Sep 28, 2026 · 1h 51m
Week 3 reshapes the NFL contender picture
Week 3 Recap: Broncos stun Rams, Ravens upend Cowboys, Jaguars roll Patriots, and the 3-0 Raiders
A chaotic slate exposed which teams can overcome mistakes, injuries, and uneven play—and which supposed contenders are already falling away.
- 1Jacksonville’s 35-6 rout of New England strengthened the Jaguars’ case while exposing the Patriots’ deeper offensive dysfunction.
- 2Las Vegas rallied from an 11-point deficit to reach 3-0, using pressure and takeaways to make its rise look increasingly coherent.
- 3The Chargers’ loss despite five takeaways and Cincinnati’s special-teams failures showed how quickly execution can erase strong underlying play.
Don't miss
The Chargers lose despite forcing five turnovers, as red-zone failures, penalties, conservative decisions, and a disastrous interception overwhelm their defensive advantage.
The brief
Denver erased a 16-0 deficit against the Rams, but the comeback exposed how special-teams errors, defensive pressure, two-point choices, and officiating can swing a volatile game.
Baltimore’s 34-31 win over Dallas became a study in late-game decisions and special-teams mistakes, while both teams revealed strengths that came with obvious limits.
Jacksonville’s rout of New England elevated Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ red-zone passing game, while the Patriots’ collapse pointed to protection, rushing, and identity problems beyond quarterback play.
Pittsburgh rebounded offensively against Cincinnati, but Joe Burrow’s late fumble and the Bengals’ blocking and special-teams failures turned a productive attack into a costly loss.
Las Vegas rallied from 27-16 down to reach 3-0, then the discussion widened to Houston’s defensive regression, San Francisco’s injuries, and a rapidly changing contender table.
The strangest result came from Los Angeles, where five takeaways could not overcome red-zone failures, penalties, conservative decisions, and Justin Herbert’s disastrous interception.