NFL Week 3 In A Nutshell

The Skinny: The Browns won their first home game since 1995 and defeated their fiercest rival in the process.
We expected . . . Jerome Bettis to regain his form, with 122 yards and a TD rushing.
We didn't expect . . . three sacks for Cleveland's Courtney Brown -- the first of his career for the No. 1 overall draft choice last April.
Stud: Cleveland QB Tim Couch threw for 316 yards, two TDs and no interceptions.
Stiff: Pittsburgh QB Kent Graham took a sack with eight seconds left and no timeouts as the Steelers were in field goal range. The clock expired before Pittsburgh's field goal unit could get on the field.
By the numbers: In the fourth quarter, the Browns drove 87 yards in 5:11 for the tying field goal, then 94 yards in 4:07 for the winning field goal.
Next week: Pittsburgh (0-2) hosts Tennessee, while Cleveland (2-1) travels to Oakland.

St. Louis 41, San Francisco 24

The Skinny: The Rams' offensive machine stayed in high gear as they throttled the hapless Niners.
We expected . . . 394 passing yards for the Rams' Kurt Warner.
We didn't expect . . . to see the Niners within three points in the fourth quarter.
Stud: Isaac Bruce grabbed eight balls for 188 yards and a 78-yard TD from Warner.
Stiffs: The defensive secondaries for these two teams were toasted to the tune of 684 passing yards.
By the numbers: The Rams have scored 30+ points in an NFL-record nine straight games.
Next week: San Francisco (0-3) travels to Dallas, while St. Louis (3-0) plays at Atlanta.

New York Jets 27, Buffalo 14

The Skinny: The Jets grabbed sole possession of first place in the AFC East with a hard-hitting victory over Buffalo.
We expected . . . a touchdown catch by Bills WR Eric Moulds.
We didn't expect . . . a touchdown catch by Jets cornerback Marcus Coleman, who entered the game as a receiver on the last play of the first half and caught a 45-yard Hail Mary from QB Vinny Testaverde.
Studs: The Jets' special teams dominated the game, getting a 97-yard kickoff return for a TD from Kevin Williams and forced fumbles on consecutive punts in the fourth quarter to ice the game.
Stiffs: The Bills' special teams -- see above.
By the numbers: The Jets are 3-0 for the first time since 1966.
Next week: The Bills (2-1) have a bye; the Jets (3-0) travel to Tampa Bay.

Jacksonville 13, Cincinnati 0

The Skinny: The Jags earned their first shutout in franchise history as they blanked the Bengals on a sloppy, rain-soaked field.
We expected . . . Hurricane Gordon to affect the game, and it did, creating treacherous footing throughout the game.
We didn't expect . . . Jacksonville's backup kicker Steve Lindsey banging through a pair of field goals.
Stud: Jacksonville WR Keenan McCardell had 10 receptions for 108 yards and the game's only TD.
Stiff: Cincinnati RB Corey Dillon carried the ball 17 times for only 32 yards, less than two yards a carry, and was actually outgained on the ground by Bengals' QB Akili Smith (34-32).
By the numbers: Cincinnati's rookie kicker Neil Rackers missed a pair of field goals and is now 0-for-3 on the season.
Next week: Cincinnati (0-2) travels to Baltimore, while Jacksonville (2-1) travels to Indianapolis for a Monday Night affair.

Green Bay 6, Philadelphia 3

The Skinny: Both squads played solid defense, and the Packers won a battle of field goals.
We expected . . . Brett Favre to make enough plays to win the game at the end.
We didn't expect . . . Philly QB Donovan McNabb to be held to 118 yards passing.
Stud: Green Bay CB Tod McBride made three solo tackles, assisted on four others, and defensed two passes as he blanketed Eagle receivers all day.
Stiffs: Philadelphia's offensive line gave up five sacks -- nearly impossible with a mobile QB like McNabb -- and only cleared the way for 85 rushing yards on the day.
By the numbers: The last time the Packers failed to score a touchdown in a game -- Sept. 7, 1997 -- was also against the Eagles. Ryan Longwell missed what would have been a game-winning field goal on the final play of that game; yesterday, he won the game with a 38-yard kick.
Next week: Philadelphia (1-2) travels to New Orleans, while Green Bay (1-2) will battle the Cardinals in Arizona.

Tampa Bay 31, Detroit 10

The Skinny: The Bucs continue to dominate on defense, and their new offensive flair put the Lions away early.
We expected . . . 10 points scored by the Lions.
We didn't expect . . . four TDs and 31 points allowed by the Lions, after shutting down high-flying Washington last week.
Stud: Tampa Bay DT Warren Sapp got football's version of the hat trick -- three sacks of Detroit's Charlie Batch.
Stiff: Detroit RB James Stewart gained 13 yards on eight carries.
By the numbers: Randall McDaniel, normally an All-Pro guard, caught a 2-yard TD pass from Shawn King, the first TD in McDaniel's 13-year career.
Next week: Tampa Bay (3-0) hosts the Jets; Detroit (2-1) travels to Chicago.

Atlanta 15, Carolina 10

The Skinny: The Falcons score a road upset behind a resurgent running game and four turnovers.
We expected . . . a sack from Carolina DE Reggie White, who never seems to slow down.
We didn't expect . . . a Falcon victory, after getting drubbed 42-14 in Denver last week.
Stud: Atlanta RB Jamal Anderson ran for 97 yards and a TD as he shakes off the rust following last year's knee injury.
Stiff: Carolina punter Ken Walter bobbled a snap on a botched field goal attempt and had a punt blocked.
By the numbers: Carolina's loss knocked the Panthers to 1-2 and kept it from moving above .500 for the first time since 1997.
Next week: Atlanta (2-1) hosts the Rams, while the Panthers have a bye.

Chiefs 42, Chargers 10

The Skinny: After throwing a first-quarter interception that was returned for a TD, Kansas City QB Elvis Grbac shook off the boos and threw five TD passes to his teammates as they routed the Chargers.
We expected . . . a rough offensive game for the Chargers, who put together a mere 187 yards and a field goal against the Chiefs' D.
We didn't expect . . . Grbac to do a Joe Montana impression.
Stud: Kansas City WR Sylvester Morris, a rookie from Jackson State, hauled in six passes for 112 yards and three TDs.
Stiffs: The San Diego offensive line allowed six sacks -- one that knocked starting QB Moses Moreno out of the game with an injury -- and accounted for a mere 49 yards rushing.
By the numbers: The last time a Chiefs QB threw for five TDs in one game was 1967, when Len Dawson turned the trick.
Next week: San Diego (0-3) hosts Seattle; Kansas City (1-2) travels to Denver.

Denver 33, Oakland 24

The Skinny: The Broncos blew a 24-7 lead, but outscored the Raiders 9-0 in the second half to tie Oakland for first place in the AFC West.
We expected . . . Denver to win -- the Raiders are 1-10 against the Broncos since Mike Shanahan took over in Denver.
We didn't expect . . . 187 more rushing yards from Mike Anderson, who broke onto the scene with 131 in last week's rout of the Falcons.
Stud: Denver kicker Joe Nedney, released by the Raiders in the preseason, booted for field goals in his first game as a Bronco -- he replaced injured All-Pro Jason Elam.
Stiff: Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski, the No. 1 draft pick who replaced Nedney, was 1-for-2 on field goals and is now 2-for-5 on the season.
By the numbers: The Broncos' ground game allow them to hold the ball for more than 37 minutes -- a 14-minute cushion over the Raiders.
Next week: Denver (2-1) hosts Kansas City, while the Raiders (2-1) hosts Cleveland.

Seattle 20, New Orleans 10

The Skinny: The Seahawks broke into the win column behind 105 yards rushing and one TD from Ricky Watters.
We expected . . . New Orleans RB Ricky Williams to get the ball, and he did -- 23 carries for 105 yards and five receptions for 35 yards.
We didn't expect . . . a mere five carries for Shaun Alexander, who is challenging Watters for his starting role in the Seattle backfield.
Stud: Seattle QB Jon Kitna turned in an effective, efficient performance -- 22-for-29, 193 yards, one TD and one interception.
Stiff: Seattle WR Sean Dawkins, whose one catch for eight yards was indicative of his recent ineffectiveness.
By the numbers: Watters' 100-yard game was the 31st of his career, and it came in his 100th consecutive start.
Next week: Seattle (1-2) travels to San Diego; the Saints (1-2) host Philadelphia.

Minnesota 21, New England 13

The Skinny: The Vikings scored on their first three possessions, then held on to defeat the Patriots and remain undefeated this season.
We expected . . . a great quarterback battle, with veteran Drew Bledsoe of New England and young Daunte Culpepper of Minnesota showing poise and strong arms.
We didn't expect . . . the Vikings to control the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game -- 39:08 to 20:52.
Stud: Culpepper completed 68% of his passes, threw for 177 yards and two TDs, and ran for 59 yards.
Stiff: New England holder Lee Johnson fumbled a pair of snaps that led to a botched field goal and a blown extra point.
By the numbers: Minnesota WR Cris Carter's seven receptions give him 942 for his career, good for second on the all-time list behind only Jerry Rice.
Next week: The Vikings (3-0) have a bye; the Patriots travel to Miami.

New York Giants 14, Chicago 7

The Skinny: The Giants pounded the ball on the ground and bumped off the Bears to start the season 3-0 for the first time since 1994.
We expected . . . New York's Thunder & Lightning backfield to pile up 172 yards rushing.
We didn't expect . . . the Bears -- a trendy choice for the NFC wild card this year -- to start the season 0-3.
Stud: New York RB Tiki Barber had 17 carries for 86 yards and a TD, and caught six passes for 58 yards.
Stiff: Chicago RBs James Allen and Curtis Enis combined for 44 yards on 15 carries.
By the numbers: Barber leads the NFL in rushing with 326 yards in just three games; last season in 16 games he gained 258 yards.
Next week: The Giants host the Redskins on Sunday night; the Bears host Detroit.

Miami 19, Baltimore 6

The Skinny: The Dolphins slogged through the rain and mud to pummel the Ravens on Dan Marino Night in Miami.
We expected . . . a defensive struggle, after Hurricane Gordon turned the field into a quagmire.
We didn't expect . . . to see a football careening off the face of an official, but thanks to slippery footing, a low kick by Miami's Olindo Mare, and ESPN's innovative "umpire cam," that's exactly what we got.
Stud: Miami RB Lamar Smith had 110 combined yards and scored the only two TDs of the game.
Stiff: Whoever decided to shoot off fireworks during the halftime tribute to Marino should be out of a job today. The third quarter was played in a haze that, when coupled with the rain and the mud, gave the telecast a mid-50s NFL Films archive quality.
By the numbers: Miami RB Thurman Thomas (it still sounds strange) had six touches on third down and got the first down four times.
Next week: Miami (2-1) hosts New England, while Baltimore (2-1) hosts Cincinnati.