NFL WEEK 4 PREVIEW
Twelve games in Week 3 were decided by eight points or fewer, tied for the most in a single week in NFL history. Five teams remain undefeated, including three – Kansas City, Las Vegas and Minnesota – that missed the postseason in 2025. This week, the international slate continues with the first of three London games, as Indianapolis and Washington meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Here’s a look at a few interesting storylines entering Week 4:
Atlanta (1-2) at New Orleans (1-2) (Monday night, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Falcons visit the Saints in an NFC South showdown on Monday Night Football, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Superdome reopening after Hurricane Katrina. On September 25, 2006, New Orleans hosted Atlanta and earned a 23-3 victory on Monday Night Football in the first game at the Superdome following the hurricane.
New head coaches making their mark: For the third time in NFL history and excluding the 1920 inaugural NFL season, six head coaches in their first year with a team have won at least two of their team’s first three games of a season, joining 1925 (seven) and 2022 (seven).
The six head coaches in 2026: Buffalo’s Joe Brady (3-0), Las Vegas’ Klint Kubiak (3-0), the New York Giants’ John Harbaugh (2-1), Pittsburgh’s Mike McCarthy (2-1), Baltimore’s Jesse Minter (2-1) and Cleveland’s Todd Monken (2-1).
Kansas City (3-0) at Las Vegas (3-0) (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): The Chiefs and Raiders, who are each averaging 29.3 points per game this season, will mark the first matchup in Week 4 or later between undefeated teams averaging at least 29 points per game in six seasons (Arizona at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4, 2021).
Last week, quarterback Patrick Mahomes recorded his 115th career win, tying Tom Brady (115 wins) for the most wins by a quarterback in his first 150 career starts, including the postseason, in NFL history.
Las Vegas quarterback Kirk Cousins is the only quarterback this season with three touchdown passes in each of the first three weeks and became the first quarterback age 38-or-older with at least three touchdown passes in each of his team’s first three games of a season.
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers had 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in his season debut last week, his sixth career game with at least 10 receptions, the most by a tight end in his first three seasons in NFL history.
Denver (2-1) at San Francisco (3-0) (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): The 49ers, one of two remaining undefeated teams in the NFC (along with Minnesota), lead the league in point differential (+48), rank second in scoring offense (32.7 points per game) and tied for third in scoring defense (16.7 points per game against) in the first three weeks.
San Francisco became the fourth team since 1990 to allow zero sacks in each of its’ first three games of a season, joining the 2014 Cincinnati Bengals as well as the 1999 and 2005 Indianapolis Colts.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the only quarterback with multiple touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in each of the first three weeks, leads the NFL with a 133.1 passer rating and ranks tied for first with nine touchdown passes in 2026. He has 14 career games with a passer rating of 130-or-higher (minimum 10 attempts in each game), the most by a quarterback under the age of 27 in NFL history.
Denver quarterback Bo Nix recorded two third quarter touchdown passes and the game-winning rushing touchdown with 47 seconds remaining to help the Broncos overcome a 16-point halftime deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. Nix has 12 career regular season game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime, trailing only Dak Prescott (14), Justin Herbert (13) and Matt Ryan (13) for the most by a quarterback in his first three seasons since 1970.
Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga, who spent the first four seasons of his career with San Francisco, became the first player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record a sack and multiple interceptions, including an interception return of 50-or-more yards for a touchdown, in a single quarter of a single game, which he accomplished during the fourth quarter of last week’s game.
New England (1-2) at Buffalo (3-0) (1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Bills can advance to 4-0 in consecutive seasons for the second time in franchise history (1991-92). Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, who last week became the first quarterback ever with multiple rushing touchdowns in three consecutive games, became the fourth player ever with at least six rushing touchdowns in nine consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk (10 from 1994-2003), LaDainian Tomlinson (10 from 2001-10) and Jim Brown (nine from 1957-65).
Buffalo linebacker Greg Rousseau leads the NFL with six sacks this season and became the third player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with two-or-more sacks in each of his team’s first three games of a season, joining Mark Gastineau (1984 with the New York Jets) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene (1998 with Carolina).
Pittsburgh (2-1) at Cleveland (2-1) (Thursday night, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video): The Steelers and Browns, both coming off Week 3 victories that featured a game-winning score in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, are set to renew their AFC North rivalry on Thursday Night Football.
Last week, Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers recorded his 165th career regular-season victory, tied with Ben Roethlisberger for the fifth-most regular season wins in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (251 wins) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Brett Favre (186), Peyton Manning (186) and Drew Brees (172) have more.
Cleveland can begin 3-1 for the fourth time since 2000 (2001, 2020-21). Browns defensive tackle Mason Graham is one of three players with a sack in each of the first three weeks, along with Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau and Seattle’s Leonard Williams.
Miami (0-3) at Minnesota (3-0) (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX): The Vikings lead the NFL with 14 sacks this season and are the fourth team since 1990 with at least four sacks and multiple takeaways in each of their first three games of a season, joining the 2024 Minnesota Vikings, 2018 Chicago Bears and 1993 New Orleans Saints.
Jacksonville (2-1) at Cincinnati (2-1) (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Last week, in the Jaguars’ 35-6 win over the Patriots, wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter recorded his first career interception and became the fourth player since 2000 with an interception and a touchdown reception in his first two career seasons, joining Marcus Jones, Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher and Christian Wilkins. Jacksonville looks to begin 3-1 or better in consecutive seasons for the second time in team history (1997-99).
Indianapolis (1-2) at Washington (1-2) (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network, London): The Colts and Commanders, both coming off two-point wins in Week 3 for their first victories of the season, are set to kick off the first of three consecutive NFL game weeks in London. Indianapolis’ Daniel Jones, who started in Berlin last season, and Washington’s Marcus Mariota, who started in Madrid, are set to become the seventh and eighth quarterbacks to start an international game in consecutive seasons in different markets, joining Matthew Stafford (London 2025/Australia 2026), Aaron Rodgers (London 2024/Ireland 2025); Philip Rivers (London 2018/Mexico 2019), Derek Carr (Mexico 2017, London 2018), Matt Ryan (Canada 2013/London 2014) and Jay Cutler (Canada 2010/London 2011).