Week 4 is here, and the first three games of the 2026 NFL season have already produced a few numbers that feel borderline impossible.
Some of the week’s matchups are worth watching on their own. But the numbers sitting underneath them are what really jump out. Three games into the season, and there are already storylines that look more like oddities than trends - except they’re real, and they matter heading into this weekend.
Derrick Henry’s first crack at the Titans comes in Baltimore
Here’s a strange one that somehow took this long to happen: Derrick Henry is finally set to play the Titans for the first time.
He hasn’t suited up for Tennessee since 2023, and this is already his third season with the Baltimore Ravens. Still, after two-plus years in Baltimore, he’s about to face the team that drafted him back in 2016.
That’s the kind of matchup the NFL usually seems to deliver quickly when a star changes teams. This time, though, the calendar never lined up that way. Now it’s happening in Baltimore, on Henry’s new home field.
The Vikings are winning without getting near the red zone
The Minnesota Vikings pulled off something they haven’t done in nearly two decades: win a game without taking a single snap in the red zone.
That goes all the way back to a 2007 win over the Bears.
And it gets even stranger. Since their Week 2 win against Chicago, the Vikings have had just two total snaps in the red zone, and one of those was a field goal attempt. In other words, they have more wins over the last two weeks than red zone snaps on offense.
That’s not a normal profile for a 3-0 team, but here they are. Brian Flores’s defense has clearly helped set the table, including with short fields against the Packers, and Minnesota has still done enough on offense to finish the job from outside the 20.
As they head into Week 4 against the Dolphins, the red zone remains a fascinating place to watch.
Brock Purdy still hasn’t been sacked in 2026
The 49ers have put together the most eye-catching streak of the bunch: Brock Purdy has not been sacked once this season.
That first Week 1 game against the Rams drew plenty of attention for the way San Francisco handled the pass rush, and it makes sense. Even with pressure coming, Purdy got out clean.
Since then, the story hasn’t changed. Through games against the Dolphins and Cardinals, he’s kept the sack column at zero.
His offensive line deserves plenty of credit, but Purdy has also helped himself by moving well and extending plays with his legs. He’s been better in the pocket than he has at any point in his career.
Now comes a Week 4 visit from the Broncos, and that’s a real test. Denver has led the NFL in sacks over the last two seasons and has set franchise records in that area.
If Purdy gets through this one without a sack, it’ll be an achievement worth noticing.
In Other News...
Caleb Williams Injury Against Vikings Was Not What It Seemed
Caleb Williams exit against the Vikings looked ominous in real time, and the reaction made sense. He came off the field in visible pain after suffering a Grade 2 strain in his right hamstring, a jarring moment in a game that already had plenty of attention on every hit and scramble involving the Bears quarterback.
Medical reports later clarified why the injury felt so severe: scar tissue from a previous hamstring issue broke up during the strain, which can create a sharper burst of pain without indicating long-term damage. For Minnesota, it serves as a reminder that not every dramatic injury scene tells the full story, though Williams is still expected to be week-to-week as he works back. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Have A New Broncos-Linked Roster Question To Watch
The quarterback and roster shuffle around the league has already spilled into Minnesota, where the Vikings quietly took a look at former Broncos running back Audric Estime during a tryout. It is the kind of move that rarely grabs headlines on its own, but it does matter in the background as teams keep sorting through depth options and special teams help before the next round of roster decisions.
Denver connections have been popping up elsewhere too, with the Buccaneers bringing in Brett Rypien for a tryout after Baker Mayfield was injured and the Saints working out Delarrin Turner-Yell. For the Vikings, the bigger question is whether Estimes visit was just part of the usual late-week due diligence or the start of a more serious look at another familiar name on a crowded market. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Suddenly Face A Huge 2027 Quarterback Decision
The Vikings have put themselves in an unusual spot at quarterback after trading J.J. McCarthy to the Giants, a move that leaves the roster without a passer under contract beyond the 2026 season. For a team that has spent years trying to stabilize the most important position in sports, it means the front office is already looking well past the next season and into a market that could force a major decision on how this era is supposed to look.
Some of the names that could surface for 2027 are not exactly the kind that settle a fan base on their own, but they underline how wide the search may have to be. Justin Herbert sits at the top of that speculative class, while Mac Jones and Drew Lock are also part of the conversation depending on how contracts and team needs shake out, leaving Minnesota with a long runway and a lot of uncertainty before the real answer arrives. [Read more 🡒]