Five NFL Teams Open 3-0: Which Starts Hold Up?
Five teams have opened the 2026 NFL season unbeaten through three games: the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings. For Buffalo and Kansas City, fast starts have become routine in recent seasons, while San Francisco's 3-0 mark followed an opening-week upset of the Los Angeles Rams. The Raiders and Vikings have been the bigger surprises, each already notching multiple upset wins.
A 3-0 start does not guarantee a playoff berth. According to FOX Sports Research, 33 of 45 teams that opened 3-0 over the past 10 years - 73.3% - went on to make the postseason. Last season, four of six teams that started 3-0 reached the playoffs. If that pattern holds, at least one of this year's five unbeaten teams will miss out. futsal bookmakere
In Buffalo, quarterback Josh Allen has sharpened his decision-making and release, while a retooled defense under new coordinator Jim Leonhard - featuring interior lineman Deone Walker and edge rusher Greg Rousseau - has raised the unit's ceiling. In Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes has returned from a torn ACL and LCL with a 68.4% completion rate, 912 yards, seven touchdowns and a 108.9 passer rating, while running back Kenneth Walker III leads the league with 360 rushing yards and 34 forced missed tackles, per Pro Football Focus. The Chiefs rank second in total offense and third in scoring defense early this season.
San Francisco has again absorbed injuries to key starters - a recurring theme under coach Kyle Shanahan - yet remains competitive behind quarterback Brock Purdy, a current MVP contender, and new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. Las Vegas has exceeded expectations behind quarterback Kirk Cousins and a defense bolstered by linebacker Nakobe Dean and rookie cornerback play, though an upcoming stretch against the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills and Rams looms as a major test given the Raiders' preseason projection of 5.5 wins. Minnesota, meanwhile, has leaned on a defense allowing the second-fewest points per game and a league-high 14 sacks, led by Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman, even as quarterback Kyler Murray works through injury and inconsistency.
The next several weeks - particularly Las Vegas' upcoming divisional gauntlet and continued health questions in San Francisco - should clarify which of these starts reflect genuine contenders and which may fade as the season progresses.
