The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Las Vegas Raiders, along with the Minnesota Vikings, and San Francisco 49ers are the lone teams in the league with 3-0 records. Dating back to 1990, teams winning their first three games of the season have reached the NFL playoffs at a .750 clip.
On the other hand, there’s only been seven occasions in league history in which a club has overcome a 0-3 start to reach the postseason—the latest example being the 2025 Houston Texans.
DeMeco Ryan’s team, along with the Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tennessee Titans, are the five clubs that have dug themselves that hole this season.
Football food for thought in Week 4 of the 2026 NFL Season
Thursday, Oct. 1
Pittsburgh (2-1) at Cleveland (2-1): Every team in the AFC North owns a 2-1 record. These longtime adversaries have split their two-game set each of the past four seasons, with the home team winning all eight games. Browns’ quarterback Deshaun Watson has thrown five TD passes and been picked just once.
Sunday, Oct. 4
Indianapolis (1-2) vs. Washington (1-2) (London): Is “London Calling” for a pair of 1-2 teams? All kidding aside, both the Colts and Commanders came up with their first victory of the season last Sunday—each club winning by two points. Washington has allowed 92 points, and Indianapolis has given up 91. Yikes!
Tennessee (0-3) at Baltimore (2-1): Robert Saleh’s winless club heads north to face the Ravens, who comes off a wild victory over the Cowboys in Rio. The Titans own an abysmal 12-49 record in their last 61 games since starting 7-3 in 2022. Ravens’ running back Derrick Henry has scored six TDs in three games.
Arizona (1-2) at N.Y. Giants (2-1): Mike LaFleur’s team has dropped two straight since that Week 1 upset of the Chargers, allowing a combined 67 points in the losses to the Seahawks and 49ers. Big Blue is above .500 despite the fact that the Giants have managed only six field goals in their last eight quarters of play.
Jacksonville (2-1) at Cincinnati (2-1): The Jaguars humbled the Patriots last Sunday and have allowed an NFL-low 36 points. Zac Taylor’s club gave up 411 total yards and 30 points in a loss at Pittsburgh. It’s a battle of first overall picks in Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow (2020).
New England (1-2) at Buffalo (3-0): Last season, Mike Vrabel’s club lost two of its first three games and still wound up reaching the Super Bowl. The Bills gave up the ball five times last Sunday and still beat the Chargers. Speaking of turnovers, Drake Maye has 15 of them in his last seven outings (including playoffs).
Dallas (1-2) at Houston (0-3): The supposedly-improved Cowboys’ defense has already given up 10 TDs, seven through the air, in three games. For the second straight year, DeMeco Ryans’s club has dug itself a 0-3 hole. However, Houston still rallied to reach the playoffs. It may be now or never for the Texans.
L.A. Rams (1-2) at Philadelphia (2-1): Including a playoff meeting in 2024, this will be the clubs’ fifth encounter in four seasons. Sean McVay’s talented Rams have turned over the ball six times in three games. On the other hand, the Eagles are the only team in the league without a takeaway this season.
Green Bay (1-2) at Tampa Bay (0-3): Flashback to 2025. The Packers opened 9-3-1. Including playoffs, they’ve lost seven of their last eight games. Todd Bowles’s club was 6-2 after eight weeks, and are 2-10 since. Bucs’ quarterback Baker Mayfield is out (thumb), so enter undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels (Kansas).
N.Y. Jets (1-2) at Chicago (2-1): The Green and White put up a game effort at Detroit last Sunday but still fell short. The Bears rolled up 375 total yards behind quarterback Case Keenum in a convincing Monday night win over the Eagles. The Jets have not intercepted a pass in 20 straight games under Aaron Glenn.
Miami (0-3) at Minnesota (3-0): Jeff Hafley’s club will play the rest of 2026 minus running back De’Von Achane. Kevin O’Connell’s team is 3-0 for the second time in three seasons and has done it with two different quarterbacks. The Vikings have allowed three offensive TDs and lead the NFL with 14 sacks.
Denver (2-1) at San Francisco (3-0): Sean Payton’s team was outgained 273-67 and outscored 16-0 in the first half but rallied to beat the Rams. The Niners continue to roll along, and Kyle Shanahan’s club owns a 2-0 record within the NFC West. Denver has been outscored a combined 40-10 in the first half this season.
L.A. Chargers (0-3) at Seattle (2-1): The Bolts are off to their worst start since 2017, when the team dropped its first four games but finished 9-7. Last Sunday, the reigning Super Bowl champions saw their 12-game overall winning streak come to an end at Landover. The ‘Hawks ran for a season-low 44 yards.
Kansas City (3-0) at Las Vegas (3-0): The clubs not only have the same record, but each club has scored 88 points. Andy Reid owns a 21-5 mark in the series (21-5) as Kansas City’s head coach since 2013. Reunion time for ex-Seahawks in running back Kenneth Walker III (Chiefs) and head coach Klint Kubiak (Raiders).
Sunday night
Detroit (2-1) at Carolina (1-2): Talk about consistency? The Lions have scored exactly 31 points in each of their first three games. Including last season’s playoff loss to the Rams, the Panthers have dropped their last three home games. Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs will be a problem for Carolina’s struggling run defense.
Monday, Oct. 5
Atlanta (1-2) at New Orleans (1-2): Two teams who may be a bit better than their records indicate. But one reason these clubs are under .500 is both have simply struggled to hang onto the ball. The Falcons are tied for last in the league with eight turnovers, while the Saints have given up the pigskin seven times.
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