Buying or selling 3-0 NFL teams: Which teams are Super Bowl contenders and which are pretenders? — SkimNews
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- Bills beat the Chargers despite committing five turnovers, with Josh Allen emerging as an early MVP candidate and Greg Rousseau joining Mark Gastineau (1984) and Kevin Greene (1998) as the only players with three straight 2+-sack games to open a season; James Cook III leads the league at 6.0 yards per carry.
- Raiders face the NFL's toughest remaining strength of schedule over the next eight weeks — starting with the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, and Rams — after their 3-0 record came against opponents with a combined 1-8 mark; Las Vegas ranks 31st in rushing yards per carry (3.2) and 27th in red zone defense.
- Chiefs would be the AFC's No. 1 seed if the playoffs started today after Patrick Mahomes completed 83.3% of his passes in a 24-10 win over the Dolphins, with Kenneth Walker III adding 70 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown.
- Vikings rank last in the NFL in passing offense (32nd) and 31st in third-down efficiency, though Brian Flores' defense hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown and ranks second in points allowed; Kyler Murray completed just 52.9% of his passes with one touchdown and two interceptions in his Week 3 return.
- 49ers rank second in points scored and third in points allowed, powered by Brock Purdy's league-high 133.1 passer rating and nine touchdowns (tied for the NFL lead), with Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans boosting the offense.
- Only five teams remain unbeaten after Week 3 — the Bills, Chiefs, Raiders, Vikings, and 49ers — down from eight through Week 2 after the Seahawks, Bengals, and Eagles suffered their first losses.
Why it matters: The breakdown separates teams with sustainable foundations from those propped up by soft schedules or dominant defenses hiding offensive flaws. The Raiders face four likely playoff teams in their next four games, while the Vikings' 32nd-ranked passing attack raises the question of how long Brian Flores' defense can mask Kyler Murray's 52.9% completion rate before Minnesota must turn to Carson Wentz.
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