There are no sure things in the NFL, but Week 3 of the 2026 season brings a few matchups that look awfully close to bankable. As September winds down and the league edges toward October, the picture starts to sharpen.
Some teams are already playing like their true selves. Others are still sorting out whether they belong higher or lower in the NFL pecking order.
One of the clearest spots on the board is Green Bay’s home date with Atlanta.
The Packers are not being sold here as a great team. At best, they look average.
But the Falcons may be the worst team in the league right now, and that gap matters. The Cooper Rush era is probably over, with Michael Penix Jr. set to start for Atlanta on Thursday Night Football against Green Bay.
Even so, Penix does not look like the kind of change that suddenly flips this into a competitive matchup.
Atlanta’s quarterbacks have been poor in their recent chances, and nothing about the offense has suggested a turnaround is close. Green Bay, meanwhile, had to go to overtime to beat the New York Jets and is also down Zach Bako-Bewele for the rest of the season.
Still, the roster has enough across the board to handle a team like this. Jordan Love is a very good QB, and the Packers have enough competent pieces to stay in the mix for roughly nine wins when the regular season ends.
No, the Packers are not in Super Bowl contender territory yet. But the Falcons are in a much rougher place, and this one does not figure to be especially entertaining. Both teams are dealing with their own problems, but Green Bay is clearly the better side in just about every area.
That should show up on the scoreboard. The Packers win this one, and probably win it by double-digits.
In Other News...
Bijan Robinson Suddenly Has A Rare Falcons Milestone In Reach
Bijan Robinsons name has already become central to the Falcons offense, and now it sits next to a piece of team history that would be unusual even by Atlanta standards. Amid a run of recent NFL milestones around the league, Robinson has given the Falcons something more immediate to watch in Week 3: the possibility of a running back reaching a franchise mark that has been on the books for years.
It is the kind of threshold that says as much about how the offense is using him as it does about Robinsons own versatility. For Atlanta, the larger point is not just that he is piling up touches, but that he is being put in position to leave a mark in a category not often associated with backs. The record is there, the opportunity is there, and now the Falcons have one more reason to pay close attention when the ball gets near the goal line. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Londons Frustration Puts Falcons Quarterback Decision Under A Spotlight
Drake Londons body language told the story during a recent Falcons game, when the receiver was seen yelling and pointing on the sideline as Atlanta struggled to find a rhythm on offense. It has not been the start London or the Falcons wanted, with the third-year pass catcher working through two games alongside backup quarterbacks and producing 6 receptions for 80 yards.
Michael Penix Jr. looms over the conversation because the pairing has already shown real promise when given time together. In 14 games with Penix, London has piled up 91 catches for 1,286 yards and 9 touchdowns, a track record that makes the quarterback decision feel even more important as Atlanta tries to stabilize its passing game and keep one of its top weapons engaged. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Hand Michael Penix Jr. A Huge Early Test Without A Key Defender
Michael Penix Jr. is set for a significant early-season spotlight in Week 3, as the Falcons turn to the young quarterback against the Green Bay Packers. The move comes at a time when Atlanta is also adjusting its defense, with cornerback A.J. Terrell landing on injured reserve and defensive lineman Zach Harrison getting promoted from the practice squad. It is the kind of lineup shuffle that puts even more attention on how quickly the rookie can settle in.
Atlanta is also expected to add cornerback Robert Longerbeam from the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad, another sign the secondary is being patched together on the fly. For a team trying to steady itself this early in the season, the timing matters, and the matchup with Green Bay now carries a little extra weight because of it. Elsewhere around the league, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned to full participation in practice after his oblique injury, a reminder of how quickly the quarterback landscape can shift around Penixs first big test. [Read more 🡒]