NFL Duress List - Week 3

As we dive deeper into Week 3 of the NFL season, the pressure is mounting for teams and players who find themselves in precarious positions. With only two games in the books, several franchises are already grappling with disappointing starts, while key players face scrutiny over their performances.

From defensive collapses to quarterback struggles. Let’s examine what’s going wrong and who’s under pressure this week…

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens, one of the favourites for the Super Bowl favourites, have had a rough start to the season with a surprising 0-2 record after losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. While a close road defeat to the reigning champions is excusable, their home collapse against an average Raiders team has raised alarm bells. Leading by 10 points in the fourth quarter, the Ravens allowed a comeback despite the Raiders having only 48 yards of offence at halftime.

This marks Baltimore’s fourth loss after leading by double digits in the fourth quarter since 2022, and it’s only the second time in John Harbaugh’s 16-year tenure they’ve started 0-2. Questionable decisions by Harbaugh, including two wasted timeouts on failed challenges, may have cost the Ravens key opportunities late in each half.

Reigning two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson has also struggled, completing just 3 of 11 third-down attempts against the Raiders and going 1 for 9 on deep throws this season. However, their problems run deeper than Lamar, their defence has surprisingly struggled having already allowed eight 25+ yard completions—a stat they didn’t reach until Week 9 last season. Additionally, opposing quarterbacks have been perfect on play-action, going 15/15 for 112 yards, further exposing Baltimore’s struggling defence.

With tough upcoming games against the Cowboys, Bills, and Bengals, the Ravems face a critical stretch to save their season.

Next Game: Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium

Dallas Cowboys Defence

Last week, the Dallas Cowboys were completely outclassed in a 44-19 defeat by the New Orleans Saints, exposing severe issues in their defence. Once considered formidable, the Cowboys’ defensive line was overpowered by a Saints offensive line expected to be among the league's weakest. The secondary faltered, allowing touchdowns on the Saints’ first six drives, including two long passes of 70 and 57 yards. Alvin Kamara dominated with four touchdowns, while Derek Carr torched the Cowboys’ defence with a near-perfect QBR of 99.4, averaging 15.2 yards per pass attempt. The Saints rushed for 190 yards, averaging 4.9 per carry.

This collapse has earned the Cowboys the derisive nickname “Allas Cowboys,” for their lack of "D" (defense). Micah Parsons hinted at a deeper issue with teammates’ lack of effort. In stark contrast to their opening game, where they stifled the Browns, the Cowboys allowed the Saints to gain over 10 yards per play after halftime.

With 92 points surrendered across two consecutive home blowout losses to the Packers and Saints (most points allowed over a two-game span since 1960), the Cowboys owe their fans a strong performance in their next home game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens, also in desperate need of a win after starting the season 0-2, are still regarded as one of the best teams in the NFL. The Cowboys' defence must step up, or the Ravens will easily dominate and continue Dallas’ defensive struggles.

Next Game: Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium

Will Levis

Despite a strong defensive effort from the Tennessee Titans, their offensive struggles have been underscored by quarterback Will Levis. If he had made smarter decisions, the Titans could very well be 2-0 instead of 0-2.

Levis' unforced errors have been hard to overlook. In Week 1, his late-game pick-6 sealed a loss to the Chicago Bears. In Week 2, with the Titans leading 7-0 against the New York Jets, Levis panicked under pressure on third-and-goal, throwing a backward shovel pass that led to a turnover. Head coach Brian Callahan was visibly furious, reportedly yelling, "What the f*** are you doing?" from the sideline.

Although the defence stopped the Jets on the next drive, Levis quickly followed up with a deep interception into double coverage. After the game, Callahan didn’t hold back, labelling Levis' decisions as "dumb" and noting that the quarterback had repeated mistakes that cost the team valuable points. While Levis has drawn public ire, the offensive issues extend beyond him—wide receivers have been virtually invisible, and the offensive line has underperformed. Much of the blame falls on Callahan, who was brought in for his offensive expertise.

With Levis under pressure, he must prove himself to remain the Titans' starting quarterback. After the Carolina Panthers benched Bryce Young for poor performance, Levis knows he needs to elevate his game to avoid facing a similar fate.

Next up for the Titans is a matchup against the Green Bay Packers, where they may face former QB Malik Willis. If Jordan Love isn’t fit to play, Willis will be eager to prove himself to the Titans after being traded.

Next Game: Green Bay Packers at Nissan Stadium