NFL: Five Things To Watch For During Week Three Of The 2025-26 Season

Tomorrow, Week Three of the NFL season kicks off when the Buffalo Bills look to improve to 3-0 on the campaign as they get set for a divisional matchup with the Miami Dolphins. With all 32 teams scheduled to play from Thursday to Monday night, let’s look at the five most interesting things to watch for during Week Three.

5. Can the Chiefs win their first game of the season?

This is very unusual for Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs. Dating back to the Super Bowl, KC lost three consecutive games for the first time since Mahomes became the starting QB. Meanwhile, the Giants’ offense looked the best it has in years despite the loss. Will they be able to use home-field advantage and this newfound passing attack to pull off a shocking win over the defending AFC Champs? Or will Kansas City get back on track and win its first game of the season in primetime?

One matchup to watch: Wide receiver Malik Nabers vs. the Chiefs’ secondary.

Nabers leads the NFL in receiving yards through two weeks. Kansas City is tenth in receiving yards allowed per game. This could determine who ends up winning, especially if Nabers plays like he did in Week Two.

4. Will the Steelers or Patriots move to 2-1?

Both of these teams are 1-1, and this game is bound to have a playoff feel. With the Steelers and Patriots expected to compete for one of the three Wild Card spots in the AFC, this game will go a long way in determining who makes it to the postseason. The Pats are coming off their first 30+ point game in three years and will be looking to take advantage of a Steelers defense that is dealing with a lot of injuries. But Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers will probably play better this week against a Patriots squad that is last in passing yards per game allowed.

One matchup to watch: T.J. Watt vs. Will Campbell.

This will undoubtedly be the hardest test of Will Campbell’s young career after the left tackle was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. If he can hold his own against a Defensive Player of the Year candidate like T.J. Watt, that will make things much easier for the Pats.

3. A potential Super Bowl matchup on Monday Night Football

This game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Detroit Lions feels like the Super Bowl matchup we were robbed of last season. Instead of seeing these two face off in the Big Game, we’ll just have to settle for a Monday night matchup in Baltimore. Both of these squads bounced back after disappointing Week One performances, combining for 93 points last weekend, the most of any two teams in the NFL. Since the game won’t be in a dome, the Lions probably won’t have the same offensive explosion they had last week, but both of these teams should be good for 30+ points apiece. There will be plenty of scoring in this matchup, so – as Terrell Owens once said – “Get your popcorn ready.”

One matchup to watch: Lamar Jackson vs. the Lions’ defense.

Detroit was bounced out of the 2025 NFL Playoffs because it had no answer for a dual-threat quarterback like Jayden Daniels. Now, they’ll have to go against the best dual-threat quarterback of all time in Lamar Jackson. We’ll see if the Lions learned from their postseason debacle on Monday.

2. Can the Broncos overtake the Chargers?

This game will have massive implications for how the AFC West shakes out. If the Chargers win, their control of first place in the division will grow even stronger. However, the Broncos can leapfrog the Bolts and take the top spot in the AFC West with a victory on Sunday. Justin Herbert is playing at an MVP-level, but he will have his hands full going against a team that is currently ninth in passing yards allowed per game. On the other side, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix hopes to keep building on the three-touchdown performance he had in Week Two.

One matchup to watch: Justin Herbert vs. the Broncos’ cornerbacks.

On one hand, you have Justin Herbert, who looks like the favorite to win the MVP award. On the other hand, there’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, who’s playing next to a first-round draft pick in Jahdae Barron. Watching Herbert go head-to-head with these elite defenders will be a fun chess match.

1. Can the Rams get revenge on the Eagles for the 2025 Playoffs?

This will end up being, if not the best, one of the best games this weekend. It’s a rematch from the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, where the Rams played the Eagles better than any team they faced in the postseason. This time around, LA won’t have to deal with snow and other types of inclement weather, which could make this game even closer than the last time these two met in January. With both of these squads leading their respective divisions, somebody is going to fall to 2-1 on the year. On top of that, this contest might determine who gets a better seed when the playoffs roll around. There’s a lot at stake for a Week Three matchup between two squads that aren’t even in the same division.

One matchup to watch: Jalen Hurts vs. the Rams’ linebackers.

When these teams met in the playoffs, the Rams contained Hurts as a passer, but had no answer for him as a runner, which is why he scrambled for 70 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries. This time around, LA’s young linebackers will be better prepared to defend Hurts as both a passer and a runner.