Week 3 is mostly in the books (though can\u2019t wait for Lions-Ravens Monday night). What we had this time around was a sloppy and imperfect, yet highly-dramatic Sunday. We\u2019re diving in on it in the MMQB takeaways \u2026<\/p>\n
With a little injury luck, Kyle Shanahan\u2019s team has a real chance. Because, really, right now should be the hard part for the 49ers\u2014when they\u2019re taking their lumps with younger players learning key roles, and cornerstones such as Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk working their way back from injuries.<\/p>\n
Yet here we are, and San Francisco is now 3\u20130, having fended off a rising young Cardinals group at home Sunday, and with a showdown against the Rams two weeks away.<\/p>\n
Sunday was by no means easy for the Niners. But it was revealing.<\/p>\n
With the game tied at 13 and 5:19 left, Mac Jones threw a bad pick. On the Niners\u2019 next possession, with Jones throwing out of his end zone, guard Dominick Puni got called for holding nearby, resulting in a safety that put Arizona up 15\u201313. At that point, the clock showed 3:15, and the upstart Cardinals were probably two first downs away from vanquishing the Niners on the road, and taking a 3\u20130 record into their Week 4 game against Seattle.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a message throughout the game: Don\u2019t leave anything on the field,\u201d ninth-year linebacker Fred Warner told me afterward. \u201cIt was a super gritty game. It was hot, it was low-scoring and you think, We held them to six all game and then give up a score, then a big stop, then the offense has a safety. It was these big swings late in the game and at the end. It was everyone doing their one-eleventh, not trying to do anything ultra-special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sure enough, that was just it. One of the rookies the Niners have in a prominent role, cornerback Upton Stout, broke a pass up on third down right after the two-minute warning to get the ball back. Then, Jones chipped down the field, hitting on completions of 11, 10, seven, 11 and 20 yards (that last one was a Christian McCaffrey catch-and-run) to position Eddy Pineiro for a chip shot to win the game.<\/p>\n
Maybe the most encouraging thing of all for the Niners is that, with all the young guys they\u2019re relying on after so much offseason attrition, and even those who have come in as the big names have gotten hurt, no one is really pressing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt speaks to the maturity of those young guys that have come in,\u201d Warner said. \u201cIt\u2019s all about the preparation they\u2019ve put in to be ready for their moment, because they knew from OTAs that they were gonna have a chance to come in and be guys for us right away. My hats to them for being prepared for that moment. They\u2019re only going to continue to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
At least on paper, with a manageable schedule moving forward, the Niners should be able to do the same\u2014with a shot to sweep their first run through the division coming on the Thursday of Week 5 against Los Angeles. Because just as the young guys settle in, get more confident and start to play faster, some of the older guys should filter back in the lineup.<\/p>\n
Again, some luck will be needed too. Getting good test results Monday on Nick Bosa\u2019s knee injury, which sounds like it could be pretty serious, would really help. But the Niners have done this before, so there\u2019s plenty of reason to look at the team\u2019s start and think that the team could be really, really good by the time the playoffs draw near.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course we want to get some of that firepower back, the guys who\u2019ve been injured,\u201d Warner said. \u201cBut honestly, our mindset is being better next week than we were this week and finding a way to win next week. And like you mentioned, if we continue to keep our head down and keep working, with our young players continuing to get better \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2026 There\u2019s plenty that group could accomplish.<\/p>\n
Which, given the history in San Francisco, probably shouldn\u2019t surprise anyone.<\/p>\n
The Steelers\u2019 win in Foxboro wasn\u2019t exactly a work of art. But in a specific way, it did go according to plan. To illustrate that, allow T.J. Watt to take you back to last week, and right into Mike Tomlin\u2019s team meeting room.<\/p>\n
\u201cMike T had a big presentation on it earlier in the week,\u201d Watt said, of the Steelers\u2019 Patriots prep. \u201cI think 38 [Rhamondre Stevenson] had eight or nine fumbles last year [he had seven], which is a very high amount. Four [Antonio Gibson] had a couple fumbles. And we knew 10 [Drake Maye] had a bunch of fumbles as well [he had nine], when he was in the pocket. It was something we highlighted each and every day. There was a constant reminder throughout the week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just needed to deliver and I\u2019m glad we did.\u201d<\/p>\n
How badly did the Steelers need it? Probably worse than they thought they would.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not overstating things much to say that the five takeaways Pittsburgh collected Sunday afternoon were the reason the Steelers escaped Foxboro with a 21\u201314 win over a fast-improving Patriots team. In fact, New England outgained the Steelers 369 to 203, had 26 first downs to Pittsburgh\u2019s 17, controlled the ball for over 33 minutes and converted on 4-of-5 fourth-down attempts (though the one stop the Steelers got wound up winning the game).<\/p>\n
A lot of the trouble signs you saw from Pittsburgh the first two weeks were there, too. The Patriots were able to run the ball, and the Steelers couldn\u2019t. Pittsburgh\u2019s young offensive line had its fits and starts. Aaron Rodgers struggled at times with the rush in his face.<\/p>\n
But the Steelers have a 2\u20131 mark with their Week 4 trip to Dublin looming. The win was, yes, a result of those big defensive plays\u2014and also when they happened.<\/p>\n
Stevenson\u2019s first fumble came on the first possession of the game, with Cole Holcomb punching it out, and Darius Slay recovering it, to set up Pittsburgh\u2019s first touchdown. The second was Brandin Echols\u2019s end zone pick, off a Cam Heyward deflection, to end the first half on a third-and-goal, saving at least three points. Then, there was Heyward punching the ball out from Stevenson at the goal line, after a Rodgers pick at the start of the third quarter; and Watt jarring the ball loose from Gibson in Steelers territory on the Patriots\u2019 next drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a ball-hawking unit,\u201d Watt said. \u201cThat\u2019s something that Coach always preaches. The takeover culture, the turnover culture. We weren\u2019t successful last week. Jalen [Ramsey] had a pick, and Herb [Nate Herbig] had the pick off Cam\u2019s deflection. But other than that, we haven\u2019t had a lot of splash. We had some splash today. A lot of guys putting their hands in the pile and creating turnovers and opportunities for the offense to put points on the board.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey come in bunches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Add that to the fourth-down stop that finished the Patriots, with Echols yanking Patriots slot receiver DeMario Douglas to the turf short of the sticks, and the Steelers survived. (\u201cTwo huge plays for him, the big tackle at the end, just shows he wants more and more,\u201d Watt said.)<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s still a ton to address through an uneven start\u2014with the line, the defense and the quarterback still looking for consistency.<\/p>\n
The next chance the Steelers have to find it will be in Dublin next week, in Pittsburgh\u2019s first international game in 12 years. In an effort to keep the players\u2019 focus where it needed to be, Watt said that Tomlin kept the schedule for the trip away from them the past couple of weeks. As such, the 31-year-old joked that his goal now is \u201cfirst and foremost, learning the schedule.\u201d After that, there\u2019ll be plenty left to address.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still in the jelling phase of it all,\u201d he said, from his seat on the team plane. \u201cWe have a lot of new guys with very successful r\u00e9sum\u00e9s, high-pedigree guys. Everyone is trying to learn what the 2025 Steelers are going to be. Today was just a representation of what the defense can be. Week 1, the offense carried a heavy load for us. We\u2019re trying to play Steelers football. We hope we can continue to win while we figure out what that\u2019ll look like.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when you have a quarterback that can throw the ball like [Rodgers] does, it definitely gives you a chance. And on Sunday, that\u2019s all you need, is a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ugly as it was at times Sunday, the Steelers gave themselves enough of one in New England.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jalen Hurts had a big day Sunday, as some of the Eagles\u2019 biggest stars showed up in big moments. \/ Bill Streicher-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
The Eagles showed everyone a little something Sunday. There was a point where this sunny afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field felt a little bit like a reckoning for the world champs\u2014the day when a key offensive lineman went down, the tush push was rendered less useful with more long-yardage situations and Philly had to come from 19 points down behind Jalen Hurts and a group of receivers<\/a> who have looked frustrated at times.<\/p>\n And maybe it was a reckoning.<\/p>\n Just one of a different kind.<\/p>\n With a stingy Rams defense knowing he\u2019d have to throw it, Hurts managed to go 17-of-24 for 209 yards and three touchdowns in the second half. The line bounced back after a strip-sack of Hurts started the half. The Eagles\u2019 premier weapons in the pass game\u2014A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith\u2014were at their best when needed most. And, yes, the Eagles pulled a rabbit out of their hat with Jordan Davis\u2019s big play (we\u2019ll get to that).<\/p>\n So for the third consecutive week, Philly posted a quality win (or at least what sure looks like one), with another big game on tap (that\u2019s in Tampa against the unbeaten Buccaneers next Sunday).<\/p>\n What does it mean? I came up with four things:<\/p>\n \u2022 Hurts is still growing as a quarterback. Throwing the ball when the defense is inviting you to run it, which is what happens when the opponent has a big lead, is a different ball of wax. When he was younger, the rap on Hurts was that if you got a lead on him, and took the teeth out of the play-action game, Philly\u2019s run-heavy offense would struggle. Now it\u2019s getting harder to say that about Hurts.<\/p>\n \u2022 This is why the Eagles are paying what they\u2019re paying for Brown and Smith. Those two juiced the Philly comeback. Brown\u2019s 38-yard catch down the right side early in the third quarter got the Eagles on track (and was followed by a 33-yard touchdown throw to Dallas Goedert down the seam). The Eagles\u2019 next drive was sparked by a 16-yard catch by Smith and capped by a touchdown to Brown. And the two combined to convert three third downs on the go-ahead drive, which ended with a Smith touchdown.<\/p>\n \u2022 The Eagles\u2019 athletic freak defensive linemen made special teams plays, which highlights how seriously Philly takes that phase, using star players on those units. Jalen Carter\u2019s blocked field goal preceded the go-ahead drive. Jordan Davis\u2019s spectacular field goal block and return for a touchdown (Davis rumbled 61 yards) finished off the Rams. And both showed effort you might not expect from stars in that area of the game.<\/p>\n \u2022 Even when Philly has issues, the Eagles have a way of working them out on the fly. Losing Lane Johnson to a stinger was a big blow, of course. Matt Pryor was first off the bench, and then the Eagles turned to Fred Johnson. Eventually, it got cleaned up. After the Rams opened the second half with Jared Verse\u2019s aforementioned strip-sack, and pushed their lead to 26\u20137 on the next play, the line settled down, yielding one sack against L.A.\u2019s excellent front the rest of the way.<\/p>\n Now, obviously, Sunday was far from perfect for the Eagles. Next week\u2019s trip to Tampa will be fascinating. But this one was, too\u2014and, for Philly, it was for a lot of the right reasons, that\u2019ll make you believe that, with some growth, a repeat could be in play.<\/p>\n Marcus Mariota\u2019s Sunday was more proof of what\u2019s right with the Commanders these days. The No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft wasn\u2019t Superman on Sunday in Landover. He was 15-of-21 for 207 yards, with 99 of those yards coming on two throws. He also ran for 40 yards on six carries, and threw for a touchdown and ran for another.<\/p>\n But what he gave the Commanders was more valuable than gaudy stats.<\/p>\n With Jayden Daniels one of five starting quarterbacks shelved for Week 3, Mariota gave his coaches and teammates normalcy, and that helped bring home a breezy 41\u201324 win over the Raiders that moved Washington to 2\u20131.<\/p>\n When I was at the Commanders\u2019 camp last month, a few different guys told me how important it was to Daniels that Mariota was coming back. The reasoning was that the quarterback room had been so healthy in 2024 that it needed to be preserved at any (reasonable) cost.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the hardest position in sports,\u201d Mariota told me after Sunday\u2019s win. \u201cIn my experience, I\u2019ve always wanted to lean into my quarterback room. That\u2019s the group that really understands what it feels like to play the position. So in my role here, I try to make it friendly and positive for Jay, and compete and push him in different areas to be the best. And in return, it helps me be the best version of myself. It\u2019s such a great culture [we have] and I think it\u2019s important.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you get the quarterback room healthy, that trickles down to the rest of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n All that was at work through the 10 days between the Commanders\u2019 loss to the Packers on Thursday in Week 2, and Sunday\u2019s inter-conference game in the D.C. burbs. Mariota knew coming out of the Green Bay game that there was a shot he\u2019d start against the Raiders, but the coaches left the light on for the idea of Daniels starting through last week. Meanwhile, Mariota was working with OC Kliff Kingsbury, with Kingsbury figuring out what Mariota liked best within his scheme, and then leaning into that. \u201cHe tailors it \u2026 and I trust what he\u2019s going to call,\u201d Mariota said.<\/p>\n What helped Kingsbury, Dan Quinn and everyone else in burgundy and gold is that there are certainly stylistic similarities between Daniels and Mariota, which means making things comfortable for the backup won\u2019t flip things upside down for the other 10 guys in the huddle. Another thing that helped Mariota? Daniels himself, who was alongside Mariota all week to be a resource, just as Mariota has been for him over the past year and a half.<\/p>\n And that adds up to moments such as the one Mariota picked out for me at the end of the third quarter, with Washington leading 27\u201310 and looking to put the quarterback\u2019s former team away. Mariota had just hit Terry McLaurin downfield for 56 yards, on a play that was initially called a touchdown, then put back on the 1 after review. A Jacory \u201cBill\u201d Croskey-Merritt run was stoned on first-and-goal, and Mariota was stopped on second-and-goal.<\/p>\n Mariota looked at his offensive line and told the guys that was where they\u2019d end the game.<\/p>\n \u201cBill had a great run, and that set the tempo for the rest of the game,\u201d Mariota said. \u201cWhen you have guys that believe in one another and want to do that, it\u2019s cool to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n That Mariota\u2019s gotten to be a part of it has brought his love for the sport back to life\u2014and that isn\u2019t overstating it, according to him. Two years ago, he left Atlanta with questions in that area. He doesn\u2019t have those anymore.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fun again,\u201d he said. \u201cIt comes down to us having a group of guys that love ball, love competing and love being the best version of themselves. When you can be a part of that and fall in line like everyone else, I really enjoy it. That\u2019s how I\u2019ve always treated it. I appreciate \u2018Q\u2019 [Quinn] for creating that type of environment here for us. I think it\u2019s allowed guys to be the best version of themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s also allowed the Commanders to ride out bumps, even significant ones like being without the face of their franchise<\/a> for a week or two.<\/p>\n The Chargers are off to a monster start. They have three wins. One in Brazil. One in Las Vegas. Now one at home. They\u2019ve swept their first run through the AFC West, which might be the toughest division in football, and they\u2019ve done it after losing Rashawn Slater for the year and Khalil Mack (more temporarily) in their Week 2 game against the Raiders.<\/p>\n But what makes them really scary is how Justin Herbert is playing. If he keeps it up, everyone else might start talking about the sixth-year quarterback the way Jim Harbaugh does.<\/p>\n And based on the way the fourth quarter went, against Denver\u2019s loaded defense, what Harbaugh\u2019s been saying about his quarterback since landing in Los Angeles two Januarys ago is looking more and more justified. And at no moment more so than Herbert\u2019s 20-yard touchdown pass to old vet Keenan Allen that tied the game at 20 with less than three minutes left, after the Chargers blew an early 10\u20130 lead.<\/p>\n Afterward, Allen had an idea that his quarterback did something wild to get the ball to him, but didn\u2019t see it as he was working to get open for Herbert.<\/p>\n \u201cWas it nasty?\u201d Allen asked me afterward.<\/p>\n I answered that indeed it was.<\/p>\n On the play, Herbert slid through Zach Allen and Jonathon Cooper, who were coming at him in the pocket from different directions, and broke to his left. Nik Bonitto caught up to him on that edge, and forced an off-balance throw on which Herbert whipped his arm back and somehow threw a fastball that landed in Allen\u2019s midsection.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really a broken-down play,\u201d Allen said. \u201cHerbert got flushed out the pocket. I saw him roll out and I tried to spin around and get to the back of the pylon as fast as I could. When the ball got in the air, I honestly don\u2019t know how I caught it. It just ended up sticking to my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n That tied the score. The Chargers\u2019 defense then forced a three-and-out and punt, and Herbert got the ball back with 1:43 left on his own 32. Herbert promptly went 4-for-4 for 36 yards from there, setting up Cameron Dicker\u2019s 43-yard field goal that won it, and made the Chargers 3\u20130 for the first time since 2002.<\/p>\n And the reality was, with how Herbert\u2019s playing, few defenses, even one at the level of Denver\u2019s, would have much of a shot to stop him in that spot.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s just getting better every day,\u201d Allen said. \u201cHe knows the offense like the back of his hand. He knows when we\u2019re in stuff, when to get out of it. I think that\u2019s the start of it, and then the rest is having confidence he can make every play. When he knows everything\u2014can get to what he wants to get to and knows how to do it\u2014it\u2019s kind of hard to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, with Harbaugh\u2019s second year off to this kind of start, you could say that about a lot of aspects of this particular Chargers team.<\/p>\n Allen says, as he sees it, the team still hasn\u2019t put together a fully balanced game. But the potential is obvious, and the Chargers know what they\u2019re capable of.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the belief, for sure,\u201d Allen said. \u201cThe trust we have in each other and the confidence we have in each other, knowing we always have a chance. Nobody flinched, nobody laid down, we all kept fighting. We all kept going till the end.\u201d<\/p>\n As such, they sure have the look of a team that\u2019ll be there at the end of the year, too.<\/p>\n Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers scored a pair of touchdowns on a historically prodcutive Sunday. \/ Brad Rempel-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Speaking of program wins with backup quarterbacks, the Vikings got themselves one of those, too. At the half against the Bengals in Sunday\u2019s battle of backup quarterbacks, the Vikings had a modest 144 yards and 10 first downs. Those aren\u2019t anemic numbers by any measure, but they\u2019re not great numbers, either.<\/p>\n Yet, the team was leading 34\u20133, and on its way to a 48\u201310 bludgeoning of Cincinnati.<\/p>\n Perhaps the player most symbolic of the effort was Isaiah Rodgers, the star corner the Vikings imported from Philly in the offseason. Rodgers made plays every which way, becoming the first player in franchise history to score on interception and fumble returns in the same game, and the first in league history to do both of those things and force a second fumble in the same game.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s something I haven\u2019t even done in Madden,\u201d Rodgers joked with me.<\/p>\n And since it\u2019s historic, even against video game standards, here\u2019s a recap of the three big plays:<\/p>\n \u2022 The first one came with the Bengals driving, down 7\u20130, midway through the first quarter, and Rodgers breaking on a ball inside the 20 and bringing it back 87 yards to pay dirt. \u201cIt was understanding where I need to be\u2014just focusing on myself,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd Harry [Harrison Smith] made a great play by deflecting the ball. I was at the right spot and once I broke that first tackle, I had to get to the end zone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 The second came with the game still close. The Vikings were up 17\u20133, and the Bengals were driving again, at the Minnesota 36. Rodgers punched the ball out from Noah Fant, recovered it and then raced 66 yards to make it 24\u20133. \u201cI landed on the ball; I knew where it was,\u201d Rodgers said. \u201cI wanted to lay there because it hurt, but that\u2019s one of the moments.\u201d In other words, he had a sense of what was around him and realized if he popped to his feet, he\u2019d have a chance to score.<\/p>\n \u2022 With the Vikings leading 31\u20133 and less than 30 seconds left in the first half, Rodgers came in low on Ja\u2019Marr Chase and simply punched the ball loose. \u201cIt\u2019s just understanding what he didn\u2019t see\u2014I was on his blindside,\u201d Rodgers said. \u201cAnd understanding the ball was loose in his right hand and he was trying to make a play, dealing with the timing of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, if you go back and look at those circumstances again, you\u2019ll see how Rodgers\u2019s football IQ and awareness played into each of them, and it\u2019s no mistake. It\u2019s what defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks for in guys, and why the Vikings identified Rodgers as a fit in free agency. It\u2019s also why, as Rodgers sees it, Minnesota\u2019s bringing out the best in him. \u201cIt\u2019s helping me be smart,\u201d Rodgers said. \u201cI\u2019m not at any discomfort because I know the guys out there know what they have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n With a roster full of guys like that, the Vikings are well-positioned to deal with whatever challenge lands at their feet, even if it comes at the most important position on the field.<\/p>\n \u201cK.O. [Kevin O\u2019Connell] and his staff created the 53-man roster knowing we would create the best roster for the Vikings this season,\u201d Rodgers said. \u201cEveryone on this team has the mentality. So we did not waver not having our starting quarterback. We knew as a defense, we had to go out there and make plays and cause turnovers. We got a great display by the special teams\u2014in the kicking team, everyone showed up today. It was great Minnesota Vikings football.\u201d<\/p>\n Which, it turns out, is about a lot more than just who\u2019s playing quarterback.<\/p>\n Sunday\u2019s win was why the Browns are starting Joe Flacco at quarterback. To prove it, I\u2019ll take you back to when Cleveland got the ball at its own 20 with 9:26 left in Sunday\u2019s home game against the Packers. At that point, Kevin Stefanski\u2019s team had 138 yards on 39 offensive plays (3.5 yards per play), seven first downs and zero points. On the other side of the ball was the league\u2019s most dominant defense to this early point of the season.<\/p>\n In other words, there was no reason for the 0\u20132 Browns to have much hope. And, as such, the conversation on the sideline wasn\u2019t rosy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can imagine,\u201d Flacco said to me, laughing, postgame. \u201cIt\u2019s hard. We had to stick through it. It\u2019s one of those where your coaches are saying, Stick to it. It\u2019s not like you have a ton of confidence. But in that moment, you have to be able to withstand some of that stuff and continue to play the full 60 minutes. Sometimes the ball just bounces your way. And because you didn\u2019t bury your head in the sand, you\u2019re able to take advantage of it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Browns did take advantage because they have a quarterback experienced enough to know how quickly things can flip, as they did Sunday in Cleveland\u2019s 13\u201310 shocker over Micah Parsons and the vaunted Packers.<\/p>\n The Browns\u2019 reality this year is that they\u2019re in a state of transition. GM Andrew Berry dealt away the No. 2 pick in the draft, and the right to take Travis Hunter, because the team needs an infusion of youth on the roster\u2014with the core aging a bit, and the loss of draft picks from the Deshaun Watson trade now being felt. It means having a mix of guys such as Myles Garrett and Mason Graham, and needing to build up the culture.<\/p>\n So let\u2019s say these Browns had one of their rookie quarterbacks starting on Sunday. Would he be able to stare down the barrel of Parsons and the Packers in the last 10 minutes of a game, and essentially turn the Titanic against that defense? Probably not.<\/p>\n Flacco did.<\/p>\n It started with two runs from rookie Quinshon Judkins, the first for 14 yards, and then the second for 38. \u201cGuys are excited about him because they saw him in the spring and saw what he was capable of,\u201d Flacco said. \u201cHe has juice.\u201d And from there, Flacco calmly led the Browns to the edge of the goal line, before a penalty forced a field goal. Then, Cleveland capitalized on a Grant Delpit pick that put the ball on the Packers\u2019 4 to tie it.<\/p>\n After a blocked Packers field goal and a 55-yard game-winner from kicker Andre Szmyt, Cleveland (improbably) is in the win column. And the cool Flacco brought to the huddle was no small factor, with the hope now that his level-headedness will rub off on those around him.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime you win games like that as a team, it does something for you,\u201d Flacco said. \u201cYou have to remember how good this defense has been\u2014they held the Lions to basically nothing. You do have to remember that side of it. So as frustrating as today was [early on], the embarrassment of it, we still held it together through the frustration and made it work. Obviously, we had things go our way, too, but that\u2019s how football works. We didn\u2019t do anything to make it worse, no turnovers after the first half.<\/p>\n \u201cThey gave us something and we were able to capitalize on it.\u201d<\/p>\n And now, in the midst of a grind of a schedule, the Browns\u2019 young guys\u2014rookies such as Graham, Judkins and Carson Schwesinger primary among them\u2014have this experience to point back to and reference as new and different challenges arise over the next three months.<\/p>\n Which is why Flacco was the right guy for this young group all along.<\/p>\n Now, maybe, eventually, it\u2019ll be time to get a look at Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. However, the Browns still have something to play for, so you\u2019ll probably have to wait for that.<\/p>\n A team effort and a patchwork offensive line helped the Buccaneers get past the Jets on Sunday. \/ Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Baker Mayfield, Emeka Egbuka and even kicker Chase McLaughlin will get most of the attention for the Buccaneers\u2019 heart-stopping win\u2014and they deserve plenty\u2014but that was a true organizational triumph. The reason? Tampa Bay\u2019s offensive line.<\/p>\n For a variety of reasons, almost no one in the NFL has any depth in that area. It\u2019s too hard to find linemen coming out with an increasingly spread offense-oriented college level, too hard to develop backups who don\u2019t play on game day and can\u2019t hit nearly as much as they used to in practice and so on. So, usually, if a team loses a starter or two, that team really feels it.<\/p>\n On Sunday, the Buccaneers were without star left tackle Tristan Wirfs, starting right tackle Luke Goedeke, starting right guard Cody Mauch and key backup Michael Jordan, whom the team was shuttling up and down from the practice squad, and planning to sign for the season.<\/p>\n It would be a disaster for most teams, and it would be idiotic to suggest it didn\u2019t affect the Buccaneers.<\/p>\n Yet, at the end on Sunday\u2014after the Buccaneers overcame Will McDonald IV blocking a potential game-clinching field goal and running it back 50 yards for a touchdown that put the Jets up 27\u201326\u2014Tampa had given up only one sack, rushed for 122 yards and scored a 29\u201327 win. That the game went that way is a result of the work of a lot of folks. Consider:<\/p>\n \u2022 The Bucs\u2019 2024 first-round pick, Graham Barton, was drafted to play center, and played center as a rookie. But he started at left tackle for three years at Duke, making All-ACC at the position twice, so the Bucs flipped him back over there after Wirfs went down, and his experience there has been a godsend. He\u2019s not perfect as an NFL left tackle, but he\u2019s a really good stopgap in this sort of pinch.<\/p>\n \u2022 Later in that draft, VP of player personnel Mike Biehl and college scouting director Tony Hardie (then the director of player personnel and assistant college director) helped dig out UTEP guard Elijah Klein in the sixth round\u2014feeling like his toughness and grit would be a fit. He made his first career start Sunday at left guard.<\/p>\n \u2022 Luke Haggard came aboard in 2023 (having first played at Santa Rosa Junior College, then Indiana) as an undrafted free agent. He was developed by line coaches Kevin Carberry and Brian Picucci over the past two years on the team\u2019s practice squad. Like Klein, he made his first career start Sunday, as the team\u2019s right guard.<\/p>\n \u2022 Guard Ben Bredeson was a find for the pro scouting department, and assistant GM Rob McCartney and assistant pro scouting directors Donovan Cotton and Sean Conley in particular, on a one-year deal in 2024. He came back this year on a three-year, $22 million deal. And with the shuffling, Bredeson replaced Barton at center, where he\u2019s emerged as a the glue of the group, with his intelligence and maturity.<\/p>\n \u2022 Journeyman Charlie Heck arrived this offseason to replace Justin Skule, who went to Minnesota (where Christian Darrisaw\u2019s injury created an opportunity). Heck\u2019s the right tackle with Goedeke out, and looks like another win for the pro scouting department.<\/p>\n And to tie it all together, it\u2019s worth mentioning that GM Jason Licht and coach Todd Bowles have been very picky on whom they put in the offensive line room, because they think the culture inside of it is so good. You sure could see the benefit of it Sunday, and there\u2019s real hope now that they\u2019ll have not just Wirfs back next week, but also Chris Godwin (Egbuka replacing him is another one of these stories) for next weekend\u2019s titanic NFC showdown against the Eagles.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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