Monday morning 2020 NFL recap week 3

Steelers: Okay, I'm in on the Sunday NFL ticket. What a joy to know I'll be able to watch my Steelers every week on the big screen on my own couch. Now, I can have my buddy at my house! #Treatedmyself

• The newsreel for this game? The three Watt brothers playing together. Their parents in the stands wearing their homemade 1/2 and 1/2 t' shirts supporting their sons. Texan J.J. against his younger brothers, Steelers T.J. and Derek. Apparently, it was only the second time in ninety-three years where three brothers played in an NFL game.

• Sluggish start until we were down 14-3, and the defense apparently got warmed up. 

• I get we are known for running the ball. I do, but we don't have the weapons like we used to collect in running backs. We've got to make plays through the air to alternate with our run game.

• It's hard to go into the locker room with a last-minute score from the opposition. Or is it? The defense indeed came out hotter in the second half, holding the Texans to just 51 yards and only two first downs. 

• In this game, five sacks kept the streak alive--60 games with straight sacks--second only to the Bucs with 69 straight sack games.

• After writing about the run, the Steelers made me eat those words. James Connor ran like he'd read the tweets and my musings and heard the analysts. He kept the Steelers alive in the fourth quarter, running like a mack truck for one touchdown and again to keep the ball in our hands to close out the game. Connor ended with 109 yards for the day.

Other: Last week, the 49ers complained about the turf at Metlife Stadium, home to the two New York teams, the Giants and the Jets. Hard to argue with their gripes since one by one, they lost players left and right. How horrific was it they had to play there again this week? The league announced the field passed all the tests to be official, but in the first quarter, tight end Jordan Reed, attempting a toe slide in the end zone, went down, grabbing his ankle. Cue the weeklong conversation.

• After two weeks of nothing, tight end retired-for-one-season-before-coming-back Gronkowski got into some rhythm. Of course, he did. After I traded him from my fantasy team.

• The Minnesota Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons blew leads and their wins this week. I'm still scratching my head on these two, but this is two weeks in a row for the Falcons. Yikes!

• What an odd pass interference call on Rams Darius Williams against Bills Gabriel Davis. Definitely, there was contact, but it was before the pass, but Williams threw his hands up long before the ball reached Davis, so most of us went what? 

• And then with fifteen seconds, the Rams didn't throw a hail mary but instead played hot potato with the ball as if that has ever racked up a score. I don't get that. Goff can throw.

• How boring is a tie? I'm not a fan of this rule. The Bengals and the Eagles went to overtime, and neither managed to score, so that's it? Let's play until someone pulls out the win, how about?

• The Bucs offense still has some tweaks to iron out, but they spread the ball around and didn't change my mind about what I said last week.

• Seahawks D.K. Metcalf had the big oaf moment this week when wide open, he caught a beautiful deep pass from quarterback Russell Wilson. With less than ten yards to run, Metcalf hotdogged it, slowing down to a jog, carelessly holding the ball to his side and allowing Cowboys Trevon Diggs to slap the ball out of Metcalf's hands, nulling the touchdown. Cowboys ball. If I'm Pete Carroll, I will play that reel every chance I get this week.

• More injuries again this week, but I've lost a fantasy running back for the second straight week. Last week I lost Saquon Barkley, and this week I lost Tarik Cohen, both to torn ACLs. Sigh.

• Congrats to Joe Buck, who won the Pete Rozell Award and will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame alongside his father, Jack Buck. The younger Buck was surprised with the announcement on Thursday Night Football, and he was humbled. I love Joe Buck, and if I had to pick an analyst to listen to forever, it'd be Joe Buck. Well deserved.