LET'S OVERREACT TO WEEK 3 IN THE NFL

IS THE LEAGUE GOING SOFT?

See? This is why you don't overreact.

If you had the Minnesota Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Super Bowl, Sunday threw a soaking wet blanket over that. If you had Sam Darnold as the best quarterback in this year's draft, Thursday and Sunday hit you with a Lee Corso-style not-so-fast-my-friend. If you thought the Seattle Seahawks were cooked after two weeks ... well, you may still be right, but their home victory over what used to be the Dallas Cowboys at least let them feel like they're not.

It's still way early in the season; still too early to know for sure who's good and who's not. But it's Week 3, which means it's not as early as it used to be. So I promise you, these are overreactions you can believe in.

THE DALLAS COWBOYS NEED TO LOOK FOR A QUARTERBACK IN NEXT YEAR'S DRAFT

Dak Prescott has started all three games for the Cowboys this season. He has completed 61.4 percent of his passes but is averaging only 166 yards per game with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Arizona's quarterbacks are the only ones in the league who have managed fewer passing yards per game this year than the Cowboys have, and watching their passing game feels like reading Proust.

My verdict: OVERREACTION. While Prescott's brilliant 2016 rookie season may turn out to be the best of his career, it's too early to give up on him. He may not be the kind of quarterback who can make chicken salad out of a receiver group like this, but he has shown he can play at a high level if they put a good team around him. That should be the Cowboys' focus going forward -- adding receiver help, not quarterback help.

CLAY MATTHEWS IS RIGHT THAT THE NFL IS GOING SOFT

Flagged for a questionable roughing the passer call for the second time in two weeks, Matthews went off after the game and said the league is "moving in a direction I think a lot of people don't like." On-field enforcement of rules designed to protect the quarterback has been a major point of discussion around the NFL since the preseason, and defensive players are hot about it.

My verdict: OVERREACTION. I think it'll course-correct a little bit, though not as much as Matthews & Co. might like. The league has been beaten up, justifiably, in recent years for not taking player health and safety seriously enough, and there's no doubt it's focusing on making the game safer. That means the game will change in a way that defensive players will hate. And the result might be the continued obliteration of passing records left and right. But if you watched the NFL only for the violence, I'm betting you're in the minority. The league's entertainment value will survive this.

DREW BREES WILL PLAY LONGER THAN TOM BRADY DOES

Brees, 39, knocked over Brett Favre's career completion record Sunday and has his sights set on a couple more records before this season is over. But Sunday showed he can still go toe-to-toe with Matt Ryan and beat him, even on Ryan's best day.

My verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION. Three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns, including the game-tying score with a nifty spin move at the goal line. This dude is 39 years young. He isn't out there trumpeting his longevity program the way Brady is, but he obviously has a good one. Plus, he and his coach get along great. No reason to think Brees is anywhere close to done.

THE BEARS ARE THE FAVORITES TO WIN THE NFC NORTH

Sunday's victory over the Cardinals gave Chicago sole possession of first place -- a half-game ahead of preseason favorites Minnesota and Green Bay. But for Aaron Rodgers' miracle comeback against them in Week 1, the Bears would be 3-0.

My verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION. If you asked me for a pick right now, I'd still go with the Vikings (though I have no idea what the heck happened to them Sunday). But the Bears absolutely deserve to be considered a contender. Their defense was already underrated, and the addition of Khalil Mack may have made it one of the best in the league. Matt Nagy will continue to develop Mitchell Trubisky while designing plays to take advantages of the offense's strengths. The Bears are going to be a tough out.

MIKE VRABEL IS THE FRONT-RUNNER FOR COACH OF THE YEAR.

The Titans managed to beat the division-rival Jaguars 9-6 in a game in which they started Blaine Gabbert because Marcus Mariota wasn't all the way healthy yet but had to finish it with Mariota when Gabbert got hurt. This came a week after they gutted out a 20-17 victory over division-rival Houston behind Gabbert.

My verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION. Vrabel's bunch is 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the division with Blaine Gabbert starting two games. Are you kidding me? The Titans have played without both offensive tackles, they lost tight end Delanie Walker for the season in Week 1, and Mariota still doesn't have all the feeling in his throwing hand. And they're 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the division? Winning games when you don't have your team together is massive. Things will only get smoother for the Titans from here.

THE PATRIOTS ARE IN DANGER OF MISSING THE PLAYOFFS

Its one thing to lose to the fired-up Jaguars with a monster defense bent on revenge, as the Patriots did in Week 2. But there weren't many teams in the league worse than the Lions through Week 2, and the Pats looked overmatched for most of Sunday night's game on both sides of the ball.

My verdict: OVERREACTION. Have we learned nothing? The Patriots are as sure a bet as there is. This isn't the first time their September has made us wonder if it's all over, and each time it has happened they've proved every one of their doubters wrong. The Patriots have won at least 12 games each of the past eight years and at least 10 games in each of the past 15. To bet against Belichick's ability to solve problems on the fly is to throw away money. They're on to Miami.