Week 3: The week that was

I defy anyone to tell me they would have predicted what has taken place through the first three weeks of the NFL season. The Jets can't stop the run, the Bills can't lose, the Lions are scary and Tom Brady threw as many interceptions in the Patriots' loss to the Bills as he did the entire 2010 season.

Week 3 wrapped up Monday night when a battered and bruised Tony Romo survived four quarters of the Redskins' defence to lead the Cowboys to a crucial win in the NFC East. While the offensive line is still a mess, their defence under new coordinator Rob Ryan is having a major impact for the Cowboys. Time now to take a look back at what happened in Week 3.

Star of the week: It was a great week for big performances in the NFL. Packers tight end Jermichael Finley and Ravens receiver Torrey Smith had exceptional games. But the undisputed star of the week goes out to the man who shredded the vaunted Jets defence, Raiders running back Darren McFadden. A rare combination of power and speed, McFadden had 19 carries for 171 yards and two touchdowns against a very good Jets defence. The last Raiders running back to lead the NFL in rushing was Marcus Allen back in 1985. At the pace he's on, McFadden just might join him on that list.

Stiff of the week: I wanted to give this award to Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Martz is going to get Jay Cutler killed before the end of the year if he doesn't alter his play calling. How do you have a running back like Matt Forte and only hand him the ball nine times in a game? But the stiff of the week actually goes out to the entire St. Louis Rams offensive line. The Rams' offensive line allowed Sam Bradford to take a beating against the Ravens. Poor Bradford was sacked five times and hit another 11 times in the Rams' humiliating loss to the Ravens. Lest you think I am being too harsh, veteran St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz calls the Rams offensive line "the most significant waste of money on athletic talent in the history of St. Louis Sports."

Team on the rise: With apologies to the Lions and the Browns, the team on the rise is the Buffalo Bills. These are the same Bills that shocked the Patriots and the rest of the NFL by coming back from a 21-0 deficit to snap a 15-game losing streak against New England. The Bills became the first team in the history of the NFL to post two straight comeback wins after they trailed by at least 18 points in each. After throwing two touchdowns in the win over the Patriots, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick explained what this win means to the Bills: "I think in terms of what this means for the city of Buffalo, it's the biggest win since I've been here, for sure." To top it all off, Fitzpatrick and the Bills have the highest scoring offence in the NFL, averaging a whopping 37.7 points per game. Last year the Bills offence averaged an anemic 17.7 points per game.

The "dream team" watch: Vince Young is quickly regretting his infamous "dream team" comment during Eagles training camp. There were no sweet dreams for the Eagles as they watched Eli Manning toss four touchdowns in New York's 29-16 win. The Eagles defence couldn't tackle anyone and quarterback Michael Vick was knocked out of the game with an injury to his right hand. The Eagles get a bit of mulligan this week when they host the 49ers. After that the Eagles take their show on the road with games against the Bills and the Redskins.

Bad weather game of the week: You had to see the deluge of rain that hammered the Bank of America Stadium in the Panthers' win over the Jaguars to truly believe it. Charlotte, N.C., was swamped with almost four inches of rain during a 35-minute span beginning in the second quarter.

The Ronnie Lott award: Buccaneers defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn received a lot of votes after he demolished Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan with a sack and forced a key fumble in Tampa's win. But the winner this is week is Redskins safety LaRon Landry after a hit that would have made Ronnie Lott proud. Landry came halfway across the field to lay a world class hit on Cowboys receiver Laurent Robinson.

The unsung hero award: This one goes out to Giants receiver Victor Cruz. A New Jersey native, Cruz went into Sunday's game against with the Eagles with a grand total of two catches for 17 yards in his NFL career. On Sunday Cruz torched Nnamdi Asomugha and the Eagles secondary with three catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Not bad for an unheralded and undrafted free agent.

Big injuries of the week: Michael Vick suffered what was thought a more serious injury in the Eagles loss to the Giants. But instead of breaking his right hand, it turns out Vick only suffered a bruise to what is his non-throwing hand. Two weeks after suffering a mild concussion and one week after leaving with a hand injury it looks like Vick will strap it up again as the Eagles take on the 49ers Sunday. Titans receiver Kenny Britt suffered the most serious injury of Week 3 when he ripped up his knee and it was announced he is done for the season.

What to watch for in Week 4: The undefeated Bills will put their perfect 3-0 record on the line in Cincinnati when they face the Bengals. Another intriguing AFC match-up has the Texans hosting the Steelers. Rex Ryan will face his old team as the Jets take on the Ravens in Baltimore. Coming off of their shocking loss to the Bills, the Patriots will attempt to regroup as they face the Raiders in the Black Hole. The leading candidate for the game of the week has the undefeated Detroit Lions facing the Cowboys in Dallas.

Jim Lang is co-host of Brady and Lang in the morning on Sportsnet Radio the FAN 590 and a columnist for sportsnet.ca.