The 2022 NFL season continues to be the gift that keeps on giving. Without wishing to sound like a broken record, Sunday night was fantastic. It was also dramatic, shocking and utterly ridiculous, especially in the early slot as six of the nine games were decided by one score.
The best of that bunch saw the Miami Dolphins dig deeper than deep to record a 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills. On a day when it was a shame there had to be a loser, I was left with the firm belief that both of these teams are heading to the playoffs. And I'm not getting off my prediction that the Buffalo Bills are going to win the Super Bowl.
On a boiling and steamy day in South Florida, players from both teams were dropping like flies. Against that backdrop, the Dolphins defense was on the field for more than 40 minutes and refused to bow down to the excellent and amazing Buffalo quarterback, Josh Allen.
The Bills ran 90 offensive plays to Miami's 39 and yet the Dolphins continued to pressure Allen, they continued to knock down passes at the right time and they kept Isaiah McKenzie in bounds to run out the clock and send Buffalo offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey into a coaches' box meltdown that has effectively broken the internet!
The Dolphins were in the headlines for the wrong reasons during this offseason as they made a play for Sean Payton at head coach and Tom Brady at quarterback. Their Plan B is not working out too badly in the form of Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa.
I've had some doubts about Tua in his first couple of seasons in the NFL, but give me the guy I have seen through three games this season over the 45-year-old Brady, GOAT or not.
McDaniel has a special vibe about him that the players seem to love and his Dolphins have really responded to his leadership. They dug deep to overcome a 21-point deficit to beat Baltimore in Week 2 and did the same on Sunday.
The rookie head coach is fearless. Tyreek Hill suggested in Week 1 that McDaniel would need a wheelbarrow to carry around a body part that shall remain unmentioned here! And he was the same way on Sunday, sending blitz after blitz into Josh Allen's face. And Miami's winning score came after a huge third-and-22 conversion from Tua to Jaylen Waddle that covered 45 yards down to the Buffalo seven, setting up Chase Edmonds for his second score of the game.
I will just note that Allen was spectacular in a losing effort, throwing for 400 yards and two touchdowns. He is really, really special and so fun to watch. The Bills are going through some injuries, but as long as 17 is on the field they are going to be just fine.
Miami now face a quick turnaround before facing the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. The last thing they needed after a game like that was to play on a super-short week. The odds are stacked against them but don't bet against McDaniel and his men – they've been defying the odds for the past couple of games and will definitely back themselves.
And why not? This feels like the start of something pretty good in Miami.
Who's Hot…
Jalen Hurts… The Philadelphia Eagles are a legitimate 3-0 and so much of their early-season form is down to quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has guided the offense to at least 400 total yards in every game in 2022. During Sunday's routine 24-8 win over the Washington Commanders, Hurts threw for 340 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. The youngster who started out as an exciting scrambling quarterback has turned into the real deal. He has produced at least 300 yards of offense on his own in every contest this term and has won six regular season starts in a row dating back to last year. It's early, but the Eagles have the look of a genuine NFC contender, not just a playoff team.
Trevor Lawrence… With better talent around him and considerably greater coaching coming from the sideline, Trevor Lawrence is beginning to resemble the college superstar whose arrival in the NFL had been eagerly anticipated for years. The 2021 number one overall pick threw for 262 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 38-10 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The victory marked the first time Jacksonville had won back-to-back games since Weeks 7 and 8 of 2019. More importantly, it marked consistency for Lawrence, who has now posted consecutive contests in which he has recorded a QB rating of 115 or above.
Lamar Jackson… If the preseason reports are to be believed, Baltimore's Lamar Jackson left $250 million on the table when the Ravens offered him a new contract. Lamar preferred to back himself this year, hit free agency in 2023 and land an even bigger deal with more guarantees. Based on his start to 2022, Jackson is going to break the bank. During Sunday's 37-26 win over New England that improved the Ravens to 2-1, the former NFL MVP threw for 218 yards and four scores and rushed 11 times for 107 yards and one touchdown. We always drool over Jackson's rushing skills, but he has thrown at least three touchdown passes in every game this season. But for the Tua-Tyreek-Waddle outburst in Week 2, it's not outlandish to say that Jackson is the best player in the game every time he steps on the field. Certainly that has been the case for the majority of this young season.
Who's Not…
Tampa's two-point team… I'm spreading the blame with that generic headline because I don't obviously know who exactly was to blame for the two-point debacle at the end of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 14-12 defeat to the Green Bay Packers. The Bucs' coaches could have taken too long to get the play in to Tom Brady. And then there was way too much shifting and motion as the clock was winding down, so it was not an ideal play call, either. What was so annoying for the Bucs was that the called Leonard Fournette run appeared to be there and would have tied the game with 14 seconds remaining. Instead, the Bucs took a five-yard delay of game penalty that was inexcusable. That cannot happen with the game on the line. Of course, converting from there is a much tougher proposition and Brady's pass into the endzone was knocked away, preserving Green Bay's win.
The Las Vegas Raiders… There was late drama and a failed two-point conversion attempt in Nashville that saw the Raiders fall to a 24-22 defeat to the Tennessee Titans. The Silver and Black are now 0-3 for the first time since the 2018 season and there chances of fighting back into the playoff picture are slim, although never say never in today's NFL. It's a long road back for a team that made the playoffs a year ago and they rarely seem to slow opposing offenses enough to be competitive in 2022.
Kansas City's special teams… The Chiefs suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday and while Patrick Mahomes was far from special at quarterback against the Colts, this defeat can be laid at the door of the special teams unit. KC muffed a punt in the first quarter that led to an Indianapolis touchdown, Matt Amendola missed an extra point, there was a failed pass on a fake field goal attempt and Amendola then missed a 34-yard field goal. This KC loss was a reminder to us all that a shaky special teams unit can be very damaging indeed.
The Fast Five…
- The Chiefs were off their game, no doubt about that. But let's give some credit to the Colts. They were 0-1-1 heading into a contest against a KC team that has been red-hot in September with Patrick Mahomes at QB. Few gave Indy a chance, but they fought and scrapped for their lives and to keep their season very much alive. Impressive.
- Minnesota had to scrap, fight and claw their way to victory on Sunday, securing a 28-24 win over Detroit courtesy of a late Kirk Cousins touchdown strike to K.J. Osborn. It was a great effort by the Vikings, but this game was also a reminder that the Lions are going to be frisky and dangerous this season, even though they are some way from being the finished article.
- The Cincinnati Bengals finally got their season off and running on Sunday with a 27-12 win over the New York Jets. There was still some worrisome pressure on Joe Burrow, but he seemed to shrug it off just fine this week; throwing three touchdown passes to three different receivers. This is a concern that is not going away, but Sunday was a reminder of how special Burrow can be when on top form. Two early-season losses have not changed that fact.
- This is not to take anything away from Jacksonville's win over the Chargers, but I don't think it was wise for Los Angeles to play star quarterback Justin Herbert last night. While he made some sensational throws at times, he was clearly hampered by his fractured rib cartilage. It's a long season and prudence is a good approach at this time of the year, especially with your franchise's biggest and most important star.
- Thanks to a random overnight closure of the M25 and some poorly-placed diversion signs, my 90-minute drive home from Sky Sports took closer to three hours. So, I got to listen to a decent chunk of Sunday Night Football and thank goodness the defense is playing tough in Denver. A win is a win, but an 11-10 win is nothing to get too excited about. Denver somehow found a way to win despite punting 10 times and suffering through a team record nine three and outs. Russell Wilson must deliver more than he has shown this season.
Fact of the Week
Through Week 3, 30 of the NFL's 32 teams have a least one win. That's only the second time that has happened since the Houston Texans joined as the league's 32nd team in 2002. It also happened in 2012. Only the aforementioned Texans (0-2-1) and the Raiders (0-3) remain winless on the season.
Finish That Sentence
Each week in this spot I ask readers - via Twitter - to randomly send me the start of a sentence and, as we so often did on our NFL UK Live stage show tours, I will finish the sentence with the first thought that comes into my head. Here we go…
From Kush Ladani (@kushty86) The Jags could be… a genuine contender to take the AFC South Division this season. Let's see how things play out because there is a long way to go and there have been false dawns in Duval in the past. But Jacksonville are definitely going to be competitive and respectable in 2022. And not just because of the aforementioned Trevor Lawrence. The Jags are also playing well on defense and lead the NFL with eight takeaways. In back-to-back wins over Indianapolis and Baltimore, Jacksonville's D has allowed just 10 points and forced five turnovers. They are looking promising on both sides of the ball and are well coached by Doug Pederson.
From Callum (@callumsdhall) Kenny Pickett will start for the Steelers in… more weeks than most Pittsburgh fans would like. Sure, the Steelers have opened the year 1-2 and have only scored four offensive touchdowns in three games, but I just cannot see Mike Tomlin laying all of that blame at Mitchell Trubisky's door. And I don't see him making the about-turn as quickly as Steelers fans would expect – they are calling for their local hero as soon as next week. It's going to take Tomlin longer to get off his position on who should be his quarterback. I think Pickett is starting by November, but that will seem an eternity away for Pittsburgh supporters.
From Gareth (@GSith85) The best side in the NFC is… the Philadelphia Eagles. Why not? They look as complete a team as there is through three weeks and their defense has especially raised its level of play over the past two games. Jalen Hurts has hit some very nice early-season form and the wide receiver pairing of Devonta Smith and AJ Brown is legit. It's a long campaign and the likes of Tampa and Green Bay are not going anywhere, especially when their receivers are healthy, but I like the look of the Eagles.
Final Thought…
It's London games time and I cannot wait. It's going to be a busy few days but I hope to bump into a few of you over the coming fortnight. I'll be on Good Morning Football on Wednesday, a guest on the Around the NFL Live show on Thursday, at Vikings practice on Friday and hosting the NFL on SouthBank event from 10am until 6pm on Saturday, interviewing a host of big names. I'll then be at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a 11 ½ hour live show – if you see me out and about, feel free to stop me and say hello. These are the exciting times for all fans in the United Kingdom. Enjoy the games!
