2025 NFL Week 3 Winners and Losers
Week 3 of the NFL season wrapped on Monday night with a thrilling back-and-forth battle between the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens
Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski, Kris Knox, Gary Davenport and Moe Moton followed all of the week's action and have provided each contest's biggest winner and loser here.
Detroit Lions vs. Baltimore Ravens
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Score: Lions 38, Ravens 30
Winner: Lions Offensive Coordinator John Morton
Two weeks ago, the conversation surrounding the Lions was about how much the team missed former coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. That already feels like a lifetime ago.
Kelvin Sheppard's defense harassed Lamar Jackson throughout Monday's game. Yet, John Morton's offense was even more impressive.
Morton dialed up some nifty plays, including a flip from Amon-Ra St. Brown to Jahmyr Gibbs that resulted in a touchdown. More importantly, he staged two touchdown drives of over 95 yards and called a clutch pass play to seal the game on a fourth-down conversion.
Loser: Ravens' Pass Protection
For the second time in three weeks, Ravens running back Derrick Henry fumbled late in the fourth quarter of a close game that Baltimore went on to lose. Somehow, though, he shouldn't be the scapegoat in this loss.
Too frequently, Baltimore failed to protect Jackson when its offense needed a response. He was sacked seven times and pressured several more. Jackson is talented enough to keep the Ravens in most games, but he can't do that when he can't stay upright.
New York Giants vs. Kansas City Chiefs
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Score: Chiefs 22, Giants 9
Winner: WR Tyquan Thornton, Kansas City Chiefs
Thornton made two notable catches, one of them highlight-worthy on the Sunday Night Football stage. He registered a five-yard touchdown reception to give the Chiefs a two-possession lead. In the fourth quarter, the big-play wideout hauled in a 33-yard pass that set up Kareem Hunt's 1-yard run for a score.
In the next month, Xavier Worthy, who practiced this week with a dislocated shoulder, and Rashee Rice, currently serving a six-game suspension, could provide a significant spark to the Chiefs' aerial attack. For now, though, Thornton is the key field stretcher, averaging 19 yards per reception.
Loser: QB Russell Wilson, New York Giants
When Wilson struggles in Giants losses this season, his name will come up in the postgame pressers as everyone waits for rookie first-rounder Jaxson Dart to take over the offense. So, it's no surprise that he's the biggest loser after throwing for 160 yards and two interceptions, which included one poorly underthrown ball to Malik Nabers in the end zone.
Following a strong performance against the Dallas Cowboys' subpar defense, Wilson couldn't sustain that momentum against a more formidable unit. He's serviceable, but the 36-year-old isn't going to help the team win games in big prime-time spots. The Giants know this, but it's not the right time to start Dart with the Los Angeles Chargers coming up next on their schedule.
Nonetheless, after Sunday's poor showing against the Chiefs, Wilson is one step closer to holding a clipboard and wearing an earpiece on the sideline.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals
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Score: 49ers 16, Cardinals 15
Winner: K Eddy Pineiro, San Francisco 49ers
In a low-scoring battle with the Cardinals, the 49ers needed their kicker to be perfect on his attempts, and Pineiro delivered with three field goals, including the game-winning 35-yard kick as time expired in regulation.
Two weeks ago, the 49ers signed Pineiro to a one-year deal, and he's played a key role in helping them pull out two one-score victories. In Week 2, he missed an extra-point attempt but made two field goals in a 26-21 win. Today, the 30-year-old kicker showed that ice water runs through his leg in the clutch.
Loser: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
Harrison had a day to forget with two key drops. Kyler Murray targeted him on a wide-open pass attempt, but Harrison botched an opportunity to take advantage of the Cardinals' busted coverage.
In the second half, Murray heaved a deep ball downfield toward Harrison and Zay Jones. Harrison dropped it in the end zone.
Harrison settled for three receptions for 44 yards on what could've been a big day.
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Chicago Bears vs. Dallas Cowboys
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Score: Bears 31, Cowboys 14
Winner: QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Williams' performance against the Cowboys could be the confidence booster that precedes a breakout. He looked comfortable in the pocket and executed head coach Ben Johnson's creative play designs, which included a 65-yard flea-flicker touchdown pass to wideout Luther Burden III.
Within the Bears' six first-half possessions, Williams led four scoring drives, which built an early cushion for his team to build on throughout the game. The top pick from the 2024 draft answered his critics with one of his best pro outings, throwing for 298 yards and four touchdowns.
Loser: Cowboys Pass Coverage
On Sunday, Chicago scored a season-high 31 points against its former head coach, Matt Eberflus, who is Dallas' defensive play-caller. Williams torched the Cowboys defense, and more quarterbacks may do the same in the coming weeks.
On Saturday, Trevon Diggs popped up on the injury report with a knee issue. He struggled to keep pace with the Bears' pass-catchers and exited in the second half because of a shoulder injury.
As cornerback DaRon Bland nurses a foot injury, the Cowboys have a banged-up, porous pass defense that's allowed seven touchdowns over the last two weeks.
Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers
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Score: Chargers 23, Broncos 20
Winner: Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
It certainly wasn't all smiles on Sunday for the Los Angeles Chargers, who appeared to lose running back Najee Harris to a significant Achilles injury. However, the Chargers pulled out a hard-fought win over the rival Denver Broncos, which has to feel great for head coach Jim Harbaugh.
In the first truly tight finish of their season, the Chargers won on a walk-off Cameron Dicker field goal. That's noteworthy because, in years past, Los Angeles had developed a bit of a reputation for blowing things late in games. On Sunday, players like Justin Herbert, Omarion Hampton and Ladd McConkey came up big in the closing moments instead.
The Chargers have now beaten all three AFC West opponents and are 3-0 for the first time since 2002. In just over a year, Harbaugh has L.A. looking like the team to beat in the division.
Loser: QB Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
In a physical, defensively-driven game, quarterback play made a huge difference. Herbert did franchise-quarterback things down the stretch, while Bo Nix did not.
Nix wasn't awful. He threw a long touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton and made several plays with his legs that helped Denver take a fourth-quarter lead. However, he also missed on several deep passes—including a late fourth-quarter throw to an open Sutton that likely would have put the Broncos in position for go-ahead points.
We're only three weeks in, but it certainly feels like Nix is experiencing a sophomore slump.
New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks
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Score: Seahawks 44, Saints 13
Winner: WR Tory Horton, Seattle Seahawks
Many members of the Seattle Seahawks can consider themselves winners after Sunday's blowout win over the New Orleans Saints. However, no one raised their profile quite like rookie receiver Tory Horton.
The fifth-round pick out of Colorado State broke the game open with a 95-yard punt return—the longest in Seahawks franchise history. He added a 14-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter that gave Seattle a 25-point lead.
Horton may not have been heavily hyped during the pre-draft process, but with three touchdowns in his last two games, he's emerging as a rookie star.
Loser: Saints Head Coach Kellen Moore
The Saints came into Week 3 with a 0-2 record, but they also looked competitive through the first two weeks. If that was a positive reflection of rookie head coach Kellen Moore, though, Sunday's game was overwhelmingly negative.
New Orleans simply didn't seem prepared to play a football game in Seattle on Sunday—the 38 points it surrendered in the first half were the most in franchise history.
Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley will be rightfully criticized this week, but blowout losses of this magnitude fall firmly on the head coach.
New York Jets vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Score: Buccaneers 29, Jets 27
Winner: Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield
There was a time when it appeared Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield would go down as another former first overall pick who didn't pan out.
Now he has to be considered among the NFL's elite signal-callers.
Granted, Mayfield's numbers against the Jets weren't great—19 completions in 29 attempts for 233 yards with a touchdown. But Mayfield didn't make any mistakes, he added 44 yards on the ground, and when the game was on the line he led Tampa on a seven-play, 48-yard drive to win the game.
If Mayfield isn't a top-five quarterback, he isn't far off—and the Buccaneers are legit Super Bowl contenders with him leading them.
Loser: The Souls of Jets Fans
When the Chase McLaughlin field goal that would have all but salted the game away for the Buccaneers was blocked, scooped up by edge-rusher Will McDonald IV and returned for a touchdown, there was jubilation among Jets fans. Gan Green wasn't just going to get their first win of the season—they were going to steal it from a playoff contender on the road.
But there are few teams better at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory than the Jets, so New York promptly let Tampa drive into field goal range and win the game as time expired.
New York is 0-3 and barreling toward yet another lost season.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons
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Score: Panthers 30, Falcons 0
Winner: Panthers Defense
Entering Sunday's game with the Atlanta Falcons, the Panthers were struggling defensively just as they had a year ago—Carolina ranked 22nd in pass defense and were giving up 26.5 points per game.
In terms of yards allowed, the Panthers gave up right around their yearly average in Sunday's rout of Atlanta. But when the time came for a Carolina player to step up and make a big play they did, notching three takeaways and pitching a shutout.
Does Sunday's effort make the Panthers a good defensive team? No. But for a team that has experienced very little success on either side of the ball so far this season, the Week 3 rout of the Falcons gives Carolina something to build on moving forward.
Loser: Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.
When a team has a young quarterback who has yet to start 10 games in the NFL, there are going to be growing pains.
Sunday's blowout loss in Carolina was certainly painful for Atlanta's Michael Penix Jr.
By just about any measurement, Penix was awful against Carolina—he completed just 50 percent of his 36 attempts, threw for just 172 yards, averaged less than five yards per attempt and threw a pair of interceptions.
Let's put it this way—it was bad enough that there was a Kirk Cousins sighting.
Oof.
Cleveland Browns vs. Green Bay Packers
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Score: Browns 13, Packers 10
Winner: Browns RB Quinshon Judkins
Obviously, Cleveland's league-leading defense deserves a ton of credit for Sunday's stunner against the undefeated Packers—Myles Garrett and the Browns held a Green Bay offense that had been humming over the seasons first two weeks to under 250 yards of offense and a single touchdown.
But for the Browns to get the win, they had to find a way to generate some offense—and the recipe going forward appears to be riding the rookie running back who only recently joined the team.
Facing a Green Bay defense that was allowing less than three yards per carry entering Week 3, Quinshon Judkins carried the ball 18 times for 94 yards and scored the Browns only touchdown.
Get used to seeing a lot of Judkins moving forward.
Loser: Packers RB Josh Jacobs
It had gone largely unnoticed because the Packers were rolling and running Back Josh Jacobs found the end zone in both games this year, but Jacobs was averaging less than four yards per carry entering Week 3.
Well, Jacobs' streak of games with a rushing score is over—and that per-carry average had dropped some more.
Against the Browns, Jacobs was completely shut down, managing just 30 yards on 16 carries. As a team, Green Bay rushed 31 times for 81 yards.
For the math-averse, that's 2.6 yards per carry.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Minnesota Vikings
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Score: Vikings 48, Bengals 10
Winner: Vikings Defense
Frankly, given the walloping the Vikings put on the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, the biggest winner could be called, "everybody." Jordan Mason carried the ball 16 times for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Quarterback Carson Wentz was efficient, completing 70 percent of his passes and tossing two touchdown passes.
But after a lackluster performance last week against the Atlanta Falcons, it's the Vikings defense that gets the proverbial game ball here. Minnesota completely dominated the Bengals. Jake Browning was sacked three times, including two from edge-rusher Andrew Van Ginkel in his return from a concussion. Minnesota forced a whopping five turnovers, two of which were returned for touchdowns (by the same guy--Isaiah Rodgers) And the Bengals managed just 171 yards of offense.
Loser: Bengals QB Jake Browning
So, do you think the Bengals miss Joe Burrow yet?
The Bengals were able to escape with a last-minute win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, but in that game Cincinnati quarterback Jake Browning threw three interceptions, and when you turn the ball over that much eventually it will come back to haunt you.
Well, in Week 3 the Bengals were more haunted than a Conjuring flick.
Browning threw two more interceptions against the Vikings, part of a five-turnover barrage that allowed Minnesota to blow the game wide open.
Five picks in less than two full games isn't going to get it done.
Washington Commanders vs. Las Vegas Raiders
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Score: Commanders 41, Raiders 24
Winner: Commanders Ground Game
In Week 2, the Commanders lost running back Austin Ekeler, who suffered a torn Achilles, but they didn't have any issue running the ball for 202 yards on the Raiders' fourth-ranked run defense, which hadn't allowed a touchdown in the first two weeks of the season.
Marcus Mariota rushed for a score on the opening drive. Jeremy McNichols broke free on a 64-yard run for a touchdown. Rookie seventh-rounder JaCory Croskey-Merritt also scored on the ground.
Without Jayden Daniels, who missed Sunday's game with a sprained knee, the Commanders' ball-carrying committee did the heavy lifting in a decisive victory.
Loser: Raiders Offensive Line
The Raiders' offensive line was out of sync for the first two weeks of the season, and the unit had another abysmal performance against the Commanders. Geno Smith took five sacks, and aside from a couple of plays, Ashton Jeanty had little room to run the ball.
The Raiders' coaching staff must consider changes within the starting group.
Jordan Meredith is going through a rocky transition from guard to center. The Commanders' defensive linemen turned right tackle DJ Glaze into a turnstile. Las Vegas must change something in the offensive trenches.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots
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Score: Steelers 21, Patriots 14
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers Defense
Through two weeks of the play, the Steelers defense played poorly and proved to be soft at the point of attack. The unit provided a much better effort Sunday against the New England Patriots.
The Patriots did move the ball, though the Steelers made multiple big plays. Even so, Pittsburgh still surrendered fewer than 27 yards than it averaged giving up through two games.
The biggest difference came via sacks and turnovers. Pittsburgh generated five sacks after only managing three previously. More importantly, the Steelers forced five turnovers. Mike Tomlin's defense can still improve but Sunday's performance was much better than seen to start the season.
Loser: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Five turnovers are five too many by any team. It may seem unfair to highlight one player. In this case, Stevenson's issues with fumbling have become too much.
The 27-year-old ball-carrier fumbled twice Sunday, including once inside Pittsburgh's 5-yard line. This performance came after leading the league in fumbles lost last season. He's been given enough chances. The Patriots should immediately transition to rookie TreVeyon Henderson as their primary running backs.
Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
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Score: Jaguars 17, Texans 10
Winner: CB Jourdan Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled offensively for most of Sunday's game. However, a trio of takeaways by a Jacksonville defense that came in leading the league in takeaways kept giving Trevor Lawrence and Co. chances.
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis had one of two interceptions and repeatedly flashed against the Houston Texans. His fourth-quarter pick ended a potential Texans scoring drive, and his tackle for loss on Houston's next drive helped set up the Jags with good field position—though Lawrence responded with an interception of his own.
Lewis also had a terrific pass breakup on Houston's final drive, which was eventually ended by Antonio Johnson's pick. Jacksonville had a strong defensive performance all around, but Lewis is quickly proving himself to be a key offseason addition.
Loser: Texans Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley
The Texans had their chances in Week 3, thanks largely to their own strong defensive performance. However, they struggled to find any sort of rhythm offensively, which has been an issue all season.
C.J. Stroud did finally connect on a deep shot with Nico Collins, but Houston's offense largely underwhelmed throughout the afternoon. While it's easy to blame a suspect offensive line, the offseason's turnover at receiver and/or the lack of a top-tier running back, much of the blame has to fall on offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
Caley was hired to provide a spark after the offense floundered in Year 2 under Bobby Slowik. The Texans entered Week 3 ranked dead-last in scoring and just stumbled to a 10-point outing.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans
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Score: Colts 41, Titans 20
Winner: RB Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts offense keeps chugging along, and running back Johnathan Taylor is the driving force behind the unit's success.
Quarterback Daniel Jones deserves his flowers after three games of stellar play. At the same time, Taylor is the NFL's leading rusher. He continued an excellent start to the season with 17 carries for 102 yards and three touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans, including a 46-yard scoring scamper late in the third quarter that basically put the game away for the Colts.
Everything is clicking for Indianapolis even though the team finally punted for the first time this season. Still, three weeks of outstanding is a good indicator the Colts offense is for real, with Taylor leading the way.
Loser: Head coach Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
The rumblings are starting after an 0-3 start. They're centered on Titans coach Brian Callahan and his poor in-game coaching.
A glaring example occurred when Tennessee had an opportunity to bring the game within one score at halftime. However, after back-to-back timeouts between the Colts and Titans, the latter's field goal unit then took the field and inexplicably got called for a delay-of-game penalty. After being pushed five yards farther back, the Colts blocked the field-goal attempt.
Indianapolis subsequently moved the ball and kicked a field goal as time expired. The Colts also scored a touchdown coming out of the intermission.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Philadelphia Eagles
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Score: Eagles 33, Rams 26
Winner: DL Jordan Davis, Philadelphia Eagles
A new-look Jordan Davis took the field this fall after losing 30 pounds during the offseason. Davis was a special athlete even at 340-350 pounds. Now, he's downright dangerous as a defensive playmaker, which was seen Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
As Philadelphia's nose tackle, Davis registered five total tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. He proved to be even more effective on special teams, where he blocked not one, but two field goals, including the game-winning attempt that turned into a touchdown return for the massive defensive lineman after time expired.
Loser: Rams' pass defense
The Rams defense is built around a young and talented front that can create havoc. However, the secondary is suspect. Sunday's performance showed how up and down the unit can be.
As a squad, Los Angeles looked like world-beaters through the first half of play. Specifically, the team allowed minus-one passing yard during the first two quarterback.
However, the Eagles came roaring back by scoring 26 unanswered points. In the end, Philadelphia managed more passing yards (202) than the Rams did (196). The Rams fell apart when they had the game in hand, and a weak secondary is a big reason why.
Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills
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Score: Bills 31, Dolphins 21
Winner: TE Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid appears to be well on his way toward a breakout season in his third year. As a rookie, Kincaid posted good numbers with 73 receptions for 673 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, the tight end dealt with knee issues, and he couldn't build upon his previous success. Year 3 looks completely different.
The Bills are searching for a No. 1 target in their offense. Kincaid led everyone Thursday with 66 receiving yards. He also added a touchdown reception, which is already his second this season. The 2023 first-round draft pick had two touchdown catches in each of his first two campaigns. Based on early returns, Kincaid is currently on pace to set career-highs in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown catches.
Loser: QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
A glaring difference can be seen when Tua Tagovailoa takes the same field as Josh Allen. The latter is a perennial MVP candidate and one of the game's top talents. The former has obvious limitations in what he can do within the Dolphins offense. This setup is particularly problematic for the Dolphins since the need to eventually eclipse their division rival.
While Allen continued to make plays, as he does week in and week out, Tagovailoa threw the game-defining interception with 3:06 remaining, while near the red zone and trailing by only seven points. The Dolphins are now 1-9 against the Bills when Tagovailoa is behind center. He hasn't been good enough.
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