Author’s note: Though the story of NFL Week 3 was the leaguewide response to President Trump’s remarks on player protests, the Recap will focus on the football and the Wrap will address the national anthem angle.
Cardinals 17 Though in a losing effort, the doddery duo (by football standards, anyway) of 34 year-old Larry Fitzgerald and 37 year-old Carson Palmer hooked up for history: Fitz’s big night (it was his first 10 catch, 100-yard, TD performance in seven years) moved him to 8th on the all-time receiving yardage list and Palmer became just the fourth player in NFL history to throw 100 TDs with two different teams. It’s a shame the Arizona defense and David Johnson’s injury is slowly robbing them of a shot at the playoffs. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
AP Photo/Rick Scuteri
Redskins 27 In perhaps the most stunning result of the weekend, the Washington Redskins shrugged off a 3-6 record in night games under Jay Gruden to dominate the previously undefeated Raiders on both sides of the ball. Josh Doctson went from myth to legend, Chris Thompson became only the second RB to go for 150 receiving yards against the Silver and Black since their move to Oakland, and Kirk Cousins nearly tripled Pro-Bowler Derek Carr’s output. If this reversal of prime-time mojo extends to Kansas City next Monday night, it’ll change the way we see the NFC East pecking order. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Chargers 10 Kareem Hunt helped Kansas City win their 12th straight divisional game by becoming the first player in NFL history to have a 50+ yard touchdown of any kind in each of his first three career games, and the first rookie in a decade to top 100 scrimmage yards in his first three games. Meanwhile, Los Angeles continues to ignore a team they don’t want and San Diego keeps getting free tacos. Everyone (but the Chargers) wins. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Packers 27 (OT) Aaron Rodgers overcame his first Pick 6 in eight years to win his first overtime game in eight career tries. It’s good to be the king. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Titans 33 We’ll remember this Titans-Seahawks game more for the two empty sidelines than the chippy slobberknocker between the lines. These were two of the three teams to avoid the national anthem altogether Sunday, a somewhat surprising sight given how vocal Seattle — namely Michael Bennett — has been regarding the player resistance. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
AP Photo/Mark Zaleski
Eagles 27 Odell Beckham Jr. became the fastest player to reach 300 career catches and the fastest from dog to hero. We’re used to Beckham showing his ass, but count on the league cleaning up the mess from his first touchdown with thousands of his dollars in fines. But the story is Jake Elliott’s 61-yard, game-winning field goal. He made the longest kick ever by a rookie, it was the 11th make from that distance in NFL history, and just the third such kick in the final 10 seconds of a game — all in front of his parents. It’s the second best story of the week. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
AP Photo/Bill Kostroun
Patriots 36 This one came down to the quarterbacks: New England is 9-0 at home against rookie QBs in the Belichick era, and 40-year-old Tom Brady led his 40th fourth-quarter comeback. Houston has no reason to hang their heads over Deshaun Watson’s 300-yard, two TD performance though; this kid looked legit. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Vikings 34 Superman’s weakness is a green rock. The Green Lantern can be felled simply by encountering the color yellow. Yet the weirdest weakness of all … is Tampa’s inability to stop Case Keenum. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn
Colts 31 Cleveland was a road favorite for the first time in five years, and in the most Browns thing ever, parlayed that into their 15th straight road loss against one of the few scrub teams on their schedule. Hard times. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Lions 26 Straight up … Detroit got robbed. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
AP Photo/Duane Burleson
Panthers 13 We knew Carolina was a soft 2-0 … but if they can’t score on a lousy Saints defense, they’re in way worse trouble than I imagined. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
AP Photo/Bob Leverone
Bills 26 Perhaps the only thing more surprising than Buffalo’s 2-1 start is that they have only one turnover through three games (which ties a franchise record). (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes
Jaguars 44 For some reason, Blake Bortles and Allen Hurns really like it in London. Considering they already dress like an NFL Europe team, we might as well ship the Jaguars across the pond. Meanwhile, Baltimore was dealt their largest defeat in franchise history with Joe Flacco playing his worst game and the celebrated Ravens defense getting exposed. This can only mean the next chapter in the Ravens-Steelers rivalry will be even lower scoring than usual. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)
AP Photo/Tim Ireland
49ers 39 Todd Gurley has six touchdowns in 10 quarters this year (after just six touchdowns in 64 quarters last year), and San Francisco’s go-to victories (the 49ers were 3-19 in their previous 22 games with all three wins coming against the Rams) are suddenly anything but certain. The highest scoring Thursday night game ever marked the beginning of a budding rivalry between former Redskins offensive coordinators. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
