Week 3 NFL Wrap Up

: Leon Washington on his way to the endzone

Week 3 is in the bag and we had another great week of NFL football. There were a lot of outstanding performances from Philadelphia Eagle’s Michael Vick 4 TD effort to the Kansas City Chiefs running their record to 3-0. Then there were the teams that just make you want to shake your head, like the Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills. Here is a look at the some of the highs and lows of the week!

STAND UP

Adrian Peterson – Finally, offensive coordinator / QB coach / QB Brett Favre has decided that maybe the best win for the Vikings to win games is by giving Adrian Peterson the ball. Adrian Peterson responded well to the increased work load, with 23 carries for 160 yards (including a beautiful 80 yard dash down the sideline) and 2 touchdowns and also catching 5 passes out of the backfield. The Vikings passing game is still a work in progress as Favre threw two more interceptions that give him a total of 6 on the season (he threw 7 all of last season). If Peterson keeps running the ball without fumbling, look for the Vikings to make more noise as the season goes on.

Leon Washington – Washington single-handedly willed the Seahawks to a victory against the heavily favored San Diego Chargers, with two dazzling kickoff returns for touchdowns, including this one that started the 2nd half. This past off-season, Washington was basically traded to the Seahawks for USC RB Joe McKnight. Jets Head coach Rex Ryan had this to say about Washington after last week’s performance:

“Glad we traded him to an NFC team.”

Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith – Mike Smith went Phil Ivey riverboat gambler style on the Saints, going for it on two crucial 4^th down plays during a 19 play drive right before halftime as the Falcons wore down the Saints defense and tied the game at 14 a piece before the half. Coach Smith has been criticized for being a little too conservative at times while coaching the Falcons. Coach Smith was aggressive from the onset in this game, knowing that the team needed to score Touchdowns to keep up with the Saints.

Pittsburgh defense – What more can you say? The defense is ranked number 1 in points allowed and 6^th in total yards. The defense has kept the Steelers undefeated while waiting on Big Ben to complete his suspension. Many had the Steelers simply going 2-2 while Roethlisberger was out, but this start has surprised even the most die-hard Steelers fans.

SIT DOWN

San Francisco 49ers – After ending the last season on a high note, and a good training camp, hopes were high for the 49ers. Alex Smith seemed to finally be comfortable in the offense and Vernon Davis and Frank Gore were coming off monster seasons. The defense was led by All world linebacker Patrick Willis and a strong defensive line. Now that the season has started, the 49ers are 0-3, Alex Smith looks absolutely lost on the field, and the 49ers just fired their offensive coordinator. If coach Mike Singletary doesn’t get it together soon, he will be the next to be fired.

New York Giants – The Giants should have been one of the top teams in the NFC East battling Dallas for the NFC east crown, but instead they are fighting one another. From Brandon Jacob’s helmet toss to Antrel Rolle’s public airing of team frustrations to stupid personal foul penalties that are costing the Giants the game, Tom Coughlin is once again losing control of the team that he fought so hard to get under control. This is the 2^nd time this has happened to the Giants and if they ship isn’t righted soon, Coughlin could very well be on his way out the door.

Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jags can’t complain about the lack of fans in the stands and their games blacked out locally with the way they are playing. David Gerrard is a shell of his former self, Maurice Jones-Drew is injured, and the defense isn’t what it used to be. Jack Del Rio will more than likely be fired, and probably before the season is over, and there still remains the strong possibility that Jags will be sold and move to L.A. if the owners approve the sale and move.

San Diego Chargers – What’s with these guys? After having one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL last season, it seems these guys can’t get it going. Yes, they typically start off slow, but even this may be too slow by Chargers’ fans standards. Might be time to pull out the Powder blue Uniforms or Norv Turner may be out of a job sooner than he was prepared for.