2026 Week 3 NFL Team Tier Rankings

Bruce McLaren

Introduction

Three weeks into the NFL season, we have already seen plenty of surprises. Teams like the 49ers, Bills, and Chiefs look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders, while other teams with high expectations like the Patriots and Packers have struggled. At the same time, three games is still a small sample size, so I do not want to overreact to every win or loss. These rankings are based on how a team has played so far this season, but mainly based on how I feel their Super Bowl chances are. 

Tier 1: Super Bowl Favorites: 49ers, Bills, Chiefs, Ravens, Seahawks, Rams

The 49ers are 3-0 despite dealing with injuries, and Brock Purdy’s excellent start combined with one of the NFL’s deepest rosters makes San Francisco the current favorite in the NFC. Buffalo has not always looked perfect, including 5 turnovers against the Chargers, but finding a way to win when Josh Allen doesn’t play well bodes well for the Bills. The Chiefs look like they are back to their old form, starting 3-0 and looking complete with the addition of Kenneth Walker. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens bounced back in Week 3 with a clutch win over Dallas, and the return of Zay Flowers makes an already dangerous offense truly potent. Seattle’s loss to Washington was disappointing, and admittedly they haven’t looked great in any of their three games so far, but I trust their defense so much that I am not ready to overreact to one sloppy performance. The Rams are only 1-2 and blew a 16-point lead against Denver, but their ceiling remains among the highest in football due to the sheer talent on the squad. 

Tier 2: Serious Contenders: Lions, Jaguars, Broncos, Bengals, Bears, Vikings

Detroit has continued to look like one of the most fun teams to watch in the NFL due to their dangerous offense, and 2-1 start keeps them in the conversation among the NFC’s best teams. The Jags responded to their early loss in a big way, embarrassing the Pats 35-6 and showing that they are a contender when Lawrence plays well. Denver’s defense has continued to keep them in games, while Bo Nix has maintained his incredible ability to play like a superstar down in the 4th quarter. Cincinnati’s defense was exposed in its loss to Pittsburgh, but Joe Burrow and the talent surrounding him make it difficult to move them down too far after one bad performance. Winning 27-7 against Philly with a third-string QB showed just how dangerous Chicago can be when its defense plays to its potential. Minnesota’s offense still is a concern, but Brian Flores’ defense has carried the Vikings to a 3-0 start and makes them a team no one wants to face. 

Tier 3: Playoff Hopefuls: Eagles, Cowboys, Patriots, Raiders, Steelers, Saints, Colts, Texans

The Eagles still have one of the NFL’s more talented rosters, but getting blown out 27-7 by the Case Keenum-led Bears is not a good sign in concordance with how they looked against Tennessee. Dak and the Cowboys offense have shown that they can compete with top teams, but a 1-2 start and another late defensive breakdown kept them out of the top tiers. New England still has enough talent to turn its season around, so despite Drake Maye’s abysmal start, I still trust him to fix his issues and make the Pats a dangerous team. The Raiders deserve credit for their 3-0 start, but I need to see more against the best teams to consider them contenders. Pittsburgh’s offense finally showed some life in its 30-27 win over Cincinnati, and if Aaron Rodgers can play well, they could become a team that’s difficult to beat. New Orleans has been competitive through three games, but 4 fourth-quarter turnovers against the Raiders showed why this team is not quite ready to join the serious contenders. Indianapolis has plenty of flaws, but its defense stepped up against Houston and helped them earn an important win that kept them from falling to 0-3. The Texans’ 0-3 record is alarming, however, they came back from this same circumstance just a year ago. I trust that their defense will turn it around and they will once again become difficult to play against. 

Tier 4: Major Question Marks: Falcons, Chargers, Browns, Commanders, Jets, Panthers, Cardinals, Packers

Atlanta showed flashes against Green Bay of an offensive life, but I still need to see more to consider them contenders for a playoff spot. They’re lucky they’re in the NFC South! The Chargers’ 0-3 record to start is extremely disappointing, however, their talent is just enough to get them over the edge of Tier 5 despite a tough slate of games upcoming. Cleveland’s defense has been excellent over the past 2 weeks and helped the Browns reach 2-1, but I still don’t trust the offense to move them higher. Washington’s upset of Seattle showed that they are capable of beating good teams, but they need to prove that consistently to move up. The Jets deserve credit for how they have fought across the first three weeks of the year, but losing these close games is not a good sign of things to come. Carolina has been competitive enough to avoid the bottom tier, but a 1-2 start has done little to convince me that they’re ready to contend for a playoff spot. Arizona nearly pulled off an impressive comeback against the 49ers, but a defense that continues to allow big plays makes it difficult to trust them. The Packers have, without mincing words, looked terrible to start the year. Their OL is unserviceable, and a 1-2 start has put significantly more pressure on Jordan Love to be a superstar, which he simply isn’t. 

Tier 5: Bottom of the Barrel: Bucs, Titans, Dolphins, Giants

The Bucs have looked nothing short of ugly in their first three games. With Baker out due to injury, the Bucs have to hope that their rookie QB can bring some magic to the squad. Tennessee is 0-3 and has looked dismal overall offensively, giving me very little reason to believe in them. Miami remains winless after another loss to KC, and the Dolphins have shown almost nothing, especially after losing Achane, to show that they can compete for a playoff spot. The Giants may be 2-1, but an ugly offensive performance against Tennessee and the desperate decision to trade for JJ McCarthy make the Giants the least convincing team with a winning record. With Jaxon Dart, they’d be a different story.