wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans.
2) Eight more upsets.
For the second straight week, half the underdogs in the NFL won. This week the teams that were not expected to win that got the W were the Panthers, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams.
1) Commanders beat Bengals in historical offensive shootout.
On Monday night, the Commanders beat the Bengals 38-33 in a game for the ages. The Commanders and Bengals did not turn the ball over or punt. It was the first game where there were no turnovers or punts since 1940.
