NFL Week 3: Panthers dominate Falcons for 1st win of the season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bryce Young ran for a touchdown, Chau Smith-Wade returned an interception 11 yards for a score and rookie Ryan Fitzgerald made three field goals and the Carolina Panthers routed the Atlanta Falcons 30-0 on Sunday for their first win of the season.
Young was 16 of 24 for 121 yards, but played mistake free after turning the ball over five times in the previous two games.
Smith-Wade’s third-quarter pick-6 highlighted a dominant performance for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s unit as the Panthers (1-2) intercepted Michael Penix Jr. twice, forced three turnovers and limited the Falcons to 5 of 16 conversions on third and fourth downs for their first shutout since Nov. 22, 2020.
CAROLINA PICKS OFF PENIX JR. FOR THE PICK-SIX ????
(via @Panthers) pic.twitter.com/AhWGuE2JYC
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 21, 2025
“When you score in every phase, you give yourself a great chance to win,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said.
The Panthers’ shutout came despite playing without injured defensive end Turk Wharton and outside linebacker Pat Jones, two of the team’s biggest free agency pickups in the offseason.
“This is what we’ve been waiting for coming out of camp,” Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown said. “I feel like this is how we executed during (training) camp, the physicality we had during camp. So to be able to come out here and put it on display and get the result we did today, we’re happy about it.”
Outside of Bijan Robinson, who combined for 111 yards from scrimmage — 72 on the ground and 39 through the air — the Falcons (1-2) got little production from their offense.
Penix looked tentative and was ineffective from the start, finishing 18 of 36 for 172 yards before getting benched in the fourth quarter for Kirk Cousins with the Falcons trailing 27-0.
After the game, coach Raheem Morris squashed any talk of making a change at quarterback saying Penix will remain the starter.
“Game was out of hand. Move on and take some guys out of harm’s way,” Morris said.
It was a promising performance for Carolina, which started the past three seasons 0-2 under Young.
Unlike the previous two games, the Panthers avoided falling into an early deficit.
Playing at home for the first time this season, the Panthers scored on their first possession on a 4-yard scamper from Young around left end. It was Young’s third touchdown on the ground against the Falcons in the past two meetings.
Fitzgerald made a 57-yard field goal to make it 10-0 at the half.
“We put an emphasis on having the urgency to start fast,” Young said. “The defense getting a stop right off the bat and the offense going down and getting a score, I think that was big.”
The Falcons had their chances, but Carolina’s defense thwarted every opportunity, even when returner Trevor Etienne fumbled a punt at the Carolina 33. Parker Romo, who replaced Younghoe Koo last week and went 5-for-5 on field goals in his debut, missed from 49 and 55 yards in the first quarter.
“We had two misses, so obviously you have to evaluate those things when we move on and figure out what we’ve got going on,” Morris said. “We can’t have those moments.”
With the Falcons struggling to get much going, Penix looked to throw a pass down to Robinson in the third quarter, but Smith-Wade stepped in front of Robinson and hauled in the interception and raced to the end zone. Mike Jackson could have had another pick-6 later in the quarter but was tripped up by Penix after a 54-yard return.
The Panthers put the game away a few plays later on a 1-yard touchdown run by Rico Dowdle.
“It was an electric,” Young said of the team’s home opener. “There was great energy, and to start like that at home means a lot.”
Dave Canales talking about the importance of winning 1st home game and the juice that Panthers fans brought. pic.twitter.com/K5EpqqAv7r
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 21, 2025
Buccaneers 29, Jets 27
TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield led Tampa Bay to another thrilling finish, Chase McLaughlin kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired and the Buccaneers rallied for a 29-27 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday for their best start in 20 years.
The Buccaneers (3-0) overcame a late surge by the Jets (0-3), who erased a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead before Mayfield orchestrated a scoring drive in the closing minutes for the third straight week.
Mayfield, who was 19 of 29 for 233 yards and one touchdown, set up McLaughlin’s fifth field goal of the game with completions of 28 yards to Emeka Egbuka and 20 to Sterling Shepard.
McLaughlin’s winning kick came less than two minutes after Will McDonald blocked his 43-yard attempt and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown to put the Jets ahead 27-26 with 1:49 remaining.
McLaughlin also made field goals of 54, 33, 28 and 55 yards, and Mike Evans had a 5-yard TD catch before leaving with a hamstring injury. The defense did its part, too, with Jamel Dean returning an interception of Tyrod Taylor in the first half 55 yards for a TD. Antoine Winfield Jr. forced a fumble with one of the team’s four sacks.
Taylor started in place of the injured Justin Fields, who sat out with a concussion, and rallied New York with TD passes of 11 yards to Garrett Wilson and 4 to Allen Lazard.
With the Bucs clinging to a 26-20 lead and looking to put the game out of reach, McDonald leaped over the middle of Tampa Bay’s line to block McLaughlin’s potential clinching kick and chased down the loose ball and continued to the end zone.
Tampa Bay is unbeaten through three games for only the fifth time in the franchise’s 50-season history. The team wore its original white creamsicle uniforms in the home opener and welcomed more than 100 former Buccaneers, including Steve Spurrier and Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp and Ronde Barber, back to Raymond James Stadium.
The Jets, meanwhile, have started 0-3 for the third time in six years and are still looking for their first victory under rookie head coach Aaron Glenn, who joined Robert Saleh (2021), Adam Gase (2019) and Lou Holtz (1976) as the only coaches to begin their tenures with the Jets 0-3.
New York’s offense sputtered after Nick Folk kicked field goals of 38 and 42 yards on its first two possessions. The Bucs countered with a field goal and Mayfield’s 5-yard scoring pass to Evans before forcing a pair of turnovers by Taylor to begin to break the game open in the closing minutes of the first half.
Colts 41, Titans 20
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jonathan Taylor ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns and the Indianapolis Colts continued their best start since 2009 by beating the hapless Tennessee Titans 41-20 Sunday.
The Colts are now 3-0 and off to their best start since 2009 when Peyton Manning led them to the AFC championship.
Kenny Moore put the Colts ahead to stay on the third offensive play of the game. He picked off rookie Cam Ward and went 32 yards for the pick-6.
Tyquan Lewis had two of the Colts’ four sacks in a game they outgained Tennessee 145-34 and led 17-3 after the first quarter in a game Indy controlled throughout.
Daniel Jones now has as many victories this season as he had in his last 16 starts over two seasons with the New York Giants. Jones also has yet to have a pass intercepted as he threw for 228 yards and a touchdown to Michael Pittman.
The Titans (0-3) have lost nine straight going back to last season. They played without three starters, including right tackle JC Latham and right guard Kevin Zeitler.
Cam Ward bounced back from his first interception of the season by throwing for 219 yards and a TD.
Tennessee’s best success came in finally forcing the Colts to punt for the first time this season with 9:19 left in the second quarter. Rigoberto Sanchez had to punt after the Colts went three-and-out. Spencer Shrader also missed his first field goal of the season wide right after making his first 10.
Shrader’s miss followed the Titans allowing Joey Slye to try a 64-yarder after making his first two field goals Sunday and first 10 of the season. Slye’s try had the distance but was wide right. Grover Stewart blocked Slye’s 62-yarder just before halftime, and Shrader hit from 36 yards for a 20-6 halftime lead.
The Colts went up 27-6 when Jones found Michael Pittman for a 20-yard touchdown to start the third quarter. Taylor made it 34-20 with a 46-yard TD run in the third.
Tennessee finally turned in its longest scoring drives of the season when it was too late to matter.
Ward led the Titans on a 13-play, 73-yard drive before Tony Pollard finished with a 1-yard TD plunge. They topped that with a 16-play drive for 77 yards capped by Ward’s 8-yard TD pass to Elic Ayomanor midway through the fourth.
Commanders 41, Raiders 24
LANDOVER, Md. — A reconfigured Commanders offense — nearly half the starters were different from a game ago, including quarterback Marcus Mariota filling in for an injured Jayden Daniels — produced 201 yards on the ground, 174 in the first half alone, and Washington beat the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24 on Sunday.
In his first NFL start since 2022 with Atlanta, Mariota went 15 for 21 for 206 yards with a late touchdown through the air, and ran six times for 40 yards, including a 2-yard TD on the game’s opening possession. Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft after winning the Heisman Trophy at Oregon, also lost a fumble on a run.
In addition to Mariota’s 43-yard scoring pass to Luke McCaffrey with a little more than two minutes left, Washington (2-1) got touchdowns via a 60-yard run by Jeremy McNichols, a 1-yard plunge by rookie seventh-round draft pick Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt that was set up by Mariota’s 56-yard throw to Terry McLaurin and a 90-yard punt return by rookie fourth-round selection Jaylin Lane.
McNichols never had a run or reception that gained more than 28 yards in his eight NFL seasons before Sunday; his play was the longest rushing TD for Washington since Adrian Peterson scored from 90 yards out against Philadelphia in 2018.
Lane’s return, meanwhile, tied for the longest punt score in franchise history and was the first for Washington since Jamison Crowder brought one back in 2016.
Daniels sat out with an injured left knee, the first game he’s missed since entering the NFL; he got hurt in Washington’s 27-18 loss at Green Bay on Sept. 11.
Starting running back Austin Ekeler was lost for the season in that game with a torn Achilles tendon, and receiver Noah Brown picked up groin and knee issues that held him out Sunday. Plus, guards Nick Allegretti and Brandon Coleman were both benched against the Raiders (1-2), replaced by Andrew Wylie and Chris Paul, with Trent Scott often checking in as a sixth offensive lineman.
Washington’s 174 yards on the ground in the first half were the most for the team since gaining that same number against Tampa Bay in 2010.
Chris Rodriguez started at running back after being inactive the first two weeks, and he ran on four of Washington’s first five plays, gaining 25 yards, most by going to the left side behind tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Washington’s defense still hasn’t produced a turnover this season, but it did deliver five sacks of Geno Smith, including two by Bobby Wagner and one by Von Miller. Dorrance Armstrong became the third player in club history with at least one in each of a season’s initial three games.
Smith was 19 for 29 for 289 yards and three scoring passes — all three to Tre Tucker, who caught eight throws for 145 yards. Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, started the day with 5 yards through five carries, but he finished with 63 yards on 17 runs.
Commanders coach Dan Quinn was left bloodied after getting knocked over by Mariota in a sideline collision shortly before halftime.
Commanders QB Marcus Mariota runs over HC Dan Quinn.
Chris Myers and Mark Schlereth with the Raiders-Commanders call for Fox. ????????????️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/FwddlcU17r
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 21, 2025
Jaguars 17, Texans 10
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence found Brian Thomas Jr. for a 46-yard gain, Travis Etienne scored on the next play and the Jacksonville Jaguars held on to beat the Houston Texans 17-10 on Sunday.
It was Jacksonville’s first win over the Texans at home since 2017. Houston had won 12 of the previous 14 in the AFC South series.
This one was decided on the final two drives.
The Jaguars (2-1) got a huge play from Lawrence to Thomas, a connection that has been mostly missing all season, and then the Texans (0-3) seemingly let Etienne score from 10 yards out with 1:48 remaining.
C.J. Stroud drove Houston into striking distance in the waning seconds, but Josh Hines-Allen tipped his pass and Antonio Johnson intercepted the wobbler to seal the victory.
The Texans can point to Nico Collins’ fumble as the turning point. Tyson Campbell knocked the ball out and it bounced into Devin Lloyd’s hands. It got Jacksonville headed in the right direction after a sluggish performance.
Thomas was dealing with another miserable day before the long catch.
The second-year pro dropped three passes against the Texans, including one on a third-and-3 play that would have moved the chains in the fourth quarter. Thomas was roundly booed as he trudged to the bench and slammed his helmet to the ground.
Thomas also appeared to run the wrong route on a play in the waning minutes.
Texans rookie struggles
Houston rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery had his hands full against Hines-Allen all afternoon. Ersery, a second-round draft pick from Minnesota, allowed a sack, several pressures and was flagged for holding. He also was penalized 15 yards for grabbing cornerback Tyson Campbell’s facemask during a running play.
Hines-Allen moves closer to the franchise sack record
Hines-Allen picked up half a sack in the third quarter, leaving him two shy of breaking the franchise record (55) set by Tony Brackens in 2003. Hines-Allen has 53 ½ career sacks over seven seasons, including 17 ½ in 2023.
Bears 31, Cowboys 14
CHICAGO — Caleb Williams tied a career high with four touchdown passes and the Chicago Bears gave Ben Johnson his first win as an NFL head coach by beating the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 on Sunday.
The Bears (1-2) got a win they sorely needed coming off a 52-21 blowout loss at Detroit. Johnson called out his team’s practice habits during the week, saying they weren’t “championship-caliber.” But he had to like what he saw against the Cowboys (1-2).
Johnson’s offense broke off several big plays while racking up 385 yards. It added up to a rough day for Dallas defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus in his first appearance at Soldier Field since the Bears fired him as head coach last November.
Williams looked more like the quarterback the Bears need him to become than the one who faded after strong starts the first two weeks. The No. 1 overall draft pick last year, he completed 19 of 28 passes for 298 yards and a 142.6 rating.
Rookie Luther Burden caught his first career touchdown when he hauled in a 65-yarder in the first quarter. The second-round pick from Missouri finished with 101 yards on three receptions.
Rome Odunze had 62 yards and a touchdown catch, giving him four this season.
Cole Kmet caught a 10-yard touchdown pass near the end of the first half. DJ Moore made it 31-14 with a 4-yard TD reception in the third quarter, capping 19-play drive that ate up 9:54.
The Cowboys never really got their offense in gear and couldn’t make the stops they needed after squeezing out a thrilling overtime win over the New York Giants. It won’t get any easier this week with Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers visiting Dallas.
Dak Prescott completed 31 of 40 passes, but had just 251 yards. He threw a touchdown to George Pickens in the second quarter, but was intercepted twice.
Star receiver CeeDee Lamb left with an ankle injury in the first quarter. The four-time Pro Bowler was hurt on a run, when he took a handoff and twisted his ankle as he was tackled by Noah Sewell.
After blowing an 11-point lead in the opener against Minnesota and getting embarrassed by Detroit, the Bears looked better early.
Williams completed 10 of 16 passes for 239 yards as Chicago grabbed a 24-14 halftime lead.
Seahawks 44, Saints 13
SEATTLE — Rookie Tory Horton returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown — the longest punt return in Seahawks franchise history — and caught one of Sam Darnold’s two TD passes in Seattle’s 44-13 rout of the winless New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Kenneth Walker III ran for two TDs for the Seahawks (2-1), with the first set up by another big play on special teams. D’Anthony Bell blocked a punt by Kai Kroeger deep in New Orleans territory, and Walker’s 3-yard run gave Seattle a 21-0 first-quarter lead.
Horton, who had his first career TD catch a week earlier in a 31-17 win at Pittsburgh, gave the Seahawks a 14-0 lead with his punt return midway through the first quarter. Early in the second, Horton hauled in a 14-yard fade from Darnold to put Seattle ahead 28-3.
The Seahawks didn’t let up. Walker’s second short TD run capped a four-play, 76-yard drive that made it 35-3, and Jason Myers added a 56-yard field goal before halftime. Seattle led 38-6 at the break for the second-highest-scoring half in franchise history. For the Saints, it was the most points allowed in a half since they also gave up 38 in the second half of a 62-7 loss to Atlanta on Sept. 16, 1973.
After opening the season with two straight one-score losses, first-year coach Kellen Moore’s Saints (0-3) were overwhelmed at Lumen Field. New Orleans did not reach the end zone until the beginning of the fourth quarter, when Spencer Rattler found backup tight end Jack Stoll for a 13-yard touchdown.
The second-year quarterback fell to 0-9 as a starter, and the Saints lost their seventh straight dating to last season. He threw for 218 yards with one interception.
Bell’s blocked put ended a streak of 233 straight regular-season games for the Saints without allowing one, the second-longest streak since at least 1960.
Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba had five catches for 96 yards and a score, and Darnold was an efficient 14 of 18 for 218 yards, finishing with a QB rating of 154.2.
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