SEATTLE -- After a horrible start to the NFL season, commissioner Roger Goodell got a break -- good football. Sunday offered great drama and great football storylines.
The Philadelphia Eagles won a 37-34 thriller over the Washington Redskins. The Denver Broncos tried to be more physical in their Super Bowl rematch. Even though the Seattle Seahawks dominated the first half, Peyton Manning and a more physical defense battled back to tie the game in regulation before Seattle prevailed in overtime.
A gutsy Arizona Cardinals team stunned an undisciplined San Francisco 49ers squad in a 23-14 upset that sent shockwaves through the NFC West. Minus seven starters, the Kansas City Chiefs went into Florida and routed the Miami Dolphins 34-15.
Here is what we learned in an interesting Week 3.
1. 'Battle-tested' Seahawks prevail: You knew the Super Bowl rematch was going to be different. Broncos boss John Elway brought in three Pro Bowlers on defense to enhance the team's toughness, and Peyton Manning was going to run a more balanced and physical offense. It almost worked, but the championship experience of the Seahawks came through in the end for a 26-20 overtime victory.
"We are a battle-tested team," Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor said. Being battle-tested means not panicking. The Seahawks appeared to have the game locked up with 2:12 left when Chancellor intercepted Manning and returned it to the Denver 35-yard line. The Seahawks settled for a field goal and a 20-12 lead. Surprisingly, Manning drove the Broncos 80 yards in six plays and converted a two-point conversion to tie the game.
"We let our offense down," cornerback Richard Sherman said. The Seahawks' offense wasn't insulted. Seattle won the overtime coin toss and drove 80 yards in 13 plays to win. That drive was all about the battle-tested Russell Wilson. The Seahawks' quarterback completed 4 of 6 passes for 40 yards and scrambled for two first downs.
"Wilson is a great player," Broncos coach John Fox said. "He made some great plays like great players do down the stretch."
At 2-1, the Seahawks once again established themselves as the league's No. 1 seed.
2. Packers losing NFC North edge: Heading into the season opener at Seattle, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy talked about his team having its best training camp and how great he felt about the season. Three weeks into the season, the Packers look somewhat lost. In a 19-7 loss in Detroit, the Packers' offense had its lowest-scoring game with Aaron Rodgers under center.
"We haven't been sharp offensively -- we have all got to do better," Rodgers said.
For Detroit, this was a huge win because, for once, its defense was able to contain the Packers' high-powered offense. Rodgers threw for only 162 yards as the Packers put up only 223 yards of total offense. In two road games, Rodgers has thrown for 189 and 162 yards -- very un-Rodgers-like.
"We are going to have to get some balance, running the ball and adjusting route concepts," Rodgers said.
How out of sorts is the Packers' running offense? Halfback Eddie Lacy said he doesn't know if he needs to be more patient or if he needs to speed things up. Lacy had 36 yards on 11 carries. Overall, the Packers rushed for only 76 yards on 22 carries.
But let's credit the Lions. For talent, they stack up well with the Packers and Chicago Bears in the NFC North. Their defensive line is great and, despite injuries at corner, the secondary has improved. With Jim Caldwell coaching, the team isn't making the major mental blunders of the past.
"You're not going to play perfect every Sunday," Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "It's nice to come away with a win and know you can get a whole lot better." Stafford threw two interceptions, including a deep throw that got away, but he was effective.
There doesn't need to be any panic yet in Green Bay. Losing a division road game to a talented team isn't fatal. But next week, the Packers travel to Chicago. A loss would put them at 1-3 and in a little bit of a panicked state.
3. Eagles win heavyweight fight: The Eagles' 37-34 win over Washington was a classic. It had everything -- big plays, controversy, a major fight and the development of Philadelphia's new Rocky. That's right, Nick Foles is starting to look like Sylvester Stallone's iconic boxing character. He's the classic underdog. He was a third-round afterthought for Andy Reid in 2012. Chip Kelly came in with an open mind and gave him the chance to start after injuries to Michael Vick.
Foles has overcome deficits of 17-0, 20-6 and 17-7 in the first three weeks. Not a mobile quarterback, Foles often stands in the pocket and gets pounded. The Redskins delivered numerous hits on Foles during this wild game, and Foles kept getting stronger and better as the game progressed.
With 10 minutes left in regulation and the game tied at 27, Foles was crunched by Redskins defensive end Chris Baker on interception that was later ruled an incompletion. "That's when a hockey game broke out," Kelly said. Baker and Eagles left tackle Jason Peters were ejected. With only seven active offensive linemen active, Foles knew he would be in trouble for protection.
Despite those problems, Foles got a touchdown drive and converted a Redskins turnover into a field goal drive to get the victory. The hit by Baker did shake him up, but Foles stayed composed and pulled out the win. He completed 27 of 41 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns.
For the Redskins, it was gut-wrenching defeat, but they showed great resiliency with Kirk Cousins at quarterback. Cousins looks better than Robert Griffin III in Jay Gruden's offense because he works well out of the pocket. The problem ahead for the Redskins isn't at quarterback, it's in the training room. The Redskins, whose next game is Thursday night against the New York Giants, are ravaged by injuries. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall might have suffered a torn Achilles. Offensive linemen Tyler Polumbus and Shawn Lauvao were hurt. Running back Alfred Morris suffered a knee injury, and at least two safeties suffered injuries.
"It's not easy, but it's just the way it is in football," Gruden said.
4. Smith saves day for Ravens (2-1): I never could figure why the Carolina Panthers released Steve Smith. I know he's 35 and, yes, his skills have declined, but it was easy to see in the preseason that he could be a 75-catch receiver. His 32-yard catch to the Browns' 13 with 1:28 left set up the winning field goal in the Ravens' come-from-behind victory.
"When I lined up, I thought the best option was for me to make the play,'' said Smith, who caught five passes for 101 yards. "That's how I practice, and that's how I play. When the defense stopped and the Browns punted, the coaches told us to go and make the play. I responded by saying, 'That's what we're here for.'"
With more experienced players on offense, the Browns, who have played surprisingly well, might have pulled off the upset. Cleveland led 21-17 in the fourth quarter and had the ball at the Ravens' 30 with 14:43 left. The first play was an 8-yard loss on a running play. Quarterback Brian Hoyer then fired a 6-yard completion and an incompletion before Billy Cundiff missed a 50-yard field goal. In the next possession, Cundiff had a field goal blocked, giving the Ravens a chance. That's when Smith and Joe Flacco stepped up to win the game.
"That's what great players do, and that's what 89 [Smith] and 5 [Flacco] did,'' said Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who referred to his quarterback as "Joe Cool." Smith has been Flacco's most productive target this season, catching 18 of 32 passes thrown his way, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Said Smith: "I've always worked well in chaos. As I've gotten older, I prefer feeling calm. For that reason, it's so refreshing to have a quarterback that makes the huddle so calm. It's so much easier to concentrate and do our job."
5. Youth movement has begun at quarterback: We didn't know it, but the Jacksonville Jaguars' switch to Blake Bortles was in the works. It happened Sunday in a 44-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Gus Bradley told starting quarterback Chad Henne during the week that a change was in the works. Bradley didn't know if it was going to be in the Indy game or a week or so later, but change was coming.
Bradley had watched Bortles grow during the preseason and in practices. Many felt the Jaguars were crazy not to consider starting Bortles in Week 1 after his strong preseason. Down 30-0 at halftime against the Colts, Bradley felt the opportunity was there to make the change, and Bortles entered.
It made sense. The Jaguars are perhaps the worst team in football. They have endured three double-digit losses and things were getting worse by the week for Henne. Using as many as six rookies on offense, there was nothing to lose by going to Bortles. He completed 14 of 24 passes for 223 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. No, he wasn't great. But like Ben Roethlisberger, he can keep plays alive with his feet. The Bortles era has begun.
The Teddy Bridgewater era in Minnesota began by accident. Starting quarterback Matt Cassel suffered several fractures in a foot and was lost early in the second quarter, when the Vikings were trailing the New Orleans Saints 13-0. Though he wasn't great, Bridgewater completed 12 of 20 passes for 150 yards and was sacked twice. He also had six runs for 27 yards.
"I thought he did some good things," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "It was a tough situation going in there. He had some good throws. Obviously, he missed a couple. He was able to extend plays with his legs. He overcame some tough situations."
Whether it was Cassel or Bridgewater, the Vikings weren't going to win. They didn't force enough turnovers on defense. They didn't do enough things on offense. Plus, not having Adrian Peterson will make it tougher for Bridgewater to succeed. "We can't worry about what we don't have," Zimmer said. "What we have to do is worry about what we do have."
SHORT TAKES
Although it was fun to see Johnny Manziel run down the field for a 39-yard reception, the league can't allow such plays to happen. Manziel was along the sideline supposedly debating something with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Then Manziel ran alone down the sideline for a completion. Fortunately, the play was called back because of an illegal shift. ... Not having Arian Foster at halfback was enough to break the Texans' two-game winning streak in a 30-17 loss to the New York Giants. Foster is a dependable back who provides the quarterback with a consistent running game. Not having him put more on the plate for Ryan Fitzpatrick, and you saw the results. Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions, and the Texans couldn't overcome them. ... Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson continues to come up with great play calls. In a 33-7 blowout of Tennessee, Jackson had receiver Mohamed Sanu throw a touchdown pass to quarterback Andy Dalton. Sanu has completed his first four throws in the league and is 2-for-2 this year. ... Even though Tennessee Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said he's staying with Jake Locker at quarterback, you can sense that Locker's back-to-back bad performances have Whisenhunt thinking of making a change in the next few weeks. ... Tough blow for the Chargers to lose running back Danny Woodhead, who suffered a high-ankle sprain and possible fractured fibula. ... The Eagles are the first team in NFL history to start 3-0 after trailing by 10 or more points in all three games. ... Dumbest decision of the day was by Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who may have suffered a serious knee injury doing a "Discount Double Check" dance after a sack of Aaron Rodgers.