Week three was definitely the most surprising week by far in the National Football League. There were teams and players that NFL experts predicted to perform phenomenally but did not by any means live up to these expectations.

Let’s start with some games that surprised us:

6. Vikings vs. Panthers (22-10)

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and running back Adrian Peterson are crucial players for the Vikings and both out with injuries. So, naturally, many would assume that the Vikings would crumble over these heartbreaking losses. Like many NFL experts, I seriously thought the Panthers would smack the Vikings, especially since they played on their own turf in North Carolina. However, the Vikings defense came out strong and completely rattled Cam Newton, sacking him eight times. In addition, the Vikings caught three interceptions off Newton and managed to even get a safety. I think it’s safe to say that the Vikings are not to be underestimated, as they are looking like one of the best teams in the NFL thus far even without Bridgewater and Peterson.

5. Dolphins vs. Browns (30-24)

The Browns had several players out on Sunday’s game with injuries, including rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman and both first and second string quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown. So, naturally, as a Dolphins fan myself, I thought that my team had this game in the bag. However, Terrelle Pryor completely took me by surprise and became the leader of the Browns offense as quarterback, wide receiver and even running back. The Dolphins defense could not stop this guy and the game eventually went into overtime after Browns kicker Cody Parkey missed the game winning field goal. Ultimately, the Dolphins pulled off a win with running back Jay Ajayi who scored the game winning TD, but many Dolphins players felt that they did not deserve this win. I’m going to have to commend the Browns on playing their hearts out even though they came out with a loss in this surprising game.

4. Redskins vs. Giants (29-27)

I’ll admit that as a fantasy player, I picked up the Giants defense because I thought that the team would dominate the Redskins this week. Turns out, I was absolutely wrong. In the fourth quarter, Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw two interceptions, which ultimately costed the Giants the game. This was especially frustrating for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. who publicly threw a temper tantrum in the midst of the game. But, who wouldn’t be upset with this loss? This close game was definitely a difficult pill for both Giants players and fans to swallow, as they should’ve had this game in the bag. But, it’s only fair to give credit where credit is due, and commend the Redskins for clawing for that win.

3. Eagles vs. Steelers (31-3)

Okay… what the heck happened here? The Steelers haven’t lost this badly by 31 points since 1989! This was definitely one of the most shocking, as Ben Roethlisberger could not even throw a touchdown to the league’s best wide receiver, Antonio Brown. I think the game and the score speaks for itself, as the Steelers were supposed to be one of the best teams in the AFC. This proves to show that the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense is not messing around in the NFL.

2. Patriots vs. Texans (27-0)

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is suspended from the NFL for four weeks and second-string quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was out from an injury he suffered last week against the Dolphins. So, that left the Patriots with rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who led the Patriots to victory against the Texans at home. This leaves me to believe that head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots can win under any given circumstance. I mean, they stopped the Texans from scoring even a field goal! However, Brissett was injured during the game with a minor thumb injury, so it will be interesting to see what the Patriots can do against the Buffalo Bills next week with two quarterbacks who have injuries and Tom Brady who still remains out.

1. Chiefs vs. Jets (24-3)

I’d like to begin with this game by saying that Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completely blew this game by throwing six interceptions. SIX INTERCEPTIONS!!! As a fantasy player and football lover, I have never seen an NFL quarterback throw six interceptions in my lifetime. This game, in my opinion, was most surprising since the Jets have Matt Forte as its starting running back and Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker as its wide receivers. Forte, Marshall and Decker are considered to be some of the best players in the NFL… so what happened? No further comments on this disappointing game.