Three weeks have come and gone in the 2023 NFL season and numerous storylines are swirling. Injuries have hindered teams playoff aspirations early, breakout rookies have taken the league by storm and Swifties have a new favorite player, as superstar Travis Kelce has been rumored to be dating Taylor Swift. Three of those storylines stick out the most.
The Miami Dolphins’ offense is the best the NFL has ever seen.
The Miami Dolphins’ offense has been on a progressive rise over the past few seasons, beginning when they drafted quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sixth overall in the 2020 draft. They followed it up the next year by drafting Tagovailoa’s college teammate Jaylen Waddle. Their next offseason was the biggest, as they hired offensive mastermind Mike McDaniel, signed speedster Raheem Mostert and traded for superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
In the 2022 season, Miami showed excellence on the offensive side of the ball, with the only true negative being the three concussions Tagovailoa suffered through the campaign. Following a healthy offseason, Miami came into this year with high hopes for their high-powered offense. It’s safe to say after just three weeks they have exceeded expectations.
The offense has carried Miami to a 3-0 record, outlasting the Los Angeles Chargers in a shootout, collecting an important divisional road victory against the Patriots and walloping the Broncos 70-20.
They currently lead the NFL in yards, averaging 550.3 yards per game, 133.6 more than the next nearest team. It’s not just one facet of the offense clicking. The run game has taken a huge step forward with Mostert looking like a premier back, along with rookie back De’Von Achane having his breakout performance with over 200 yards against the Broncos, while both he and Mostert collected four touchdowns each. The passing game has been electric, with the tandem of Tagovailoa, Hill and Waddle torching opponents’ secondary. Underlying it all, the offensive line has taken a gigantic step forward, allowing only one sack through three weeks.
There’s still plenty of football left to be played, but it’s easy to see why Miami came into this season with high expectations. There have been numerous offenses that have dominated the NFL, but this might be the most explosive the league has ever seen.
The Philadelphia Eagles are the scariest team in the NFL.
Philadelphia was one of the most dominant teams in the league last season, finishing 14-3, before coasting through the NFC side of the playoff bracket, and falling just short of their second Super Bowl in the last decade.
The Eagles lost a few key pieces during the offseason, with offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon departing for head coaching positions, as well as the loss of key defensive contributors Javon Hargrave, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White all heading elsewhere in free agency.
Philadelphia retooled during the draft season, acquiring University of Georgia products Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, and trading for former Georgia Bulldog and Philadelphia native D’Andre Swift.
Through three weeks, the Eagles are unbeaten, holding off the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings, before battering the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. Despite being 3-0, they haven’t looked as sharp as they could. MVP runner-up Jalen Hurts has come out and not looked as dominant as last season, committing four turnovers, only two less than all of last season. Receiving weapons DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert have all had at least one quiet game. Furthermore, the secondary is in the bottom 10 in passing yards allowed.
Despite the struggles, Philadelphia has battled throughout, they are still undefeated and seem destined to get everything clicking soon. We’ve seen what the Eagles look like when they are at their best. If Philadelphia can be unbeaten through early struggles, it’s hard to doubt that they are the best team in football when they are firing on all cylinders.
Puka Nacua is the best rookie from this year’s draft class.
The 2023 draft hosted some of the best college prospects the NFL has seen. Whether it was rumors about who would go first overall between Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson, arguably the best running back prospect in Bijan Robinson or the unbelievable talent on the defensive side of the ball, there was plenty to be excited about.
While the likes of Young, Stroud, Richardson and Robinson, as well as numerous other rookies have shown flashes to be the future faces of the NFL, there is one unheralded draft prospect who looks like the best of them all. That would be Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua.
Nacua was selected 177th overall in this year’s draft to a Rams team looking to retool after a brutal 5-12 season, a season that saw key offensive contributors Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford miss large chunks of the season. Kupp is battling an injury again this season, beginning the season on injured reserve.
Now, if you were to look atop the leaderboard of receiving stats, you’d see household names such as Hill, Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams and Keenan Allen. Then you’d see one unfamiliar name, Nacua. He has taken the league by storm, leading the NFL in targets, while placing within the top five in receptions and receiving yards. Nacua set a pair of records, including most receptions in a game by a rookie, collecting 15 in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The other record he set was most receptions in a two-game span by a rookie, beating out former record holder Odell Beckham Jr. by a couple receptions.
Kupp being inactive has given Nacua an opportunity for his skillset to shine. Even when Kupp returns, Nacua will continue to sparkle as the best player from this year’s class.
All stats are from ESPN as of September 26.
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