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There have been 30 games decided by one score (eight points or fewer) in 2024, the most such games through Week 3 in NFL history. Five teams are undefeated, and 29 teams have at least one win this season. Since realignment in 2002, only two prior seasons (2012 and 2022) had more teams register a win in the first three weeks of a season.
There are only two winless teams, Jacksonville and Tennessee, and both reside in the AFC South.
Jacksonville will try to get off the snide and simultaneously snag a divisional win when the Jags visit Houston as a 6.5-point underdog in most sportsbooks. The Texans are a 3.09-point computer pick.
Tennessee will be in Miami on Monday night where the Dolphins have to go with either Tim Boyle or Tyler "Snoop" Huntley at QB after Skylar Thompson injured his ribs in last week's start. Tua Tagovailoa is on the IR after a concussion in week two.
Last night, Dallas improved to 2-2 with a 20-15 win at the NY Giants (1-3) as yet another one-score game kicked off week four. The game saw Dallas' Micah Parsons (ankle) and the Giants' Malik Nabers (concussion) head to the locker room with injuries in back-to-back plays.
It all started with 3:30 to go in the game. First came Parson's injury when he got rolled from behind by the Giant's OG, Greg Van Roten. Parsons had left earlier in the game for concussion concerns but was cleared to return. Next, Nabers was trying to haul in a 4th-down catch on his own sideline when he fell hard. Nabers had a second straight 100-yard, 10-catch night by hauling in 12 for 115. He entered the night with 23 receptions for 271 yards and 3 scores to become the first in the NFL to ever record 20+ catches and 3+ TD receptions in his first three games in the league.
Last night's clash was the 11th time in the past 12 seasons that the Cowboys and Giants met in a primetime game. Dak Prescott became the fourth quarterback to register 13 consecutive wins against one opponent, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Bob Griese (17 straight vs. Bills, 1968-79), Steve Young (13 vs the LA/St. Louis Rams, 1987-98) and Tom Brady (13 vs. Bills, 2003-10).
The remaining five undefeated teams comprise the top five in the NFL Congrove Computer Rankings of all 32 teams. Buffalo sits at No. 1, followed in order by Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Minnesota .
All five hit the road this weekend.
The Vikings can begin 4-0 for the first time since 2016 and the fifth time since 2000. Last week, Minnesota became the third team since 1990 with at least five sacks in each of their first three games, joining the 2001 New Orleans Saints and 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No team in NFL history has five-or-more sacks in each of their first four games of a season. The Vikings lead the NFL with 16 sacks this season and can become the third team since 2000 with at least 20 sacks in their first four games of a season, joining the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers (20 sacks) and 2001 Green Bay Packers (20).
Minnesota running back Aaron Jones spent his first seven NFL seasons (2017-23) with Green Bay and including the postseason, totaled 8,729 scrimmage yards (6,451 rushing, 2,278 receiving) and 71 touchdowns (52 rushing, 19 receiving) in 104 games. With his next receiving touchdown, Jones can become the fourth player since 1990 with at least 45 rushing touchdowns and 20 receiving touchdowns in his first eight seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey.
Entering Week 4, Green Bay leads the NFL with 612 rushing yards (204 per game) and are one of six teams since 1990 (along with the 2024 Baltimore Ravens) to record at least 600 rushing yards in their first three games of a season. Minnesota enters the contest with the top run defense in the NFC, having allowed 71.3 rushing yards per game through the first three weeks.
Two offseason acquisitions – Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and Packers safety Xavier McKinney – have made immediate impacts for their new teams. Van Ginkel can become the first non-rookie since 2019 (Shaquil Barrett and Clay Matthews) to record a sack in each of his first four games with a team. McKinney can become the fourth player since 2000 with an interception in each of his team’s first four games of a season, joining Trevon Diggs (2021 with Dallas), Devin McCourty (2019 with New England) and Brian Russell (2003 with Minnesota).
The Steelers look to win each of their first four games for the second time under head coach Mike Tomlin (2020) and the fifth time in franchise history. Pittsburgh is one of five teams since 2000 to win each of their first three games and allow 10-or-fewer points in each win, joining the 2009 Denver Broncos, 2005 Indianapolis Colts, 2004 Seattle Seahawks and 2001 Green Bay Packers.
Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt, who has 99.5 sacks in 107 games played, can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware (113 games) as the second-fastest player to reach 100 career sacks since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White (96 games) reached the milestone in fewer games.
Watt, who turns 30 years old on Oct. 11, can also become the third player since 1982 with 100 career sacks prior to his 30th birthday, joining White (108) and Jared Allen (105).
The Chiefs can start 4-0 for the first time since 2020 and the sixth time under head coach Andy Reid. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is slated to make his 100th-career regular-season start in Week 4, and already holds the NFL records for most wins (77), passing yards (29,083), passing touchdowns (224) and completions (2,450) by a quarterback in his first 100 career regular-season starts in NFL history.
The Bills can start their season with four consecutive wins for the third time since 1993 (2008 and 2020). Both first round selections in the 2018 NFL Draft, Buffalo’s Josh Allen (No. 7 overall) and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (No. 32) have proven to be two of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history in terms of finding success with both their arms and their legs. Allen ranks second in NFL history among quarterback with 55 rushing touchdowns, trailing only Cam Newton (75). Allen has 229 combined passing and rushing touchdowns (174 passing, 55 rushing), the second-most by a quarterback in his first seven seasons in NFL history, trailing only Patrick Mahomes (231).
Jackson ranks third in NFL history among quarterbacks with 5,512 rushing yards, trailing only Michael Vick (6,109) and Cam Newton (5,628), and holds the NFL records among quarterbacks for the most games with 50 rushing yards (56), 75 rushing yards (31) and 100 rushing yards (14). Jackson has 11 career games with a passer rating of 135-or-higher (minimum 15 attempts per game), the most by a player in his first seven seasons in NFL history.
Baltimore running back Derrick Henry totaled 174 scrimmage yards (151 rushing, 23 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns in the Ravens’ Week 3 win. Henry has 12 career games with at least 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (12 games) for the second-most such games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (13 games) has more.
Henry (281 rushing yards) and Jackson (254) are the first pair of teammates each with at least 250 rushing yards in their team’s first three games of a season since 1976 [The Los Angeles Rams’ John Cappelletti (315 rushing yards) and Lawrence McCutcheon (298)]. The last pair of teammates each with 300 rushing yards in their team’s first four games of a season were Warrick Dunn (365 rushing yards) and Michael Vick (333) with the 2006 Atlanta Falcons.
The Seahawks can begin 4-0 for the third time in franchise history (2013 and 2020) as head coach Mike Macdonald can become the second head coach (Josh McDaniels, with Denver in 2009) under the age of 40 to win each of his first four games since 1933.
Seattle and Detroit are set to meet for the fourth-consecutive season. The teams have combined for at least 60 points in each of the three previous meetings for a total of 241 points. The most recent occurrences of two teams combining for 60-or-more points in four consecutive games were New Orleans and Washington from 2009-18 (five straight games), and Indianapolis and New England from 2012-18 (four).
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith and Lions quarterback Jared Goff have each passed for at least 300 yards in the previous two meetings. Smith and Goff can become the third pair of opposing quarterbacks to each pass for at least 300 yards in three consecutive meetings in NFL history, joining Tom Brady and Ryan Fitzpatrick (2011-12), and Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers (2011-14).
Joseph Santoliquito can be followed on twitter @JSantoliquito.
The Maxwell Football Club has honored excellence at all levels of football since 1935 and the Club's outreach programs provide educational opportunities for student-athletes and coaches. With members in over 40 states the Maxwell Football Club is one of the largest football organizations in America. Become a member by visiting maxwellfootballclub.org.
CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is member of the Maxwell Football Club.