MNF: The Exclusive 3-0 Club

09/26/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Eagles (3-0) Join Dolphins (3-0) & 49ers (3-0) as NFL’s Last Unbeaten Teams; Bengals Get 1st Win in Field Goal Fiesta

Another Monday Night doubleheader kept the football going into the week as the Birds and Bengals came away victorious. Philly (3-0) joins the exclusive and ever-shrinking club of remaining unbeatens, and Cincy lifted a weight off their shoulders with their first win. While Monday night was a little gross — both weather and turnovers — two teams are still waking up today feeling better about their season. All four QBs combined for twice as many interceptions (6) as passing touchdowns (3) on MNF. It wasn’t pretty. Allow us to tell you about it anyway.

Eagles def. Buccaneers (25-11)

A clash of two undefeated teams confirmed one and left another wanting more. The Eagles and Bucs both entered Monday Night Football 2-0, and a 3-3 score after 20 minutes sure looked like a dogfight. Philly started flying, and a flurry of scores just before and after halftime made it 25-3 before the 4th quarter. Jalen Hurts (305 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) was efficient while RB D’Andre Swift (16 carries, 130 yards) had another huge night. The Birds have run for 557 yards through three games — 4th most by any team in the Super Bowl era.

Fun Fact: Jalen Hurts (29 TDs) passed Cam Newton (28 TDs) for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first 50 games. Hurts has only played 48.

Bengals def. Rams (19-16)

The Bengals-Rams rematch of Super Bowl LVI looked a lot like it did in 2022 — a 23-20 Rams win that featured a low-scoring 3-point win. But this one was the Bengals’ revenge and a timely win for a struggling Cincinnati team. The Bengals looked more than sub-par through the first two weeks. This performance was anything but perfect, but a timely touchdown in the third quarter put the Bengals on top, 13-9. Cincy kicked two field goals to stretch it to 19-9 before the Rams scored late. For all the Bengals haters, Joe Burrow is 1-7 in games Weeks 1-3, and he’s 24-12-1 in all other games.

Fun Fact: WR Ja’Marr Chase (12 receptions, 141 yards) was two catches shy of the Monday Night Football game record (14).

Monday Night Football QB Comparisons

J. Hurts (PHI): 23/37, 305 total yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs

B. Mayfield (TB): 15/25, 146 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

J. Burrow (CIN): 26/49, 259 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

M. Stafford (LAR): 18/33, 269 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Monday Night Football Top Performers

WR J. Chase (CIN): 12 receptions, 141 yards

RB D. Swift (PHI): 17 touches, 138 yards

WR A. Brown (PHI): 9 receptions, 131 yards

RB J. Mixon (CIN): 19 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD

WR M. Evans (TB): 5 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD

The 3-0 Club: It’s still anyone’s guess how the season will play out and who will get hot down the stretch, but these three squads have shown up ready in September. The Dolphins (+59) and 49ers (+48) have been putting teams to sleep early in games by embarrassing point spreads, but Philly (+25) still looks like they have another gear to go.

Week 4 Power Rankings coming tomorrow…

B/R: Joe Burrow’s Play Has Fans Concerned About Injury Despite Bengals’ Win

SI: Eagles Never Trail in Convincing Win vs. Bucs to Reach 3-0 Start

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images