NFL Week 3: Falcons stun Packers, 49ers survive Cardinals as Bears rout Eagles
NFL Week 3 delivered another round of surprises, close finishes and emphatic statements, from the Atlanta Falcons stunning the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field to the Chicago Bears dismantling the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Seven games were decided by seven points or fewer, while the Jacksonville Jaguars produced the weekend’s biggest blowout and the San Francisco 49ers survived a shootout with the Arizona Cardinals.
Falcons stun Packers at Lambeau
Week 3 opened with a shocker.
The Falcons walked into Green Bay Thursday night and hammered the Packers 35-14, handing one of the NFC’s early-season contenders a convincing home defeat.
It set the tone for a weekend in which home field offered little protection.
49ers survive Arizona shootout
The points came quickly in San Francisco, where the 49ers held off the Cardinals 36-30 in one of the highest-scoring games of the weekend.
There was even more late drama elsewhere.
The Baltimore Ravens escaped Dallas with a 34-31 victory over the Cowboys, while the Washington Commanders edged the Seattle Seahawks 33-31.
The Denver Broncos also needed all four quarters to put away the Los Angeles Rams, winning 30-26.
Bills take down Chargers
The Buffalo Bills delivered one of Sunday’s more notable results, beating the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16.
The Minnesota Vikings went on the road and knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-16, while the Las Vegas Raiders left New Orleans with a 35-27 victory over the Saints.
The Kansas City Chiefs had a more comfortable afternoon, beating the Miami Dolphins 24-10.
Jaguars run away from Patriots
No team won more convincingly than Jacksonville.
The Jaguars overwhelmed the New England Patriots 35-6, allowing the fewest points of any team in Week 3.
The New York Giants also leaned on their defense in a 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans, while the Cleveland Browns squeezed past the Carolina Panthers 21-18.
The Indianapolis Colts edged the Houston Texans 19-17, and the Pittsburgh Steelers won another AFC battle, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27.
Bears close Week 3 in style
After a Sunday filled with one-score finishes, the Bears left little doubt Monday night.
Chicago closed Week 3 by beating the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles 27-7, holding Philadelphia to the lowest scoring output of its season.
The Detroit Lions defeated the New York Jets 31-24 in another Sunday matchup.
Sixteen games produced everything from blowouts to last-possession finishes.
And after three weeks, the NFL is already making one thing clear: very little is going according to script.
