Week 3 Six-Pack: Ranking the Six Undefeated Teams

After just three weeks, six teams remain undefeated. That may sound small, but it's the most undefeated teams after three weeks since 2020. Further proof that this is the best league in the world.

While there are some teams many expected to see on this list not on here, and some that many likely expect to be and think are currently better, this day is not for those teams. They'll have their day. This day is for the six teams who've so far done what they were supposed to do. Let's rank them (in order of how they've played so far, not projection).

No. 1: Indianapolis Colts

How could they not be first? This team is making me eat my words more forcefully than Joey Chestnut eats glizzies on July 4th. They have a historic offense, punting just once in three games. Danny Dimes has had a historic start, as the only QB in history with 3 passing and 3 rushing TDs paired with no turnovers in the first three games. Jonathan Taylor looks like the best RB in the league, and statistically is so.

The defense has done its best to keep up with the offense. They’re currently top 8 in passing, rushing, and total defense, while cracking top 10 in points allowed and top 5 in turnovers.

Shane Steichen has this team rolling. The haven't had the most daunting schedule, but the Dolphins have put up respectable fights against the two teams they've played not named the Colts, including one on this list, so the shit pumping Indy gave them week 1 has some merit. The best teams in the league are supposed to blow out the shitty teams, and so far that's what the Colts have done to the tune of the best point differential in football (+47).

Any power rankings that don't have the Colts in the one spot, which is most, are either biased on the past or projecting forward. But if you just look at the first three weeks, you can't tell me that a team has looked better than them. I can't believe how wrong I was about this team.

No 2: Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have had arguably the toughest schedule through three weeks in the league. Not only have they played all three divisional opponents, something no other team has had to do, but they played two on the road, including one half way across the world. They slayed the dragon of the Chiefs for the first time in four years in Brazil, then had to come back to a Monday night road game in Vegas. Talk about a trap game. But they took care of business, and finally came home to play a Broncos team hungry after a horrible loss in Indy the week prior. And although it wasn't pretty, got the job done.

The Charger defense was great last year, so them being good again (top 10 in every major defensive category) isn't what makes this team jump my personal power rankings. It's their QB.

I've long been a hater of Justin Herbert in comparison to the hype he's always had and his lack of living up to it. I know we're only three games in, but he finally is looking like the guy everyone's claimed him to be for a half decade. I love that he came through with a game-winning drive against Denver, with Bo Nix swapping places with him and whoever he's played against in the past. He's making highlight throws that are responsible for producing the aforementioned hype, and is looking more confident than I've ever seen.

That Broncos game is a game the Chargers of the past have lost 100 out of 100 times. Maybe the times are changing. I won't make that claim just yet, but they're off to a great start.

No 3: Buffalo Bills

I bet the Bills crack the one spot on a lot of people's lists, and I think there's a valid case to do so. But ranking the best teams in the sport is a delicate game, and the margins between teams are thin.

The Bills offensively are a juggernaut. They've put up 30+ in every game this season, and no one on the planet seems to have the recipe to slow down Josh Allen. The James Cook signing is week by week looking more and more justified, as he makes teams respect the run enough to provide Josh the leeway to play free. And while he still does play free, the growth and pullback Josh seems to have found, no longer putting the ball in harms way, makes this team really dangerous.

The reason they're third in this list is cause the two teams above them are more balanced. The Bills defense has been hot and cold to start the season. Their second ranked pass defense has been matched with the worst rushing defense in football, an equation that leads to a bottom half defense in points allowed. They have key injuries already, with Matt Milano and Ed Oliver missing their most recent game against Miami, which won't help that problem.

The week 1 win was a near miracle, then they beat the Jets and Dolphins. I think this team is great and will be there in the end, likely longer than the two teams above them. But like I said to start, this isn't a post about projections.

No 4: Philadelphia Eagles

I can make a case for the Eagles to be first on this list as easily as I could make one that they're fifth. So somewhere in the middle feels right.

Being 3-0 is hard. Being 3-0 against the schedule they've had is harder. But being 3-0 coming off a Super Bowl championship against this schedule is wildly impressive. But the way they've won these games hasn't been the most impressive, and frankly doesn't feel sustainable.

The Cowboys, who've looked like hot garbage in the two games since they played Philly, were driving with a chance to win that game in the Linc. If CeeDee catches one of two post routes the Birds may have been 0-1. The Chiefs were a Travis Kelce drop away from taking a 4-point lead in Arrowhead, and who knows how that game ends if it's caught. And despite the amazing comeback Sunday against the Rams, they needed two blocked field goals, one at the buzzer, to stay undefeated.

Without sounding too much like a traditional journalist, the start to their season is a true testament to the championship acumen of this team. I just threw up in my mouth writing that. But it’s true. They don't quit, they beat you different ways, they don't always look like the better team, but they win. And that deserves some credit.

But they don't look like world beaters at the moment. Then again, maybe it's because they haven't played teams worthy of being world beaten. The schedule doesn't get easier this week either.

No 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is who the Eagles play this week, in the only battle of undefeated's on the Sunday slate.

Tampa is as scrappy as they come, and fall into a similar bucket as Philly through three games. They're not always pretty, they don't always feel like they deserve to win, but when the game is close down the stretch, the feeling of inevitability that they'll come out on top is starting to form.

Baker is one of the most clutch QBs in the league, and is undeniably so through week 3 this season. In all three games he's orchestrated a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, with the last two weeks essentially as time expired. Emeka Egbuka has already become a top WR in football and has made the absence of Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan feel forgotten. When Godwin comes back, which could potentially be this week, this offense will be very, very scary.

The defense is middle of the pack outside of a 6th ranked rush defense thanks to Vita Vea, who will single handedly never allow a defense he's part of to be outside the top quarter of rushing ranks. If they want to make noise in January this side of the ball will need to be better, but so far have done just enough.

Three wins at the last second, including one that was a missed kick from going to OT, unfortunately puts the Bucs towards the bottom of this list of unbeatens. Their persistence is to be admired, and the division they're in is laughable. This team should only get better, and will continue to be fun to watch.

No. 6: San Francisco 49ers

This is kind of low hanging fruit, but someone had to come in at this spot. Mac Jones has played well in Brock's absence, and has done more than most backup QBs are expected to do when they fill in: win multiple games.

The Niners coming into the year had the easiest schedule in the league, and so far have been able to take advantage of it. They squeaked by the Seahawks week 1 thanks to a Nick Bosa strip sack at the nine yard line. Then squeaked by a Saints team who just lost by 1000 to that same Seahawks team, and by the skin of their teeth beat the Cardinals who more than anything might've just been allergic to the idea of a 3-0 start.

The team, as always, is decimated by injuries. It's hard to put too much stock into what the 49ers are without their starting QB and TE, their WR5 playing as WR2, and their best and only prominent pass rusher now on the sidelines with a torn ACL. What we've seen through three games is in theory a shell of what this team should be, yet they stand atop the loaded NFC West and 3-0 despite it.

I don't understand how this franchise gets the injury bug every year. It must maddening for SF fans, to have been so close to a championship twice and let it slip, and now watch your backups play half of every season.

They're still very well coached, and still have the easiest schedule in the NFL, so this hot start is massive for their playoff hopes as their starters try to recover from injuries. But there's no convincing me this isn’t the worst of the unbeatens. It's not even close.

Honorable Mention - Best Non-Undefeated Team: Detroit Lions

*Recency bias alert*

The Lions overnight have fixed the offensive line, have made two rookies become all-pro veterans, and are back in the conversations of best team in football. Remember the ridiculous headline after week 1 on ESPN: "Nobody expected this drop-off from the Lions"? How's that drop-off look now? If what they're experiencing is a drop-off, I'll ride that roller coaster Dramamine-free until I'm 80 years old.

They boat raced the Bears in week 2, which frankly didn't make me turn my head. But then they man-handled the Ravens, in Baltimore, on Monday night, to the tune of 224 rushing yards, 6 YPC, and 4 rushing TDs. They had an 18 play, 98-yard drive in which they ran the ball 13 times. They ran it when the whole world including the Ravens knew they'd run it, and did it effectively, over and over again.

The defense is back healthy and playing great. They notched seven sacks against the most elusive QB in football and one of the best offensive lines. They missed just four tackles all game (compared to 20 missed tackles from Baltimore) and held Derrick Henry in check after the first possession.

If Detroit can run the ball like that, they have one of the best play action QBs in the league that can dissect a defense off it. Goff is in his bag when he has the play action at his disposal, perfectly evidenced by the 4th and 2 pass to Amon-Ra, who no one in the league can cover, to ice the game.

Pair that explosive offense with a competent defense, which Detroit had no where near at the end of last season, and my prediction that the Lions will three-peat the NFC North is looking good. I'm an idiot for betting against this team.

The Lions look to be all the way back.