Bad news for Da Bears and Mahomes in trouble: 5 things to know about Week 3 of the NFL season
By Andy Scholes, CNN
(CNN) — The NFL season may be young, but the stakes are already high heading into Week 3. Joe Burrow is sidelined again, Patrick Mahomes is in uncharted territory, and a handful of teams are staring down the dreaded 0-3 start.
Here are five things you need to know.
Burrow sidelined again
Bad news in Cincinnati: Joe Burrow is out once again.
The Bengals quarterback – who was placed on injured reserved on Tuesday – suffered turf toe that requires surgery and is expected to miss at least three months, according to reports, derailing another season before it really gets going.
It’s the latest blow in what’s become a frustrating cycle of injuries for Burrow and the Bengals. Still, Cincinnati has opened 2-0 for the first time since 2018, giving the team a little cushion. Backup Jake Browning takes over as the Bengals visit the 1-1 Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Minnesota has quarterback issues of its own, with rookie J.J. McCarthy sidelined two to four weeks by an ankle injury. That leaves Carson Wentz, once cast aside, with another chance to prove he belongs.
Will the Colts ever punt?
The Indianapolis Colts have done something no NFL team has ever done in the Super Bowl era: they haven’t punted through two games. That’s not just efficiency – it’s borderline absurd.
Quarterback Daniel Jones, rejuvenated in Indy, has clicked with running back Jonathan Taylor to power a 2-0 start, capped by last week’s win over Denver.
For now, Rigoberto Sanchez has the strangest job in football: punter without a punt. That streak could end Sunday when the Colts play their first road game against Tennessee, but the fact it lasted this long shows just how dangerous Indy’s offense looks.
Bears down bad
The Chicago Bears are in a rough spot at 0-2, including a 52-21 mauling at the hands of the Detroit Lions that showed how far they still have to go.
Fans expected second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and new head coach Ben Johnson to spark a turnaround, but so far the offense has been inconsistent, and the defense has been flat-out bad.
Chicago’s next test is a clash with the Dallas Cowboys, whose defense just gave up 450 yards passing to Russell Wilson.
If Williams and the offense can’t take advantage of that matchup at home, expect the Soldier Field boos to rain down early.
Mahomes facing unfamiliar territory
For the first time in his career, Patrick Mahomes is 0-2.
The Chiefs’ 20-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in last week’s Super Bowl rematch marked their third straight defeat dating back to last season. That hasn’t happened since Andy Reid and Mahomes joined forces.
Kansas City fans aren’t used to this kind of start – especially after celebrating three Super Bowl titles in the last six years. No one’s hitting the panic button yet, but if the Chiefs fall to the New York Giants on Sunday night and drop to 0-3, it would spark a full-on crisis in KC.
The dreaded 0-3 start
Falling to 0-3 is essentially a death sentence for playoff hopes.
Only six teams in NFL history have started 0-3 and rallied to reach the postseason. The most recent example was the 2018 Houston Texans, and before that you have to go back to the 1998 Bills. It’s rare for a reason – digging out of a three-game hole in a league built on parity is almost impossible.
This week, 10 teams are staring at that cliff: the Chiefs, Texans, New York Jets (who will be missing starting QB Justin Fields due to a concussion), Miami Dolphins, Giants, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Bears, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. That means a slew of “must-win” games in Week 3, even though the calendar still says September.
Full Week 3 schedule
Away @ home (all times in ET)
Thursday
Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m.
Sunday
Cincinnati Bengals @ Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.
Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Washington Commanders, 1 p.m.
Los Angeles Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m.
Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots, 1 p.m.
Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.
New York Jets @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m.
Denver Broncos @ Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m.
New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m.
Dallas Cowboys @ Chicago Bears, 4:25 p.m.
Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m.
Kansas City Chiefs @ New York Giants, 8:20 p.m.
Monday
Detroit Lions @ Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 p.m.
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