Week 3 has already been filled with road upsets, unexpected 3-0 starts and breakout individual performances. Below are some of the most surprising stats behind Sunday’s results.
Note that all stats are courtesy of TruMedia unless otherwise stated.
Vikings: 3-0 With +55 Point Differential
Most expected the Minnesota Vikings to muddle through a transition season with Kirk Cousins leaving in free agency and rookie QB J.J. McCarthy out for the season. But the Sam Darnold-led squad is not only 3-0, but dominating teams with a plus-55 point differential. That’s the second-best point differential through three games in Vikings history, trailing the 1975 team that went on to finish with the best record in the league (12-2).
All four of Sam Darnold’s touchdowns against the Texans came on short passes (0-10 air yards), against no blitz, and against man coverage; three were on dropbacks over 2.5 seconds.
Darnold currently leads the NFL in TDs on dropbacks over 2.5 seconds (6).#HOUvsMIN | @Vikings pic.twitter.com/iOR7E9oYQd
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 22, 2024
Darnold tied his career-high with 4 Pass TDs, doing so on only 28 pass attempts. He’s passed for multiple TD in all three games with the Vikings, the longest streak of his career. The efficiency has been off the charts, as he’s thrown a touchdown on 10.3% of his passes. Brock Purdy led the NFL with a 7.0% TD rate last season.
Not to be forgotten, the defense held the Texans to only seven points and produced five sacks. The Brian Flores-led unit had at least five sacks in every game this season, making Minnesota the first team since the 2001 Saints to have at least five sacks in each of their first three games of the season.
Daniel Jones-to-Malik Nabers Leads Giants to 1st Win
Arguably the most beleaguered starting QB in the league, Daniel Jones enjoyed one of the best games of his career in leading the Giants to their first win of the season. Against an elite defense, Jones did not turn the ball over and averaged 0.13 EPA per dropback. Over the first two losses, Jones averaged -0.13 EPA per dropback.
Malik Nabers was targeted 12 times on 34 routes for 8 receptions, 78 yards and 2 touchdowns, accounting for 56.9% of the Giants team air yards.
Nabers is the only receiver in the NFL to account for over half of his team's air yards (57.6%) this season.
Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/4H42o4zASW
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 22, 2024
New York’s offense got going thanks to Jones’ connection with rookie receiver Malik Nabers. The sixth overall pick led the Giants with eight receptions for 78 yards and a pair of first-half TDs. So far this season, he’s accounted for three of the Giants’ four receiving TDs.
The Giants have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018, but with Nabers already up to 200 yards through three games (on pace for 1,133), he looks primed to become their first true No. 1 receiver since OBJ.
Malik Willis’ Dual Threat Revenge Game
No, there’s no QB controversy in Green Bay. But Malik Willis has played better in two wins than anyone could have expected, and defeated his former team in Tennessee on Sunday. Willis passed for a career-high 202 yards and led all players with 73 rush yards. He became the 2nd Packers QB in the Super Bowl era with 200 pass yards & 70 rush yards in a game (Don Majkowski also did this in 1990 at Detroit).
and then a little Christian Watson trust to set up an opening touchdown drive. whooooo buddy, Malik Willis feeling it early pic.twitter.com/6PDSXpfzh4
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 22, 2024
In two starts this season, Willis has not turned the ball over and has averaged 0.36 EPA per dropback. For context, the highest mark in the league last season was 0.26 EPA per dropback (Brock Purdy). Willis’ two-game showcase will go down as another Matt LaFleur masterpiece, with Jordan Love expected back under center imminently.
Underdog Broncos Beat Bucs by 19
Sportsbooks viewed Denver as a clear road underdog traveling to Tampa Bay to face the 2-0 Buccaneers. At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Broncos closed as a six-point underdog. However, Denver defied those odds with a 19-point win, its largest as a betting underdog since 2017 (beat the Jets 23-0).
Bo Nix had the best day of his young career, completing 69.4% of his passes while also rushing for 47 yards. However, the standout performance was from a defense that sacked Baker Mayfield seven times, their most in a game since 2019 vs the Titans.
Denver’s defense led the NFL with a 48% pressure rate through Week 2, but it also had to blitz a league-high 52% of the time to generate that pressure. Sunday, they blitzed at less than half that rate (22.5%), making the Broncos’ sack production all the more impressive.
Steelers Outgain Chargers by 178 Yards
Stingy defense is nothing new in Pittsburgh, where the 3-0 Steelers are allowing 8.7 PPG on the season. That’s their fewest points allowed through three games since 2007, which was Mike Tomlin’s second season as their head coach.
But the Justin Fields-led offense also showed up in the Week 3 win over the Chargers, gaining 346 yards. That plus-178 yardage differential is Pittsburgh’s third-best in a game over the last five seasons. The Steelers have typically had to squeak out games without that type of clear offensive advantage. Last year’s team began the season 6-4 despite being outgained in all 10 games.
Fields rushed for their first TD of the day, but also passed for 245 yards, nearly as many as his first two games combined (273). Fields completed 78.1 percent of his passes, his third-highest in 41 career starts.
With Russell Wilson still recovering from his calf injury, starting Fields could be Tomlin’s most viable option as he continues to operate a high-floor offense to complement one of the league’s best defenses.