Just three weeks into the 2026 season, the NFL is down to five undefeated teams in a real-life survivor league, exposing how tough it is to win every week. How much longer will those teams remain undefeated? Well, we know at least one team will get eliminated from 17-0 talks this weekend, with the Chiefs and Raiders facing each other Sunday. (Yes, we see you in the back pointing out that they could tie.) The Bills, Vikings and 49ers are the other three teams that enter Week 4 undefeated, and all three are favored to win their respective games this weekend.
So, which of the five 3-0 teams will be the last to lose a game this season? Let's predict when each of the undefeated teams will lose their first game this season. As surprising as the Raiders' 3-0 start is, we need a little perspective.
The three teams they've beaten (Dolphins, Chargers and Saints) are 1-5 in the rest of their games, and that's the worst outside record among the five 3-0 teams. (The Bills and Raiders' opponents are 2-4, the Vikings and Chiefs' opponents are 3-3). A big part of Las Vegas' strong start is defensive takeaways. The Raiders lead the NFL with nine, after totaling 16 in all of last season.
The problem is, the Chiefs have only lost two turnovers in their 3-0 start, so that likely won't be there to make life easier for the Raiders' offense. The Chiefs and Raiders have scored the exact same number of points through three games, but Kansas City is averaging 105 more yards per game, and it's averaging five yards per carry compared to 3.23 for Las Vegas. Kansas City is a 4.5-point road favorite in Las Vegas this week, and I think it'll end up easier than that.
The healthy return of tight end Brock Bowers last week is another boost for the Raiders, but their concern might be defending tight ends, as the Saints threw four touchdowns to tight ends in a close loss last week. That's good news for Travis Kelce fans. San Francisco has looked strong out of the gate, and Brock Purdy has arguably had the best start of any quarterback, with nine touchdowns against one interception despite all kinds of injuries at receiver.
The entire offense is humming, ranking first in the league in yards per play (7.35), third down (63%) and red zone (90%) — all ridiculous numbers. The Broncos' defense has not played as expected. Last year's No.
2 unit in total defense is now ranked … 29th? Still, they beat the Jaguars and rallied to beat the Rams late, so it feels like a potential get-right game for them.
It's a homecoming for safety Talanoa Hufanga, who almost beat the Rams by himself down the stretch. Bo Nix has been downright ordinary in three games, but perhaps this is the week he connects with Jaylen Waddle for their first touchdown together. And if the 49ers are able to take care of the Broncos, they go to Seattle next week, and that might do the trick.
They lost 41-6 there in January. The Bills are not going to let the Patriots come in and hand them their first loss in the new stadium, right? New England has struggled enough that it seems a safe assumption, even though last season, Buffalo's first loss came at home to New England in Week 5.
Buffalo is the highest-scoring team in the NFL, but it's hardly a complete team yet, with a defense that doesn't rank in the top half of the league in anything except sacks. The Rams have stumbled to a 1-2 start, with an offense that's generated more yards than any team in the league but somehow ranks 20th in scoring. Their showdown on Monday night at SoFi next weekend will be seen as a potential Super Bowl preview on the field where the big game will be played in February.
The last time they met was a classic in December 2024, with the Bills never leading but the Rams holding on for a 44-42 win in Los Angeles. Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns, ran for three touchdowns and lost — the only time that's happened in NFL history. (The three-and-three has only happened three times ever, one in an Allen win and the other an Otto Graham win in 1954). I think it's the same result this time around.
The Bills lose, and the question is whether they get another game on that field … Kansas City is back, Patrick Mahomes is healthy and a retooled Chiefs secondary has impressed in their 3-0 start. We expect them to take care of the Raiders on Sunday and a backs-against-the-wall Chargers team the following week, so they could easily be undefeated going into their Week 6 bye.
But after the week off, they have to go to Seattle for a Sunday night game that should be one of the most anticipated games of the regular season. What better way for the Chiefs to show they're back to their old selves than to go into Seattle and beat the defending Super Bowl champs? It's part of a nasty stretch for the Seahawks, facing the 49ers, Broncos, Chiefs and Bears in four straight weekends.
We're not talking enough about Seattle's defense. The Seahawks are third in scoring, first in total defense and first in passing defense, holding opponents to 141 passing yards per game. This game will be Kenneth Walker's big return to Seattle, and he's been amazing, but the Seahawks are holding opponents to 3.26 yards per carry.
I think Jaxon Smith-Njigba will find the end zone against the Chiefs, and as long as Sam Darnold can avoid turnovers — that's the caveat on this one — Seattle should put Kansas City in the loss column, finally. Wouldn't it be wild if Kyler Murray was the last undefeated quarterback standing? It actually wouldn't be the first time it's happened, with Murray leading the Cardinals to a 7-0 start in 2021.
But this is really much more about Brian Flores' defense, which has been dominant in the Vikings' 3-0 start. Only the Jaguars have allowed fewer points, and Minnesota leads the league in sacks while tied for third in takeaways with six. What also helps them stay perfect is a light schedule ahead.
They face the lowly Dolphins (that could be a shutout), the exciting-but-still-turnover-prone Saints, a bye week and then the Colts over the next four weeks. All three are very winnable games, so we'll have Minnesota staying undefeated into a big division showdown in Week 8 on FOX. Detroit has committed only one turnover in three games, so if any offense can handle Minnesota's aggressive, blitz-happy front, it should be them, especially as a new-look offensive line rounds into form.
The Vikings swept Detroit last year, so the Lions will be plenty motivated for a revenge game that can firm them up as a playoff team in contention to win the toughest top-to-bottom division in the NFL.
