This article has been updated with the latest insights.

Here are 32 insights derived from Week 3 of the NFL 2024 season:

1. I’ve been emphasizing this for a month: after seeing Justin Fields take the lead, are there still any strong supporters of Russell Wilson? The Pittsburgh Steelers improved to 3-0 for the fourth time under head coach Mike Tomlin. Notably, the last three times the Steelers started 3-0, they proceeded to make the playoffs, including a Super Bowl appearance after the 2010 season.

2. Speaking of Fields, his jersey number corresponds to the dual touchdowns (one by pass, one by carry) he achieved in the victory against the unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers. It’s especially relevant since Pittsburgh scored only one touchdown in the first two games. While Fields is still adapting to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s system, he’s starting to make impactful plays without taking unnecessary risks, fitting well with the Steelers’ aggressive defense and reliable kicker Chris Boswell.

3. Wilson’s jersey number also signifies Pittsburgh being his third team. Once his calf issue resolves, should the Steelers consider trading Wilson, given he’s on a minimal veteran deal of $1.2 million while the Broncos are still paying him $39 million to not play there? Fields might get injured, making Wilson a valuable backup. However, with veteran QB Kyle Allen on the roster, it’s pretty evident that Fields is the only one with long-term potential in Pittsburgh. Why not trade Wilson when teams like the Miami Dolphins or Las Vegas Raiders could benefit from him?

4. The Steelers’ defense made history by allowing ten points or less in each of their first three games of the season, a feat not achieved in 15 years.

5. Guess who’s back in contention in the NFC South? Newly promoted QB Andy Dalton delivered one of his most impressive performances—319 yards and 3 touchdowns—to lead the Panthers to victory against the Raiders in Las Vegas. After struggling with former No. 1 pick Bryce Young, who managed only one touchdown drive in two games, the Panthers are now just one game behind first place following surprising defeats for the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s clear that anything can happen in this league.

6. Only a handful of teams have reached the playoffs after starting 0-3 since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The Tennessee Titans should take notice the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars should be wary as well, especially with the first “Monday Night Football” doubleheader upcoming this season.

6a. Six teams that started 0-2 managed to win on Sunday.

6b. Currently, four teams, namely the Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Kansas City Chiefs, are 3-0, with the Buffalo Bills potentially joining them by Monday.

7. The Green Bay Packers defense showcased its skill by intercepting Titans QB Will Levis twice, matching their total interceptions from 2023 with seven picks following a 30-14 victory.

8. Levis faced eight sacks on Sunday, bringing his total to 15 over three starts, putting him on track for an astonishing 85 sacks this season.

8a. Levis also had a total of eight turnovers so far, as he committed three while mishandling the ball against the Packers. Green Bay benefited from a 35-yard pick-six from CB Jaire Alexander against Levis, who is known for loving mayonnaise.

9. A special mention to Green Bay’s QB2 Malik Willis, who maintained his professionalism leading up to this game. He capitalized with a strong performance against the Titans, a team that drafted him two years ago before trading him to the Packers. Willis achieved his second NFL touchdown, threw for 202 yards, and rushed for another 73 yards and a score, marking his second win as a substitute for the injured starter Jordan Love. One has to wonder if Willis could have provided valuable support in Nashville right now?

10. And for Mr. Levis, despite the potential record-breaking number of sacks, Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson is also on track for 91 as he was taken down eight times during a disappointing home defeat against the previously winless New York Giants.

11. Before Sunday, Denver was one of the few teams (along with Carolina and Pittsburgh) that had only one visit to the end zone. But rookie QB Bo Nix broke the trend by scoring on the ground and leading the Broncos to a surprising victory over the previously undefeated Buccaneers in Tampa, without any turnovers.

12. One of the biggest upsets of the day came when the Vikings, in a meeting of 2-0 teams, thoroughly dominated the Houston Texans 34-7, with QB Sam Darnold matching his career-high of four touchdown passes.

13. In his first encounter with his former team, Texans DE Danielle Hunter managed just two tackles. Hunter had an impressive 87½ sacks throughout his eight years with Minnesota before signing a substantial two-year, $49 million contract with Houston in the offseason.

14. On the flip side, in his first game against his old team, Vikings OLB Jonathan Greenard recorded three sacks. Greenard amassed 23 sacks during his four seasons in Houston, including a career-high 12½ last year, before moving on to the Vikings with a lucrative four-year, $76 million deal.

15. The Vikings amassed a total of five sacks on Sunday, making them the first team in the last 23 seasons to achieve at least that many in each of their opening three games.

16. Consider what RB Saquon Barkley’s career might have looked like had he not spent six seasons with the Giants. He now has 351 rushing yards in just three games with the Philadelphia Eagles, surpassing his best three-game start with New York by 34 yards and scoring four touchdowns, including two in Sunday’s defeat against the previous.

The Saints, who remain undefeated, recorded two times the points of their best starting games in New York.

17. Following a strong start with 91 points in their first two matchups, the Saints managed only 12 points in their latest game on Sunday.

18. Having not allowed any rush over 8 yards in the first two games, the Saints were surprised to give up three runs of 20 yards or more against Philadelphia, including a 65-yard touchdown run by Barkley, who redeemed himself for a significant drop from the week’s previous loss to Atlanta.

19. The Dolphins traveled the longest possible domestic flight in the NFL, more than 2,700 miles, only to be defeated by the Seahawks in Seattle. Thankfully, they don’t have to swim back to Miami.

20. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is the first coach to win his first three games since Miami’s Mike McDaniel, two years ago. He is also one of the five coaches under 40 since 2000 to begin with a 3-0 record.

21. Seattle has improved their standings, now sitting two games ahead in a chaotic NFC West, especially after the struggling San Francisco 49ers fell to the depleted Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

22. This marks the number of games Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has played against NFC teams. After narrowly defeating the Dallas Cowboys 28-25, he now holds an impressive 21-1 record in these games. If only the Ravens could make it to the Super Bowl.

23. The 2024 NFL draft was historic, with six quarterbacks selected within the first 12 picks. However, it wasn’t until Sunday that the number one pick, Caleb Williams, finally threw a touchdown pass in the regular season, even though it came during another loss for his Chicago Bears (1-2).

24. Nevertheless, Williams made a bit of history with his 1-yard touchdown pass to WR Rome Odunze, which is the first instance of a quarterback and a wide receiver both chosen in the top 10 by the same team scoring together in their rookie season. (It’s still uncertain which trophy that ball will end up on.)

25. But let’s not focus too much on the rookies right now – and remember, Darnold might be replacing the injured Minnesota QB J.J. McCarthy (to the extent that a player who hasn’t played in the regular season could be replaced). Some believed that the standout talents of the 2024 draft would be its wide receivers, which might influence the Offensive Rookie of the Year votes. Unsurprisingly, Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and Giants WR Malik Nabers are early frontrunners for the award. Meanwhile, Jags WR Brian Thomas Jr. and Raiders TE Brock Bowers have also made a significant impact, much more than can be said for their passing counterparts.

26. Both Harrison and Nabers have caught three touchdown passes so far. On Sunday, Nabers set a record as the youngest wide receiver (21 years, 56 days) in NFL history to score two touchdowns in a single game.

27. It seems like it’s only a matter of time before Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey attempts the longest field goal in NFL history, having already nailed a 65-yard kick – the second longest in league history – on Sunday, in addition to making a 51-yarder with ease.

28. What’s more alarming for “America’s Team” is that Aubrey currently stands as their most effective offensive player.

29. Adding to the Cowboys’ concerns? After a remarkable streak of 16 consecutive victories at AT&T Stadium, they’ve now lost three straight there.

30. This week’s uniform note highlights that a team once called the “Orange Crush” should reconnect with its legacy. On Sunday, the Broncos finally wore their new orange jerseys on the road against Tampa, scoring their first victory of the season.

31. An early MVP prediction goes to Darnold. It’s not entirely unexpected that his career sees a revival in Minnesota under HC Kevin O’Connell. Achieving a 3-0 start and throwing eight touchdown passes after recovery from a knee injury on Sunday? If you anticipated that, well, we find it hard to believe.

32. It’s always wonderful to witness more women breaking barriers in the NFL, which was evident on Sunday in Las Vegas.

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Follow YSL News Sports’ Nate Davis on X, previously known as Twitter, @ByNateDavis.