-
Lamar Jackson QB | BAL
Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Sets up winning FG late after two TDs
Jackson completed 15 of 20 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns while rushing six times for 50 yards in Sunday's 34-31 win over the Cowboys.
Jackson threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Chris Moore in the third quarter and a two-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Hibner with 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, but his most memorable pass was a 27-yarder to Zay Flowers on the game's penultimate play, which set up Tyler Loop's game-winning 56-yard field goal after the Ravens got the ball with seven seconds left in a tie game. Following Sunday's win over the Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, Jackson and the Ravens will fly home from Brazil to host the 0-3 Titans in Week 4.
-
Deshaun Watson QB | CLE
Browns' Deshaun Watson: Comes up clutch late in upset victory
Watson completed 16 of 30 passes for 144 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions while rushing 11 times for 45 yards in the Browns' 21-18 win over the Panthers on Sunday. He also threw a two-point conversion pass.
While Watson was anything but efficient through the air for the majority of the afternoon, the veteran signal-caller avoided turnovers and fired a pair of key touchdown passes to Harold Fannin, including a game-winning scoring toss with 1:48 remaining on which Watson scrambled to buy himself time before releasing the ball on the run. Watson's mobility also played a key part throughout earlier portions of the game, as he was second on Cleveland in rushing yards with his highest total since Week 9 of the 2020 season while he was still with the Texans (he'd also rushed for 45 yards in Week 1 of the 2023 season). Watson is still clearly a work in progress in head coach Todd Monken's offense, but he appears to have an increasingly firm hold on the starting job heading into Thursday night's Week 4 divisional home clash against the Steelers.
-
Brock Bowers TE | LV
Raiders' Brock Bowers: Makes immediate impact in season debut
Bowers caught 10 of 13 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 35-27 win over the Saints.
Making his season debut after minor knee surgery cost him the first two contests, Bowers immediately stepped back into his role as the Raiders' top pass catcher, leading the team in receptions, receiving yards and targets. The star tight end's last catch was his biggest, as he connected with Kirk Cousins for a four-yard TD in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winning score. Bowers is clearly fully recovered from his surgery, and he'll be a key part of the Las Vegas offense once again in Week 4 at home against Kansas City.
-
Bryce Young QB | CAR
Panthers' Bryce Young: Big passing yardage total in loss
Young completed 26 of 48 passes for 291 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Panthers' 21-18 loss to the Browns on Sunday.
Young's passing yardage total was impressive in defeat, especially considering he lost No. 2 receiver Jalen Coker to a quadriceps injury during the contest. However, the fourth-year signal-caller also struggled at times against an aggressive Browns defense that sacked him three times and recorded a game-sealing interception at Cleveland's 46-yard line. After the game, per Joe Person of The Athletic, head coach Dave Canales told reporters that a lower-body injury appeared to impact Young on some throws, which may help explain some of the struggles he endured. Young still has an impressive 7:2 TD:INT and has thrown for 939 yards over his first three games heading into a Week 4 home clash with the Lions next Sunday night.
-
Chuba Hubbard RB | CAR
Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Over 100 total yards in loss
Hubbard rushed 19 times for 82 yards and brought in all four targets for 28 yards in the Panthers' 21-18 loss to the Browns on Sunday.
As expected, Hubbard dominated the touches out of the Panthers backfield, outpacing AJ Dillon by 15 carries. Hubbard also played his customary pass-game role with efficacy, recording a new season high in receptions along the way. Hubbard has also upped his rushing yardage total over that of the previous contest in each game so far, and considering Jonathon Brooks (IR, abdomen) will remain unavailable for the foreseeable future, the former lines up for another workhorse role in a Week 4 home showdown against the Lions next Sunday night.
-
Travis Etienne RB | NO
Saints' Travis Etienne: Aggravates hamstring injury
Etienne exited Sunday's 35-27 loss to the Raiders due to an injury to the same hamstring which bothered him in practice leading up to the game, head coach Kellen Moore revealed after the loss, John Hendrix of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Etienne's second-half hamstring injury was an aggravation of a previous injury, which limited his practice participation Wednesday and Thursday. Soft-tissue injuries have a tendency to linger, so it wouldn't be surprising if Etienne missed some game action to allow his hamstring to heal, especially since the Saints could opt for a cautious approach with Etienne after signing him to a four-year, $52 million contract in March. Further testing on the injury may be required before a return timetable is established, though Moore said that an update on Etienne and other injured players may be provided Monday. If Etienne were to miss any time, more touches would be available for Alvin Kamara, CJ Donaldson and Kendre Miller.
-
Dalton Kincaid TE | BUF
Bills' Dalton Kincaid: Back down to earth Sunday
Kincaid secured two of three targets for 38 yards and lost a fumble in the Bills' 24-16 win over the Chargers on Sunday.
Kincaid finished third in receptions and receiving yards on the afternoon for the Bills and tied for the same slotting in targets, but the tight end's downturn in production compared to the first two weeks stood out. Kincaid had opened the season with a combined 12-125-1 line on 14 targets, but the Chargers appeared to key on slowing him down Sunday and also forced the ball from him at the end of a 24-yard catch late in the third quarter for his first lost fumble since his 2023 rookie campaign. Despite the relatively quiet performance, Kincaid should remain a key figure in the air attack during a Week 4 home matchup against the Patriots next Sunday.
-
Justin Jefferson WR | MIN
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Nearly came back in after hurting ankle
Jefferson (ankle) "got close a couple times" to returning to Sunday's 23-16 win over the Buccaneers, head coach Kevin O'Connell said after the game, Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Jefferson sustained an ankle injury in the first half and was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the game after catching both of his early targets for 32 yards. The Vikings held on without their star receiver to improve to 3-0 heading into a Week 4 home game against the Dolphins. Jefferson's ankle injury will be evaluated further, but O'Connell sounded optimistic that Jefferson may not face much, if any, additional missed time.
-
Harold Fannin Jr. TE | CLE
Browns' Harold Fannin: Pair of TDs in win
Fannin brought in seven of nine targets for 51 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns' 21-18 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
The second-year tight end led the Browns in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the afternoon, and he capped off Cleveland's upset victory with a 14-yard touchdown grab at the 1:48 mark of the fourth quarter. The score proved to be the difference in the game, and it was preceded by a two-yard scoring grab just before halftime. After a quiet Week 1, Fannin has come alive with a combined 12-125-2 line on 15 targets over the last pair of contests, affording him plenty of momentum heading into a Week 4 divisional home showdown against the Steelers on Thursday night.
-
Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Set for MRI on dislocated thumb
Mayfield is dealing with a dislocated right thumb and will have an MRI on the injury, head coach Todd Bowles relayed after Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Vikings, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Mayfield exited Sunday's loss late in the fourth quarter after sustaining the thumb injury to his throwing hand. Jalon Daniels played Tampa Bay's final possession after Mayfield got hurt. The undrafted rookie backup failed to complete a pass and threw an interception on the game's final play. A recovery timeline for Mayfield will likely be established based on the results of his upcoming MRI, but Daniels will likely get a chance to make his first NFL start when the 0-3 Buccaneers host the 1-2 Packers in Week 4.