Week 3 in the NFL was one to remember for several reasons: Brett Favre's final-play touchdown toss to Greg Lewis, the defending champion Steelers falling to 1-2 with a shocking loss to the Bengals and — in perhaps the week's biggest feat — the Lions ending their 19-game losing streak by edging the Redskins. And for every team that looks unstoppable out there on the field, there's another that looks like it would require a miracle to get into the win column.
With all of the last-second excitement separating the contenders from the pretenders, here are my predictions after Week 3 for the Super Bowl champions, the NFL Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. I'll update my picks each week as the season goes on. I'd love to get your picks as well in the comments section below.
Now let the games begin.
Super Bowl Champs
1. New York Giants (3-0, first in NFC East)
Los Gigantes looked downright nasty in making the Buccaneers walk the plank in their 24-0 whitewashing in Tampa. Eli Manning had his typically sound game, going 14-for-24 in the air for 161 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions, and the running back tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for 196 yards and a score. And yes, it was against the hapless Bucs, but the G-men's defense, the second-stoutest in the league, allowed 86 net yards. That's Super Bowl-caliber stuff.
2. Baltimore Ravens (3-0, first in AFC North)
Defense remains Baltimore's calling card, as the unit allowed just 186 yards and three points in pasting the Browns last week. But it's the offense that makes the team dangerous, and if Joe Flacco continues to flourish under center and the duo of Willis McGahee and Ray Rice continues to put up solid numbers, this is a team that's going to win a lot of games.
3. New Orleans Saints (3-0, first in NFC South)
The Saints have hands-down the most prolific offense in the league. What may be most impressive, though, is that even on a day when quarterback Drew Brees struggled (16-29, 172 yards), they still managed to put up 378 total yards and 27 points on the road against the Bills, thanks in no small part to Pierre Thomas' season-high 126 yards and two TDs. The defense, too, has impressed under new coordinator Gregg Williams.
4. Indianapolis Colts (3-0, first in AFC South)
The Indy offense took it to the defending NFC champs on Sunday night, as Peyton Manning threw for 379 yards and four scores. And wideout Pierre Garcon has turned into a viable replacement for the departed Marvin Harrison and the injured Anthony Gonzalez. Watch out for the underrated Colts defense, which held Kurt Warner and the Cardinals to 10 points.
5. Minnesota Vikings (3-0, first in NFC North)
OK, so the Vikes were a Favre near-Hail Mary away from losing to the 49ers. But Lewis made the terrific catch in the back of the end zone and the Minnesota fans will forever have a fond memory of Favre's home-stadium debut. The Vikings' secondary is fourth-best in the league against the pass.
Most Valuable Player
1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
He's second in the NFL with 327.7 passing yards per game and has seven touchdowns to just two interceptions. He manages to put up big numbers just about every year with constantly changing talent around him. If the Colts offense continues to perform at this rate, Peyton could be taking home his fourth AP MVP award.
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Brees had an abnormally normal game in Week 3, but the Saints still managed to produce on offense. Still sixth in the league in passing yards and leading the way with nine scores through the air, he'll stay among the MVP favorites as long as New Orleans keeps putting up points.
3. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Despite his excellent rookie campaign in 2008, very few expected Flacco to break out the way he has. He threw for a career-high 342 yards Sunday against the Browns, and though he's been helped out by the McGahee-Rice running back combination behind him, he's the clear leader of this powerful and efficient offense.
4. Eli Manning, New York Giants
At first glance, you might not think Eli has the stats required to be a serious contender for this award. And frankly, his numbers don't compare well to those of the signal callers above him on this list. But his QB rating of 104.1 puts him third in the NFL behind only Brees and his older brother. And if the Giants continue to dominate on both sides of the ball, he can be in this race till the end.
5. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
AP had a relative off week Sunday against the Niners, rushing for 85 yards and no touchdowns in the Vikings' last-second triumph. But his 357 yards on the ground still lead the NFL and he's second in the league with four touchdowns. Don't expect another off-game against the Packers on Monday night.
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Elvis Dumervil, Denver Broncos
Believe it or not, the 3-0 Broncos' defense is statistically the NFL's best. And who's been the heart and soul of the Denver D so far? Dumervil, an outside linebacker whose 14 solo tackles are tied for third-best on the team and whose six sacks put him second in the league behind the Bengals' Antwan Odom. On the season, Dumervil also had a forced fumble and two passes defended.
2. David Harris, New York Jets
The man in the middle for one of the league's stingiest defenses, Harris is doing it all for new coach Rex Ryan. Whether it's his 21 tackles and two sacks or his pass coverage (one interception and three passes defended), he's one of the main reasons the Jets are allowing the league's second-fewest points per game.
3. Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings
Not only is he the emotional leader of this squad (the No. 4 defense in the league), but he's been producing like a maniac, with 11 tackles through three games, two sacks and two forced fumbles.
4. Mike Peterson, Atlanta Falcons
The 11th-year linebacker from Florida is putting together another terrific season in Atlanta. He had 11 tackles on Sunday in New England and already has two forced fumbles, an interception and two passes defended this season.
5. Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts
This veteran pass-rusher — third in the NFL with four sacks — is spearheading a Colts defensive resurgence that has them ranked among the league's stronger corps. He also had a forced fumble in Indy's big win Sunday night over the Cardinals in the desert. A strained quad may limit him for the immediate future, but he'll play a huge role as the season goes on for the 3-0 Colts.
Rookie of the Year
1. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
Another week, another win for the USC alum. Once again, his stats don't jump out at you: 17-for-30 for 171 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the air and another 10 yards and a score on the ground — but he did become the first rookie QB in 40 years to start and win his first three games. But there's something about his poise and “gamer” mentality (did you see him push and spin for that gutsy rushing TD?) that make the Rookie of the Year race seem like a foregone conclusion, even after Week 3.
2. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings
Harvin had four more catches for 51 yards and added a 101-yard kickoff return for a score. This speedster may not put up huge reception numbers, but my, my … whenever he gets the ball in his hands, it sure is fun to watch him.
3. Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos
The first-year back from Georgia had a career-high 21 carries for a career-high 90 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos' 23-3 spanking of the Raiders. He may continue to share carries with Correll Buckhalter for the time being, but if he keeps producing, he'll be the No. 1 guy before long.
4. Brian Cushing, Houston Texans
Another rookie out of Southern Cal, this linebacker made eight more tackles — and defended two more passes — on Sunday in the Texans' home loss to Jacksonville. He leads all rookies with 26 tackles through three games.
5. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
OK, so he obviously gets a huge boost for leading the Lions to their first win since the Carter administration. But he really was solid against the Redskins, completing 21-of-36 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. He'll have good weeks and bad weeks, but all the while, Stafford will be getting the experience he needs to help him further down the line.
