Week three of the NFL season is already heating up, and we just got a glimpse of some serious early fireworks. The Pittsburgh Steelers, led by a revitalized Aaron Rodgers, stormed out of the gate against their AFC North rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, snagging an early touchdown that had everyone buzzing. Pittsburgh bunched their receivers after taking a quick timeout, and Rodgers, cool as ever, found R Wilson wide open. Wilson made the easy catch and just waltzed into the end zone for a massive 38-yard score. What a magic start for the Steelers, putting them up 7-0 in the first quarter!
Early Drama and Question Marks for the Bengals
That early Steelers touchdown came at the 13:10 mark of the first quarter, and it immediately put a spotlight on the Bengals defense. Remember all the hype around that unit? Well, Jaylen Warren ripped off a 30-yard gain on a swing pass earlier in the drive, getting the Steelers across midfield. It certainly felt like “so much for that hyped Bengals defense” right off the bat. Cincinnati did try to respond, with Chase Brown getting a strong run for a first down. Joe Burrow then stepped up in the pocket, extended the play, and found Tee Higgins for a solid 10 yards. They were hunting in the red zone, 16 yards from the score, but a Dohnte Meyers false start penalty pushed them back to 21 yards. That’s the kind of early mistake you can’t afford against a hot Steelers team.
Around the League: Big Plays and Big Concerns
The scoring frenzy wasn’t limited to the AFC North. Out in Buffalo, the Chargers took an early 7-0 lead against the Bills at the 10:33 mark of the first quarter. J Herbert connected with K Mitchell for a one-yard touchdown. The Bills defense made two good stands on the goal line, but they just couldn’t deny the Chargers in the end. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs were equally menacing, grabbing a 7-0 lead against the Dolphins at 12:54 in the first. An ominous start for Miami as the Chiefs marched 67 yards in just four plays, with K Walker rushing in for a 10-yard score. Travis Kelce’s huge 48-yard grab was the play that set up that entire scoring drive, showing he’s still a dominant force.
Off the field, there’s significant news on the injury front for Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. He’s expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks with a grade two hamstring injury. Though Ben Johnson, the Bears’ head coach, mentioned Williams is a quick healer and could return sooner, he’s ruled out for the Monday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Williams got hurt in the fourth quarter of Chicago’s 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday and has missed his third straight practice. If he misses three games, his potential return date would be October 18 against the Atlanta Falcons. It’s a tough blow early in the season, and you gotta hope he heals up fast.
As the action continues to unfold around the NFL today, these early scores and injuries are setting the tone. For Caleb Williams, the Monday night game absence against the Eagles is a big one. Can the Bears hang tough without him? We’ll be watching to see how the rest of Week 3 shakes out and what other surprises these opening games have in store.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Guardian.
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