{"id":245414,"date":"2025-09-22T03:39:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T03:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/245414\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T03:39:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T03:39:15","slug":"how-good-was-caleb-williams-how-did-the-packers-lose-our-nfl-experts-week-3-takeaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/245414\/","title":{"rendered":"How good was Caleb Williams? How did the Packers lose? Our NFL experts\u2019 Week 3 takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Tim Graham, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each Sunday, three of The Athletic\u2019s NFL writers react to the biggest news, plays and performances from the day\u2019s games.<\/p>\n

If you like blocked field goals, you loved Week 3, when game after game was decided by special teams mayhem. The Green Bay Packers were set to go ahead of the Cleveland Browns, until their short field goal try late in the fourth quarter was blocked. Cleveland won<\/a>. The Los Angeles Rams were set to go ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles, until their field goal attempt on the game\u2019s final play was blocked. Philly won<\/a>. The New York Jets blocked a fourth-quarter Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick and returned it for a go-ahead touchdown \u2014 but lost anyway.<\/p>\n

All that wackiness overshadowed a day that was supposed to be ruled by backup quarterbacks, when second-stringers Carson Wentz (Vikings), Marcus Mariota (Commanders) and Mac Jones (49ers) led their teams to wins.<\/p>\n

NFL<\/a> writers Tim Graham, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei share their thoughts on a Week 3 that did not go according to plan.<\/p>\n

After three weeks \u2014 including one of the best days of his career in Sunday\u2019s win over the Dallas Cowboys<\/a> \u2014 what do you make of Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams in coach Ben Johnson\u2019s offense?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pompei:<\/strong> It was Williams\u2019 best NFL performance and a significant step for him. He took advantage of opportunities in a way he has not in past games. He found open receivers and made impressive throws, some that hardly anyone else can make. So much was in Williams\u2019 favor that often has not been, including shrewd play calling, solid protection, a complementary Bears defense, and a soft opposing defense compromised by player losses. It will be really impressive if he plays like he did against the Cowboys in back-to-back games. His challenge isn\u2019t to be dominant one Sunday \u2014 it\u2019s to be consistent every Sunday, even when things out of his control don\u2019t go his way.<\/p>\n

Graham:<\/strong> Might Chicago actually be on to something? Johnson and Williams performed like they\u2019ve been working together for years, most impressively on a third-quarter TD drive that pulverized Dallas\u2019 will. Chicago chugged for 19 plays, converted four third downs and used nearly 10 minutes. Johnson went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 4, and Williams rewarded him with a scrambly dart to D.J. Moore all alone in the end zone for a 17-point lead. It\u2019s way too soon to declare Williams has been solved, but on this day the maligned quarterback posted the best passer rating of his career, threw four touchdown passes without an interception and demoralized America\u2019s Team.<\/p>\n

Nguyen: <\/strong>Johnson\u2019s offense isn\u2019t as voluminous as it was in Detroit, but that\u2019s to be expected in the first year of the install with a young quarterback. The Bears also attack downfield a lot more, which fits the strengths of Williams and wideout Rome Odunze. Williams is averaging 8.8 air yards per attempt. Johnson\u2019s offense in Detroit was built on short passes that were designed to produce yards after the catch. But so far, so good. Williams is making huge strides. Last week, even though the Bears\u2019 defense got run over, Williams played well, remaining disciplined in the pocket and his reads, and only playing outside of the offense\u2019s structure a few times. He also faced two of the top defenses in the NFL in his first two games. He had a much easier opponent in the Cowboys this week, and he showed out. Johnson also started to get some of the Bears\u2019 rookies more involved, like tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III. The offensive progress early on has been a little above my expectations.<\/p>\n

The Colts moved to 3-0 behind Daniel Jones, the 49ers are 3-0 despite a rash of injuries and the Chargers are 3-0 after three straight AFC West games. Which has most impressed you?<\/b><\/p>\n

Pompei:<\/strong> The Chargers have been the most impressive, partly because they have three quality victories against division opponents. They didn\u2019t play their best Sunday but found a way to beat the Denver Broncos, with Justin Herbert leading a game-winning drive. He continues to be a legitimate candidate for Most Valuable Player. One cause for concern \u2014 the Chargers have not run the ball the way Jim Harbaugh wants them to run the ball, and now it appears they will be without Najee Harris<\/a> for a while. Omarion Hampton, who was the team\u2019s first-round pick in April, is likely to have an opportunity to lift the Chargers\u2019 run game.<\/p>\n

Graham:<\/strong> It\u2019s the Colts, and it\u2019s not close. There are obvious reasons why the Giants gave up on Jones, who has been sensational in the horseshoe logo. Jonathan Taylor certainly helps, but Jones has had high-caliber running help before. Colts coach Shane Steichen has found the right mix so far. Granted, two of Indy\u2019s victories are over feeble opponents (Miami and Tennessee), but both were early blowouts and the Week 2 victory over Denver was gutsy. And to start a season with zero punts through two games \u2014 followed by their most points in four years in Sunday\u2019s 41-20 win over the Titans<\/a> \u2014 is fabulous regardless. Stretches like these can provide quality building blocks for a team\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

Nguyen:<\/strong> The Colts are blowing out bad teams and have a quality win against the Broncos. Steichen has done an amazing job of simplifying things for Jones with his play calling, and to his credit, Jones is playing his best ball, throwing the ball on time and accurately and even getting the offense into the right play at the line of scrimmage. Taylor looks like one of the best backs in the league again\u2014 that also helps. But the 49ers should get some credit as well. They beat a tough Seattle team in Week 1 and won two games with Mac Jones starting at quarterback. Brock Purdy seems like he\u2019s close to a return. When this team gets healthier, it will be a force to reckon with.<\/p>\n

Uh, what happened to the Packers, who lost, 13-10, to the Browns? Did that talk about going undefeated go to their heads?<\/b><\/p>\n

Nguyen:<\/b> The Browns\u2019 defense is a different animal when they play at home. When they have crowd noise and that pass rush, Jim Schwartz\u2019s scheme is a lot for any offense to handle. Defensively, the Packers held up their end of the bargain. Jordan Love threw a terrible interception in the fourth quarter when Green Bay was up, 10-3, on which he got fooled by Browns safety Grant Delpit. The Packers still should have won the game, but their late field goal attempt was blocked, which set up the Browns with good field position. The one weakness on the Packers\u2019 defense is their corners. That showed up in the red zone on Sunday, when they were repeatedly flagged for penalties. The Packers will play better passing attacks than Cleveland\u2019s, so this is an area worth watching for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.<\/p>\n

Pompei:<\/strong> Whether in foresight or hindsight, the undefeated talk was a little crazy \u2014 especially coming from an offensive lineman. The Packers are a very solid team, and they had a very bad Sunday. If you\u2019ve been around a while, you\u2019ve seen this kind of thing happen a time or two. It was a freakish loss for Green Bay. The Packers are very capable of burying this day and going on a run of victories. In fact, the loss might have been what they needed to sober up and get right for the remainder of their schedule.<\/p>\n

Graham:<\/strong> It\u2019s not so much that the Packers lost, but to whom and how. I don\u2019t mean the kicker with a name that sounds like a mosquito flying past your ear \u2014 Cleveland\u2019s Andre Szmyt \u2014 but the Browns in general. The Packers don\u2019t deserve to be at the top of anyone\u2019s power rankings after this. Love was pedestrian, although he was harassed all over the field. Green Bay assembled back-to-back drives of 13 and 12 plays in the second quarter but came away with three total points. The fourth quarter was slapdash at best and crashed late with that interception and blocked field goal. It was unacceptable for an alleged Super Bowl contender.<\/p>\n

What did we learn about the Eagles in back-to-back wins over the Chiefs and Rams, with Sunday\u2019s win over L.A.<\/a> requiring a comeback from down 19 in the second half and then a blocked field goal on the final play?<\/b><\/p>\n

Graham:<\/strong> How in Hacksaw Reynolds\u2019 name did the Rams lose this one? The short answer is the Eagles are the NFL\u2019s best team and never stop. The Rams had them on their knees in the second half. Philly opened with a tush-push TD<\/a>, then had four straight three-and-outs, finishing with negative yardage over those 12 plays, before opening the third quarter with a fumble. L.A. was up nearly three touchdowns in the Lincoln Financial Field viper pit! But the defending champs are extraordinary. They can turn dominant in all three phases just like that, and in about a quarter and a half won in such laughably outlandish\u00a0fashion. Lenny Dykstra doesn\u2019t get to call himself Nails anymore. These Eagles make him look like a rusty thumbtack.<\/p>\n

Nguyen:<\/strong> The Eagles still have dangerous weapons on the outside, and when they need to wake up, they can flip the switch. The Rams\u2019 secondary is also an Achilles\u2019 heel. The Rams still had a chance to win, but they were part of the blocked kick epidemic. There\u2019s a silver lining, though: They dominated the line of scrimmage for most of this game. That offense has so many ways to attack defenses, but unless the Rams\u2019 pass rush is dominating, their secondary is going to be an issue against talented receivers. A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith combined for 14 catches, 169 receiving yards and two touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Pompei:<\/strong> The Eagles are a gritty, resourceful team that knows how to win in different ways. It will be difficult for them to maintain this for 17 games \u2014 it would be difficult for any team \u2014 but there is much to admire about them in September. They have a deep roster with high-end talent in the right places, and quarterback Jalen Hurts is delivering when it\u2019s most critical. And as much as the Eagles won this game, the Rams lost it. Could any team expect to win on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions with two field goal attempts blocked?<\/p>\n

In a battle of backup QBs, the Vikings bludgeoned the Bengals<\/a>, 48-10<\/a>. Did that outcome tell us more about Minnesota or Cincinnati?<\/b><\/p>\n

Pompei:<\/strong> Everyone knew the Bengals were more quarterback-dependent than the Vikings, and it was reinforced in this game. In letting Sam Darnold walk, the Vikings\u2019 play was that infrastructure could supersede the most important position on the field. Their moves said they believe player development, game planning, a running game, top end receivers and solid defense can give a quarterback a chance. J.J. McCarthy and Wentz gave the Vikings enough to win two of their first three games, and the Vikings are likely to contend all season, no matter who their QB is. As for the Bengals, it\u2019s going to be tough without Joe Burrow.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Minnesota\u2019s Isaiah Rodgers scored twice in the Vikings\u2019 rout of the Cincinnati Bengals. (Photo: Adam Bettcher \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Graham:<\/strong> While the early games featured a mess of big defensive highlights, Isaiah Rodgers was otherworldly. The sixth-year cornerback had more defensive return yards in the first half than the Bengals\u2019 entire offense generated through three quarters. Rodgers was a revelation, but he cannot be counted on as a game-changer every week. Cincinnati\u2019s systemic malfunction, however, proved its 2025 is probably unsalvageable. A bunch of Bengals refused to protect the ball. Top receiver Ja\u2019Marr Chase, running backs Chase Brown and Samaje Perine and tight ends Noah Fant and Cam Grandy all fumbled. Quarterback Jake Browning was victimized by a couple bad bounces but got rag-dolled, as you would have expected behind that atrocious offensive line. We learned Bengals owner Mike Brown will never learn.<\/p>\n

Nguyen:<\/strong> Browning is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, but playing against this Vikings defense is a monumental challenge. When you combine that with all the fumbling from the Bengals, you\u2019re going to get a blowout. I don\u2019t know if we learned a lot about these teams. Browning will have better days against defenses that aren\u2019t as good as the Vikings\u2019. Carson Wentz didn\u2019t have to do much \u2014 he was 14 of 20 for 173 yards and two touchdowns \u2014 but it was a good sign that the Minnesota running game looked dominant with Jordan Mason.<\/p>\n

Bigger missed opportunity: The Patriots turning it over five times and losing, 21-14, to the Steelers<\/a> at home, or the Rams somehow not closing out that game against the Eagles?<\/b><\/p>\n

Nguyen:<\/strong> The Rams losing that game will have bigger ramifications. They had a chance to start 3-0 and beat the defending champions at home. That game could impact the tiebreaker in a late-season playoff scenario. The Patriots are going to be a feisty team, but they aren\u2019t expected to make a lot of noise.<\/p>\n

Graham:<\/strong> A Rams victory would have been more compelling because they were on their way to embarrassing the defending champs in Philly, but the Patriots are desperate to change their identity and emerge from Bill Belichick\u2019s shadow. New England lost in such an appalling way. Not only did it commit five turnovers, but two of them should have been touchdowns \u2014 a Drake Maye endzone interception and a Rhamondre Stevenson fumble on the goal line. Two other giveaways were on Pittsburgh\u2019s side of the field. Maye was sacked five times and hit eight times, four by Nick Herbig, who came into the game with 15 career QB hits in 31 games. Mike Vrabel won\u2019t transform the culture in New England like this.<\/p>\n

Pompei:<\/strong> That would have been a massive victory for the Rams against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. They could have remained undefeated going into a tough stretch of schedule (vs. Colts and 49ers, at Ravens), thinking they could beat any opponent. The Patriots are a rebuilding team without high expectations for 2025, but beating the Steelers would have given the team good feelings about the changes as well as a little more locker-room cred for the new coaching staff. Losing hurts the Rams more than it will hurt the Patriots.<\/p>\n

(Top photo of Caleb Williams celebrating a touchdown pass: Jason Miller \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Tim Graham, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei Each Sunday, three of The Athletic\u2019s NFL writers react to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":245415,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[531,8997,1544,8998,1318,9001,9006,8812,1317,1315,1316,1232,1105,62,29618,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-245414","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-chicago-bears","9":"tag-cincinnati-bengals","10":"tag-cleveland-browns","11":"tag-dallas-cowboys","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-green-bay-packers","14":"tag-los-angeles-rams","15":"tag-minnesota-vikings","16":"tag-ncaa","17":"tag-ncaa-football","18":"tag-ncaafootball","19":"tag-nfl","20":"tag-philadelphia-eagles","21":"tag-sports","22":"tag-top-sports-news","23":"tag-united-states","24":"tag-unitedstates","25":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115245873020590089","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245414"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245414\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}