NFL 2018: Week 3 Major Talking Points

With week 3 over and done with, week 4 rears its head with the Vikings facing the Rams in a big-time matchup on TNF fast approaching. Before that gets underway, I’m going to list my 5 major talking points from the week 3 action.

Jimmy Garoppolo

It seems to be a weekly occurrence that at least one star player goes down with a torn ACL. Unfortunately for 49ers fans it was handsome Jimmy’s turn to suffer the dreaded tear. The 49ers haven’t had much luck this season, with hotly tipped RB Jerick McKinnon suffering the same fate in preseason.

The loss of Garoppolo leaves a much bigger void though. CJ Beathard is next man up for the Niners, which won’t excite many fans around the NFL. Beathard played in 7 games last season, throwing 4 TDs and 6 INTS, with a QB rating of 69.2. The rest of the season looks bleak for the 49ers.

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The Minnesota Vikings

Buffalo Bills v Minnesota Vikings

What the sweet hell happened to the Vikings this past Sunday. After pulling off an impressive comeback against the Packers in week 2, the Vikings faced the lowly Buffalo Bills. They were projected as 17.5 points favourites before kick off and seemed to have the Bills beaten all over the field…..on paper.

The Bills ended up dismantling the Vikings, and in particular Kirk Cousins. Cousins threw 1 INT and lost 2 fumbles in an off day for the whole Vikings team. The Bills dominated from start to finish and eventually ended up winning the game 27-6, much to the chagrin of Cousins and Diggs fantasy owners, me included.

Baker Mayfield

New York Jets v Cleveland Browns

The Browns have finally snapped the winless streak, much in part to their new QB under center. Baker Mayfield came in to replace a concussed Tyrod Taylor, who was having a nightmare game. The Cleveland faithful were chanting Baker's name, and they got what they asked for.

Mayfield looked composed under center, finishing with 17/23 for 201 yards. The inclusion of Mayfield means the fantasy outlook looks brighter for Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway and David Njoku. With the Oakland Raiders up next, the Browns may well go in to the matchup as favourites. Can you Browns make it two wins on the trot?

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Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints v Atlanta Falcons

Alvin Kamara is a super freak. The New Orleans Running Back has started 2018 just like he finished 2017, with impressive performances coming week after week. In week 3, the Saints just nudged out the Falcons in a match that went into overtime.

Kamara finished with stats of 66 yards on the ground from 16 carries, as well as 15 catches for 124 yards. Kamara received 20 targets in week 3 alone. That is insane! It ranks for 5th most in the league, and he is a Running Back! It will be interesting to see his usage going forward, with Mark Ingram returning in week 5. Ingram is likely to take over most of the early down rushing work, but that won’t affect Kamara’s production if he keeps getting 20 targets per game! He is quickly becoming one of the best backs in this league.

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The Rams

Los Angeles Chargers v Los Angeles Rams

The Rams had an impressive 2017 campaign and then built on it with a strong offseason. They have started 2018 incredibly well, notching up wins against the Raiders, Cardinals and the Chargers. Jared Goff looks like he has taken that next step with his progression. He looked great against the Chargers, completing 29 of 36 passes for 354 and 3 TDs, adding 1 INT in the progress.

Todd Gurley looks immense as always. The receiving trio can hit you from all angles, with Cooks, Kupp and Woods all possessing the ability to have huge games. The Defense is much improved, although it did suffer two injuries to start CBs Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib.

Talib looks like he is headed for surgery, whilst Peters is a shorter-term casualty. The schedule is quite tough over the next few weeks, with visits to Seattle and Denver, as well as hosting the Vikings in week 4. Can they negotiate their way through those matchups and come out of it with a 6-0 record? I wouldn’t be surprised.