There’s still plenty of football left, but the current NFL standings strongly suggest that there could be new Super Bowl contenders this year.
With the Ravens and Chiefs sporting identical 1–2 records, the Bills are looking up at two surprising undefeated teams. Like Buffalo, the Chargers and Colts have perfect 3–0 records and are leading their respective divisions in the AFC.
Unless you’re a Colts fan, you probably didn’t expect Indianapolis to be one of six undefeated teams heading into Week 4.
There are more familiar faces at the top of the NFC standings, with the Eagles and Buccaneers jockeying for position up top. But the undefeated 49ers were supposed to have a down year after parting with several starters in the offseason, but there they are, at the top of the NFC West standings.
Let’s take a closer look at the last undefeated teams in the league by ranking them from Nos. 6 to 1.
Most impressive win: Beating the Broncos, 29–28
The Colts are a distant sixth when it comes to ranking the last undefeated teams in the league in large part because they have Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback and haven’t been truly tested.
They probably should have lost to Denver, but to the Colts’ credit, they made the most out of the Broncos’ mistakes down the stretch.
To give Indy more credit, they soundly beat the Dolphins and Titans. Playoff teams handle business against inferior competition and that’s exactly what the Colts have done to start the year.
Why they can keep winning: I’m not sold on Jones being a starter for a true contender, but the offensive numbers don’t lie. A ton of credit toward Jones for quickly learning coach Shane Steichen’s scheme, trusting it and leaning on his playmakers.
With all the QB shuffling in recent years, it’s easy to forget that the Colts have a handful of talented playmakers. Star running back Jonathan Taylor is having one of his better seasons and rookie tight end Tyler Warren appears to be the real deal. It’s no coincidence that this offense didn’t register a punt until Week 3.
Predicted record: 10–7
The schedule will get harder with matchups against the Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, 49ers and Seahawks. Indianapolis might be the betting underdog in all those games. That doesn’t even include two tough games vs. the Texans and Jaguars. Houston is winless, but that defense will test Indy’s offense. And Jacksonville has shown plenty of improvement under new coach Liam Coen.
The AFC South race is far from over, but the Colts can show they’re the real deal by beating the Rams this week.
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Most impressive win: Beating the Seahawks, 17–13
The 49ers have been surviving and not necessarily thriving. That might come off as a knock, but it’s true when they’re playing one-score games without a handful of their best players. It’s actually very impressive that San Francisco beat a tough Arizona team without Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Nick Bosa. They also survived against a struggling Saints squad, which just lost by 31 points to the Seahawks.
It says plenty that, at full strength, the 49ers were able to win in Seattle in Week 1 and held the Seahawks to just 13 points. Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ passing game took off after facing San Francisco.
Why they can keep winning: Even with a healthy Purdy and Kittle, I’m not sure this is a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They’re not the 49ers of two years ago, but they’re battle tested and that past experience has benefited them in these three one-score games.
More importantly, the inexperienced defenders have hit the ground running partly because star linebacker Fred Warner has been playing out of his mind. Warner might be the early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year. San Francisco will need more of that elite Warner production after the devastating season-ending injury to Bosa.
Predicted record: 12–5
Every year there’s a team that just finds a way to win many one-score games. It’s a dangerous way to operate, but again, the 49ers have star power and high-level coaching to operate that away. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh hasn’t missed a beat since returning to San Francisco, and coach Kyle Shanahan has unlocked second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and designed a scheme that leans on him and Christian McCaffrey.
The 49ers will continue benefiting from an easy schedule, but they’ll get tested within their division with matchups vs. Seattle, Arizona and Los Angeles twice. They could be pushed by the Jaguars this week and by the Colts in December.
Most impressive win: Beating the Falcons, 23–20.
Similar to the 49ers, the Buccaneers have been able to overcome an early injury wave to win their three games by a combined six points. They were punched in the mouth out of the gates by the Falcons, but they punched right back with Baker Mayfield leaning heavily on rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka.
But it is concerning that the Buccaneers blew a 17-point lead to Tyrod Taylor and the Jets last week, only to rally back for a last-second win. And they needed poor late-game management from the Texans to beat them by one point in Week 2. These are two close wins against two winless teams.
Why they can keep winning: Perhaps the Buccaneers won’t need as many game-winning drives from Mayfield to come out victorious once left tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receivers Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan return to health. Tampa Bay has been without three starting offensive lineman and was forced to move center Graham Barton to left tackle.
At full strength, there might not be a weakness on this offense. Coach Todd Bowles’s defense has been shaky in the fourth quarter, but the unit has playmakers in all three phases, including defensive tackle Vita Vea, edge rusher Haason Reddick and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The experience on defense is why I give Tampa Bay the nod over San Francisco.
Predicted record: 12–5
It would be surprising if Tampa Bay’s winning streak makes it past the upcoming four-game stretch against the Eagles, Seahawks, 49ers and Lions.
With players making their way back from injury, the Buccaneers will likely take their lumps in the coming months. But they’re certainly capable of winning three out of those four games. Outside of matchups vs. the Bills and Rams, the schedule isn’t too bad for the Buccaneers in the final two months. They’re on track to win a fifth consecutive NFC South title.
Most impressive win: Beating the Ravens, 41–40
There’s no question that Josh Allen is operating the best offense in the league. Allen went shot-for-shot against Lamar Jackson in the season opener and delivered a stunning come-from-behind victory to erase a 15-point deficit in the final few minutes of regulation.
But Buffalo has real concerns on the defensive side. The unit allowed Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to have their way for nearly four quarters last week. The Dolphins’ offense, obviously, couldn’t hang in a shootout against Allen. But this defense could haunt Buffalo at the worst time later this season.
Why they can keep winning: Glancing at the schedule, there won’t be many defenses good enough to contain Allen & Co. It’s a shame that Buffalo doesn’t play the Chargers’ defense in the regular season, but maybe these two teams are destined for a playoff matchup in January.
But the Bills’ offense will face the stout defense of the Eagles in Week 17, perhaps giving the football public a Super Bowl preview. They could get pushed by the Texans’ defense, but Houston doesn’t have the offense to keep pace with the Bills.
Predicted record: 15–2
It’s tough seeing more than two losses for the Bills. They could get trouble from the Chiefs, but the Bills usually beat them in the regular season. The problem is beating Kansas City come playoff time.
I can also see the Buccaneers’ offense exposing the Bills’ poor defense in Week 11. Even then, I see Allen and the offense finding ways to overcome bad defensive performances. The Bills will likely win the AFC East for a sixth consecutive season. Soon we will learn whether this is the year they put it all together when it matters most.
Most impressive win: Beating the Chiefs, 27–21
The Chargers immediately showed they’re a different team by beating the Chiefs in the season opener in Brazil. These aren’t the same ol’ Chargers that find the worst ways to lose, evident by the three consecutive wins against AFC West opponents.
More importantly, these Chargers are different because no quarterback has played better through three weeks than Justin Herbert, who made clutch plays vs. the Chiefs and Broncos.
Why they can keep winning: Not only do the Chargers have Herbert playing at an elite level, they have a formidable defense that might be the best unit in the league. Los Angeles could be the toughest out in the league because the defense can contain offenses on a weekly basis. Even on days the offense is struggling, there’s always a chance for the Chargers to steal games because Herbert is making plays in the clutch.
The victory over the Broncos was the perfect example of how the Chargers can win tight games against top competition. I’ve been saying this, but right now, Los Angeles has the best quarterback and defense in the league. Let’s see if they can do it in the postseason, but they’ll likely be in the mix in January.
Predicted record: 14–3
The Chargers are in perfect position to capture their first AFC West title since 2009 after beating the Chiefs, Broncos and Raiders to start the year.
Outside of a matchup against the Commanders in Week 5, the Chargers should cruise until a tough December slate when they face the Eagles, Chiefs and Broncos. Again, good luck trying to put away this team with how well they’re playing on both sides of the football.
Most impressive win: Beating the Rams, 33–26
The Eagles can win games in various ways. They’re practically unbeatable when they control the line of scrimmage and game clock. But they can also win games through the air on the rare occasion that an opponent isn’t demoralized by their physical play style.
Philly won in entertaining fashion when Jalen Hurts picked on the Rams’ poor secondary to storm back from a 19-point deficit in the second half. Yes, there was some luck in blocking two field goals, but the Eagles are the standard of the NFL because they prioritize the small details, including having their starting interior defensive line contribute on special teams to block kicks.
Why they can keep winning: This is a selfless team stacked with depth across the roster. Again, the Eagles have the versatile personnel to win in any fashion, but nine teams out of 10, leaning on the running game and the tush push will be enough for them to stack wins and possibly clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The secondary has struggled at times, but the loaded defensive front that features Jalen Carter and Zack Baun will often mask the issues that occur in coverage.
Predicted record: 14–3
The Eagles’ schedule won’t let up much throughout the season, but they already have signature wins over the Chiefs and Rams. They’re capable of winning on a weekly basis regardless of how difficult the schedule may seem.
Philadelphia will have tough games against the Buccaneers and Broncos in the next two weeks. They’re scheduled to face the Packers and Lions in back-to-back games in November. They also get intraconference showdowns against the Chargers and Bills in December.
Still, expect the Eagles to be favored in most games because of how they dictate matchups. And if they don’t, they’ll just adjust like they did against the Rams.
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