A Week Defined by Upsets

With it only being the third week of the NFL season, it’s still hard to gauge the strength of any given NFL team. That being said, the results of many games this week were enough to shock the football nation. Thursday Night Football featured the winless Falcons beating the Packers by three scores. The Marcus Mariota-led Commanders beat the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Even Deshaun Watson led the Browns to a 2-1 record with a win against the Panthers. Unfortunately, he failed to reach four hundred passing yards and five touchdowns, which everyone watching expected him to do. 

Even amongst the teams that lost, the Jets and the Cardinals both came within one score of beating the Lions and the 49ers, respectively. The Jets and the Cardinals are teams that many expected to be fighting for the first-overall pick, yet they narrowly lost to two teams that most fans expect to appear in the playoffs this year, and possibly a Super Bowl. 

Raiders Match Win Total from Last Season

Last season, the Raiders ended with a 3-14 record, tied with three other teams for the worst record in the league. Despite an early win against the eventual AFC champions, the Patriots, the Raiders only managed two more wins against the Titans and the Chiefs. Players like Maxx Crosby, Brock Bowers, and Ashton Jeanty were all standouts at their positions. Sadly, they failed to overcome major issues surrounding their team’s horrendous O-line, disastrous quarterback play, lackluster defense, and pathetic playcalling. Thankfully, many of these issues were addressed in the offseason.  

The team drafted Fernando Mendoza with the first pick in the 2026 draft, yet the Raiders have started Kirk Cousins at quarterback to let Mendoza develop. Klint Kubiak was brought in as head coach. After a season as the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champions, hopes were high for Kubiak to reignite the dying fire of this team’s offense. Tyler Linderbaum, an Iowa alumnus, is often regarded as the single best center in the sport. The Raiders capitalized on his talent by offering him a three-year, $81 million contract, making him the highest-paid center in NFL history. 

These moves seemed to have paid off. The Raiders have started 3-0 with wins over the Dolphins, Chargers, and Saints. Only one game was determined by a single score.  With three wins under their belts, the Raiders have already matched their win total from last season. Kirk Cousins currently leads the NFL with nine passing touchdowns, the defense leads the league with nine turnovers, and the team looks like they have no interest in slowing down. Their next four games are against the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, and Rams. With their schedule quickly ramping up in difficulty, we must wait and see if the Raiders can stay on top and turn into true contenders. 

The Current State of the 2024 Quarterback Class

There were six quarterbacks drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The only other time this has happened was in 1983, a draft that featured all-time greats such as Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, and John Elway. Many 2024 quarterbacks have the potential to enter conversations alongside the all-time greats. However, the quarterbacks of 2024 have all had their own roller coasters of a season so far. 

Caleb Williams suffered a grade two hamstring injury in a face-off against the Vikings, resulting in the first time he has missed a game due to injury since before high school. Jayden Daniels suffered a much harsher injury, as he dislocated his left elbow. This is the same arm he injured last season against the Seahawks. The Washington quarterback is thankfully expected to return in the next three weeks. Drake Maye has had a poor start to his third season. As the reigning MVP runner-up, hopes were high for him to lead the Patriots to another strong season. However, he currently has a touchdown-to-turnover ratio of 1:7 over his past three games. Thankfully for the UNC alumnus, Yella’s has been looking for new staff. I’m sure that Drake Maye will continue his excellent work making subs here on campus. 

Last year, Michael Penix Jr. tore his ACL in a game against the Panthers, resulting in him missing the rest of his sophomore year and the first two games of this season. In his first game back against the Packers, he threw for 256 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 35-14 win. In three games, Bo Nix has thrown for 605 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. Many questioned his capabilities after only throwing for 131 yards in his first game, but on Sunday night he led the Broncos to a win against the Rams despite losing by 16 points going into halftime. 

Going into this season, J.J. McCarthy was the quarterback with the lowest expectations surrounding him. After missing his entire rookie year due to a torn meniscus, he proceeded to throw more interceptions than touchdowns his sophomore year. The Vikings signed former Cardinals star Kyler Murray as a potential starter for the team. After competing throughout the preseason, J.J. McCarthy was listed as the Vikings’ third-string quarterback, behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Reports and interviews from the Vikings staff had most fans expecting that “Nine” and Kyler would be the top two quarterbacks on the team, but now this Michigan alum can’t even squeeze out another second on the depth chart. If he’s lucky, maybe the referees will review his spot and realize that the charts weren’t properly synchronized. 

On September 28, J.J. McCarthy was traded to the Giants for a fifth-round pick. The Giants have had a gaping hole at QB after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury. While he is extremely entertaining, Jameis Winston doesn’t look to be a long-term solution for this team. Even ignoring general discourse around his skill as a player, McCarthy’s injury-prone status could be a large issue for this Giants team that’s trying to hold on to postseason hopes. 

Sauce Gardner Finally Wins in America

On November 4, 2025, Sauce Gardner was traded from the 1-7 Jets to the 7-2 Colts for two first-round picks, alongside wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. After this trade, the Colts would only go on to win a single game to finish the season, that being a win in an international game against the Falcons. Because the Colts started the season 0-2, Sauce Gardner hasn’t won an NFL game in the United States since December 15, 2024. On October 26, 2025, the Jets upset the Bengals with a final score of 39-38. This would’ve been his most recent U.S. win, but Gardner was not active in that game due to a concussion. This week, the Colts beat the Texans at home with a score of 19-17. This is the first time Sauce Gardner has won a game in the United States in nearly a year, making him the player with the worst record in this time frame. 

A Case Keenum Master Class

As if the other upsets this week weren’t enough to ruin your ESPN Pick’em, the Bears managed to win against the Eagles on Monday Night Football. Despite this being the outcome that most people expected going into the season, Caleb Williams’ injury swayed opinions in favor of the Eagles. After backup quarterback Tyson Bagent entered concussion protocol, the Bears seemed guaranteed to lose. Even though Bagent was cleared in advance for the game, the Bears’ staff decided to start third-stringer Case Keenum. Things looked grim for the Bears; the Eagles’ defense was expected to demolish the 38-year-old quarterback, and their offense would likely take great advantage of the Bears’ lacking pass rush and heavily injured secondary. Despite the odds, the Bears won in a crushing 27-7 blowout against the previously undefeated Eagles. Keenum, who hasn’t started a game since 2023, threw for 247 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He also ran in a touchdown near the end of the game, one of only six rushing touchdowns throughout his entire 14-year career. 

Even though Williams’ injury was expected to spell doom for the Bears, Ben Johnson’s team managed to push through and show the league that they can overcome whatever team is thrown at them. Their next four matchups are against the Jets, Packers, Falcons, and Patriots. These four teams have each had rough starts to the new season. With Tyson Bagent back and healthy, Case Keenum playing better than anyone could’ve anticipated, and Caleb Williams slated to return in time to start against the Seahawks, the so-called “Cardiac Bears” may be looking at a very strong start to the season. 

Is there hope for the 0-3 NFL Teams?

Only seven teams in NFL history have made the playoffs after losing their first three games. As of right now, the Dolphins, Texans, Chargers, and Buccaneers all remain winless going into Week 4. Will we see any of these teams in the playoffs? Which of these teams should just give up and tank? Let’s find out. 

Miami Dolphins: 

The Dolphins have arguably struggled more than any other team this century. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2000, which is the longest playoff-win drought in the NFL. The Dolphins currently have $183 million in dead cap space. They’re currently spending more money on players no longer on their 53-man roster than players who are. With Devon Achane suffering a season-ending ACL tear, this offense has little hope to outscore any of their opponents. Malik Willis looked strong as a backup for the Packers. On the Dolphins, he’s playing behind a very weak o-line and throwing to receivers that wouldn’t be starters on most other NFL teams. Their defense hasn’t been capable of generating the stops needed to carry their weak offense. 

I try to avoid fully writing off teams this early into the season. Last year, teams like the Patriots, Broncos, and Bears all started 0-2 and went on to win at least one playoff game each. However, the Dolphins don’t have the roster or coaching needed to recover from such a poor start. Don’t be shocked when the Dolphins end up with a top three pick in next year’s draft. 

Houston Texans: 

On the contrary, I have very high hopes for the Texans this year. After starting 0-3 last season, this team went 12-2 to clinch the fifth seed in the playoffs. The Texans are the only team in the league to never appear in a conference championship game, yet they have a roster that can change history. With players like Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley Jr., and Kamari Lassiter, this might just be the most talented defense currently playing football. C.J. Stroud has regressed significantly after his historically great rookie campaign, but he looks better than he did last year. His offensive line continues to be an issue, as Stroud has already been sacked ten times in only three games. If the Texans make moves to improve their offensive line, their offense will be good enough to not drag down their elite defense. 

I don’t believe that this slow start is emblematic of the Texans’ true strength. As long as their remaining offensive players stay healthy, C.J. Stroud bounces back, and their o-line improves, I would not be shocked to see this team finally push through and make their first deep playoff run. 

Los Angeles Chargers: 

The Chargers were a team that I personally thought would take a large step forward this season and go from a strong team to a true Super Bowl contender. However, the Chargers have looked very weak throughout the season so far. This team has lost by multiple scores to both the Cardinals and the Raiders. To the demise of my fantasy football team, Justin Herbert has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns and has passed for 627 yards.  Their defense has let up ~25 points per game, which isn’t enough to make up for the offense only generating ~15 points per game. 

The Chargers need Justin Herbert to bounce back from what is hopefully just a rough start. On paper, this roster looks ready to contend. Many of the main issues that have been plaguing this team for years have been addressed in the offseason. If Herbert recovers from this mediocre start, he could very well beat the “If Man” allegations and finally win his first playoff game. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

For years now, the Buccaneers have benefited from being in the NFC South, a division known for its lack of strong teams. As a result, this team has won their division four times this decade. With teams like the Saints and Panthers shaping up to be some of the more exciting teams this season, the Buccaneers are forced to take off their training wheels and prepare for the challenges ahead of them. 

This offseason was very rough for the Buccaneers. They lost Mike Evans, scrambled to extend Vita Vea after he requested a trade, and heightened tensions with Baker Mayfield after waiting much longer than warranted to finally extend him. This team’s offense has great pieces like Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Bucky Irving, and Tristan Wirfs. Unfortunately, Baker Mayfield dislocated his thumb and is slated to miss at least three weeks. Without a strong backup quarterback, their next couple of games against the Packers, Cowboys, and Steelers could very well result in back-to-back-to-back losses that this team cannot afford. 

Anything is possible with Baker Mayfield at quarterback. He might come back and fail to lift his team out of the hole they’ve dug themselves into. He might come back and carry his team to a playoff berth. You never truly know what to expect when Baker Mayfield has the ball. I predict that the Buccaneers’ slow start will carry into the next few weeks. Don’t be shocked if Todd Bowles is the first head coach to get fired this season. He might just be the head coach with the hottest seat. 

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Payton Gloria