We are almost ready to move on to Week Four, which starts tomorrow night, but before that, we need to take a look back at all the things that happened in Week Three and determine if the hot takes we are left with are overreactions or proper reactions.
The Kansas City Chiefs are back.
Overreaction
One win against the hapless New York Giants on Sunday Night Football doesn’t suddenly make this a good football team. We have to remember that the G-Men are tied with two other teams for the second-lowest winning percentage in the NFL since the start of the 2023 season. The Chiefs’ offense still struggles to score efficiently, as proven by the fact that they didn’t reach the end zone until the third quarter of their Sunday night game. KC is still tied for second place in their division and doesn’t look positioned at all to catch the Chargers at the moment. If they beat the Ravens this weekend, maybe we can have a different conversation. But until then, it is too early to say that the Chiefs are back.
The Houston Texans will miss the playoffs.
Proper reaction
There is a very real possibility that the Indianapolis Colts will dethrone the Texans for the AFC South crown. Houston is winless while Indy is undefeated. Plus, the Colts have a leg up within the division. If the Texans want to make it back to the postseason, they’ll probably have to do it by earning a Wild Card spot. Sadly, they don’t have the type of schedule that’s going to allow them to rattle off multiple wins in a row. They still have to face the Colts twice, the Chargers, the Ravens, the 49ers, the Seahawks, the Bills, the Jaguars, the Broncos, and the Chiefs. There’s a good chance that the Texans finish the season with a losing record.
Carson Wentz will be Minnesota’s starter for the rest of the season.
Overreaction
I said this yesterday, and it remains true today: the Vikings’ win on Sunday does not change their long-term plans at the quarterback position. J.J. McCarthy will be this team’s starter as soon as he is healthy enough to return to the football field. Carson Wentz did not have to do much to earn his first win as a starter since January of 2024. He threw for 173 passing yards and two touchdowns while taking care of the football and not committing any turnovers. I’m convinced the Vikings would have won that game with almost any quarterback in the NFL. It wouldn’t have mattered if Minnesota won 100-0; the plan to start Carson Wentz is only temporary. The only way that changes is if Wentz goes out one week and singlehandedly wins a game for the Vikes by throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns. If that happens, then we will have to revisit this topic.
Emeka Egbuka will win the Rookie of the Year Award.
Proper reaction
No rookie has looked better on the field and on paper than Emeka Egbuka. Tennessee’s Cam Ward is struggling in his first season because he has no weapons and is playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league. Carolina’s Tet McMillan might have a few more receiving yards, but his touchdown numbers aren’t close to Egbuka’s. He’s also hurt by the fact that he plays for the Panthers. Meanwhile, Emeka Egbuka is the number-one receiving option on an undefeated team that has Super Bowl aspirations. He leads the Buccaneers in receptions (tied for first with 14), receiving yards (181), plays of 20+ yards (four), and touchdowns (three). In fact, he has been responsible for half of Baker Mayfield’s touchdown passes.
Mason Graham is the favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Overreaction
The kid is an excellent player and a huge addition to what was already a great Browns defense. Unfortunately, most of the awards given out in the National Football League are based on statistical performance, which doesn’t usually favor defensive tackles. His advanced stats show he’s an elite player. Graham had a pass rush win rate of 43% on Sunday. The league average for DTs is 9%. But at the end of the day, the voters don’t care about pass-rush win rates. They care about tackles, sacks, forced fumbles, and interceptions. If anything, his teammate (linebacker Carson Schwesigner) is more likely to win the award since he leads the Browns in tackles and already has more sacks than Graham.
Jaxson Dart will be the Giants’ starter for the rest of the season.
Proper reaction
Russell Wilson played himself onto the bench. Outside of the Week Two outlier game, he has thrown six touchdowns, four interceptions, taken 22 sacks, and recorded four fumbles while being held to 185 passing yards per game in his last seven starts dating back to last year. Those are dreadful numbers not expected from an NFL starter. Starting Jaxson Dart is the last tactical maneuver head coach Brian Daboll has to generate some offensive explosiveness and possibly save his job. If Dart looks good, then New York’s upper management will not want to disrupt his progression, basically forcing the team to retain Daboll as head coach. Daboll needs Dart to be the permanent starter moving forward. Otherwise, he’ll be out of a job.
