Week Three of the 100th season is officially in the books. It brought us a stunning rookie QB comeback, upsets in both conferences, another Dolphins loss, and an undefeated Buffalo Bills team. Whether you’re suprised by those sentences or not, I return with the Week Three edition of my NFL stock market. Whose stock rose from last week, and whose performance dropped-off?
Stock Up: Daniel Jones vs. Buccaneers
Week 3 Stats: 63.9 completion percentage, 336 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 4 carries, 28 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, and a 112.7 passer rating.
Some stars showed out in Week Three but none of them were a rookie quarterback down 18 points in his first NFL start – a start that he indeed came back to win on the road. Daniel Jones shut the doubters up (including myself) for now. He was great in all facets of the game. And, considering former Giants starting QB Eli Manning is 0-44 in when trailing by 18+ in his career while Jones is 1-0, it tells you the type of decision the Giants made. It’s early, but Jones impressed.
Jones made a whole lot of mistakes this game, but the second half is when he truly caught fire. His pair of touchdown passes to Evan Engram (on the first play of the half) and Sterling Shepard (in double coverage) sparked the comeback. Jones didn’t look like a veteran quarterback, but he did have the level of poise and alertness needed to do something Eli Manning has never done. Because of that, he managed to lead a 75-yard, eight-play drive resulting in a seven-yard rushing touchdown and the win by Jones.
I’m glad Jones was able to shut down his doubters for at least one week. For now, it looks like he’ll be the man for the Giants going forward. It also puts a new level of pressure onto Jones. Why? Because it was announced that Saquon Barkley will be out for at least 6-8 weeks due to a high-ankle sprain. That leaves Jones without his best weapon in what will be only his second start of the season. The Redskins are a below-average team this season, and Jones has the potential to knock them off and move to 2-0. For now, Jones silenced his critics and rose his stock in the process.
Stock Down: Todd Gurley II vs. Browns
Week 3 Stats: 14 carries and 43 rushing yards.
That was all Gurley’s stats consisted of in the Rams’ 20-13 Sunday Night Football win against the Cleveland Browns. If I’m being honest, there’s really nothing to analyze. It’s clear that Gurley isn’t the same dominant, touchdown-leading player he was in years past. Concern surrounding his knee is a story that’s been consistent since their Super Bowl loss last season.
It’s not as big of an issue as fans might think, considering the Rams are still winning football games without Gurley at (what I assume is) less than 100%. Each of his past three games have seen Gurley’s yardage numbers decrease. My biggest question is if Gurley really isn’t able to carry the load on offense, or if head coach Sean McVay is just saving Gurley for the later parts of the season.
Either way, it doesn’t look good. What happens if Jared Goff’s performance deteriorates later in the season like it did last year? Wouldn’t McVay’s offense have to lean on their All-Pro running back? A win is a win, but Gurley is obviously not the same as he once was. The more he has these personally subpar performances, the more his stock declines for me.
Stock Up: Patrick Mahomes vs. Ravens
Week 3 Stats: 73.0 completion percentage, 374 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and a 132.0 passer rating.
Patrick Mahomes has been my favorite for the 2019 NFL MVP award since last year ended. He’s simply the best player the NFL has to offer. The narrative going into this game against the Ravens was whether or not Ravens QB Lamar Jackson could keep pace with Mahomes. It’s safe to say that no one matches up with the elite talent that is Patrick Mahomes, at least, for now.
His 73% completion percentage came once again from slinging the ball through the air to the variety of playmakers he has on his offense. That excludes the injured Tyreek Hill. What more is there to say about Mahomes? He’s an elite-level talent who clearly isn’t having any sophomore slump. As he picks up right where he left off, he does so against three teams in which two (Jaguars and Ravens) had stout defenses.
I can confidently say that the only thing separating Mahomes and the Chiefs from a Super Bowl appearance is the New England Patriots. At this point, the Chiefs have a chance to succeed if Mahomes is under center, but can they beat Brady and Belichick under the brightest lights? That’s my biggest question. I don’t have to look ahead to next week for Mahomes because I know he’ll show up to perform. With that, the only thing separating him from a second-straight MVP award is…nothing. The stock keeps rising for the league’s best player, and I’ll keep buying in.
Stock Down: Lamar Jackson vs. Chiefs
Week 3 Stats: 51.2 completion percentage, 267 passing yards, 8 carries, 46 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, and a 70.6 passer rating.
As Mahomes was highlighted for his stellar performance, Jackson gets highlighted for not keeping pace with the reigning MVP. I praised Jackson heavily in my Week One and Week Two stock markets. However, it’s clear that I jumped the gun way, as well as some other fans. Jackson went against the Dolphins and the Cardinals who we all know are nowhere near playoff contention.
This matchup against Patrick Mahomes was narrated to be the game where Jackson shows us all that he’s a legit quarterback. He showed he can pass the ball efficiently for the past two weeks. But, in Week 3, he passed at a rate of just over 50%, which is unacceptable. However, I’m glad I mentioned that it was still early when praising Jackson. The bottom line is that Lamar Jackson needs to learn to throw the ball against the contenders in the NFL the same way he does against the lower-tier teams.
When Jackson uses his legs, he’s the best quarterback in the NFL. But, as it’s been emphasized over and over again, using your legs often won’t win you football games. The stock is down for Jackson, as he didn’t perform to the level he should have. In fact, if he did, the Ravens might’ve knocked off Kansas City.
The Ravens now face the Browns who currently have a depleted secondary. And, while I don’t consider the Browns a contending team, it’s the opportunity for Jackson to truly use that arm and attack what will be a lesser experienced secondary.
Stock Up: Mike Evans, Keenan Allen, and Tyler Lockett vs. Giants, Chargers, and Saints, respectively.
Evans’ Week 3 Stats: 8 receptions, 190 receiving yards, and 3 receiving touchdowns.
Allen’s Week 3 Stats: 13 receptions, 183 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns.
Lockett’s Week 3 Stats: 11 receptions, 154 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns.
As crazy as it seems, all of the NFL’s Week 3 receiving leaders ended up performing in losing efforts. It was hard to choose which receiver stood out among the three. All of their respective teams should’ve won the games they lost. Each game that featured these players was decided by a touchdown or less.
Mike Evans started the season a little slower than usual. He totaled six receptions and 89 receiving yards in two games. Against the Giants, the story was completely different. Right out of the gate, Evans torched New York’s secondary with a 21-yard touchdown matched up against CB Janoris Jenkins. Evans had a career-high three touchdowns in the first half to help Tampa Bay gain the 18-point lead they later blew to the Giants. His longest reception of the day (55 yards) added onto what was Evans’ most productive game since his rookie year. As a player who was struggling to find his stride at the beginning of the season, this game was needed. And, as the NFL’s leading receiver in Week 3, he notched a stock up for me.
Switching sides to Keenan Allen, is it realistic to have him in MVP conversations? Allen is a player that’s been rather slept on in the stock market. He’s tallied 98+ receiving yards in each of his first three games. Allen is playing out of his mind on a depleted Chargers team, and Week Three was no different. On a team where All-Pro RB Melvin Gordon isn’t available, someone’s going to have to step up in his absence. Enter Keenan Allen.
Allen was targeted on almost 40% of QB Philip Rivers’ passes which turned to a 76% catch rate. That’s an impressive number for someone who, three weeks in, is arguably the NFL’s best receiver thus far. The stock up goes for Allen not only beating up the Texans’ secondary but keeping his consistent play going. Now that Melvin Gordon is set to return, who knows what that could mean for Allen’s usage. They do face the Dolphins in Week 4, though, which could mean another big day from Allen.
Last, let’s look at Tyler Lockett who had an efficient day as well. The Seahawks aren’t a top-10 offense. But, you better believe that if Russell Wilson is your QB, he’ll get you the ball. Wilson had 457 total yards himself, and he got the ball to Lockett plenty. Lockett has solidified himself as the leader of Seattle’s receiving corps both on and off the field. This game saw him set his career-high in both receptions and receiving yards. Slowly but surely, Lockett is turning into Wilson’s number one target and rightfully so. The stock up goes to Lockett for performing against an above-average New Orleans Saints’ defense. Seattle moves onto the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4 whose secondary will be in some trouble facing this Seattle offense.
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