3 & Out - Best Of The Week: Grass vs. Turf, Week 3 Four-Box, Predictions

Summary of 3 & Out - Best Of The Week: Grass vs. Turf, Week 3 Four-Box, Predictions

by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

30m•September 26, 2026
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Overview of 3 & Out - Best Of The Week: Grass vs. Turf, Week 3 Four-Box, Predictions

John Middlekauff reacts to Week 3 of the NFL season with a mix of broadcast commentary, player-safety arguments, and game predictions. He praises J.J. Watt as a strong replacement for Tony Romo in the booth, says Tom Brady is starting to sound more natural and authentic on air, and then spends a major portion of the episode arguing that the NFL should move away from artificial turf and standardize on grass fields. He also breaks down the weekend’s key games, highlighting potential blowouts, ugly offenses, and a few teams that may already be in trouble.

Broadcast Notes: Romo, Brady, and J.J. Watt

  • Middlekauff says Tony Romo is basically done as CBS’s lead analyst and believes the network wanted out of that relationship before the recent off-field issue created an opening.
  • He thinks J.J. Watt has been a better fit than Romo: easy to listen to, credible, and commercially valuable.
  • On Tom Brady, he wants more of the “real” Brady:
    • More comfortable in the booth
    • Less polished/filtered
    • More of the locker-room personality people knew as a player
  • He liked hearing Brady get a little looser and more expressive, arguing that the audience wants authenticity more than perfection.

Grass vs. Turf: Middlekauff’s Strongest Take

Middlekauff is firmly pro-grass and anti-turf.

Main argument

  • The NFL has enough money that the extra cost of grass fields is not a serious obstacle.
  • He estimates the cost of installing and maintaining grass can run $3–5 million a year for some teams.
  • In the context of:
    • a $300M salary cap
    • massive media revenue
    • stadium revenue from suites, parking, concerts, and events
      that expense is insignificant.

Why he thinks the league should act

  • He points to players complaining about extreme field temperatures and traction issues.
  • He cites the Eagles’ experience in Tennessee as an example of how bad turf can get.
  • His view: player safety should trump convenience and cost.
  • He expects the NFLPA to eventually force the issue, likely in exchange for other league concessions such as an 18th game.

Week 3 Four-Box: Games He Focused On

Middlekauff’s main four-box slate included:

  • Chargers at Bills
  • Texans at Colts
  • Bengals at Steelers
  • Patriots at Jaguars

He also mentioned two games he expects to get ugly fast:

  • Seahawks vs. Washington
  • Chiefs vs. Dolphins

Game Breakdown and Takeaways

Chargers at Bills

  • He views Buffalo as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
  • Josh Allen is playing at a level that can carry the team even if the secondary remains a work in progress.
  • The Chargers, meanwhile, are in danger of becoming a “white flag” team if they start 0-3.
  • Concerns for L.A.:
    • Offensive line problems
    • Pass protection issues
    • A tough early schedule
  • His tone suggested Buffalo should handle this one comfortably.

Texans at Colts

  • He thinks this game could become a turning point for Indianapolis.
  • One of these teams is going to drop to 0-3, and he’s worried the Colts’ situation could spiral.
  • He criticized the Colts’ long-term organizational instability and implied that if losses continue, changes could follow for:
    • Chris Ballard
    • Shane Steichen
  • Houston gets some credit because it has been in a bad spot before and still recovered, but he is skeptical of Indy’s ability to stabilize.

Bengals at Steelers

  • He called the Steelers one of the least watchable offenses in the league.
  • Key issues:
    • Aaron Rodgers looks old and limited
    • Pittsburgh can’t run the ball
    • DK Metcalf hasn’t produced enough
  • He likes Cincinnati because:
    • Their run defense looks strong
    • Their front should handle Pittsburgh’s weak ground game
  • He said the Steelers likely need a defensive score or two just to keep up.

Patriots at Jaguars

  • He came away impressed with Jacksonville’s overall physicality.
  • He thinks the Jaguars are better than many people realize.
  • His biggest criticism was the Travis Hunter usage:
    • The two-way experiment is not working
    • He believes the NFL simply does not allow that kind of split-role success
  • He also noted that Jacksonville’s defense is good enough to make this a tough game for New England.

Best Bets / Predictions

Titans over Giants

  • If Jameis Winston starts, Middlekauff says he automatically fades him.
  • He likes Tennessee in that matchup.

Seahawks over Washington

  • He expects Seattle to win comfortably, possibly by more than a touchdown.
  • He sees this as a mismatch if Washington’s offense can’t stay afloat.

Chiefs over Dolphins

  • He likes Kansas City to win big and believes the Chiefs are playing with a violent, disciplined edge right now.
  • His confidence is based on:
    • the Chiefs’ physicality
    • their defensive intensity
    • the early-season seriousness of good teams before “trap” spots become more common later in the year

Main Takeaways

  • J.J. Watt is winning the broadcast job battle in Middlekauff’s view.
  • Tom Brady is improving when he sounds more natural and less scripted.
  • Grass fields should replace turf across the NFL.
  • The weekend slate has several games that could be decided early.
  • He is especially skeptical of:
    • the Chargers
    • the Steelers offense
    • the Colts’ long-term direction
  • His favorite betting angles leaned toward:
    • Titans
    • Seahawks
    • Chiefs