The NFL’s unbeaten list has already been whittled down to three, and each of the remaining teams is taking a very different path to 4-0.
Two of them get their shot at 5-0 in Week 5. One has to sit tight and wait another week.
San Francisco has looked like the class of the league from the jump. The 49ers opened with a blowout of the Los Angeles Rams in Australia, then kept rolling at home against the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos.
Brock Purdy has been playing at an MVP level, Kyle Shanahan has kept the offense humming, and the defense has held up despite a wave of injuries and a new defensive coordinator. Raheem Morris has still delivered strong results early on.
The next test is a big one: the 3-1 Seattle Seahawks, one of San Francisco’s biggest challengers in the NFC West and in the Super Bowl race. A win would push the 49ers to 5-0 and strengthen their grip on the top of the power rankings.
Minnesota’s 4-0 start has looked a lot stranger. Brian Flores has been the difference on defense, with the Vikings allowing an average of 15.8 points per game. Since Week 2, that unit has been even stingier, giving up just 29 points across the last three games.
The offense, though, has not found a rhythm. Starting Kyler Murray missed much of the first two weeks with a concussion, and even after his return the Vikings have had stretches where the attack has stalled out.
Minnesota put up 39 points in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, but since then the team has won three straight while scoring only two touchdowns and 47 points total. Two of those victories came without scoring a touchdown at all.
Now Minnesota heads to New Orleans to face a 1-3 Saints team led by second-year starting quarterback Tyler Shough.
Kansas City is undefeated too, but the Chiefs won’t get their chance to reach 5-0 until Week 6 because of an early bye. After a disappointing 2025 season, they’ve bounced back into Super Bowl-contender form in 2026. Patrick Mahomes has been sharp after returning from his torn ACL rehab, and the defense has settled in as a strong unit behind several young additions.
The biggest story in Kansas City has been Kenneth Walker. The new Chiefs running back is producing at an MVP level, leading the league in rushing yards through four games and tracking toward more than 2,000 yards on the season. Walker starred in the Super Bowl for the Seattle Seahawks last year, but he never had the kind of workload he’s getting now.
Kansas City has already banked important AFC West wins over the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, along with victories against the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs will be back in action in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
In Other News...
Chiefs 4-0 Start Just Set Up Their First Real Test
The Chiefs have opened with four straight wins and now get an early Week 5 bye, a rare breather in a season that has already demanded plenty from a team trying to stay atop the AFC. It also gives Kansas City a chance to reset before the schedule tightens again, with a stretch of games ahead that includes road trips to Seattle and Denver.
The first real checkpoint after the break comes at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chargers are set to visit on Sunday, Oct. 18. From there, the Chiefs are headed into a long run without another off week, so this pause may feel more like a brief pause in the middle of the grind than a true break. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Kelce Is Caught In An Off-Field Fight Fans Didn't Expect
Travis Kelces life away from the Chiefs keeps drawing attention in northeast Ohio, where he and Taylor Swift own a mansion in Bratenahl. The latest wrinkle involves the kind of home-improvement project that usually stays quiet: a six-foot aluminum fence around the property and landscaping plans that would include planting about 50 trees. The fence appeal has already been approved, giving the couple at least one clear win in the process.
Now the focus has shifted to the rest of the proposal, and that is where nearby residents have concerns. Neighbors are raising questions about how the tree plan could affect local infrastructure, turning a private estate upgrade into a community issue that has lingered longer than expected. For Kelce, who is also a minority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers while still active with Kansas City, it is another reminder that his off-field profile can be just as visible as his work on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Xavier Worthy May Be Stepping Into A Much Bigger Chiefs Role
Xavier Worthys latest outing against the Raiders offered a glimpse of what Kansas City can lean on if it needs more from him. He caught four passes for 70 yards and helped drive the Chiefs victory with a handful of meaningful gains, the kind of production that can change the tone of an offense even in a game where other pass-catchers did more of the volume work.
The larger issue for Kansas City is where the receiver room goes from here, because the Chiefs may still look to add another wideout. Worthy is expected to see a bigger role in the offense moving forward, and the timing matters with the groups depth suddenly a real question, leaving his next step as one of the more important things to watch. [Read more 🡒]