​3 NFL Takeaways from Week 3

John Ahern

Week three in the NFL saw three teams who started with visions of the Super Bowl finally get their first wins in Seattle, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia. In Kansas City, a wide receiver caught a touchdown pass for the first time since 2013. Fans of the Eagles surely wish they had Nick Foles under center, and once again Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has stayed yet another execution.

Here are some thoughts after this past weekends slate:

Michael Vick will find success in Pittsburgh

If Le'Veon Bell can stay healthy, and assuming Vicks skills have not severely diminished, the Steelers just may withstand the loss of Ben Roethlisberger. Rest assured that Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff will get the most out of Vick as he tries to resurrect his career. The challenge for the teams offense will revolve around Vicks ability to scramble and the cohesion -- or lack thereof -- in response.

What we most-recently remember are his days with the Jets, when he openly admitted that he did not know the playbook. Once again he has the opportunity to rewrite his legacy.

The Patriots will not go undefeated
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Granted the Patriots are off to a hot start, but it is way too early to talk about an undefeated campaign. For one to look at their schedule and check off every game in the win column, is one who is drinking the Kool-Aid. There are too many intangibles to consider.

Wins over a Pittsburgh team without Bell, a Buffalo club that was within a drive of bringing them to overtime, with a quarterback who was making his second career start, and a Jacksonville team that is clearly not as talented, does not an undefeated season make.

Yours truly is not quite sold on the defensive secondary and defenses in Denver and Dallas will give the offense quite a bit to handle. It's early Pats fans... how's the Pumpkin Kool-Aid tasting these days?

The Baltimore Ravens will play in the post season

This team is much better than their 0-3 start says. Losses at Denver and Oakland, and this past week at home versus Cincinnati were by a combined fourteen points. Those teams -- albeit early -- are a combined 8-1. If they can withstand the loss of standout Terrell Suggs, and bend-but-not-break defensively, they don't have to be a top ten unit. Once quarterback Joe Flacco finds his groove, the Ravens offense can be quite potent. In a balanced conference, nine wins can get you in, and that is certainly possible, starting this week when they take on arch-rival Pittsburgh.