The Cincinnati Bengals will always wonder whether it would have been better to rest quarterback Joe Burrow to start the season. The Bengals’ signal caller struggled with an injury during training camp and was limited with his mobility. Things haven’t gotten much better since the season started.
However, Burrow was finally able to get the Bengals moving in the right direction Monday night. It was a beautiful night for Cincinnati. The Bengals got their first win of the season to avoid falling to 0-3, while recent sports updates show that Cincinnati also got revenge for its Super Bowl loss to the Rams two seasons ago.
There are still some questions about Burrow’s health moving forward. But in a division where everyone enjoys having slobber knockers during divisional games, developing a little toughness will help Burrow out as much as sitting out and resting. Here’s a look at what happened around the AFC North in Week 3.
| Place | Team | W | L | T | Week 3 Result |
| 1. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 1 | 0 | W, 28-13 at Las Vegas Raiders |
| 1. | Baltimore Ravens | 2 | 1 | 0 | L, 19-16 OT vs. Indianapolis Colts |
| 1. | Cleveland Browns | 2 | 1 | 0 | W, 27-23 vs. Tennessee Titans |
| 4. | Cincinnati Bengals | 1 | 2 | 0 | W, 19-16 vs. Los Angeles Rams |
Burrow Gets Feet Underneath Him
The Bengals’ offense wasn’t pretty Monday night. But having Burrow looking confident under center seemed to help turn the tide in the second half. During the week, recent sports updates showed that Burrow didn’t practice Thursday and was limited in the few days after that.
Burrow didn’t end up throwing a touchdown pass but was able to make the offense more impactful. He was able to complete passes to nine different receivers and found star receiver Ja’Marr Chase for 12 catches and 141 yards. But the Bengals will need to see quick improvement from Burrow. The first three weeks of the season show the teams in the AFC North Division may not be separated by too much.
Steelers Make Things Simple
The Steelers’ running game didn’t look good during the first two weeks of the season. That’s why Pittsburgh simplified things Sunday night. Instead of relying on a zone running scheme, the Steelers focused more on utilizing double-team blocks to open holes.
While Pittsburgh’s scheme wasn’t as successful as the dominant teams in their past, the Steelers looked like a much more competent outfit. For the first time this season, Pittsburgh finished with more than 100 rushing yards as a team. Former first-round pick Najee Harris led the team with 65 yards on 19 carries. That was a season-high in yards for Harris.
Garrett Takes Tennessee Tackle to School
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett did more than control the line of scrimmage against the Tennessee Titans. He also took the time to help a struggling player learn some new tips. Garrett roughed up Titans tackle Andre Dillard.
Garrett finished with a season-high 3.5 sacks and hit Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill five times. Following the game, Dillard, who has had a tough season in Tennessee after joining the Titans from the Eagles in free agency, asked for advice on how to get better.
Tucker Suffers Rare Miss. Ravens Lose to Colts
Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker isn’t the reason Baltimore lost to the Colts. But on a rainy, nasty day in Maryland, it was a rare site to see another kicker outshine Tucker. Tropical Storm Ophelia made the conditions sloppy.
Tucker had an opportunity to make a 61-yard field goal to send the game to overtime but saw the kick fall a yard short. When things got to overtime, Baltimore never put Tucker in a position to redeem himself. Ravens coach John Harbaugh decided to roll the dice by attempting a fourth-and-three from midfield.
Baltimore’s pass fell incomplete, and the Colts were able to drive down the field to kick a game-winning field goal. Tucker has the best field goal percentage in NFL history, having made 90 percent of his attempts.
Defense Helps Make Up for Lack of Balance on Offense
Nick Chubb suffered one of those injuries against the Steelers two weeks ago that makes it difficult to watch the replay. With the Browns’ star running back in the lineup, Cleveland suffered for an answer on how to move the ball on the ground. Pierre Strong Jr. ended up leading the team with six carries for 27 yards.
However, Cleveland’s defense showed the ability to carry things until the offense catches up. The Browns beat up Tennessee, only allowing the Titans to finish with 94 yards of total offense. That set a new record for incompetence in Tennessee.
The Titans hadn’t finished with a yardage total that low since the team moved from Houston to Tennessee in 1997.
Steelers Finally Get One Over on Raiders
If there was some sort of hex on Pittsburgh from winning in Oakland, that bad juju didn’t follow the Steelers to Las Vegas. Over the past 20 years, the Steelers have struggled to win away from home against some bad Raiders teams. By collecting a five-point win in Las Vegas Sunday night, the Steelers collected back-to-back wins over the Raiders for the first time since winning a pair of games during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Ravens Need to Get Healthy
Baltimore has been trying to revamp its offensive attack. But the Ravens will have difficulty doing that if they can’t have key players on the field. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was forced to sit out against the Colts, but he is expected back quickly.
After losing starting running back J.K. Dobbins in Week 1, Baltimore also lost Justice Hill to the IR, and Gus Edwards was concussed in last week’s game. The Ravens don’t really want to go back to leaning on Lamar Jackson to carry the running game, but the top sports news today will show they may not have another choice.
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