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NFL Power Rankings: Ranking most disappointing Week 3 Sunday performances

Who had the most disappointing Sunday performances in Week 3?

By Lou Scataglia

Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) pitches the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) pitches the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
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Sunday's slate of games in Week 3 of the 2024 NFL Season is over, so let's power rank the most disappointing performances. Two Monday Night Football games will officially conclude Week 3 of the 2024 NFL Season, but there is plenty to take from Sunday's games.

There were some shocking finishes and upsets that happened, and a ton of great and poor performances. At this point, a team is probably going to stay around the same as they played in Week 3, or, to rephrase this better, Week 3 is likely when he begin to see teams really settle into how they will play the rest of the way.

Let's power rank some of the more disappointing performances of Week 3.

NFL Power Rankings: Ranking most disappointing Week 3 Sunday performances
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers raced out to a 2-0 start, beating the Washington Commanders in Week 1 and Detroit Lions in Week 2, but got blown out by the Denver Broncos in Week 3. It was a wonderful win for the Broncos, who got their first of the Bo Nix era, but for the Bucs, it was a huge punch in the mouth that I am sure they did not see coming.

The Bucs and New Orleans Saints are both 2-1 and have the best record in the NFC South, and the Bucs surely hope to win the division again for the second year in a row, but this was flat-out embarrassing by the Buccaneers, especially with this game being at home.

Baker Mayfield was sacked a whopping seven times, and the Bucs scored just seven points.

2. Houston Texans

I just did not see this coming from the Houston Texans. Maybe the Minnesota Sam Darnolds are better than we think? Darnold has eight touchdown passes through three games and appears to be the early MVP favorite. Yes, Sam Darnold.

The Texans just never kept it close. CJ Stroud had one of the worst games of his career, and the Texans ended up playing one of the more sloppy games we've seen from them in the Stroud/DeMeco Ryans' era.

To me, the Texans are too good to not win a ton of games this year, but this was just shocking to witness. This would have been a lot more understandable if this was a close loss, but this was a total drubbing by the Vikings.

1. Dallas Cowboys' Defense

The Dallas Cowboys really had a chance in Week 3 to bounce back and get to 2-1, but it's their second loss at home in two games in 2024, getting trounced on the ground by the Baltimore Ravens and their rushing attack. The Cowboys are a vanilla team; they are losing the battle in the trenches on defense and just lack the edge that they played with on defense ifrom 2021-2023.

Now yes, Dan Quinn is no longer their defensive coordinator, but this was just an embarrassing performance, and the Cowboys all of a sudden not being able to win a game at home his massively concerning. Could we be looking at the end of some type of era in Dallas? Head coach Mike McCarthy is actually in the last year of his deal, and being that the Cowboys did just re-sign Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, you have to wonder if Jerry Jones could be forced to make a major move.

I am not sure this franchise, which also does lack notable talent on both sides of the ball, can keep this current shindig up.

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