Ravens kicker Justin Tucker just kicked off and the Bills will start on offense after a touchback.

Washington trailed for all of eight-plus minutes against Arizona. Then, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels took over to continue what has been a record-setting start to his career.

Daniels led Washington to touchdowns on its first two drives, extending the team’s streak of consecutive drives with a score to 16, before throwing an interception. It was one of the few mistakes he made on a day when last season’s Heisman Trophy winner completed 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown.

San Francisco, a preseason favorite to win the NFC, was just 1-2 to start the season. Then New England came to town. 

The Patriots, the NFL’s worst passing offense, did not improve behind Jacoby Brissett, who threw a pick-six interception returned by 49ers linebacker Fred Warner for a touchdown as part of a 30-13 win. Warner later left the game in the first half and did not return with an ankle injury. New England is now 1-3, while the 49ers are 2-2.

With tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and all-around weapon Deebo Samuel (calf) back in the lineup after injuries, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 288 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Despite still playing without the injured Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco’s running game was able to rush for 148 yards, including 123 by Jordan Mason, who out-rushed New England (73 yards) all by himself. 

Beneath 4-0 Kansas City, there is a logjam in the AFC West standings. The Chargers, Broncos and now Raiders are all 2-2, after Las Vegas did just enough to beat Cleveland, 20-16. 

This was no offensive showcase.

The teams combined to throw for 265 yards. Las Vegas lost a fumble that Cleveland returned for a touchdown; the Browns threw an interception. Neither team scored for the final 14:50 of the fourth quarter. But touchdown runs by Tre Tucker and DJ Turner, along with two field goals by Daniel Carlson, were the difference.

We’re sensing a theme with the Chiefs.

Kansas City won its fourth consecutive game to start the season in a fourth consecutive nail-biter. After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, Kansas City rallied to win, 17-10, in Los Angeles. All four of its wins this season have now come by seven points or fewer. Travis Kelce, who entered Sunday with eight catches this season, caught seven passes, for 89 yards, against the Chargers.

The Chiefs won despite losing wideout Rashee Rice to a leg injury. Patrick Mahomes completed 19 passes to seven different receivers, anyway, for 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception. 

Chargers (2-2) quarterback Justin Herbert returned from a high-ankle sprain that knocked him out of a loss a week earlier and threw for 179 yards, with one touchdown. But after the Chargers scored a touchdown and field goal on their first two drives, their offense vanished, with their last eight drives ending by either a punt, missed field goal or on downs.

For all of his sheer production, Josh Allen has struggled against Baltimore in his career, posting a 1-2 record with a 46% completion percentage. Only one other team, Atlanta (42%), has held Allen to a lower percentage. For context, Allen’s career completion percentage is 63.5%. 

The Ravens have also held Allen to 4.8 yards per passing attempt, which also ranks as the second-lowest mark against any opponent in his career. 

Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson is 2-1 in his career against Buffalo, though he hasn’t exactly feasted, either. Jackson has completed 63% of his passes against the Bills but accounted for four total touchdowns against three interceptions.

This season, the Ravens are wearing a decal on their helmet in honor of two former members of the franchise who died this summer: Offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris and WR Jacoby Jones.

D’Alessandris passed away on Aug. 25 at the age of 70. D’Alessandris had been hospitalized in mid-August due to an acute illness that was going to require ongoing treatment for an extended period and he had experienced complications following a surgery this summer. D’Alessandris, who was an NFL coach for 15 seasons, had been Baltimore’s offensive line coach for the last seven years (2017-2023).

Jones died on July 14 at the age of 40 due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease, a heart disease caused by long-term high blood pressure. He played three seasons with the Ravens from 2012-14, winning Super Bowl XLVII with Baltimore.

The Ravens have an NFL-high 31 accepted penalties through three weeks. The issue has worsened throughout September, as Baltimore has seen an increase in penalties in each of their three games.

They’ve had 24 accepted penalties over the last two games.

Baltimore’s 31 accepted penalties are their most through three weeks of a season in franchise history, and the most by any team in the first three weeks of a season since 2021 (PHI — 35).

Last season under defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, the Ravens ranked sixth in total defense (301.4 yds/gm) and had the No. 1 scoring defense in the league, allowing just 16.5 pts/gm.

Through three weeks this season under new coordinator Zach Orr, the Ravens are allowing 341.7 yds/gm (10th-most in the NFL) and 26.0 pts/gm (T-8th most in NFL). They are the only team in the NFL to have allowed 25+ points in all three games this season (Baltimore allowed 25+ points in two games all last season, including the playoffs).

If Baltimore allows 25+ points in this game, it would tie for the longest streak in franchise history allowing 25+ points (done four previous times, most recently in the 2016 season).

Buffalo’s early-season defensive success is particularly impressive considering the Bills are missing several key contributors due to injury:

• LB Matt Milano — a First-Team All-Pro in 2022 — suffered a torn biceps which required surgery in training camp. Milano began the season on injured reserve and it’s too early to know if his season is over. Milano played just 5 games last season, suffering a serious knee/leg injury in Week 5
• 2023 2nd round pick Dorian Williams has started all 3 games this season in Milano’s absence and leads the Bills in tackles (30) with a fumble recovery in Week 1 vs Arizona.
• LB Terrel Bernard — one of two team captains along w/ QB Josh Allen — suffered a pectoral strain in Week 2 and will miss his second game this week.
• CB Taron Johnson — who started every game last season and was named Second Team All-Pro — suffered a forearm injury on the first drive of their Week 1 win. He missed the last two games and is expected to miss tonight.

Baltimore is one of six teams with at least 600 rushing yards through their first three games since 1990 (Green Bay is also on this list).

Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson are the first pair of teammates each with at least 250 rush yards in their team’s first three games of a season since 1976 (L.A. Rams — John Cappelletti and Lawrence McCutcheon). The last pair of teammates each with 300+ rush yds in their team’s first four games of a season were Warrick Dunn and Michael Vick with the 2006 Atlanta Falcons.

Against the Ravens, Buffalo (3-0) is trying to remain among the club of undefeated teams that shrank today.

Pittsburgh (3-1) suffered its first loss, 27-24, at Indianapolis, even though the Colts lost starting quarterback Anthony Richardson in the first quarter. And in Los Angeles, the Chargers jumped out to a 10-0 first-half lead on 3-0 Kansas City. The remaining unbeaten teams, for now, include Minnesota, which improved to 4-0 by holding on to beat Green Bay, and Seattle (3-0), which plays Monday against Detroit. 

As for the three teams that entered the weekend without a win, one no longer owns that ominous distinction. Cincinnati beat Carolina, 34-24, to improve to 1-3. Jacksonville (0-4) and Tennessee, which plays Monday, are still waiting.

Former Titans RB Derrick Henry, who joined the Ravens on a 2-year, $16M deal, has scored four rushing touchdowns in his first three games with the team.

The 30-year-old — who spends nearly $250,000 annually on body maintenance — had his first monster game with Baltimore in Week 3, totaling season highs in carries (25), rush yds (151) and rush TD (2).

In Weeks 1-2 (both losses), Henry had 31 carries for 130 rush yards total (with 2 rush TD).

In the Lamar Jackson era, running the ball has been the calling card of the Ravens offense.

Since 2018 (Jackson’s rookie year), Baltimore has been the top run offense in the NFL across multiple categories. The Ravens’ commitment to the run in that span has spanned three offensive coordinators — Marty Mornhingweg (2018), Greg Roman (2019-22) and current OC, Todd Monken, who took over in 2023.

This season has been no different for the Ravens — they rank second in rush offense averaging 203.3 rush yds per game (only behind Green Day — 204.0). After their 0-2 start, Baltimore rode the run game to their first win of the season in Dallas.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s miraculous comeback reached another milestone Monday as he grabbed his first career interception.

Hamlin intercepted Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence late in the second quarter. Lawrence overthrew receiver Brian Thomas Jr., and Hamlin was ready and waiting to accept the errant pass.

The Bills scored their fourth touchdown only a few plays later and won 47-10.

While Allen has been spreading the ball in the passing game, RB James Cook is the clear No. 1 in the backfield, leading the team in carries (41), rush yards (188) and rushing TD (3).

Cook, who had four rushing TD total in his first two seasons in the league (two in both 2022 and 2023), already has a career-high three rushing TD in just three games this season.

In the Week 2 win at Miami, he had a career-high three total TD (2 rush, 1 rec) and he added another rushing TD in Week 3 vs. Jacksonville.

Cook is one of just five NFL players with 85+ scrimmage yards in all three games this season (along with Eagles’ Saquon Barkley, Texans’ Nico Collins, Saints’ Alvin Kamara and 49ers Jordan Mason) and he ranks tied for second on the team in catches (eight) and second in receiving yards (97).

Buffalo entered this season with questions on where its offensive production would come from after trading All-Pro WR Stefon Diggs (led BUF in catches, receiving yards and rec TD each of the last four seasons) to Houston and losing No. 2 WR Gabe Davis (second in rec yds and rec TD each of the last two seasons) in free agency to Jacksonville.

Under new full-time offensive coordinator Joe Brady, the offense has taken on an “everybody eats” mentality to replace the lost production, with Allen spreading the ball around as the Bills have scored a league-high 112 points (37.3 pts/gm) through three weeks.

Allen has thrown seven TD passes this season — to six different players. In the Week 3 win vs. Jacksonville, 10 different Bills had a reception, and six different Bills scored a touchdown.

Buffalo and Baltimore have been two of the best teams in the NFL since drafting their respective superstar QBs in 2018, yet neither team has reached the Super Bowl in that time frame.

Much of the Bills and Ravens’ failure to get over the hump can be attributed to the Kansas City Chiefs, who have reached four Super Bowls, winning three of them, over the past five seasons.

Both Buffalo and Baltimore saw their seasons end at home against Kansas City last season, with the Chiefs beating the Bills, 27-24, in the Divisional Round and then defeating the Ravens, 17-10, in the AFC Championship Game.

In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Bills selected Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick and the Ravens took Lamar Jackson with the 32nd overall pick.

Allen and Jackson were two of five quarterbacks selected in the first round of that draft and are the only two who are still with the team that drafted them. The other quarterbacks taken were Baker Mayfield (Browns now with the Bucs), Sam Darnold (Jets and now with the Vikings) and Josh Rosen (Cardinals. He is now out of football and enrolled at UPenn’s Wharton School of Business).

While Lamar Jackson has two MVPs already on his resume, Josh Allen enters Week 4 as the MVP favorite with an NFL-high 9 total TD (7 pass, 2 rush) and no interceptions this season.

It’s the first time in his career that he has opened a season with no interceptions through the first three games (Allen only had three games in the 2023 regular season without an INT). He is coming off an excellent performance in the Week 3 win vs. JAX, throwing for 263 yards with 4 TDs (also had 44 rush yds). His performance earned him the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award