Week 3 in the NFL provided us with some of the most entertaining endings we will see all season. It was a week that had it all with comebacks, upsets and special teams plays everywhere you looked. With the first month of the season nearly over, we are starting to see who are the good teams, the bad teams, and the surprise teams. Let’s dive into how the league looks as October looms on the horizon.
It’s clear the Buffalo Bills are once again going to be a Super Bowl contender. With a 3-0 start, having already beaten a fellow AFC contender in the Baltimore Ravens, and Baltimore’s 1-2 record, a favourable schedule for the rest of the season leaves the Bills are the favourites for the AFC’s number one seed, especially with the AFC’s other powerhouse, the Kansas City Chiefs, sitting at 1-2. But there are concerns around the team, such as at wide receiver, with Keon Coleman yet to take the second year step up that Josh Allen would have hoped for. Defensively they seem susceptible but it is fair to hold off on judging their rushing defense given that the Ravens will run riot on most teams this year, although last in the league against the ground game after three weeks is a worrying sign.
In terms of other 3-0 AFC teams, the Indianapolis Colts were an unlikely candidate for that category before the season but Daniel Jones has had a Sam Darnold-like revamp of his career. I don’t think the Colts have done enough to prove themselves as legitimate contenders but this is a fun story for a talented team in a weak division, with the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans falling to 0-3 and the Jacksonville Jaguars looking inconsistent despite their win over Houston to move to 2-1.
Of course, the Chargers have made a statement that they are a team that may contend. At this point in the season they are a trendy Super Bowl pick, and for good reason. Justin Herbert is playing at an elite level, and with Jim Harbaugh as coach and a strong defense, there is every reason to believe this team is a real contender. With three division wins to start the season, they are in as good a position as possible in September to dethrone the Chiefs’ nine year reign in the AFC West.
The Bengals and Steelers both sit at 2-1 but Cincinnati’s first full game without Joe Burrow could not have gone much worse, losing 48-10 in Minnesota. Zac Taylor’s team will try and at least stay alive late on in the season, for Burrow to come back possibly in late December and maybe give them hope. Pittsburgh was yet again outgained in yardage but move to a winning record again. Defensively, they did have five takeaways but it is clear there are fundamental issues on that side of the ball, particularly when defending the run.
Three undefeated teams in the AFC, and three in the NFC, one of which is the reigning Super Bowl champion. The last time Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lost a game he started and finished was on September 29th, 2024, in week 4. That record looked like it was coming to an end at one point against the Rams, with the Eagles trailing 26-7 early in the 3rd quarter. Philadelphia led an inspired comeback, with their quarterback silencing a lot of critics, as he had an elite second half throwing the ball, in situations where everyone knew he was going to pass. If the Super Bowl MVP hadn’t done enough already to prove he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, he has now. The Rams had plenty of chances to win it despite the Eagles’ fightback. L.A.’s final two drives ended in a blocked field goal, the first of which would have put them up eight points, and the second which would have won the game, but instead was returned for a touchdown by Jordan Davis as time expired. These two could well meet again in the postseason and if they do it will likely be another classic.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the two other undefeated teams in the NFC and managed to overcome a blocked field goal against the Jets, which was returned for a touchdown, to earn their third win of the season. Baker Mayfield trotted back onto the field, having left it with a lead, and drove his team into field goal range again, this time witnessing a successful kick as time expired to move the Bucs to 3-0. Up next for Tampa Bay? The Philadelphia Eagles coming to town as Jalen Hurts looks to make it 18 wins in a row in games he’s started and finished against the team that last defeated him, back in week 4 of 2024. We already know the Eagles are contenders and, while Tampa Bay is certainly a good team likely to make the playoffs, week 4 of 2025 will be a good measuring stick to see if they have taken a step up into true Super Bowl contenders. If Emeka Egbuka keeps playing at the level he is, against a Philadelphia pass defense that can be exposed, Baker Mayfield could have a statement game, even with Mike Evans’ absence.
If you were to say before the season the 49ers would start 3-0, not many would be surprised. But given they have had injuries to Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Malik Mustapha and now the crushing blow of an ACL tear for Nick Bosa, the undefeated record of Kyle Shanahan’s team suddenly looks a lot more impressive. Mac Jones has done a great job filling in for Purdy, keeping the ship steady for a team that would like to be a contender this year, but Bosa’s injury makes it hard to pick them for anything more than a playoff appearance.
The NFC as a whole already looks to be extrenely competitive. The Vikings proved that their defense can single-handedly win them games with a drubbing of the Bengals, which included two defensive touchdowns, both courtesy of cornerback Isaiah Rodgers. Brian Flores’ creative defensive play-calling had Jake Browning of the Bengals confused all day long, and Browning won’t be the last quarterback to suffer that fate at the hands of Flores this season. Elsewhere in the NFC North, the Lions had a statement win against a fellow Super Bowl contender in Baltimore. After a week 1 loss to Green Bay, many felt Detroit had taken a step back given the loss of both their coordinators from 2024, but a 52-21 win over Chicago, followed by a 38-30 win against the Ravens, and it’s clear the Lions will be among the biggest threats to Philadelphia’s crown.
The Packers put everyone on notice in weeks 1 and 2 with a big win against the Lions, followed by a week 2 victory where they brushed aside the Commanders. But Green Bay was brought back down to earth after a late collapse against the Cleveland Browns who, despite a strong defense, will likely not be a playoff contender this season. Washington bounced back from their loss in week 2 against the Packers with a dominant win against the Raiders, without their star quarterback Jayden Daniels, as Marcus Mariota filled in well against a Raiders team that has disappointed so far.
The Rams, Cardinals and Seahawks all sit at 2-1 in a division which doesn’t have a losing record as the undefeated 49ers sit atop the NFC West. All three of the chasing pack will feel they are playoff teams but the Rams are the only ones I see truly competing when the postseason arrives, although Sam Darnold has shown flashes of brilliance, and has a well-coached defense by Mike Macdonald on the other side of the ball, which will give Seattle a strong chance at the playoffs. The Bears are another team who will fancy themselves to be competing for a postseason spot in December, as Ben Johnson got his first win as a head coach with Caleb Williams throwing four touchdowns against a bad Cowboys defense.
There are clear contenders in the AFC; the Bills, Ravens and Chiefs, with the Chargers also showing they can compete with the AFC’s big three of the last few years. Apologies to the Colts but I cannot see them as a true contender yet, although that might change if they can upset the Rams this weekend. Over to the NFC, and I still hold the Rams in a very high regard despite their loss in Philadelphia but overall in the conference, the Eagles are still the team to beat until proven otherwise. The pool of potential does seem to run deeper in the Super Bowl Champions’ conference, though. The Lions and Packers have made it clear they will be in the conversation, and division rival Minnesota could sneak into that discussion if the defense can make that performance against the Bengals a consistent showing. Of course, Tampa Bay has a chance to show the entire league they are for real with a win against the Eagles in week 4. I’m not fully convinced on the Commanders, even if Daniels returns this week, but they proved many people wrong last season so let’s see if they can do it again.
The first three weeks of the season have given NFL fans everything and a bit more, so let’s see what week 4 will provide with Eagles at Buccaneers and Ravens at Chiefs being the highlight games of the week.