2021 3GML Season - Week #7

Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins

MIAMI - With a narrow 5-point lead with just over three minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, new Miami Dolphins (4-3) head coach Hines Ward dialed up a dagger in an attempt to put the game away.

"We wanted to take a shot there," Ward said. "We were waiting for Julio's chance with one on one coverage all day and we finally saw it at the right time."

QB Jalen Hurts threw a perfect pass in the back corner of the end zone to hit the streaking Julio Jones. Forty-six yards, TD, Ball Game: 36-24.

"It's been an up and down year for sure," Hurts said. "We kind of needed that from Coach to show us that he believes in us and that we aren't here for participation trophies."

On a day where Matt Ryan carved up the Miami defense for 388 passing yards, Hurts was equally as impressive despite the team's slow start that saw them down 17-3 late in the first half. The second year signal caller finished the day 29-41 with 348 passing yards and 3 TDs. Hurts also added 64 yards on the ground. 

To setup the late Jones TD, newly acquired pass rusher Jaylon Ferguson came up with a crucial strip-sack of Ryan to completely flip momentum. 

"They play a similar scheme as Baltimore," Ferguson said. "I know my role here and I was happy to contribute right away."

Miami holds onto their lead in the AFC East for another week as they now turn their attention to a critical road test against at Buffalo next week. 

Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO - The bye week was good to the San Francisco 49ers as they beat up the Indianapolis Colts 42-14.  The Niners (4-2) relied on the run game and the opened things up with play action all afternoon.  The Colts (1-6) looked flummoxed on defense as Alvin Kamara and Phillip Lindsay had their way.

Kamara obviously got healthy with the week off and carried the ball 22 times for 114 yards, while Lindsay had 111 yards and a TD on 15 touches.

"We have a formula for winning football and we all know our roles." Kamara said.

San Francisco travels to Chicago next to take on the struggling Bears.

Washington Football Team at Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers took care of business in a torrential downpour Sunday afternoon winning 26-6 over the Washington Football Team (4-3).  The sky dumped all day as Green Bay (6-1) amassed 408 yards of offense, 321 of which came through the air.

Tua Tagovailoa threw 48 times on the day and didn't seem to be too affected by the rain. 

"I grew up throwing in the rain in Hawaii, "Tagovailoa said. "A little colder rain here, but no problems."

On the defensive side, Casey Hayward turned the clock back four years and intercepted three of Kyle Allen's passes.

"This team can win ugly.  I like it," Hayward said.  "This group reminds me of the team that won in Buffalo in 2016."

Green Bay will look to keep things rolling next week on Thursday Night Football as they take on the Arizona Cardinals.

Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals

PHOENIX - The Arizona Cardinals pulled out a 42-35 come from behind win over the Houston Texans in a thriller of a game.  The Cardinals (4-3) up 27-7 at one point in the first half blew their lead and found themselves trailing 35-28 late in the 4th quarter to Houston (5-2).  However, Kyler Murray and crew drove down the field for touchdowns twice in the last five minutes of the game to give the Cardinals the win.

"We've got to do a better job putting pressure on the quarterback," Coach David Shaw said after the game.

Expect GM TH to be active in finding pass rush help.  Early reports have him reaching out to Pittsburgh to see if they'd part with Melvin Ingram.

Offensively, Houston once again relied on big shot plays to Denzel Mims who has proven himself invaluable this season.  Mims had 143 of Houston's 202 yards passing on the day. 

"Doesn't matter if we didn't get the win," Mims said. "Obviously it wasn't enough."

Houston will try to regroup as it heads home to take on the Los Angeles Rams.

2021 3GML Season - Week #6

Miami Dolphins vs Jacksonville Jaguars

LONDON - The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium played host to two NFL 'also rans' as the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars squared off in the UK. Miami (3-3) looked very comfortable on the 'football' pitch despite the long flight over and overwhelmed the Jaguars 38-3.

Miami went ahead early on a DJ Reed pick-six early in the first. Reed added another INT on the day to add to his total of six on the season.

"It's just one of those things," Reed said. "You can play great all year and never take one away - This year seems to be a year where people are trying me and I'm responding well."

Wide Receiver Julio Jones returned and put on a show with 103 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. His running mate Allen Robinson also chipped in with a TD of his own.

"For me, I think I can be an X-Factor in this offense too," Robinson said. "I'm learning a lot from Julio and George (Kittle); Although we are only 3-3, I think we can make this offense special."

New Head Coach Hines Ward ran his early record to 2-1 and is quickly winning fans in the Miami locker room.

"He's the man," Jalen Hurts said. "He did it for a long time in this league and when he talks, everyone listens."

Miami will look to pick up their 4th win of the season next week as they return home to face the Atlanta Falcons. 

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts

INDIANAPOLIS - The Houston Texans kept pace for first place in the AFC South with a win over division foe Indianapolis 28-26.  The Texans (5-1, 2-0 AFC South) were able to return to their two quarterback rotation of Andy Dalton and Gardner Minshew in this one.  As with past games this season, Dalton started and Minshew relieved.  Beat writers were speculating Minshew wouldn't play much after his poor performance last week, but the Texans and Minshew had other plans.  The backup was 9 of 11 for 126 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception.

"I like coming off the bench," Minshew said. "I view myself like a sixth man in the NBA or closer in baseball.  I don't care if I start as long as I'm out there playing meaningful minutes helping this team win."

The star of the game, however, had to be the Houston defense that stifled Carson Wentz and the Colts offense all day.  Indianapolis (1-5, 0-2) only rushed for 68 yards and outside of some garbage time passing yards, looked out of sorts on offense.

Of note, tight end Mike Gesicki is starting to emerge as a star for this Houston team.  Gesicki had 11 catches for 102 yards and has consistently shown he can get open.  He has already caught 43 passes for 525 yards and 5 touchdowns through his first six games. 

Houston will travel to Arizona next week to take on the Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. 

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

CHICAGO - The oldest rivalry in the NFL was on display Sunday as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 30-16 at Soldier Field.  Green Bay (5-1, 2-0 NFC North) welcomed back quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from injured reserve and used his arm to down the formidable Chicago defense.  The Packers QB threw for 257 yards and a touchdown which was just enough to keep the Bears (1-5, 1-1) out of reach.

Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams continued his tear this season, racking up two more sacks including a forced fumble on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo that was picked up in the endzone by Charles Omenihu for the opening points of the game.  Williams now has 13 sacks through six games and will likely be drawing more double teams moving forward.

Bad blood erupted between the teams at the end of the game when Green Bay decided to kick a field goal as time expired already up 27-16.  Chicago coach Matt Nagy was visibly upset and refused to shake Packers coach Eric Bieniemy's hand after the game.

"This is the NFL,"  Bieniemy said after the game. "I don't take my foot off the gas ever and that's the message I want our players to hear.  If they're so upset about it, maybe they should have scored more points."

Bieniemy and his aggressive Green Bay team head home next week to take on the Washington Football Team.

2021 3GML Season - Week #5

Miami Dolphins @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

TAMPA BAY - Down eight starters, the Miami Dolphins (2-3) showed some fight through three quarters but eventually fell to the overpowered Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-23 Sunday afternoon. 

Tom Brady was unstoppable as he picked apart the depleted Miami defense.

"It was a good day, but we have lots of work to do," Brady said. "You need to take care of business at home and we did that."

Wide Receiver Allen Robinson existed as Jalen Hurts go-to player on the day with multiple highlight reel catches to keep Miami in the game early. 

"The stats are meaningless if you are losing," Robinson said. "Despite who we were missing, we still wanted to win and we couldn't get it done."

With the loss, the Dolphins fall back under .500 and will look to right their ship next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals

PHOENIX - The San Francisco 49ers dropped their second game of the season 25-20 to the Arizona Cardinals (3-2, 1-1 NFC West).  The 49ers (3-2, 1-1) looked out of sync most of the game and struggled to run the ball effectively despite being the number one ranked rushing team coming into the afternoon.

Things started to unravel when Alvin Kamara fumbled late in the second quarter and Arizona recovered after a scrum. 

"I have to be better," Kamara said. "We all have to play better because we're a better team than that."

Rookie quarterback Justin Fields experienced some growing pains in this one when the run game failed to move the sticks.  Fields threw for 151 yards and an interception.  His legs, however, were effective as he rushed five times for 45 yards and a touchdown.

"I can play better," Fields said. "You won't see an outing like that from me again.  I can guarantee you that."

San Francisco will have an extra week to regroup as they have a week six bye.

New England Patriots @ Houston Texans

HOUSTON - Heartbreak in Houston.  The New England Patriots (3-2) scored on the last play of regulation to beat the Texans 24-23.  The dominant Houston offense that has been on display most of this year was nowhere to be found as Gardner Minshew struggled mightily.

Minshew missed open throws most of the afternoon and had a crippling pick-six as Houston (4-1) looked to go up at least 13 and put the game out of reach.

"It was not a glowing performance on my part," Minshew said. "I'm seeing red right now."

After a Texans field goal made it 23-17 with 1:47 left, quarterback Mac Jones marched the New England offense down the field with some crucial 4th down throws.  With no time outs and a completion to Nelson Agholor that brought the Patriots to the Houston 5 yard line, Jones was able to hurry the offense to the line and snap it as the clock hit zeros.  Kendrick Bourne beat his man to the outside of the end zone and Jones hit him to tie the game.  New England converted the extra point and Texans fans left the stadium in shock.

Houston will look to regroup next week against the Indianapolis Colts.

Green Bay Packers @ Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI - Quarterback Drew Lock redeemed himself after a dismal outing last week and let the Green Bay Packers (4-1) to a 23-6 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals (4-1).  The loss was the first for Cincinnati and kept Green Bay with some breathing room atop their division.

Lock who was dangerously close to being benched in favor of Kyle Lauletta last week against the Steelers, was 23 of 31 for 235 yards and a touchdown.  

"I needed to show my teammates I wasn't going to let them down," Lock said. "Great team win."

On the defensive side of the ball, NFL sack leader Quinnen Williams added three more to his resume against Joe Burrow.

"Big plays are hard to come by in this league," Williams said. "I've learned a lot from Geno [Atkins] this last year and a half and it's really paying off playing next to the goat."

Green Bay heads to Chicago next week to take on its oldest rival the Bears.

2021 3GML Season - Week #4

 Houston Texans @ Buffalo Bills

BUFFALO - Buffalo Bills fans were left muttering a phrase they would prefer to never hear again Sunday; "Wide right."  Tyler Bass missed a field goal as time expired that would have sent the game to over time and Houston ran off the field still undefeated after a 26-23 win.

The Texans (4-0) looked dominant defensively early and held the Bills (2-2) out of the end zone.  However, Houston also struggled offensively and were unable to put Buffalo away. With the door cracked, Josh Allen and crew seized the momentum and was able to tie the game late on a 68 yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams.

Andy Dalton then ran the two-minute drill to perfection leading the team down the field and setting up a chip shot field goal for Rodrigo Blankenship to give Houston the lead with 17 seconds remaining.  Buffalo wasn't about to roll over and Allen threw a dime down the sideline to Adams giving Bass a 54 yard field goal opportunity to tie it up.  Coach David Shaw called a time out to ice the kicker and the strategy paid off.

"What a start," Shaw said.  "To get road wins over Cleveland and Buffalo shows what this team is made of."

Houston will look to keep the win streak alive next week when they host another AFC East opponent in the New England Patriots.

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO - In an instant classic, San Francisco stunned Seattle with nine seconds left on the clock as quarterback Justin Fields scrambled 40 yards to give the Niners a 34-27 victory.

After a rough start, including two interceptions, Fields managed to find CeeDee Lamb for a beautiful toe-tap touchdown putting San Francisco up 27-20 with less than two minutes in the game. Seattle answered quickly with a deep touchdown pass by Russell Wilson and before 49er fans could celebrate their lead, it was gone.

Given the ball with 44 seconds left, Fields and the offense just needed to get into field goal range for the win.  On the drive, the Seahawks committed a late hit to get San Francisco to the 40 yard line. Only needing a few more yards to give Tristan Vizcaino a shot to win it, Fields had other plans, taking off and making defender after defender miss on his way to the end zone.

“Well, I had to dig out of the hole I put us in,” Fields said. “There was no way I was going down on that run.”

The loss left Seattle (3-1, 0-1 NFC West) looking up at San Francisco (3-1, 1-0) in the division and opened the door to a chaotic fight for the crown. This may be football’s best division and we can only hope the rematch was as good as this one.

San Francisco keeps it in the division as they head south to Arizona next week.

Indianapolis Colts @ Miami Dolphins

MIAMI - The Miami Dolphins (2-2) bounced back from a tumultuous week with a resounding 41-9 thrashing of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday morning. Late in the 3rd, with the game still in the balance, newly minted Head Coach Hines Ward elected to pass on a chip shot field goal (which would have pushed Miami's lead to 15) to opt for a 4th-and-1 attempt to go for the TD.

"I know the old mantra that this team has success under was three is sometimes better than six," Ward said. "But we are establishing a better balance moving forward between being conservative and aggressive."

James Conner gained the needed 1-yard, and then some, as he finished the play with a 4-yard touchdown run. The 5th year HB out of Pittsburgh looked rejuvenated in this game.

"We have so many weapons," Connor said. "It was easy to toss the ball around the first three weeks. But, for us, we need to still establish a ground game to open up space for our weapons in the passing game."

The Dolphins defense also played their best game of the season as they frustrated Carson Wentz all game long. Haason Reddick notched his first three sacks of the season in a breakout game for the OLB.

"This new staff had a tall task on short notice," Reddick said. "But they were smart and brought in Rob (Ryan) who knows the scheme we are best at. I think things will only go up from here."

Next week Miami faces a truly elite test as they take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers (3-1) dropped a heartbreaker 23-20 in overtime to the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) Sunday at Lambeau Field.  The Packers had their opportunities and looked like the better team but three lost fumbles and two interceptions by back up quarterback Drew Lock was too much to overcome.  

Green Bay looked poised to win after a Pittsburgh turnover late in the 4th gave them the ball down three on the Steelers 12 yard line.  However, the offense stalled and the Packers had to settle for overtime.  

In overtime, Pittsburgh won the toss, elected to receive, drove the length of the field and kicked a field goal.  Green Bay looked ready to answer by driving into field goal range for Jason Sanders, but he would never get the chance as Lock threw his second interception.

"Drew's got to play better.  Period," Coach Eric Bieniemy said, "There was a little voice in my ear begging me to put in Kyle [Lauletta].  If he knew the playbook better, I may have done it.  Practice is going to be interesting this week.  I need to see how Drew responds."

Green Bay's attempt to bounce back doesn't look easy as they head to Cincinnati to take on the undefeated Bengals.

2021 3GML Season - Week #3

Miami Dolphins @ Las Vegas Raiders

LAS VEGAS - After their shocking 20-23 loss to the now undefeated Las Vegas Raiders, the Miami Dolphins (1-2) opted to have what happened in Vegas stay in Vegas. 

Miami, as 7.5 point favorites, stumbled through an uninspired performance like a drunken frat boy looking for one more hand of Hold 'Em at 4:00am. Those frat boys, in their Lacoste t-shirts, open toed sandals, and puka shelled necklaces would have had more success putting points on the board than the Dolphins offense on Sunday afternoon. 

"I really have no words," Jalen Hurts said. "I don't want to be reactionary, but we need to change our mindset now or things can get bad quick."

The Miami Owner/GM, visibly upset throughout the game in the stadium, elected to take matters into his own hands after the game.

"In our first season in charge, we released our quarterback at the time, Jimmy Garoppolo, for his ridiculous display of obtuseness as he frolicked into the end zone as we were losing by double-digits," GM EP said. "Now, after this performance, we are electing to release our entire coaching staff. I mean them no ill will, but we need new direction now. This team is built to win now and I believe a change in mindset is all that is holding us back."

Rumors began swirling immediately after the press conference that the team had reached out to former Steelers Wide Receiver and current Florida International Assistant Coach Hines Ward as the team's new Head Coach. Ward, a hard nosed, lunch pail player, is also reported as having reached out to Seattle Seahawks Offensive Line Coach Keli'i Kekuewa to be his Offensive Coordinator along with controversial Baltimore Ravens Linebackers Coach Rob Ryan to become the team's Defensive Coordinator.

Ryan, who phoned into the Scott Van Pelt show after the game, was animated in his excitement to move to South Beach.

"Oh, this is going to be a damn nightmare for the other 31 teams in the NFL," Ryan said. "This team is a (expletive) Ferrari that has been driving like a (expletive) tractor plodding through a pile of (expletive)."

Miami, and their new coaching staff will look to turn their season around next week at home against the Indianapolis Colts. 

Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco 49ers

In what was definitely the game of the week, the Green Bay Packers (3-0) outlasted the San Francisco 49ers (2-1) 40-35 on Sunday Night Football.  Things looked slow early with the teams exchanging punts through the first quarter of play.  It then went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye.

With San Francisco poised to move down the field after a Drew Lock fumble, Green Bay forced fumble of their own resulting in a Devin Bush scoop and score making in 7-0 Green Bay early.  Before the Packer offense made it back to the bench, San Francisco had answered with a Justin Fields deep touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd.

From there, the teams continued to exchange blows in what was truly a back and forth affair.  By the time the game had reached the fourth quarter, Green Bay was leading 31-28.  The Pack looked like they put the game away after a field goal and a Hunter Henry touchdown made it 40-28.  San Francisco wasn't done however, as they quickly marched down the field and scored on a Justin Fields pass to Boyd making it 40-35. James Robinson wasn't about to let the 49ers see the ball again after two tough first down runs and the game was over.

San Francisco's defense struggled in this one after a dominant two game start.  Stefon Diggs went off for 193 yards receiving and Robinson moved the chains in key moments, finishing with a 103 yards with two touchdowns.

"Yards were touch to come by tonight," Robinson said.  "That's a tough team.  We might seem them again."

San Francisco showed they can play with anyone behind Fields and MVP frontrunner Alvin Kamara.  That duo rushed for 218 yards and 2 touchdowns combined.

"We didn't do enough today," Fields said. "It's disappointing to take a L at home, but we'll look at the tape, learn, and get ready for Seattle next week."

Green Bay heads home to take on Pittsburgh while San Francisco welcomes the Seahawks for their first division game of the season.

Carolina Panthers @ Houston Texans

The Houston Texans continued their hot start with a slaughter of the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football.  Houston (3-0) blew the game wide open early and went on to win 44-17.  With quarterback Andy Dalton sidelined with a knee injury, Gardner Minshew took advantage of his time as QB1, throwing for 392 yards, 2 touchdowns and added a rushing TD for good measure.

"We're going to enjoy this one," Minshew said. "Felt like I could have thrown the football over the mountains tonight."

Not lost in the shuffle was the dominant Texans defense.  Christian McCaffrey and the Panthers (1-2) looked out of sync on offense and struggled to move the ball.  The icing on the cake for Houston was a pick six by cornerback Kyle Fuller.

"They kicked our butts tonight," McCaffrey said. "One of the best in the league I'd say."

Houston hasn't lost a game since week 12 last season.  They'll look to keep rolling next week against Buffalo in upstate New York.

2021 3GML Season - Week #2

Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins

MIAMI - The Buffalo Bills (2-0, 1-0 AFC East) humbled the Miami Dolphins (1-1, 1-1) on the road with a convincing 27-19 victory. 

Miami's Jalen Hurts came back down to Earth after his AFC Offensive Player of the Week award last week tossing a pair of costly INTs including a pick-6 in the first quarter.

"That put us behind the 8-ball early," Hurts said. "I got to take care of the ball."

Hurts finished with 328 passing yards with a TD, but was sacked 8 times on the day by a relentless Buffalo defense.

"We expect this division to go down to the wire," Sean McDermott said. "To get a win, in the division, is huge even in Week 2."

A late Julio Jones TD gave Miami fans some hope late, but the team couldn't get close enough for a realistic Hail Mary as time expired. 

"We are 1-1," Jones said. "We now need to focus on the Raiders."

Miami will now prepare to take on Jon Gruden's Las Vegas Raiders.

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles

PHILADELPHIA - The San Francisco 49ers (2-0) rode their stifling defense to a 22-3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles (1-1).  The 49ers defense could do no wrong and had rookie quarterback Trey Lance seeing ghosts all day.  San Francisco sacked Lance seven times, including five from defensive lineman Bilal Nichols.

"Uh, that was awesome," Nichols said.  "I don't know if I've ever had a game like that before."

Offensively, San Francisco stuck to their game plan of healthy doses of Alvin Kamara.  Kamara carried 30 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns and was instrumental in getting the chains moving in the second half.

"Anything to help this team win," Kamara said.  "I feel like I'm more of that veteran presence on this team so I need to set the example every day."

The Niners have allowed just 10 total points through two games.  However, their defense will get a bigger test next week at home when they open against 3GML rival Green Bay.

Houston Texans @ Cleveland Browns

CLEVELAND - The Houston Texans (2-0) came back from a 10-0 deficit to dominate the Cleveland Browns (1-1) 48-30 Sunday afternoon.  Things looked bleak early when all-pro defensive end Myles Garrett sacked quarterback Andy Dalton on Houston's first two drives, forcing the Texans to punt.  Garrett gave right tackle Bobby Evans fits, forcing the Texans to make a change.  In came rookie Quinn "The Belly" Meinerz and the Houston offense never looked back.  While it looked like Meinerz had a difficult time with Garrett, he didn't allow a sack and gave his quarterback just enough time to get the ball out.

"Quinn played his butt off today," Coach David Shaw said.  "We knew he played some tackle in college and with Bryan [Bulaga] and Christian [Darrisaw] out, we needed someone to step up."

With the offense allowed to find its groove, running back Marlon Mack had perhaps the game of his career.  Mack topped the century mark on both the ground and in the air, finishing with 100 yards rushing and 102 receiving.

"They were taking our other guys out of the game so I knew the ball was going to come my way," Mack said.  "It was rough missing last year so I'm just glad I have the opportunity to prove what I can do."

Of note in this one was the Texans continued to find success with their two-quarterback system.  Both Andy Dalton and Gardner Minshew played meaningful snaps on the day.  However, Dalton took a shot to the knee and couldn't finish the game.  Early reports are he avoided major injury, but with a short week and the Carolina Panthers looming on Thursday night, odds are Minshew Mania is back.

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY - The Detroit Lions (0-2) were outmatched 45-13 on Monday Night Football by an impressive Green Bay Packers team.  The Lions were down numerous players and just didn't have the weapons to keep up with a Packers team loaded with talent.

Green Bay (2-0) amassed over 500 yards of offense against a Lions secondary that looked confused all night.  Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was impressive, throwing for 403 yards and three touchdowns.  However, he took a hard sack from linebacker Jamie Collins in the 4th quarter and was seen wincing on the sideline.

"He took a shot to the ribs and is pretty sore," Coach Eric Bieniemy said.  "We'll see what the tests show tomorrow."

Collins was all over the place for the Lions in the losing effort but coach Dan Campbell wasn't having it.

"We lost," Campbell said.  "Jamie needs to play better if he wants to be here.  His bench press numbers were sub par this week too.  Can't have that."

When asked about his coaches comment, Collins said, "Was he watching the game?  I gave it my all.  Man, I'm calling my agent.  Green Bay seems like they have something good going on over there, maybe they'll want me."

Adam Schefter is reporting that GM SD was admiring Collins' play throughout the game.  Considering Collins' comments, could there be a move coming soon?

Green Bay looks to keep it rolling next week against the 2-0 San Francisco 49ers.

2021 3GML Season - Week #1

San Francisco 49ers @ Detroit Lions

DETROIT - The San Francisco 49ers (1-0) got their season off on the right foot in dominant fashion with a 27-7 win over the Detroit Lions (0-1) Sunday at Ford Field.  It was the first start for rookie quarterback Justin Fields and it didn't take long to see why the 49ers took him at 3rd overall in the draft.  On his first drive, Fields was electric, going 4 for 4 and scrambling for multiple first downs to keep the drive alive.  He capped it off with a rushing touchdown to put the Niners up 7-0.

From there, San Francisco used a steady dose of Alvin Kamara to run the clock and keep Detroit off the field.  Kamara was given the heaviest work load of his career, rushing 32 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

"I'm tired." Kamara said after the game.

The San Francisco defense also did their part forcing quarterback Jared Goff the throw three interceptions on the day.  Byron Murphy had two of those picks, including one on the opening Lions drive in the end zone.

"Feeling really confident this year.  I'm seeing the offense really well and coach has put me in a position to succeed.  You're going to see a lot more of that from me this year." Murphy said.

Of note, Detroit inexplicably asked injured tackle Taylor Decker to fill in at punter.  When asked about it, coach Dan Campbell stated Jack Fox missed arm day in the weight room.  

"Jack missed his assigned workout and we do things right here.  Taylor was willing to step up." Campbell said.

When pressed about how arm day mattered when it came to punting, Campbell said, "Bro. You don't skip arm day."

San Francisco stays on the road next week to take on the Eagles in Philadelphia.

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots

FOXBOROUGH - The Miami Dolphins (1-0, 1-0 AFC East) outclassed the New England Patriots (0-1, 0-1) in every possible way Sunday afternoon at the home of the 6-time Super Bowl champions in the 45-24 Miami win.

Second year quarterback Jalen Hurts had a day for the ages in the romp. The Alabama and Oklahoma product finished 28-32, 488 yards, and 4TD through the air. Hurts also added 77 rushing yards and another TD.

"Like I said before, we aim to get better every day," Hurts said. "We still left some points out there today and we will keep working to get 1% better each practice."

Miami was aggressive over the past year and a half collecting offensive firepower. For a franchise that has prided itself on a 'ground-and-pound' approach, many pundits worried that the team could not commit to an air-raid approach. But with Julio Jones and Allen Robinson III producing 164 and 153 yard receiving through the air, the Dolphins offense has officially evolved.

"Jalen Hurts and the receivers were unstoppable today," Assistant GM TP said. "Mac Jones and the Patriots didn't stand a chance."

The new look Dolphins will head home next week to take on another division rival in the Buffalo Bills. 

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans

HOUSTON - The Houston Texans (1-0, 1-0 AFC South) picked right up where they left off last season, pushing their winning streak to six games with a 30-3 drubbing of the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1, 0-1 AFC South).  While the end result of this game felt similar to how Houston finished last year, the team is quite different.  General Manager TH brought in many new faces this offseason and it was clear early they are going to have an impact.

One of those faces was Clelin Ferrell who was acquired via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders during training camp.  Ferrell was disruptive all game, finishing with four sacks, three tackles for a loss, and one forced fumble.

"Man, it feels good to be wanted.  I couldn't wait to get out of there [Las Vegas].  Appreciate the Texans for giving me a fresh start." Ferrell said after the game.

On offense, new (old) addition Brandin Cooks made his presence felt with two touchdown catches on the day.  Interestingly enough, one was from Andy Dalton and the other Gardner Minshew.  Coach David Shaw gave both quarterbacks playing time throughout the game even though Dalton was the starter.

It appeared as though Minshew had the better game of the two, going 13 of 17 for 119 yards and a touchdown with a quarterback rating of 114.5.  Dalton on the other hand was just 6 of 14 for 94 yards and a touchdown with a quarterback rating of 89.5.

When asked about the plan moving forward, Shaw was coy, simply stating, "We'll see."

Houston travels to Cleveland next week to take on the Browns.

Green Bay Packers @ New Orleans Saints

NEW ORLEANS - The Green Bay Packers (1-0) overcame a sluggish start to beat the New Orleans Saints  (0-1) 30-14.  With the offense struggling to move the ball early and the Saints up 6-3 late in the second quarter, cornerback Patrick Surtain II intercepted a Jameis Winston pass and ran it back for a touchdown to completely shift the momentum in Green Bay's favor.  

"That's it.  You just have to hang around and that big play is going to happen.  This defense kept us in the game and I was able to make a play when my team needed me." Surtain said.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was getting his first start for the Packers, struggled in the first half, throwing an interception and multiple incompletions.   However, Tagovailoa looked like a different man in the second half, leading Green Bay on two scoring drives (including one for 97 yards) that never gave the Saints a chance to catch up.

"Tua looked a little tight in the first half and I just told him to play his game when we talked at the half.  He loosened up a bit in the third quarter and did what we know he can do." Coach Eric Bieniemy said when asked about his quarterback's play.

Green Bay will look for a smoother start to the game on Monday Nigh Football next week against the Detroit Lions.