Three weeks of the NFL season might not sound like a massive sample size of games, but 18 percent of teams' games are now complete. Sure, there's still plenty of time for teams to prove themselves, but three games is far from a microscopic sample size.
It's a large enough sample size for us to declare teams who might've seemed a tad fluky even last week, as legit. At some point, we just have to admit defeat and give these surprising NFL contenders their flowers. With that in mind, here are three teams exceeding everyone's expectations and establishing themselves as clubs we must take seriously.
3. Los Angeles Chargers
At first glance, the Los Angeles Chargers being on this list might be a tad strange. I expected them to be a good team and even make the playoffs. I've always taken the Chargers seriously when discussing the playoff race, but this team is starting to look like one that can win a Super Bowl.
Justin Herbert has been unleashed this season and leads the NFL in passing yards thus far. He's throwing for nearly 300 yards per game after coming up shy of the 230 yards per game mark in 2024. Jim Harbaugh is letting his uber-talented quarterback throw at will, and it's working.
The running game hadn't played much of a role in the first two weeks of the season but after Omarion Hampton rushed for 70 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown, we're starting to see that facet of the game factor in. Hampton still wasn't quite as efficient as Chargers fans would like, but the rookie had by far his best game at the NFL level. With Harbaugh and Greg Roman running the show on offense, the running game figures to only improve.
The offense, with Justin Herbert off to an MVP-caliber start and the running game picking things up, is quite good, and the same can be said about the defense. Los Angeles' defense helped carry them to the postseason in 2024, and it's picked up where it left off, holding the opposition to just 16.7 points per game through the first three weeks, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
The Chargers play in a division many felt was the toughest in the AFC to begin the year, and they have defeated each of their division rivals to kick off the NFL season. It felt like a given that the Kansas City Chiefs would run away with yet another division title, but the Chargers' play suggests otherwise. We still have to see Herbert prove it in January, but this Chargers team looks every bit like a Super Bowl contender right now.
2. San Francisco 49ers
It hasn't always been easy. Sunday's 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals certainly was far from pretty. With that being said, the San Francisco 49ers are 3-0, and sit in sole possession of first place in the NFC West.
Sure, some of this has to do with who they've played - the Seahawks, Saints and Cardinals are far from juggernauts. Still, you can only beat who you play, and the Niners have held these teams to just 16.3 points per game, the third-fewest in the NFL thus far.
The defense looks very good. The offense has gotten off to a slow-ish start, but how many teams would thrive without its starting quarterback? Brock Purdy has missed each of the last two games, and the Niners have found ways to win each game. That's what good teams do.
Ricky Pearsall is starting to show why he was a first-round pick, and while Christian McCaffrey hasn't quite gotten things going on the ground yet, he's healthy and has been a force in the passing game. When Purdy and the rest of the team gets healthier, why shouldn't the Niners look even better than they do now?
And sure, I get that it's hard to put too much stock into three weeks, especially when the schedule has been light, but the Niners entered the year with the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL and still have several matchups against bottom feeders on the docket. They might not be a playoff team on paper, but with the success they've had thus far in spite of the injuries and with the easy schedule they continue to have, we might have to expect this team to get to the postseason after all.
1. Indianapolis Colts
You knew they'd be here. I thought the Indianapolis Colts would be in contention for the No. 1 overall pick. Well, with three wins in the first three weeks, I couldn't have been more wrong. What's been most impressive is that the Colts have done this on the back of what's been a dominant offense. Indianapolis has averaged an absurd 34.3 points per game thus far.
Daniel Jones deserves all of the credit in the world for silencing his doubters. Through three games, he's completed 71.6 percent of his throws for 816 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception. He leads the NFL with 9.3 yards per attempt and has also only taken two sacks. I don't know how real this breakout is, but clearly, Shane Steichen has figured things out with Jones, and it's getting to the point where we have to believe he's somewhat competent.
Jones' play might fall off slightly, but the same cannot be said about Jonathan Taylor, the NFL's leading rusher. Taylor is off to the most efficient start of his career, averaging a career-high 5.6 yards per carry on a league-leading 60 attempts. As long as he's healthy, Indianapolis has a superstar in its offense. That goes a long way toward ensuring that the offense will remain in the upper echelon of the league.
Indianapolis' offense has taken the league by storm, but the Colts' defense has also played well, holding the opposition to 18.7 points per game. Some of this has to do with the quality of competition they've played (or lack thereof), but they have five takeaways in three games. Doing that while not committing a single takeaway yourself will go a long way toward winning.
The AFC South is an easy division to win, and the Colts look like the best team in the division. It might be premature to declare them the winners of the division, but it certainly isn't premature to say this team will absolutely be in the thick of the playoff race in December and might find its way into the dance.