Three weeks into the 2026 NFL season, the league has already delivered its share of curveballs. Two playoff teams from a year ago are still hunting for their first win, and last week’s bold calls didn’t exactly land cleanly. Tampa Bay lost at home to Minnesota, Baltimore held off Dallas in Rio, and Denver’s offense never really got the run game going in a Sunday night rally over the Rams, finishing with just 78 yards on 25 carries.
So with Week 4 on deck, here are three more swings.
Washington’s defense makes another splash in London
The Commanders and Colts both finally got into the win column last week, and they did it in very different fashion. Indianapolis snapped a nine-game skid from last season with a 19-17 win over Houston, while Washington produced the shock of the season so far by taking down the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, 33-31.
That sets up what looks like a game with points in it, since both teams have had trouble keeping opponents in check. But Washington’s defense may be the deciding factor again. The Commanders are coming off a pick-six last week, and they’ll get another one here, this time against Daniel Jones.
Jets lean on defense for an upset at Soldier Field
The results under Aaron Glenn haven’t been pretty overall. New York is 4-16 dating back to last season, opened 2026 with a win at Tennessee, and then dropped back-to-back games to Green Bay in overtime and Detroit.
Now comes another NFC North test, this time against the Bears, who are coming off a 27-7 Monday night win over Philadelphia. Chicago piled up 375 total yards in that game and didn’t turn it over once, with Case Keenum leading Ben Johnson’s offense.
Still, the Jets’ defense is real. Only Seattle has allowed fewer total yards per game this season, and that gives New York a puncher’s chance. Glenn and Johnson also know each other from their Detroit days, which adds another layer to a matchup that has the feel of a trap game for Chicago with Green Bay looming next.
Falcons keep rolling on the ground against the Saints
Atlanta’s first win of the season arrived in emphatic fashion last Thursday at Lambeau Field. Bijan Robinson ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns, the Falcons piled up 242 rushing yards, and the Packers were stunned 35-14 in prime time.
Now the Falcons head to New Orleans, where the Saints sit at 1-2 and have played every game tight. Kellen Moore’s team has scored 81 points and allowed 83, and all three games have been decided by single digits.
Tyler Shough has looked good in his second season, and Chris Olave is tied for the NFL lead with 27 catches. But Shough has also been responsible for six of New Orleans’ seven turnovers.
That Atlanta run game looks ready to control another Monday night, and it should be enough to tilt this one in the Falcons’ favor.
In Other News...
Commanders Suddenly Have A Bigger QB Question Than They Wanted
Marcus Mariotas relief turn against the Seahawks did more than steady the Commanders for a week. It also put him in the same conversation Jayden Daniels had been owning all season, as Mariota was voted FedEx Air Player of the Week after stepping in for the injured rookie and helping keep Washington on track.
Mariota completed 19 passes for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns with a 110.0 passer rating, and he even added a key rushing first down late in the game. Daniels had already won the same award three times during his rookie season, which is what makes this latest honor feel a little more complicated for Washington as it waits to see how the quarterback picture settles going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Have Found The Protection Answer Jayden Daniels Needed
Against a tough Seattle front, the Commanders offensive line turned in one of its more encouraging outings of the season, keeping Jayden Daniels upright and giving the offense a fighting chance. Washington allowed only two sacks and handled the pass rush well enough that the game never felt like it was slipping away because of protection issues, which has been a real concern at times this year.
The improvement came from a mix of schematic tweaks and cleaner individual work up front, and that combination mattered against a defense built to punish mistakes. For a team trying to maximize Daniels impact, Sunday offered at least a glimpse of a more workable formula, even if the bigger question is whether Washington can make that level of protection hold up once opponents have more film on it. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Injury Outlook Just Became A Real Commanders Concern
Jayden Daniels has been working through another layer of discomfort as Washington prepares for the Colts, practicing with a large brace on his left arm to guard against further elbow dislocations after injuries last year and again earlier this season. The Commanders quarterback has opted to put surgery off until after the season, if he needs it at all, and his availability for Sunday remains part of the weekly uncertainty around a team trying to keep its season on track.
Daniels said the brace does limit his range of motion, but not his throwing motion, which leaves Washington in the familiar spot of balancing caution with urgency. He is taking things day by day, and for a Commanders team already watching closely, his status against Indianapolis now looms as one of the more important storylines of the week. [Read more 🡒]