Another week is in the books meaning we’ve got another set of studs and duds coming right at you. Here are the top five studs and duds from week three of the 2018 NFL season.
Stud: Carlos Hyde
There were a lot of guys who played Thursday Night such as Baker Mayfield or Isiah Crowell who I could’ve given this slot to, but the least talked about player from that game is who earned it.
Carlos Hyde had himself a wild Sept. 20 both on and off the field. He was the unsung hero of Cleveland’s offense with 103 total yards and a pair of touchdowns.
After he was done helping the Browns win their first game since 2016, he rushed over to the hospital and got to watch his wife give birth to his newborn son. Oh, and did I mention it was also Hyde’s birthday? You can’t ask for a more perfect birthday than that.
Dud: Tom Brady
Never in a million years was I ever expecting to put Tom Brady on the duds section of this list, but here we are.
He wasn’t awful by any means, but Brady and the offense looked completely lost as they were stunned by the Lions on Sunday night. Detroit held the Patriots signal-caller to only 133 passing yards on 14 passes and threw a costly 4th quarter interception.
New England fans shouldn’t freak out about time catching up with Brady, it was only one bad night. He is sure to bounce back, but the five-time super bowl champion didn’t look good in week three.
Stud: Jared Goff
Todd Gurley gets all the love for the Rams offense, but it’s time to start giving some respect to Jared Goff.
When all is said and done, Goff is the one who runs the offense and the one everything goes through. The Rams quarterback threw for 354 yards through the air and tallied three passing touchdowns. The Chargers were able to get some pressure up front, but Goff was able to stay poised in the pocket and find open plays all afternoon.
He might be in a very good system, but it’s time to acknowledge that Jared Goff is more than just a game manager.
Dud: The “Wisconsin” Vikings
What on earth happened in Minnesota on Sunday? Prior to week three, the Kirk Cousins led Vikings looked like Super Bowl threats while the Buffalo Bills looked like a bad Division III college team.
The Bills social media team couldn’t even get the destination of the game right, posting that their flight would be landing in Wisconsin.
https://twitter.com/JillianKweller/status/1043604788263309312
By the end of the first quarter, however, the dysfunctional Josh Allen led Bills were blowing out the Vikings 17-0—27-0 by the end of the first half. The highly praised Vikings defense was constantly out of assignment and Kirk Cousins couldn’t stop turning over the football.
It might just be one of those ‘any given Sunday’ moments, but Minnesota did not look like a Super Bowl threat in week three.
Stud: Calvin Ridley
The matchup between the Saints and Falcons was a wild west shootout and rookie wideout Calvin Ridley made sure to take advantage.
The Atlanta wide receiver caught seven passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns. He completed the hat trick before the third quarter was even over too.
He got off to a quiet start in weeks one and two, but Calvin Ridley is finally on the map and ready to make a name for himself.
Dud: Blake Bortles
Blake Bortles continues to be the most confusing quarterback in the NFL. After a sensational performance where he torched the defending AFC champion Patriots, Bortles looked completely lost against the Titans.
The Jaguars looked prepared to easily move to 3-0 against a Blaine Gabbert led Titans team, but Bortles couldn’t put it together. He never turned the ball over, but he only managed 155 yards despite throwing the ball 22 times.
Stud: Adrian Peterson
There is no way to know how long it will last, but Adrian Peterson has seen quite the resurgence with the Redskins. The former MVP gashed the Packers defense with 120 yards on the ground and a couple of touchdowns.
Washington’s offense has not been consistent week to week, but they seem to be at their best when things run through Adrian Peterson and Alex Smith doesn’t need to do too much.
Dud: Cowboy’s offense
What in the world is going on with the Cowboys’ offense? Ezekiel Elliot seems to be doing alright, but outside of that, they can’t get anything going.
Dallas lacks quality play at wide receiver and has been unable to replace Jason Witten at tight end. Dak Prescott was downright awful against the Seahawks with only 168 yards and a pair of interceptions.
The poor play of the offensive line is what is shocking. Dallas boasted the best offensive line for almost a decade, but they’ve struggled in pass protection lately—the Seahawks sacked Prescott five time.
Stud: Adam Gase
The Miami Dolphins haven’t played a ton of great competition thus far, but they are nonetheless off to a red-hot 3-0 start. Head coach Adam Gase has found creative ways to win.
The defense hasn’t looked particularly exciting and there aren’t any stars on offense, but the Dolphins are just clicking as a team. Oakland got off to a fast 7-0 start and looked like they could’ve easily added to that, but Miami responded with a big touchdown drive of their own.
It remains to be seen how good Miami really is, but they have a big showdown with the New England Patriots coming up in week four.
Dud: Arizona’s coaching staff
There are a lot of issues over in Phoenix, but the Cardinals have been plagued by some weird coaching decisions.
Trailing late in the fourth quarter, they opted to put in rookie quarterback Josh Rosen and hope he could miraculously save the team. He threw an interception early, but not all of his struggles were his fault. Odd offensive plays were called and Rosen was never put in a situation where he could succeed.
There may be dark times ahead in Arizona.
