We’re just three weeks into the NFL season but storylines have already developed throughout the league. Here’s a rundown of what’s going on, by division.
AFC NORTH
The 3–0 Bengals are the real deal in NFL 2015. On the offensive end, Andy Dalton has been explosive, culminating in a career-high 383 yards passing in Week 3, with 3 touchdowns to boot. Dalton now has totals of 866 yards, 8 touchdowns, and a 121.0 passer rating on the season. In terms of the weapons he’s throwing to, he not only has premier target A.J. Green, but WR Marvin Jones and TE Tyler Eifert have also proven to be effective playmakers.
On a side note, it’s Steve Smith’s last season, but he can be easily mistaken for a young receiver in the prime of his career. The ageless one caught 13-17 targets for 186 touchdowns and 2 touchdowns in Week 3.
AFC SOUTH
Marcus Mariota continues to be solid as Andrew Luck continues to be paltry, though Luck got the win in Week 3’s Titans–Colts bout. Meanwhile, Texans QB Ryan Mallett had a strong showing in the Texans’ 19–9 victory over the Buccaneers.
AFC WEST
For all the talk about how Manning has regressed, the Broncos are sitting pretty at 3–0. Manning looked a lot more comfortable in Week 3 after the Broncos reverted back to the shotgun offense, finishing Sunday night with 324 yards and 2 touchdowns. Manning aside, the real strong point of the Broncos has been their defense. The defensive line has been incredibly stout, and behind the line, LB Brandon Marshall and SS T.J. Ward are quick to clean things up. Especially notable is OLB Von Miller, who continues to be one of the league’s most dominating pass-rushing forces and was absolutely ruthless Sunday night versus the Lions.
AFC EAST
The AFC East may very well be at its most competitive point in the past few years, but it is still a division dominated by the Patriots. Using the same old formula of precision passing by Tom Brady, an uncoverable Rob Gronkowski, and an impenetrable offensive line, the Patriots have been decimating opponents offensively thus far. They walloped the Jaguars 51–17 in Week 3.
