In Week 3, NFL fans witnessed a former Gator quarterback maintain New England’s perfect record on Thursday Night Football. Fans also watched playmakers on Philadelphia and Washington come up big in rivalry wins, two former national champions showcased their veteran presence on defense and four rookies from the class of 2016 stuffed the stat sheet as Florida alumni engaged in a memorable Week 3.
First starting win for rookie QB:
Jacoby Brissett scored his first NFL touchdown 13 minutes into Thursday night’s matchup in New England. The former Gator and NC State transfer faked a handoff and rolled to the right before cutting upfield.
Twenty-seven yards later, the third-string rookie bulldozed into the endzone to put the Patriots up 10-0 over Houston.
Brissett jogged off the field, giving the ball to coach Bill Belichick. By the end, they both gave Patriots fans a 27-0 win and a 3-0 record.
Brissett was no world beater in his first start, finishing 11 for 19 with 103 passing yards. And excluding his long TD run, he averaged 3 yards per carry on seven attempts. But he didn’t turn the ball over and has a shot to start again this week — depending on the recovery of second-string QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
New England was one of five teams to finish week three with a perfect record.
NFC East playmakers:
Philadelphia is also off to a 3-0 start, this week collecting a decisive 34-3 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Former Gator receiver Trey Burton pulled in a 16-yard catch in the first half and finished with 19 yards on the day.
Kicker Caleb Sturgis went 4-4 on extra points and nailed two field goals from 29 and 38 yards.
Another NFC East contender had a win highlighted by former Gators on Sunday.
Washington’s win over the Giants saw running back Matt Jones rush for 65 yards, while Redskins’ star tight end Jordan Reed caught four passes for 56 yards.
Receiver-defensive back hybrid Quinton Dunbar showed up on both sides of the stat sheet. Dunbar finished with one reception for 31 yards and three tackles on defense.
Defensive veterans:
A couple of Florida’s defensive veterans had a big NFL Sunday.
Raiders safety and captain Reggie Nelson picked off a pass and recovered a fumble in a win over the Titans. In addition to two takeaways, he finished third on the team in tackles.
Cincinnati defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap also disrupted the opposing offense on Sunday despite a loss to the Broncos. Dunlap finished the game with three tackles and a 6-yard sack on Denver QB Trevor Siemian.
Defensive class of 2016:
A couple Atlanta rookies combined for 10 total tackles on Monday. In a win over New Orleans, first-round pick Keanu Neal finished with three solo tackles, while the undrafted Brian Poole finished with three solos and one tackle for loss.
More of Florida’s rookie defenders showed up on the stat sheet on Sunday. Tampa Bay cornerback Vernon Hargreaves recorded five solo tackles in a loss to Los Angeles, and Indianapolis linebacker Antonio Morrison came up with three solo tackles in a win over San Diego.
Contact Matt Brannon at mbrannon@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @MattB_727.
