What we learned from Week 3 of the NFL season

1. Antonio Brown is a liability

The latest chapter of the Antonio Brown saga has come to an end, after the New England Patriots released the wide receiver amid his investigation by the NFL. On Sunday, Brown took his frustration to social media, just as he did after his departure from Oakland, to unleash a rant directed at the NFL.

Brown went so far as to call out the hypocrisy of the league, naming Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Ben Roethlisberger and Shannon Sharpe as examples of men who’ve been accused of similar misconduct but suffered few consequences. Brown later deleted those tweets, but he chose to leave one on his Twitter account—a statement that he would no longer be playing in the NFL.

We likely won’t be seeing Brown on a professional football field anytime soon, but there’s no doubt we’ll be hearing from him again, at least on social media.

2. The Giants made the right decision to bench Manning

The clock was ticking on Eli Manning’s future as a starter. In Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New York Giants decided his time had run out and made way for rookie quarterback Daniel Jones.

In his first professional start, Jones went 23-of-36 for 336 yards and two touchdown passes, with another two scores on the ground. He capped off the day with a game-winning 7-yard run to the end zone with 1:16 remaining.

The Giants left Raymond James Stadium with a 32-31 victory, their first of the season. Jones’ emergence came at the perfect time, as Saquon Barkley exited the game with a high ankle sprain and could be out four to eight weeks. He should have an even easier day in Week 4's home game against the Washington Redskins, who have one of the worst defenses in the league.

3. The Eagles don’t look like a Super Bowl contender

Ahead of the 2019 season, the Philadelphia Eagles emerged as a betting favorite to claim Super Bowl LIV. After a 1-2 start, they’re now listed at +1575 to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

The Eagles’ only victory came in Week 1 against the Washington Redskins. At one point against Washington, Philly trailed by 17 points but managed to come back for a 32-17 win.

In Week 2 the Eagles fell behind 17-6 to the Falcons in the third quarter and nearly surged back again in the final minutes of the game. Carson Wentz ran the ball in for a touchdown with 3:13 left, but Julio Jones caught a 54-yard pass to seal the win for Atlanta.

Week 3 may have been the most confounding loss, as Philly let go of the lead in the second quarter and never recovered against the Detroit Lions.

One of the Eagles’ most glaring issues is their pass defense, which has allowed 293.7 yards per game through the air, the fourth-most yardage by any team in the league.

On Thursday, Philly faces an undefeated Packers team that is averaging just 197.3 yards passing. The following week, the Eagles host the New York Jets, who own the worst passing offense in the NFL. Now’s the time for Philly to make a move.

4. Welcome to Minshew Mania

Gardner Minshew is not the hero Jacksonville asked for, but he is the one the Jaguars deserve. Nick Foles was meant to be the guy, but the former Super Bowl MVP broke his collarbone in Week 1, which left the team no choice but to call upon the sixth-round draft pick from Washington State.

In his first start in Week 2, Minshew went 23-of-33 for 213 yards and two touchdowns. He nearly led a come-from-behind win over the Texans, but he failed to complete the two-point conversion that would’ve put the Jaguars up by a point with the clock winding down.

In Week 3 the Jaguars battled division rival Tennessee and earned a 20-7 victory behind Minshew’s 204 passing yards and two scores. The rookie has the best completion percentage (73.9 %) and passer rating (110.6) of any rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era through his first three games. The mustache-wielding 23-year-old is taking Jacksonville by storm and restoring playoff hopes that nearly dwindled after Foles went down.

5. And then there were seven

It probably comes as no surprise the Patriots and Chiefs are 3-0 heading into Week 4. The Cowboys’ undefeated record seemed fairly plausible, as well, while many anticipated a Rams loss to the Saints in Week 2. Then Drew Brees tore a ligament in his hand, and L.A. took advantage to notch win two of three in the early part of the season.

Did anyone predict a 3-0 start for the Bills, 49ers or Packers? Buffalo should’ve lost to the Jets in Week 1, but a groin injury to linebacker C.J. Mosley allowed the Bills to find an opening for a 17-16 comeback victory. They faced the other team from New York in Week 2, back when Eli Manning had the starting job, and scored a 28-14 win over the Giants before a 21-17 victory against the Bengals last week.

Even more unexpected may be the 49ers’ run at the start of the season. On the road in Week 1, they defeated the Bucs 31-17, then traveled to Cincinnati to hand the Bengals a 41-17 loss. On Sunday, San Francisco hosted Pittsburgh and tallied win No. 3 against the Big Ben-less Steelers.

Reality should finally set in for the Bills against the mighty Patriots in Week 4, but the 49ers have a shot to defeat the Cleveland Browns at Levi's Stadium. Meanwhile, the Chiefs head to Detroit, the Cowboys travel to New Orleans, the Packers battle the Eagles and the Rams get the Seahawks. By the end of Sunday, expect just four teams to remain unscathed.