Week 3 winners: Patrick Mahomes looks like himself, Dolphins RBs make history

Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane, running backs, Miami Dolphins: Mostert and Achane played a significant role in the Dolphins 70-20 Week 3 thrashing of the Denver Broncos. The backfield duo rushed for 285 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns, joining Kanas City Chiefs Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock (2004) as only the second pair of teammates to finish with four touchdowns each in a game. 

Mostert is the first Dolphins player to record three or more rushing touchdowns in a game since Ricky Williams (2009), snapping the longest active streak in the NFL. Not to be outdone, Achane became the first rookie in NFL history to score two or more rushing and receiving touchdowns in a game. 

Justin Herbert, quarterback, Los Angeles Chargers: After producing modestly in two losses to start the season, Herbert exploded in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. Herbert finished the day 40-of-47 for 405 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions, willing the Chargers to a 28-24 victory, their first of the 2023 campaign. 

Despite facing blitzes on 82 percent of snaps, Herbert was tremendously accurate on Sunday. Herbert made the Vikings pay for their aggressiveness, completing 85 percent of his passes on the day, the highest by a quarterback throwing 45 or more times in a game since 1970. Most importantly, the Chargers avoided falling to 0-3 and they have Herbert to thank.

Brian Branch, defensive back, Detroit Lions: Branch had a monster day for the Lions defense, helping shut down the Atlanta Falcons offense in a 20-6 Detroit victory. The 2023 second-round pick was all over the field, finishing with 11 solo tackles, three tackles for loss and two pass defenses to lead the defensive effort. 

Thrown into the fire as a rookie, Branch has impressed in a small sample size. Through three weeks, Branch has 18 tackles (16 solo) with four pass defense, an interception and a touchdown. It's early, but Branch is already making a strong case for Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

Matt Gay, kicker, Indianapolis Colts: The former Pro Bowler finished a perfect 5-of-5 on Sunday, including a 53-yarder in overtime to lift the Colts over the Baltimore Ravens, 22-19. Gay helped the Colts improve to 2-1 and made NFL history, becoming the first kicker to hit four field goals of 50 yards or more in the same game. 

Now we know why the Colts gave Gay a four-year, $22.5 million contract this offseason, making him the third-highest-paid kicker in the NFL behind Justin Tucker ($24 million) and Younghoe Koo ($24.2 million).

 Jonathan Gannon, head coach, Arizona Cardinals: Gannon earned his first career coaching victory in epic fashion, leading the Cardinals to an upset win over the Dallas Cowboys, 28-16. Considering how the Cowboys dominated over the first two weeks of the season, no one gave the Cardinals much of a chance on Sunday, but Gannon had his troops ready to play and it showed. 

The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead and a gutsy effort by the defense made sure they never trailed in the game. Furthermore, the Cardinals handed the Cowboys their first loss when favored by 11 points or more since 1995. 

Andrew Beck, fullback, Houston Texans: Beck was one of the most unlikely standouts in the Texans 37-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3. Undrafted out of Texas in 2019, Beck had only one career touchdown in 53 career games coming into Sunday. He changed that by recovering his own muffed kickoff before rumbling for an improbable 85-yard score. 

Standing at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, Beck is the heaviest player ever to record a kick-return touchdown. While the fullback position is slowly disappearing, Beck showed it can still be valuable, even where you least expect it.