It’s desperation time for some teams in the NFL, and we have yet to reach October.
Historically speaking, falling into an 0–3 hole is a death knell for postseason hopes. Since the league expanded to 12 playoff teams in 1990, the only teams to lose each of their first three games and then make the postseason are the 1992 San Diego Chargers, ’95 Detroit Lions, ’98 Buffalo Bills and 2018 Houston Texans.
This weekend, there are eight teams trying to avoid that scenario, including the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams.
The good news for those teams? None are playing against each other. Perhaps surprisingly, half are betting favorites with the Ravens, Bengals, Titans and Colts all laying points.
Let’s get to the action, starting with Thursday night’s affair in East Rutherford.
THURSDAY
Jets 24, Patriots 3
My take: For the first time since acquiring him last offseason, Jets fans got to more than a glimpse of Aaron Rodgers in a regular season game. The four-time MVP was brilliant against an overwhelmed and undermanned New England Patriots team (1–2), throwing for 281 yards on 27-of-35 with two touchdowns. He threw from every platform, moving well on his repaired Achilles. If this is the version of Rodgers we see in New York (2–1) most of the season, the Jets should be considered a contender provided they can stay healthy.
Stock up: The easy call is Rodgers, but let’s look at Will McDonald IV. After being a nonfactor as a rookie last season, McDonald is off to a blazing start with five sacks through three games. With Jermaine Johnson out for the season and Haason Reddick holding out, McDonald’s ascension has been key.
Stock down: One wonders how long Jacoby Brissett is going to hold the starting job in New England. And to be clear, this isn’t a slam on Brissett. He’s an excellent backup and has nothing to work with. But eventually, if the Patriots keep losing, rookie Drake Maye is going to get the call.
Up Next: Patriots at 49ers, 4:05 p.m. ET Sept. 29; Broncos at Jets, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 29
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Week 3 Recap: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, What’s Next for Every Team.