Eagles vs. Buccaneers, Bengals vs. Rams Monday Night Football highlights
For the second straight week, "Monday Night Football" featured a double-dose of football games.
Week 3 in the NFL wrapped up with the Philadelphia Eagles moving to 3-0 with a thorough defeat of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals avoided an 0-3 hole with Joe Burrow able to play in the team's win over the Los Angeles Rams in a Super Bowl 56 rematch.
The Eagles joined the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers as the league's lone 3-0 teams. The Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings will enter Week 4 winless.
Bengals-Rams highlights
Joe Burrow shook off a lingering calf injury to help the Bengals get their first win of the season.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Eagles-Buccaneers highlights
The defending NFC champion Eagles, who won their first eight games a year ago, are off to a 3-0 start in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1992-93.
Bengals hold on for season's first win
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals have their first win of the season.
The Bengals defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 19-16, to win Monday night.
Cincinnati was led by a superb effort by its defense. The Bengals sacked Matthew Stafford six times, linebacker Logan Wilson intercepted the quarterback twice, they forced the Rams to go 1-for-4 in the red zone and 1-for-11 on third downs.
“When you have a defense like that, it makes your job as a quarterback easy,” Burrow told the ESPN broadcast after the game.
Burrow was hampered by his highly publicized calf injury, but got through the contest. The quarterback was 26-of-49 passing for 259 yards and had one interception. Cincinnati’s offense got a major spark from wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase who produced a game-high 12 catches for 141 yards.
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald had seven tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and two QB hits in the loss. — Tyler Dragon
Bengals recover onside kick
The Rams were unable to recover the onside kick. Tight end Mitchell Wilcox recovered the football for the Bengals. The Bengals went into victory formation to milk the clock after Wilcox’s recovery. — Tyler Dragon
Bengals 19, Rams 16: Tutu Atwell TD might be too late for LA
The Rams scored a touchdown with 1:03 left in the fourth quarter to set up an onside kick.
Los Angeles put Tutu Atwell in motion and Matthew Stafford found the wide receiver outside for a 1-yard touchdown. The Rams still trail 19-16 after the score.
The game hinges on the onside kick. — Tyler Dragon
Bengals 19, Rams 6: Another three-pointer from Evan McPherson
Evan McPherson is having a busy night.
The Bengals kicker made his fourth field goal on Monday night. McPherson hit a 54-yard field to increase Cincinnati’s lead, 19-9. But most importantly, the field goal made the contest a two-possession game with under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Ahkello Witherspoon makes spectacular interception
Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon made a huge play when his team needed it.
Witherspoon made a miraculous interception on the team’s 37-yard line. He was all over Tyler Boyd in coverage and made a diving catch around Boyd as the wideout attempted to catch the football.
The interception was the Rams first takeaway for the season. — Tyler Dragon
Bengals control third quarter
The Bengals outscored the Rams 10-3 in the third quarter to take a 16-9 advantage. Cincinnati gained 124 yards in the third quarter compared to 100 by Los Angeles.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase had five catches for 78 yards and linebacker Logan Wilson had one of his two interceptions in the quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Bengals 16, Rams 9: Evan McPherson kicks another field goal
The Bengals offense got into field goal range after the takeaway by the defense.
Cincinnati went on a six-play, 48-yard drive to get into field goal range. The series was highlighted by a great play design by Zac Taylor and the Bengals offense that led to a 43-yard catch by wideout Ja’Marr Chase.
Bengals kicker Evan McPherson made a 48-yard field goal to push their lead to 16-9. McPherson is three for four on field goal attempts.
The Bengals have scored 10 straight points. — Tyler Dragon
Logan Wilson gets his second pick
Logan Wilson has a nose for the football.
The Bengals linebacker intercepted his second pass of the night when he caught a Matthew Stafford pass that was deflected at the line of scrimmage.
Wilson has three tackles and two interceptions midway through the third quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Bengals 13, Rams 9: Joe Mixon finally finds the end zone
The Bengals scored the first touchdown of the night.
Cincinnati was able to get Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon involved on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Mixon capped off the series when he took a handoff, found space and scampered for a 14-yard touchdown run. It was the first rushing TD for the Bengals this season.
The 75-yard drive was the Bengals’ longest drive of the night. — Tyler Dragon
Eagles easily dispatch Bucs to go to 3-0
There were nine 2-0 teams entering Week 3, but only three survived the weekend unbeaten. The Eagles joined the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers as the league's lone 3-0 teams after a convincing 25-11 defeat of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 25-11 final score also represents a Scorigami! (This is the second Scorigami of Week 3; Dolphins 70, Broncos 20 was also a Scorigami.)
D'Andre Swift (16 carries for 130 yards) and A.J. Brown (nine catches for 131 yards) each had big days for the Eagles. Jalen Hurts completed 23 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a nice touchdown toss to Olamide Zaccheaus, but also had two interceptions. As a team, the Eagles had 201 yards rushing.
The Eagles defense dominated the Buccaneers, who entered the game 2-0 after season-opening wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears (each of whom is still winless, though). Baker Mayfield threw his first interception while as a Buccaneers player. Running back Rachaad White was held to just 38 yards on 14 carries. Mike Evans was the Buccaneers' leading receiver, catching five passes for 60 yards. The Eagles outgained the Buccaneers, 472 yards to 174.
While the Eagles take on the NFC East rival Washington Commanders in Week 4, the Buccaneers travel to play the New Orleans Saints. — Jim Reineking
Rams 9, Bengals 6: LA settles for another field goal
The Rams had a promising drive going to open up the second half, but they were unable to reach paydirt.
Los Angeles went 51 yards down the field and into the red zone, but Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson sacked Rams QB Matthew Stafford on third down to force a field goal.
The Rams kicker Brett Maher was able to make a 42-yard field goal to give Los Angeles a 9-6 lead.
Maher’s converted three field goals. — Tyler Dragon
Bengals 6, Rams 6: Just field goals so far in Cincy
Neither offense could get going in the first half, but the Bengals did end the second quarter with a 53-yard field goal by kicker Evan McPherson.
The Bengals defense has played well. The Rams are 0-5 on third down and 0-2 in the red zone. Linebacker Logan Wilson intercepted Matthew Stafford in the second quarter.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow hasn’t played well. He’s missed a couple throws and looked limited by his calf injury in the first half. Burrow did perform better as the first half went on.
Burrow is 17 of 31 passing for 141 yards.
The Rams have 141 total yards in the first half. — Tyler Dragon
Eagles 25, Buccaneers 11: Mike Evans finally gets Tampa a touchdown
It had been rough sledding for the Buccaneers offensive against the Eagles for much of Monday night's game, but Tampa Bay finally did manage to reach the end zone with nine minutes left in the game.
It took three tries from the Eagles' 1-yard line, but Baker Mayfield hit receiver Mike Evans for the score. The subsequent two-point conversion attempt also was good as Mayfield and Chris Godwin connected to trim the Eagles' lead. — Jim Reineking
Eagles 25, Buccaneers 3: Philly converts safety into more points
The Eagles capitalized on the safety, and subsequent decent field position, to march 55 yards on 10 plays and put kicker Jake Elliott into position for a 26-yard field goal attempt.
Elliott's third field goal of the game gave the Eagles a 22-point fourth-quarter lead, seemingly putting the game out of reach for a Buccaneers team that has struggled offensively against the defending NFC champions. — Jim Reineking
Bengals pick off Matthew Stafford
The Bengals defense is doing their best to keep the game close.
Linebacker Logan Wilson intercepted a pass thrown by Matthew Stafford at the Rams’ 41-yard line.
Officials had to review Wilson’s interception to make sure he secured the football and the play was upheld.
Unfortunately, the Bengals squandered the good opportunity. The Bengals offense was unable to move the ball and didn’t score points off the turnover. — Tyler Dragon
Eagles 22, Buccaneers 3: Bucs get INT, but then allow safety
Buccaneers defensive back Dee Delaney made a spectacular interception on a long pass attempt, preventing a possible Eagles score on a Jalen Hurts toss to DeVonta Smith.
Only one issue for the Buccaneers: Delaney was ruled out of bounds at the 1-yard line. One play later, Buccaneers running back Rachaad White was tackled in the end zone by Eagles linebacker Nick Morrow for a safety. The play had no chance of escaping safety shame, as the Eagles' defensive line pushed the Bucs' offensive line back, bottling White up.
The Eagles extended their already lengthy lead in the showdown of 2-0 teams. — Jim Reineking
D'Andre Swift hurdles Buccaneers defender
It's been a big weekend for Swifties in the NFL.
D'Andre Swift has more than 100 yards rushing against the Buccaneers. That total includes hurdling over the Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield Jr. on an electric 26-yard gain.
The big play helped set up Jalen Hurts' 1-yard touchdown score that put the Eagles up 20-3. — Jim Reineking
Aaron Donald bursts through to sack Joe Burrow
The Bengals have done a decent job protecting Joe Burrow in the first half but it didn’t work on this play.
Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald was able to split a double team and sacked Burrow for an eight-yard loss. The sack put a halt on Cincinnati’s drive.
Donald currently has two tackles and one sack so far tonight. — Tyler Dragon
Eagles 20, Buccaneers 3: Jalen Hurts powers in for TD on fourth down
Philadelphia is pulling ahead in its road game in Tampa.
On the first drive after halftime, Jalen Hurts scored a 1-yard touchdown.
On fourth-and-goal, he lined up under center Jason Kelce, took the snap, ducked his head and powered his way into the end zone. He scored with the help of tight end Dallas Goedert and running back D'Andre Swift pushing him forward.
The Eagles are up 20-3. — Victoria Hernandez
Rams 6, Bengals 3: Rams settle again for field goal
The Rams squandered another red zone opportunity.
Los Angeles had to kick another short field goal when they failed to get in the endzone from third-and-3 from the five-yard line.
Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell almost caught a pass from Matthew Stafford on third down but it fell incomplete.
Brett Maher made a 23-yard field goal to give the Rams a 6-3 lead.
The Rams are currently 0-2 in the red zone. — Tyler Dragon
Bengals 3, Rams 3: Evan McPherson puts Cincy on the board
It took a quarter, but the Bengals finally got on the scoreboard.
The Bengals had a 12-play, 48-yard drive that ended in a game-tying 49-yard field goal by Evan McPherson.
Cincinnati relied on short passes to get into field goal range. The Bengals have 98 total yards early in the second quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Joe Burrow starts game, but clearly limited
The first quarter ended with the Bengals driving in Rams territory.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow is clearly limited by his calf injury. The Bengals have emphasized short quick passes to protect Burrow from a pass rush.
Burrow was 10 for 13 passing for 70 yards in the first quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Eagles 13, Buccaneers 3: Eagles kick FG before half to extend lead
The Eagles capitalized off Rachaad White’s fumble to further their lead.
Jalen Hurts led the team on a five-play, 16-yard drive. With nine seconds on the clock, Jake Elliott took the field and nailed a 38-yard field goal.
Philadelphia is up 13-3 at the half. — Victoria Hernandez
Eagles, Buccaneers trade turnovers
After taking the field thanks to a Baker Mayfield interception, Jalen Hurts himself was picked late in the second quarter.
He intended to reach D'Andre Swift and threw toward the center of the field, but threw the ball right behind the running back’s post route. Devin White was there to take the pick and run upfield for a 26-yard return.
The Eagles defense answered by taking the ball right back. They sacked Baker Mayfield for a loss of 11 yards and then on the next play, Jalen Carter forced Rachaad White to fumble a short catch. His teammate James Bradberry landed on the ball.
The game had three straight turnovers, including Mayfield’s first interception of the game — and the season. — Victoria Hernandez
Rams 3, Bengals 0: Tutu Atwell run sets up field goal
The Rams took advantage of good field position after the Bengals missed a field goal on their opening drive.
Los Angeles converted a short 30-yard field goal on its first drive.
Wide receiver Tutu Atwell nearly scored on a reverse, but the refs ruled he had stepped out of bounds on the two-yard line. On the very next play, Rams QB Matthew Stafford was sacked by Bengals DT DJ Reader and Los Angeles eventually had to settle for a chip-shot field goal by kicker Brett Maher. — Tyler Dragon
Baker Mayfield throws first INT of season
As the rain started pouring in Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield threw his first interception of the season.
On second-and-13 from their on 22, the quarterback took the snap from shotgun and then threw downfield intending to reach Chris Godwin.
The receiver had several defenders in front of him. The ball was short and fell into the hands of safety Reed Blankenship, who dove to his left into the turf with the grab.
Blankenship had his first career interception last year as an undrafted rookie when he picked off Aaron Rodgers in a primetime win.
The pick of Mayfield was Tampa Bay’s first turnover of the season. — Victoria Hernandez
Eagles 10, Buccaneers 3: Jalen Hurts finds Olamide Zaccheaus for first TD of game
Jalen Hurts scored the first touchdown of the game against the Buccaneers, finding Olamide Zaccheaus for a 34-yard score.
On third-and-10, the Eagles quarterback took the snap and stutter-stepped in the pocket for a few seconds as he surveyed the field. Linebacker Anthony Nelson broke through the offensive line and closed in on Hurts, but he tossed the ball downfield and threaded it between two defenders to find the fifth-year receiver. Zaccheaus trotted into the end zone for the score.
Zaccheaus had a 24-yard catch on the drive that helped Philadelphia move downfield.
The Eagles are up 10-3 in the second quarter. — Victoria Hernandez
Buccaneers 3, Eagles 3: Tampa Bay settles for field goal after Mike Evans drop
The Bucs put together their best drive thus far in the first half and it ended with three points.
Tampa Bay’s 13-play, 69-yard drive almost ended in a touchdown, but Mike Evans dropped a would-be touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield that was just a little behind the wide receiver.
The Bucs settled for a 33-yard field goal by kicker Chase McLaughlin. — Tyler Dragon
Eagles controlling game through one quarter in Tampa
The Eagles had the football when the first quarter expired.
Philadelphia controlled the first quarter with 113 total yards compared to just 34 by the Bucs. The Eagles had six first downs in the first quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Eagles 3, Buccaneers 0: Britain Covey return sets up field goal
The Eagles got on the scoreboard first Monday night, thanks to a good punt return by Britain Covey.
Covey retrieved a punt and had a 52-yard return to put the Eagles in Bucs territory. The Eagles weren’t able to reach the end zone after starting in Tampa Bay territory but did manage to get three points when kicker Jake Elliott converted a 36-yard field. — Tyler Dragon
What time is kickoff for Eagles at Buccaneers and Rams at Bengals?
The Buccaneers and Eagles will kick off at 7:15 p.m. ET on Sept. 25, while the Rams and Bengals will get things started at 8:15 p.m. ET.
How can I watch Eagles at Buccaneers and Rams at Bengals on 'Monday Night Football'?
Eagles at Buccaneers will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN+, while Rams at Bengals can be seen on ESPN and ESPN2. Both games are also available to stream for free on Fubo.
Joe Burrow is active vs. Rams
Joe Burrow - who re-aggravated his calf injury in Cincinnati's Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens - is officially active for Monday night's game against the Rams. The Bengals also made backup Jake Browning active as well as Reid Sinnett, who was signed to the practice squad earlier this week. — Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
Puka Nacua is active vs. Bengals
Puka Nacua - who set a league record with 25 receptions in the first two games of his career - is active for the Los Angeles Rams. Nacua is dealing with an oblique injury and was listed as questionable for Monday night's game in Cincinnati
Rams inactive players:
- RB Zach Evans
- OL Kevin Dotson
- OL Warren McClendon Jr.
- DE Earnest Brown IV
Bengals inactive players:
- WR Trenton Irwin
- HB Chris Evans
- CB DJ Ivey
- C Trey Hill
- OT Jackson Carman
- TE Irv Smith Jr.
- DT Jay Tufele
Buccaneers vs Eagles predictions
∎ Lorenzo Reyes: Eagles 23, Buccaneers 21
The Bucs are playing with heart and are a nice story. I don’t see them taking down the defending NFC champs, as much as Philly has struggled without Shane Steichen running the offense. I like the under here as well.
∎ Tyler Dragon: Eagles 28, Buccaneers 17
Both the Eagles and Bucs are undefeated. The 2-0 Bucs are a little fools gold, though. Tampa Bay comes back to reality this week with a humbling loss to one of the best teams in the NFL. The Eagles win this one by two scores.
∎ Victoria Hernandez: Eagles 28, Buccaneers 23
Tampa Bay impressed through the first two weeks of the season, but Baker Mayfield is no Jalen Hurts. The Eagles quarterback has had help from running back D’Andre Swift, who torched the Vikings for 175 yards last week, and DeVonta Smith remains reliable.
∎ Jordan Mendoza: Eagles 24, Buccaneers 18
At the end of the day, all that matters is getting the win. The Eagles have gotten the job done in the first two weeks, and its offense will get another test from a strong Tampa Bay defense. While it's not a pretty game, Jalen Hurts is able to find some holes in the Buccaneers defense, while Baker Mayfield comes back down to Earth thanks to a relentless Philadelphia defensive line.
Buccaneers vs. Eagles odds
The Eagles enter Monday as 5.5-point favorites over the Buccaneers, according to BetMGM.
Bengals vs. Rams predictions
∎ Lorenzo Reyes: Bengals 25, Rams 20
Obviously, Joe Burrow’s status will indicate how you should proceed, but Cincinnati will need to wake up offensively at some point. The Rams have been a nice story but they are still inferior to Cincinnati. But that’s only the case if Burrow is healthy enough to go.
∎ Tyler Dragon: Rams 21, Bengals 18
Joe Burrow’s health looms large as the Bengals hope to get out of an early-season hole. The Bengals notoriously start slow with Burrow under center, but life without their standout QB will be very tough. Calf injuries tend to linger for a while.
∎ Victoria Hernandez: Rams 27, Bengals 20
The NFL predicted a much different game when the league selected this matchup for Monday Night Football. It’s going to be far from a rematch of Super Bowl 56. The Bengals have a tough decision to make in whether to play Joe Burrow. Even if the Pro Bowl quarterback does play, he hasn’t been healthy. The player to watch will be Rams rookie receiver Puka Nacua who is breaking records, leads the league in receptions and is second in receiving yards.
∎ Jordan Mendoza: Bengals 24, Rams 23
Both teams have been surprising so far for different reasons, and a Monday night win could certainly turn the page for either Super Bowl 56 team. All eyes will be on whether Joe Burrow suits up, and if he does, Cincinnati will want to turn up the notch for its air attack. The Rams will counter, but the Bengals hold on in a close one for the first win of the season.
Bengals vs. Rams odds
The Bengals enter Monday as 3-point favorites over the Rams, according to BetMGM.
Betting odds and tips for 'Monday Night Football' games
Highlighting the Monday Night Football odds, the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals are among the best bets for NFL Week 3 in twin-pronged MNF action. The Eagles are favored by 5.5 points over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the Bengals are favored by 3 over the Los Angeles Rams, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2023.
According to the top NFL betting apps, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts might has some of the best NFL MVP betting odds in 2023 (+900). The Eagles also boast some of the best early Super Bowl betting odds (+800).
Meanwhile, the Bengals are a risky proposition among the most popular NFL future bets with the injury status of quarterback Joe Burrow up in the air.
Not interested in these games? Our guide to the NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds, Sunday Night Football odds and more.
If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. We have tips for beginners on how to place bet online. And USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the online sportsbooks and sports betting sites. — Richard Morin
NFL Week 3 winners, losers
The NFL Week 3 slate, at first glance, appeared to lack some sizzle.
Sunday, though, did offer some compelling revelations and rather unexpected outcomes.
None was more surprising than the Arizona Cardinals hosting the potent Dallas Cowboys and pulling off the upset despite being double-digit underdogs in what could eventually become a culture-setting victory. — Lorenzo Reyes
32 things we learned in NFL Week 3
Seventy-burger? Seriously? You guys know this isn’t the BCS, and no style points are awarded, yeah? (Net points are a low-level tiebreaker, but I digress.) Regardless, what an obviously impressive performance as Miami became the fourth NFL team to reach the 70-point plateau in the Dolphins’ 70-20 dismantling of the Broncos, the most points scored by a team since Washington had 72 in 1966.
What else did Nate Davis learn during Week 3?
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