Baltimore escaped Dallas in Rio de Janeiro on Tyler Loop’s 56-yard field goal as Week 3 produced an extraordinary run of tight finishes across the NFL. Twelve of Sunday’s 14 games were decided by eight points or fewer, with late turnovers, special-teams swings and final-play drama shaping a packed slate.
Loop’s kick gave the Ravens a 34-31 victory after a frantic final sequence. With seven seconds on the clock and the score even, Lamar Jackson hit Zay Flowers over the middle for 27 yards. Flowers got down immediately, allowing Baltimore to use its final timeout with one second left and send Loop out from the Dallas 38-yard line.
The rookie kicker drilled the longest field goal of his career, a defining response after a difficult stretch that included a blocked try against New Orleans in Week 2 and a costly miss in last season’s Week 18 loss to Pittsburgh. That earlier miss helped fuel offseason uncertainty around Loop, though he retained his job through training camp.
Jackson said he had told Loop on the sideline that his “legacy starts now,” praising both the kicker and the special-teams unit after the decisive conversion. Baltimore had also needed its defense to keep Dallas out of the end zone during the final drive, while Jackson and Flowers executed the final play with almost no margin for error.
The Ravens moved the ball effectively but struggled in several short-yardage situations. Still, the win supplied an early show of resilience in Jesse Minter’s first year in charge and kept Baltimore in step in a competitive division.
AFC North produces more late drama
Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati 30-27 as Aaron Rodgers connected on deep throws that had not landed in the first two weeks. If the Steelers can continue producing explosive plays while keeping Rodgers healthy, they could become a difficult opponent down the stretch.
The Bengals’ strong defensive start cooled off, but special teams were the larger issue against Pittsburgh. The punt unit gave the Steelers additional opportunities, and Joe Burrow’s final possession ended with a fumble. Cincinnati took a painful divisional loss, though the overall result does not yet demand panic.
Cleveland moved to 2-1 behind another strong defensive outing, limiting Bryce Young and a Carolina offense that had shown promise during the opening two weeks. Deshaun Watson avoided the major errors that have troubled him and made decisive plays for the Browns.
Patriots searching for answers from Drake Maye
New England’s 1-2 beginning has brought scrutiny to quarterback Drake Maye, whose seven turnovers lead the NFL through three games. It is the highest giveaway total by a Patriots player over the franchise’s first three games of a season in the last 30 years.
The Patriots expected a more demanding schedule after winning the AFC East, but Maye’s decision-making has been the central concern. His turnovers began in the opener at Seattle and continued in Sunday’s lopsided defeat against Jacksonville.
Maye lost a fumble that he could attribute to blood on the ball from the center, but his second-quarter interception in the end zone was a more serious mistake. The throw was forced into a situation that did not justify the risk, reinforcing concerns that defenses have adjusted to him while he has not yet countered.
Coach Mike Vrabel said quarterbacks naturally want to create touchdowns, but warned that trying to force every play can have the opposite effect. He compared it to gripping a golf club too tightly, saying the Patriots must settle down and stop chasing plays that are not available.
Raiders reach 3-0 before Chiefs test
Las Vegas remained unbeaten with a Week 3 win in New Orleans, again showing a more sustainable formula under coach Klint Kubiak. The Raiders forced four takeaways in the fourth quarter against the Saints after recording only three fourth-quarter takeaways during all of the 2025 season.
No NFL team had produced at least four turnovers in the fourth quarter of a game since Dallas did it against Indianapolis in Week 13 of the 2022 season. Las Vegas benefited from a disputed fumble ruling involving Tyler Shough, but its defenders still created the opportunities that changed the game.
Brock Bowers returned from a knee procedure and immediately transformed the offense, catching 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Kubiak moved the tight end between in-line and split-out alignments, repeatedly creating difficult matchups. Kirk Cousins leaned heavily on Bowers, although the Raiders still need another consistent outside receiver to complete the offense.
Las Vegas has been steady at quarterback, productive with its playmakers and sharp on both sides of the ball. However, its first three opponents own a combined 1-8 record. The more revealing examination comes Oct. 4, when Kansas City visits Las Vegas in Week 4.
Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby called the New Orleans result a huge win but immediately turned attention toward the Chiefs, telling teammates to enjoy the night, recover and prepare for the challenge ahead.
Purdy leads 49ers through mounting injuries
Brock Purdy continued his MVP-level opening to the season in San Francisco’s win over Arizona, throwing for 297 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover. The performance was his 14th career game with a passer rating above 130.
That total is the most by any NFL player before his 27th birthday, moving Purdy past Jackson. It also ties Joe Montana for the second-most such games in 49ers history, behind only Steve Young’s 22.
Purdy’s precision has repeatedly created yards after the catch, and his touchdown throw to Mike Evans again showed his ability to fit passes through narrow windows. San Francisco has needed that accuracy alongside Christian McCaffrey’s production as injuries accumulate throughout the roster.
Evans left Sunday’s game with a rib injury, Trent Williams suffered a stinger and linebacker Dre Greenlaw exited with a quad issue. Nick Bosa is also expected to miss multiple weeks with a calf injury. The defensive absences allowed Arizona to narrow the gap late, even though the contest had felt more comfortable for San Francisco for much of the afternoon.
Denver in Week 4 and Seattle in Week 5 will provide a tougher defensive test for Purdy and the 49ers.
Five clubs begin at 0-3
The Texans, Chargers, Dolphins, Buccaneers and Titans are each 0-3 entering Week 4. NFL history offers limited encouragement: only seven teams have ever begun 0-3 and still reached the playoffs.
The 2025 Texans and 2018 Texans are the only teams since 2000 to recover from an 0-3 start and make the postseason, leaving all five current winless teams with little room for further error.
The weekend closed with another one-score finish in Denver, where Matthew Stafford’s late interception completed the Rams’ second-half collapse against the Broncos.
