By Nick Shook | NFL.com
Through three weeks, we’ve seen a trend start to develop. Road teams won six of 14 games for the second straight Sunday, but unlike last week, quarterbacks ruled the day.
Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles made their debuts, Andy Dalton caught — yes, caught — a touchdown pass, and one notable Cowboy was at the helm of a monumental comeback. But only one can earn honors of Greatest On The Road. Here are this weeks stars away from home.
Greatest on the Road …
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
At 0-2, Kansas City reached Week 3 in a state of confusion. Are they the team that contended for the AFC West crown in 2013, or were we seeing more of the turnover in playoff teams from one season to the next?
The Chiefs hit Miami like gangbusters. Knile Davis powered a rushing attack that ate up 161 yards on the ground, but it was Smith who made the biggest difference. The former top pick of the 2005 draft hit tight end Travis Kelceon a short pass in the flats and Kelce did the rest, motoring down the left sideline and diving for the pylon to put the Chiefs ahead 14-0. Miami came storming back to cut the lead to 14-10, but Smith quelled the comeback attempt, avoiding the blitz and firing a dart in the face of pressure to running back Joe McKnight for an 11-yard touchdown.
Deep in the Miami redzone and leading 21-15 with 4:39 left to play, Smith found McKnight again, this time on a 4-yard touchdown pass to put the Chiefs ahead by two scores. One could look at the final statistics and point out Smith’s fumble lost and safety, but I’m giving him a pass on the safety — his teammates failed to block a five-man rush with six linemen and two backs. That’s not Smith’s fault. But he had plenty to do with Kansas City’s first win of 2014.
Also considered …
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
Nick Shook 