It should be no surprise that with numerous starting quarterbacks missing in action, league wide passing yardage dropped significantly from Week 2 to Week 3.
Total passing yardage dropped by more than 10%.
After six quarterbacks hit the 300-yard passing mark in Week 2, only Justin Herbert passed for 300 yards, and it took him more than 59 minutes to do so.
Herbert edged out last week's 16-1 long-shot in Caleb Williams by 2 yards, which was aided by a last-minute drive.
The Broncos-Chargers game stayed under the closing point total, which was radically different from the games that Josh Allen and Russell Wilson played in, in which both went over the closing total by more than 30 points.
It is important to note that each of the games that featured the quarterback with the most passing yards was decided on the final play of the game.
In addition to targeting weak passing defenses, the game state is also very important for peak passing performances.
Teams with a large lead tend to become more conservative later in the game.
The Cowboys defense will be a weekly target, but the loss of CeeDee Lamb makes it hard to envision the offense creating enough pushback for Jordan Love to lead in passing yards.
NFL Weekly Passing Leaders, 2025:
| Week | Quarterback | Passing Yards | Opponent | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Allen | 394 | Baltimore Ravens | 41-40 |
| 2 | Russell Wilson | 450 | Dallas Cowboys | 37-40 |
| 3 | Justin Herbert | 300 | Denver Broncos | 23-20 |
| 4 | Matthew Stafford | 375 | Indianapolis Colts | 27-20 |
| 5 | Matthew Stafford | 389 | San Francisco 49ers | 23-26 |
| 6 | Mac Jones | 347 | Tampa Bay Bucs | 19-30 |
| 7 | Justin Herbert | 420 | Indianapolis Colts | 24-38 |
| 8 | Jordan Love | 360 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 35-25 |
| 9 | Joe Flacco | 470 | Chicago Bears | 42-47 |
| 10 | Jared Goff | 320 | Washington Commanders | 44-22 |
| 11 | Jacoby Brissett | 452 | San Francisco 49ers | 22-41 |
Most Week 4 Passing Yards Prediction (Sunday): Michael Penix (+1500)
The Falcons have made several offensive changes after Sunday's shutout loss.
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is moving from the booth to the field, and the Falcons fired their wide receiver coach.
Looking to bounce back, the Falcons face a Commanders secondary that is dealing with significant injuries.
Will Harris and Jonathan Jones are on injured reserve, Trey Amos and Percy Butler are dealing with injuries, and Marshon Lattimore is no stranger to soft tissue injuries.
The secondary is short-handed and potentially at risk for in-game injuries with a very depleted depth chart.
Washington has taken a step back this season, ranking 27th in EPA allowed on intermediate passes and 19th on deep passes after ranking 19th and 11th last season.
Opposing quarterbacks have completed 57.5% (23rd) of passes 10 or more yards downfield for 502 yards (30th) and allowed last year's cardio specialist a league high 145 receiving yards last week.
The Falcons have a trio of Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Kyle Pitts to provide a favorable matchup against this depleted secondary.
This indoor game, which is now down to a 1-point spread, provides a match in which both offenses could be pushed, which has been important for weekly passing leaders.
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Week 4 Passing Yards Longshot Bet: Brock Purdy Passing Yard Ladders
- +250 Passing Yards (+108)
- +275 Passing Yards (+194)
- +300 Passing Yards (+320)
The last time Brock Purdy was on the field, he passed for 277 yards and 2 touchdowns while completing 74% of his passes against the Seahawks.
What makes that performance more impressive is the fact that the 49ers threw for 7.6 yards per attempt, and the Seahawks have limited opposing defenses to 4.8 yards per attempt and 188 passing yards per game since the opening week.
The Jaguars defense has looked much better than last year.
However, in the small sample, they have played the Texans, Panthers, and Bengals without Joe Burrow for the majority of the game.
The Bengals passed for 6.7 yards per attempt and finished with 302 total passing yards with Jake Browning playing the majority of the game.
Purdy should have success against this defense, and Liam Coen should be able to provide some pushback from the Jaguars offense with the 49ers missing Nick Bosa.