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Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season delivered chaos from Thursday through Monday night. Several teams strengthened their early-season position. Meanwhile, others left the weekend with serious questions. The week featured 16 games, including the Monday night matchup between Chicago and Philadelphia. Seven underdogs won on Sunday, according to CBS Sports. Here are the biggest team winners and losers from Week 3.
Winners
Chicago Bears
The Bears opened Week 3 with a major challenge. They faced Philadelphia without Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent. Instead, Case Keenum delivered one of the biggest surprises of the week. Keenum completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a rushing touchdown. Chicago also forced three turnovers against Philadelphia. The Bears controlled the game while running 69 offensive plays. Philadelphia managed only 47 plays. Therefore, Chicago heads into Week 4 at 2-1 with plenty of momentum.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders pulled off arguably the biggest upset of Week 3. Washington defeated the defending champion Seattle Seahawks 33-31. Marcus Mariota started with Jayden Daniels unavailable. He threw three touchdown passes without an interception. The Washington defense also forced three Seattle turnovers. Kain Medrano delivered the biggest defensive play. He returned an interception for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Washington survived despite gaining only 258 total yards. That makes the victory even more impressive statistically.
Jacksonville responded to its ugly Week 2 loss in Denver. The Jaguars dominated New England 35-6 at home. Trevor Lawrence completed 19 of 29 passes for 182 yards. He also threw three touchdown passes. Meanwhile, Jacksonville forced three turnovers from Drake Maye and the Patriots. The Jaguars improved to 2-1. More importantly, Lawrence and the offense looked comfortable again.
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo remained undefeated after beating the Chargers 24-16. The Bills overcame five turnovers and still found a way to win. Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns. James Cook also ran for 154 yards and another score. Buffalo improved to 3-0 despite a sloppy afternoon. That makes the Bills one of the most interesting teams entering Week 4.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh’s offense bounced back in a big way. The Steelers defeated Cincinnati 30-27 in an AFC North battle. Aaron Rodgers completed 19 of 34 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Pittsburgh also made the final defensive play. The Steelers forced a Joe Burrow fumble late in the fourth quarter. That turnover helped secure the victory. Pittsburgh now owns an important divisional win.
Denver Broncos
Denver looked finished after falling behind the Rams 16-0. Instead, the Broncos completely flipped the game. Denver scored 30 points during its comeback. The Broncos eventually defeated Los Angeles 30-26. The victory moved Denver to 2-1. It also showed that the Broncos can recover when games go badly early.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders remained undefeated after beating New Orleans 35-27. Las Vegas improved to 3-0 with another strong offensive performance. The Raiders now join Buffalo among the AFC’s undefeated teams. That start gives Las Vegas an early cushion in the AFC playoff race.
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis found a way to survive another close game. The Colts defeated Houston 19-17 on Spencer Shrader’s 53-yard field goal. The win prevented Indianapolis from falling into a 0-3 hole. Houston, meanwhile, dropped to 0-3.
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia suffered its first loss of the season Monday night. The Eagles fell to Chicago 27-7 despite entering the game at 2-0. Jalen Hurts struggled to generate consistent offense. Philadelphia also committed 10 penalties and turned the ball over three times. The Eagles managed only 52 net yards after halftime. That performance exposed some issues that Philadelphia must address quickly.
New England Patriots
New England’s offense struggled badly against Jacksonville. Drake Maye finished with 199 passing yards, two interceptions and a lost fumble. The Patriots also struggled to run the football. New England scored only six points during the 35-6 loss. The Patriots fell to 1-2, while Maye now faces increased pressure to regain his 2025 form.
Houston Texans
Houston became one of Week 3’s biggest losers. The Texans dropped to 0-3 after losing to Indianapolis 19-17. Houston held a 17-16 lead before Shrader hit the game-winning field goal. The Texans did not turn the ball over. However, they managed only 223 total yards. A 0-3 start creates an immediate uphill battle in the AFC South.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers suffered another frustrating loss. Los Angeles jumped ahead early against Buffalo but could not hold the lead. The Chargers eventually lost 24-16 and fell to 0-3. Justin Herbert threw for 226 yards and one touchdown. However, Los Angeles struggled to finish drives when it mattered most.
Dallas nearly pulled off a major upset in Brazil. Instead, the Cowboys lost to Baltimore 34-31 on a last-second field goal. Dallas played well enough to win for long stretches. However, Baltimore’s late comeback changed everything. The Cowboys now sit at 1-2 after three games.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle entered Week 3 as the defending Super Bowl champion. The Seahawks also entered the game as one of the NFL’s undefeated teams. Then Washington stunned them. Seattle produced 437 total yards and still lost. Three turnovers ultimately proved too costly. Sam Darnold threw four touchdowns, but two interceptions hurt the Seahawks badly.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay suffered a 23-16 loss against Minnesota. The bigger concern involves Baker Mayfield. Mayfield dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand late in the game. Further testing will determine the injury’s severity. The Buccaneers had started 2-0. Now they face uncertainty at the most important position.
Week 3 Changed the NFL Picture
Week 3 showed how quickly the NFL can change. The Commanders stunned Seattle. Chicago beat Philadelphia with its third quarterback. Jacksonville bounced back in a major way. Meanwhile, Houston, the Chargers and Tennessee all remain winless. The biggest takeaway involves the number of close games. Eleven Sunday games finished within one score, according to Sports Illustrated. That makes the early NFL standings especially unpredictable. Teams now have three games of evidence. However, there are still 14 regular-season games remaining. The Week 3 winners created momentum. The losers now face an important opportunity to respond in Week 4.
These teams that are in both categories it could change next week.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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