Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season left fans confused and bewildered. A number of top-tier teams fell to lesser competition, and for the most part, the football on Sunday was underwhelming, to say the least.
There were not a lot of positive takeaways from Week 3 action, but let’s take a look at what we saw and observed around the league.
NFL Week 3 takeaway no. 1: Stop Defending Jimmy Garoppolo
The protection of Jimmy Garoppolo from many people in the media is getting quite ridiculous at this point. The number of times we have to hear people say that Garoppolo has taken San Francisco to the Super Bowl and conference championship is becoming mind-numbing. It wasn’t because of Garoppolo’s play that the 49ers were in those situations, but because Kyle Shanahan’s system carried, and a stout defense carried a below-average quarterback. Don’t forget that Garoppolo attempted eight passes in that 2019 NFC championship game.
Back to Sunday, the 49ers lost 11-10 against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, in a game where the 49ers’ defense forced Denver into eight three-and-outs. The 30-year-old quarterback single-handedly lost the game for the 49ers. It all began when he was completely unaware of his surroundings and simply backpedaled out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
Ironically, his incompetence saved a would-be pick-six, as he threw the interception after he went out of bounds. Late in the fourth quarter, Garoppolo would force a pass in the middle of the field to Deebo Samuel in double coverage, leading to a tipped interception. At this point, the 49ers were down by one point and were near midfield only needing a field goal to take the lead with just over two minutes left in the game.
These game-costing plays were not the only thing that probably left 49ers fans frustrated. In the first quarter, the 49ers had Samuel lined up in the backfield as a running back and designed a wheel-route play that isolated Samuel with a linebacker. Samuel coasted by the linebacker, wide open down the left sideline. Instead of leading Samuel, Garoppolo threw a pass where Samuel had to completely stop and wait for the ball like he was catching a punt.
If Garoppolo had hit Samuel in stride, there is a high chance that Samuel takes it for a score. That would have given the 49ers a commanding 14-3 lead, and with how the Broncos’ offense is going, there would be a low probability of them coming back.
There were plenty of other missed throws by Garoppolo in the middle of the field because as we know, the nine-year veteran has shown no capability to throw the ball outside the numbers and down the field at a competent rate.
If Trey Lance did what Garoppolo did on Sunday night, the media would be tearing him apart. Not to mention, there have been people saying that Garoppolo wasn’t given a playbook this offseason and that he has to find his footing in this offense. One, Kyle Shanahan noted earlier in the offseason that the offense would not change with Lance under center. Secondly, Garoppolo has now been in this system for six years. If he does not have the offense down after that long, then that is a problem.
Lance was assumed to be the root for the 49ers’ offensive struggles, and that Garoppolo makes this team better. Lance may not be the solution at this moment, but Garoppolo surely isn’t the solution either.
NFL Week 3 takeaway no. 2: Jacksonville is legit and can win AFC South
The Jacksonville Jaguars put the league on notice after dismantling the Chargers 38-10 in Los Angeles. The Chargers are dealing with a lot of problems right now, but that does not take away from the point that Jacksonville has created a very competent football team.
Doug Pederson’s hire as head coach seemed to fly a bit under the radar this offseason, but he has helped the development of Trevor Lawrence tremendously. On Sunday, Lawrence completed 28 of 39 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Something else that was ridiculed by many, including myself was the hefty contract the Jaguars gave Christian Kirk, but his addition has been very beneficial for Lawrence as well. Kirk is clearly the go-to option for Lawrence.
Through three games, Kirk has 18 receptions for 267 yards and three touchdowns. The offense is not the only thing that is humming for Jacksonville.
Jacksonville’s defensive unit has been lights out the last two weeks, shutting out Indianapolis in week two and stifling the Chargers’ high-profiled offense to 10 points. It is important to note that Justin Herbert is dealing with a rib issue, Keenan Allen was out, and Corey Linsley was missing from the offensive line. However, Jacksonville clearly took advantage of those issues and dominated from the kickoff.
The AFC South seems to be upside down, as the Jaguars are in first place with a 2-1 record. Jacksonville will have its toughest test of the season when it travels to Philadelphia to take on the undefeated Eagles in week four.
NFL Week 3 takeaway no. 1: The AFC West is Overrated
The AFC west went 1-3 this past week, and the only winning team from the division was the hard-to-watch Broncos. Outside of Kansas City, this division has been overhyped. The Chiefs were surprisingly a bit underrated heading into the season after the departure of Tyreek Hill.
The Chargers were a popular pick to win this division, the Broncos were expected to take a step forward after the acquisition of Russell Wilson, and the Raiders were supposed to be unstoppable, especially in the red zone after adding Davante Adams to a receiving room with Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow. However, the Raiders are 0-3 with Adams seeing little production over the last two weeks, the Chargers are 1-2 and the injuries seem to have already devoured this team’s chances of winning this division, the Chiefs choked against the Colts in a frustrating loss, and the Broncos’ offense is averaging a measly 14 points per game after three weeks.
I am not worried about the Chiefs for the most part, as the defense has been very solid, and the offense will bounce back with Patrick Mahomes at the helm. Week three was a major trap game for the Chiefs against the Colts. I still expected Kansas City to win pretty convincingly, which the Chiefs should have, but special teams’ mistakes and missed opportunities left the door open for Indianapolis. Watching that game, you felt that the Chiefs should have by 10-12 points. Nonetheless, the Chiefs sit 2-1 and are somehow tied with the Broncos for the division lead.
Denver’s offense looks like they are never on the same page, and everything is a struggle – from play calling to executing the play on the field. Wilson is missing throws that we expect him to make, and he does not look to run as often, but he did scramble around on the game-winning drive on Sunday night.
The Chargers have lost Rashawn Slater for the season, Joey Bosa got hurt on Sunday, J.C. Jackson has seen little action on the field after an offseason ankle injury, Keenan Allen is dealing with a hamstring injury, Austin Ekeler looks like a shell of himself, and Herbert has broken rib cartilage while dealing with an offensive line that is riddled with injuries. In short, Los Angeles is in serious trouble, but not as dire as the last-place team in this division.
I had my doubts about Josh McDaniels, but I did not think this team would start 0-3 and seem to ignore the fact that they have Adams as their top receiver. After seeing 10 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown in week one, the 30-year-old wideout has caught seven passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns through the last two weeks.
Things do not get better for the Raiders, as their next two games are divisional contests against the Broncos and Chiefs. The Raiders should have a legit chance of beating Denver in week four, but traveling to Arrowhead to take on the Chiefs on Monday night in week five could be a disaster for the Raiders. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that the Raiders are 0-5 going into their bye week.
This division has the highest ceiling in the NFL but has not lived up to the preseason hype.