THE SEASON STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE

September 27, 2026

By Doc — Special Football Correspondent

The NFL season is only two weeks old, but Week 3 is when the first real questions begin to get answers.

Are the undefeated teams for real?
Which 0-2 teams are already in trouble?
And which quarterbacks are about to announce themselves as contenders—or discover that the NFL has a very long season ahead?

There are 14 games on Sunday, followed by Philadelphia visiting Chicago on Monday night. And while it's far too early to panic, Week 3 has several games that could tell us a lot about where this season is headed.

So grab the coffee, settle into the recliner and let’s take a trip around the league.

THE GAME OF THE WEEK

Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys

Brazil • 4:25 p.m. ET

This is the one that jumps off the page.

The Ravens arrive at 1-1, while Dallas is also 1-1, and both teams have plenty of offensive firepower. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry give Baltimore a devastating combination of speed and power, while Dak Prescott and the Cowboys showed last week that their offense can put points on the board.

The interesting question is which defense can make the bigger play.

Dallas has had trouble slowing people down early this season, while Baltimore will have to deal with a Cowboys offense that can stretch the field.

And then there's the setting.

Brazil.

This isn't just another Sunday afternoon at the stadium. It's an international showcase, and whichever team handles the unusual surroundings and the travel better could have a significant advantage.

Doc's View

I expect this one to be entertaining from beginning to end.

Ravens 31, Cowboys 27

THE BIG AFC SHOWDOWN

Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills

Buffalo is 2-0 and has been putting up points in bunches. Josh Allen has been spectacular through the first two games, accounting for nine touchdowns already.

The Chargers, meanwhile, are 0-2 and desperately need to get their season moving in the right direction.

That's what makes this game fascinating.

Los Angeles has too much talent to casually dismiss, but Buffalo has looked extremely dangerous offensively.

The Chargers need Justin Herbert to play his best football of the young season—and they need their defense to keep Allen from turning the afternoon into another Buffalo scoring parade.

Doc's View

I think the Chargers hang around longer than some people expect, but Buffalo has too much firepower.

Bills 34, Chargers 24

AFC NORTH BATTLE

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

This could be one of the nastiest games of the afternoon.

Cincinnati comes in at 2-0 after an impressive Week 2 victory over Houston. Joe Burrow has Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at his disposal, and the Bengals have looked increasingly comfortable offensively.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is 1-1 after being beaten badly by New England last week.

And here's the statistic that really caught my attention:

The Steelers currently rank last in the NFL in yards per play.

That's not exactly what Pittsburgh fans wanted to hear.

But AFC North games have a funny way of ignoring the standings.

Doc's View

Pittsburgh will make this a physical game, but Cincinnati's passing game gives the Bengals the edge.

Bengals 24, Steelers 20

CAN KANSAS CITY GET ROLLING?

Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins

The Chiefs are 1-1, and after surviving Indianapolis in Week 2, Kansas City now travels to Miami.

This is one of those games where Kansas City simply looks like it has more margin for error.

Patrick Mahomes doesn't need much of an invitation to turn a close game into a comfortable one, and Kansas City has plenty of experience playing with pressure.

Miami needs a much better performance if it hopes to keep pace.

Doc's View

I expect Miami to make some noise early, but Kansas City gradually takes control.

Chiefs 30, Dolphins 20

DETROIT LOOKS TO ROAR

New York Jets at Detroit Lions

Detroit is at home, and this is exactly the type of game the Lions need to win if they want to establish themselves as a serious NFC contender.

The Jets have the talent to make things uncomfortable, but Detroit has too much offensive capability to overlook.

The key for the Lions will be avoiding the turnovers and defensive breakdowns that can give an underdog life.

Doc's View

The Lions take control early and never really let go.

Lions 31, Jets 17

THE WEST COAST TEST

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco enters 2-0 and looks like one of the NFC's early teams to watch.

Arizona is 1-1, so this isn't a walk in the park. But the 49ers are at home, and their offense has enough weapons to create problems all afternoon.

This is one of those games where San Francisco can make a statement without necessarily receiving much national attention.

Doc's View

The 49ers' balance proves too much.

49ers 27, Cardinals 17

VIKINGS AT BUCCANEERS

Minnesota is 2-0.

Tampa Bay is 0-2.

That makes this a dangerous game for the Buccaneers.

Tampa needs to get something going immediately, because falling to 0-3 would put enormous pressure on the rest of the season.

Minnesota, meanwhile, has the opportunity to move to 3-0 and establish itself as one of the NFC's early surprises.

Doc's View

Tampa fights hard, but Minnesota's confidence carries the day.

Vikings 23, Buccaneers 20

>> For current odds visit MyBookie Sportsbook.

RAIDERS AT SAINTS

Las Vegas is 2-0 and New Orleans is 1-1.

The Raiders have been one of the early surprises, while New Orleans finally gets its home opener in the Superdome.

And you know what that means:

Noise. Lots of noise.

New Orleans will have the crowd behind it, but Las Vegas has already shown that it can win football games.

Doc's View

Home-field advantage matters here.

Saints 24, Raiders 21

PATRIOTS AT JAGUARS

Both teams enter at 1-1.

New England has already shown it can play defense, while Jacksonville gets the benefit of playing at home.

This feels like one of those games where the team that makes fewer mistakes wins.

Doc's View

A close one, but I like Jacksonville at home.

Jaguars 23, Patriots 20

THE REST OF SUNDAY

Panthers at Browns

Cleveland will try to turn this into a physical, low-scoring affair.

Panthers 20, Browns 17

Titans at Giants

The Giants have the home field, but Tennessee has enough to keep this close.

Giants 21, Titans 17

Texans at Colts

Houston needs a response after its disappointing Week 2 performance.

Colts 27, Texans 24

Seahawks at Commanders

Seattle comes in playing with confidence, while Washington needs to find some consistency.

Seahawks 24, Commanders 20

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos

Now THIS is a football game.

Both teams entered the season with legitimate expectations, and both have something to prove.

The Rams have plenty of offensive creativity, while Denver has the advantage of playing at altitude in front of a fired-up home crowd.

This could come down to which quarterback makes the big throw in the fourth quarter.

Doc's View

I'm expecting a terrific Sunday-night game.

Rams 27, Broncos 24

 DOC'S FIVE GAMES TO WATCH

1. Ravens at Cowboys — International spotlight and two explosive offenses.

2. Rams at Broncos — A terrific Sunday-night matchup.

3. Chargers at Bills — Can Los Angeles stop Buffalo's early-season offensive machine?

4. Bengals at Steelers — AFC North football at its finest.

5. Chiefs at Dolphins — Can Miami slow down Mahomes and company?

DOC'S WEEK 3 SUNDAY PICKS

Bills over Chargers
Panthers over Browns
Lions over Jets
Colts over Texans
Chiefs over Dolphins
Giants over Titans
Bengals over Steelers
Seahawks over Commanders
Jaguars over Patriots
49ers over Cardinals
Vikings over Buccaneers
Saints over Raiders
Ravens over Cowboys
Rams over Broncos

THE BOTTOM LINE

Week 3 is still early—but this is the weekend when some of those preseason opinions begin meeting reality.

The Bills, 49ers, Bengals, Vikings and Chiefs all have an opportunity to strengthen their position.

Meanwhile, the Chargers, Buccaneers and Steelers are already facing the kind of games where another loss would make the road ahead considerably more difficult.

And that's what makes September football so much fun.

Nobody knows exactly what these teams are yet.

But by Sunday night, we'll know a whole lot more.