A full slate of headline-grabbing quotes continued in Week 3 of the NFL season.
The postgame assessments from players and coaches are always safe for some of the best perspectives on the week's games. From jokes to blunt honesty, the NFL's third week was no different.
Philadelphia Eagles, Jordan Mailata
"Saquon motherf---ing Barkley. Pardon my language."
After a tough late-game drop stole Week 2 headlines, Saquon Barkley is back to impressing in Philadelphia.
The Eagles' offense sputtered for much of the Week 3 showdown with the New Orleans Saints, but found second gear in the fourth quarter to eke out a 15-12 victory. At the center of Philadelphia's late success was Barkley, who scored twice and totaled 156 yards on the day.
Offensive lineman Mailata used colorful words to shout out the star running back after the game.
Green Bay Packers, Malik Willis
"All wins count the same."
This time last month, Willis was sitting at second on the Tennessee Titans quarterback depth chart, set to spend his season watching Will Levis from the sideline.
Fortunes can change quickly though. Just two weeks before the start of the regular season, Green Bay acquired Willis to be its backup for Jordan Love. Love was injured in the Packers' Week 1 loss, and now Willis is 2-0 as the newly minted starter. His most recent win? Against his former team in Nashville.
Willis downplayed the game having any additional significance after the victory.
Malik Willis on beating the Titans, who traded him to the Packers:
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) September 22, 2024
"All wins count the same." pic.twitter.com/u5Qy4sbJ0P
Philadelphia Eagles, C.J. Gardner-Johnson
"We keep receipts... they got rid of me, I ain't get rid of them."
Contrasting Willis' nonpartisan response to winning against his former team was Gardner-Johnson, who held nothing back after the Eagles' victory.
The former Saint referenced his departure from the team following the 2021 season. Gardner-Johnson finished the game with eight total tackles and a pass defended.
Minnesota Vikings, Kevin O'Connell
"For budget reasons, we can't give every single one of our fans a game ball."
The Vikings keep rolling to start the season.
Minnesota's 34-7 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday was the latest in a string of strong performances, with quarterback Sam Darnold continuing to thrive. Darnold's eight touchdown passes ranks third in the Super Bowl era for the most by a quarterback in his first three games with a team, behind only Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs and Matthew Stafford with the Los Angeles Rams, according to ESPN Research.
Two of the Vikings' three wins have come at U.S. Bank Stadium, and head coach Kevin O'Connell applauded the team's fans after the Week 3 win.
Denver Broncos, Sean Payton
"Certainly, he had more fun than he did in prior weeks."
After a rocky first two weeks, Bo Nix has earned his first victory as an NFL starter.
Nix and the Broncos grooved against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the rookie throwing for 216 yards and adding a score on the ground. Nine different players recorded a reception for Denver.
Broncos coach Sean Payton said postgame that Nix was rewarded for his confidence.