Monday Morning NFL Top 10 Rankings: Undefeated Teams Shoot Up The Rankings

There are six undefeated NFL teams. Most of them aren’t major surprises, but no one saw one of them coming. The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles (who play on Monday night against the Bears) and San Francisco 49ers aren’t surprises. The Minnesota Vikings are talented but had some major question marks entering the season. Their 3-0 start is nowhere near as surprising as that of the Las Vegas Raiders. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been impressive through three games, and he powered a win over the Saints on Sunday. Below are my top-10 rankings ahead of Eagles-Bears, which will close Week 3. The Ravens’ improbable international win spotlighted the warts and blemishes on a team with enough talent to make a Super Bowl run. The defense’s inability to deliver in the clutch was overshadowed by QB Lamar Jackson’s late-game heroics, but the unit must close out games in the fourth quarter against elite squads. Although the two-time MVP is built for those moments, the defense should be able to come through in the fourth quarter, with a star-studded unit loaded with playmakers. After rallying back against the New Orleans Saints, the Raiders must be viewed as playoff contenders under Klint Kubiak. The offensive wizard has revived quarterback Kirk Cousins with his magical play calls and schematic sorcery. With tight end Brock Bowers returning to the lineup and giving the Silver and Black an explosive weapon in the passing game, the Raiders have enough firepower to topple the league’s middleweights on the way to a 10-win season that earns them a ticket to the postseason dance. Trevor Lawrence & Co. continue to dazzle in front of the home folks, with a 35-6 drubbing of the Super Bowl runner-up Patriots. The MVP finalist efficiently picked apart New England’s soft coverage, with a series of “dimes” to Parker Washington, Brenton Strange and Jakobi Meyers. The trio’s chemistry and connection with Lawrence is one reason the Jaguars have scored at least 34 points in their past six home games. Bo Nix’s penchant for clutch, fourth-quarter performances gives the Broncos a chance to beat any opponent. The third-year QB’s 11 game-winning drives and nine fourth-quarter comebacks showcase his ability to perform with the game on the line. With the Broncos knocking off the preseason Super Bowl champs in a late-game shootout, the haters and skeptics are forced to give the Broncos’ QB1 his props as a premier closer. After dropping a game to a winless Commanders squad playing a backup quarterback, the Seahawks tumble down the charts after the stinker even after the return of Sam Darnold. The turnovers, mental errors and faulty execution that cost the Seahawks in Week 3 are the only things that could derail their title run. The Eagles have two wins by a margin of just six total points and need to take care of the Bears, who will be without injured QB Caleb Williams on Monday. But with veteran QB Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley leading the way, Philly is a gritty squad that looks well-positioned to make another title run and silence the haters. Brock Purdy is quietly creeping into MVP consideration. His stellar Week 3 performance against the Cardinals — he completed 15 of 27 passes for 297 yards with four scores — pushed his passer rating to a jaw-dropping 125.6, which puts him near the top of the charts. As the fifth-year pro settles into his role as a pass-first point guard for a veteran-laden squad, the 49ers’ offense is becoming a well-oiled machine. San Francisco’s diverse passing game complements a punishing rushing attack, with running back Christian McCaffrey installed as the feature playmaker. The 2026 Vikings are gritty and never pretty, but their unblemished record speaks volumes about their toughness and resilience. Brian Flores’ defense pummels opponents into submission with a barrage of blitzes and simulated pressures that leave quarterbacks dazed and bewildered. Although Kevin O’Connell will need QB Kyler Murray and the offense to help knock off the heavyweights down the road, the Vikings’ suffocating defense can win games without a ton of points on the board. Don’t look now, but Patrick Mahomes & Co. are back in business as title contenders. The three-time Super Bowl MVP continues to carve up opponents with surgical precision despite posting pedestrian numbers as a passer. As Mahomes rounds back into form with a dominant running back by his side in Kenneth Walker III, the Chiefs suddenly look like the formidable squad that the league feared throughout the 2020s. After showing the league that they’re not a one-man show on the way to earning their third win, the Bills deserve the top spot on my list. James Cook flashed “take-over-the-game” skills, rumbling for 154 yards on 24 carries against the Chargers. The Pro Bowler proved to the football world that he can put the offense on his back, even if it was just for one game. With the Bills’ offense featuring a franchise quarterback in Josh Allen and a game-changing back, the rest of the league must prepare for a balanced squad that can win by leaning on its running game or aerial attack.