And then there were six.
That’s how many undefeated teams remain in the NFL, with the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all improving to 3-0 in Week 3.
The defending champion Eagles narrowly avoided their first loss of the season by roaring back at home against the Los Angeles Rams, overcoming a 19-point deficit by scoring 26 unanswered points for the victory.
However, the division the Rams call home, the NFC West, can lay claim to the best division in the league. At this point in the season, all the teams in the NFC West have a winning record, with the four teams having a combined 9-3 through three weeks.
A year after finishing at the bottom of the division last season at 6-11, undefeated San Francisco sits atop the division, even with starting quarterback Brock Purdy missing the last two games with toe and shoulder issues.
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Six teams are still looking for their first victory, with the New York Giants, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans still winless after Week 3. Two of those teams should get a win in Week 4, as the Texans host the Titans and the Jets hit the road to face the Dolphins.
Here’s a closer look at who’s hot and who’s cold from Week 3.
WHO’S HOT
Big-boy touchdowns rule.
And Philadelphia’s come-from-behind victory provided a memorable moment, as big-bodied defensive tackle Jordan Davis reached up to bat down Joshua Karty’s 44-yard offering, then had the presence of mind and athleticism to scoop up the loose ball and rumble 61 yards for the game-sealing score. According to Next Gen Stats, Davis reached a speed of 18.59 miles per hour, the fastest speed recorded by a ball carrier of at least 330 pounds since 2017.
At 336 pounds, Davis also became the heaviest player in NFL history to return a blocked kick at least 50 yards for a score. According to FOX Sports research, the last time the NFL had five blocked field goals in a day was Sept. 17, 2006.
The Colorado State product brought some sizzle to the Seahawks’ return game. Horton’s big play was Seattle’s first punt return for a touchdown in 10 years and the longest in franchise history.
Horton had three punt returns for scores in college. His long return for a score was the longest by a rookie in nine years, since Tyreek Hill went 95 yards for a score for the Kansas City Bengals on Jan. 1, 2017.
The swaggy Mayfield has been the Comeback Kid through the first part of the season. Tampa Bay is the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to record a game-winning score in the final minute of the fourth quarter in each of its first three games of the season.
According to my colleague Greg Auman, Mayfield is a combined 13 of 19 for 159 yards in the final minutes of all three games to start the year, leading his team to a winning score in all three contests.
The Bengals turned it over five times in a humbling loss to the Vikings, and Rodgers was at the center of three of them. Rodgers finished with two forced fumbles, an 87-yard interception return for a score and a 66-yard fumble returned for a touchdown.
With the memorable game, Rodgers became the first player in NFL history with an interception return touchdown of at least 85 yards and a fumble return of at least 65 yards in the same game. He’s also the first player since 2000 with two forced fumbles and two touchdowns in the same game.
The former UFL kicker for the St. Louis Battlehawks missed an extra point and a field goal in Week 1, which wound up proving costly in a 17-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. But Szmyt earned some redemption in Week 3, drilling a 55-yard field goal in Cleveland’s 13-10 victory over the visiting Green Bay Packers.
It’s a big win for the Browns, who were trailing 10-0 in the fourth quarter and are no longer winless.
WHO’S COLD
The Washington product’s first start in place of an injured Joe Burrow was a tough one, as he finished 19 of 27 for 140 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions for a 63.8 passer rating.
Burrow has a toe injury that required surgery and isn’t coming back any time soon. So, Browning must get things turned around, starting with a Week 4 road contest against one of the best defenses in football in the Denver Broncos. Browning leads the league with five interceptions despite not playing in Week 1.
Matt Eberflus, DC, Cowboys
The Dallas defense has been awful. Through three games, the Cowboys are allowing 30.7 points per game, which is the fifth-worst mark in the NFL. And they are giving up a league-worst 9.4 yards per passing play.
Facing his former team in Chicago, Eberflus allowed Caleb Williams to arguably have the best game of his career and Ben Johnson’s first career win in a 31-14 loss to the Bears. After trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers before the season started, the Cowboys have just four sacks through three games.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals
The Ohio State product’s sophomore season has unfortunately looked much like his rookie year, as Harrison has been plagued by inconsistent play. He dropped an easy pass from Kyler Murray in the second half that could have led to a touchdown in a close road loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Through three games, Harrison has 10 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets. More concerning, he has two drops already. The Cardinals need more from last year’s first-round pick.
“Everybody’s got a job to do,” Harrison told reporters after the game. “I’m not doing my job at a high enough level at the moment.”
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Falcons
Maybe the Falcons knew something we didn’t by keeping Kirk Cousins around this season. Penix completed 50% of his passes for 178 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 40.5 passer rating as Atlanta was held scoreless in a 30-0 road loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Penix was replaced by Cousins in the fourth quarter, who went 5 of 7 for 29 yards. The Falcons have scored one touchdown in the last two games, but head coach Raheem Morris has already said the team will stick with Penix as the team’s starter.
Stevenson lost two fumbles in New England’s 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since the start of the 2024 season, Stevenson has lost five fumbles, the most of any running back in the league.
Stevenson is in jeopardy of losing his starting job to rookie TreVeyon Henderson moving forward if he doesn’t improve his ball security. But Stevenson’s struggles taking care of the football are indicative of New England’s sloppy play under new head coach Mike Vrabel. Only the Bengals (8) have more giveaways than the Patriots (6). And New England’s 27 accepted penalties are tied for fifth-most in the league.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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