For five teams in the NFL, the 2026 season couldn’t have gotten off to a better start.
The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings are all 3-0 to start the season. For the Bills and Chiefs, their starts have become what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in recent years. And after the 49ers’ upset of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, it isn’t a shock they’re 3-0, either.
But the Raiders and Vikings have been the biggest surprises so far this year, with each already recording multiple upset victories. And in Las Vegas’ case, it’s off to a 3-0 start after holding the No. 1 overall pick in this past year’s draft.
While a 3-0 start is certainly encouraging, it doesn’t guarantee a spot in the postseason. In fact, 33 of the 45 teams (73.3%) that started 3-0 over the last 10 years went on to make the playoffs, per FOX Sports Research. Four of the six teams that went 3-0 last season also went on to make the playoffs.Â
So, if recent history carries into this year, at least one of the five 3-0 teams will miss the playoffs in 2026. Which team could it be? We determine which 3-0 starts are real or fake.Â
Steven Ruiz: Very real. I know we say this every season, but this might be the best chance the Bills have at getting over the Super Bowl hump.Â
It starts with Josh Allen, because of course it does. It appears hes leveled up his game. The ball is getting out quicker, and hes seeing coverages better than he ever has. The Bills offensive line remains strong, and the run game takes playmaking pressure off Allen. The pieces are in place for another MVP-caliber campaign for No. 17.Â
But its the defense that really has me thinking this team has a real shot at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February. New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is installing a scheme that should give quarterbacks more issues compared to Sean McDermotts static defense. And the emergence of defensive tackle Deone Walker as an interior menace, along with the continued ascension of Greg Rousseau, gives Leonhard a defensive line that will wreck game plans.Â
The ceiling for the offense is as high as ever, and the defenses ceiling is higher than ever in Buffalo.Â
Ben Arthur: First of all, Patrick Mahomes is back from the torn ACL and LCL he suffered in December, and hes off to a great start in 2026 â a 68.4% completion rate for 912 yards and seven touchdowns against just two interceptions with a 108.9 passer rating, plus 10 carries for 41 yards and another score. The two-time MVP should only get more comfortable as the season wears on and hes further removed from knee surgery.Â
But the biggest reason why the Chiefs are a true Super Bowl contender, and not just in the conversation with a healthy Mahomes, is because of running back Kenneth Walker III. The reigning Super Bowl MVPs dynamic ability out of the backfield has opened up Kansas Citys offense in a way we havent seen in the Mahomes era. For years, weve been talking about how the Chiefs havent had a consistently dominant and available WR1 since the Tyreek Hill days, but Walkers presence has allowed the Chiefs offense to be explosive without one. The attention he draws brings safeties down to the box, freeing up shots in the pass game. Its a big reason why we see 37-year-old Travis Kelce (77.0 receiving yards per game) and wide receiver Rashee Rice (63.3) finding so much success.Â
And then, of course, Walker is doing damage when he actually touches the ball. The former Seahawk is leading the league with 360 rushing yards and 34 missed tackles forced (next closest is the Lions Jahmyr Gibbs at 22), according to Pro Football Focus.Â
The Chiefs currently rank second in total offense (416.3 yards/game) and tied for seventh in scoring (29.3). Theyre also getting it defensively, ranking third in points allowed (16.7) and fourth in yards allowed per game (278.0).Â
Between Mahomes,
