It’s often too early for a respectable sports analyst to make definitive claims about, well, anything really, after only one week of a league’s season. For lack of a more sophisticated phrase, anything can happen.
This is especially true for the NFL, where the parity between teams, rust from a lengthy offseason, and extended time to gameplan make hot takes and overreactions ill-advised. However, we’re now three full weeks into pro football action. That’s a three-week sample size full of Foxborough tailgates, late Sunday nights, and… Daniel Jones? It’s the perfect time to take a look at the landscape of the league as it barrels towards its 60th Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The New England Patriots
We start off with the restructured hometown New England Patriots, who are trying to fan the flames of their next era of success. The Pats were one of the most active teams this offseason, making several major moves in hopes of avoiding another losing season. In January, the team swapped out one-year coaching experiment Jerod Mayo in favor of veteran head coach and former New England linebacker, Mike Vrabel.
Despite all these changes, the Patriots find themselves with a 1-2 record through their first three games, with the lone win coming in week two against the lowly Miami Dolphins. While this start isn’t shocking considering the team’s division-worst 4-13 record last season, it’s not an overreaction to say it’s disappointing to those who were bullish on their new acquisitions and the development of second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye showed flashes of elite play last year, and his passing yardage and completion percentage are exactly where you’d want them to be in 2025. But it’s his touchdown numbers and ball security issues that leave a lot to be desired. Five turnovers, including two from the 23-year-old signal caller, proved to be too much to overcome in New England’s 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Although the early season picture the six-time champs have painted isn’t exactly a work of art, there’s still lots of time to create a masterpiece. With one of the weaker remaining schedules in the league, and a coach that’s gotten similarly flawed Titans teams to the playoffs in years past, I’d say Boston sports fans should still have a bit of hope left in their hearts. One way to validate that hope? Continuing to win against division rivals.
The AFC East
So, how are the three other teams in the Pats’ division doing so far? Other than the ever-reliable Bills, not any better.
The Dolphins have quickly become a laughing stock of the league, as they’re still looking for their first win. Head coach Mike McDaniel’s job security seems to be at an all-time low due to their winless start, cryptic podium answers, and the strained relationship between quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and former All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill. Those two exchanged some passive-aggressive comments over the summer, and Tagovailoa’s four interceptions in three games are doing little to quiet that narrative.
The New York state of mind hasn’t been so great in terms of football. The Jets, who currently possess the longest playoff drought in all of major American sports, find themselves sharing a bottom seat with Miami at 0-3. They were another team that underwent a significant identity change this past offseason; they brought Aaron Glenn over from Detroit to be their new head coach, and swapped grizzled vet Aaron Rodgers for the still-unproven Justin Fields at quarterback.
If there’s a silver lining for the Jets, it’s that they’ve been competitive in two of their three games. They lost a 34-32 thriller to the Steelers and their old pal Rodgers in week one, and had a fierce comeback fall just short against the Buccaneers in week three. They’ll be focused on turning those close losses into wins as the season progresses.
One team that handed the Jets a not-so-close loss was the Buffalo Bills, who have picked up right where they left off as perennial Super Bowl contenders. With reigning MVP Josh Allen at the helm, Buffalo isn’t hiding the fact that they’re desperate for the franchise’s first-ever league championship.
Vegas certainly thinks they can get it done; the Bills currently have the best betting odds to win the big game. While the sportsbooks look pretty smart as of now, even deserving favorites can have kinks in their armor. The team’s defensive performances haven’t exactly been bulletproof. Giving up 40 to the Ravens and 21 to the Dolphins is less than ideal, despite Buffalo’s 3-0 record. If the Bills are to finally get over the hump, Allen is going to need a defense he can depend upon in big moments, against the best competition.
The Rest of the League
Don’t worry, the AFC East isn’t the only place with interesting storylines. The dynastic Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of what must be their 50th cycle of prolific doubt from the mainstream sports media after a 1-2 start. For my money, Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and Taylor Swift’s fiancé will probably figure it out.
The injury gods have decided to make a dent in the depth of many quarterback rooms. Week three felt like opening up a time capsule to the early 2020’s as Carson Wentz, Marcus Mariota, and Mac Jones all took starting snaps, with Wentz facing down Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning in his second week in relief of Joe Burrow. Burrow is set to miss most, if not all, of the season with turf toe.
Other notable injuries throughout the league include Nick Bosa of the seemingly always-injured 49ers, who’ll miss the rest of the season with an ACL tear; CeeDee Lamb and James Conner, who have varying degrees of ankle injuries; and Mike Evans, who could miss a couple of weeks with a pulled hamstring.
Another one of the league’s top teams, the Baltimore Ravens, are also off to a slow start after a Monday night loss to the Detroit Lions. Detroit has rebounded since their week one loss, sacking two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson seven times in the heavyweight bout. The Ravens are no strangers to overcoming early-season adversity; they started 0-2 last season before finishing 12-5. They’ll look to clean up their protection and defense as the year trudges on.
Maybe the biggest surprise of the league so far? The undefeated Indianapolis Colts. Three weeks after being picked to finish towards the bottom of the AFC before the season began, the Colts are now front-runners to win their division. Heavily criticized quarterback Daniel Jones has looked like the class of the league, ranking top-five in passing yards, completion percentage, and passer rating. The only questions about Indianapolis at this point should regard how long they can keep it up.
The Green Bay Packers and their blockbuster addition Micah Parsons were off to a fantastic start, beating both the Lions and the 2024 NFC-finalist Washington Commanders in dominant fashion. You could say they look like the best team in the league, if only for the fact that in week three, they ran into the buzzsaw that is the… Cleveland Browns?
The Browns’ 13-10 win over the Pack is a stark reminder that in the NFL, anything can happen on any given Sunday. There is still a long season ahead, and although the pages are starting to be filled in, the book won’t be finished until one team is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February.
