Week 3 of the 2026 season: What Sunday’s games showed

Week 3 of the 2026 season was marked by several notable results: the Buffalo Bills beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16, the Cleveland Browns beat the Carolina Panthers 21-18, the Detroit Lions downed the New York Jets 31-24, the Indianapolis Colts beat the Houston Texans 19-17, the Jacksonville Jaguars triumphed 35-6 over the New England Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 24-10, the New York Giants beat the Tennessee Titans 12-7, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27 and the Washington Commanders beat the Seattle Seahawks 33-31.

As the NFL reports, the Lions–Jets game was decided by a dominant performance from Jahmyr Gibbs; he scored three touchdowns in the second half and finished with 99 rushing yards and seven receptions for 65 yards, adding the decisive TD. Detroit continued to show a strong offense, scoring 30-plus points for the third time in the first three weeks, while Geno Smith went 31-of-37 for 321 yards and three touchdowns for the Jets. On defense, a Detroit blitz brought down Smith and forced the fumble at the decisive moment, while the Jets showed they can be competitive despite the loss.

Jacksonville shone in the 35-6 win over New England, with Trevor Lawrence reaching 105 career touchdown passes, passing Blake Bortles for second place in club history. For the Patriots, Drake Maye endured a difficult day with two interceptions and a fumble, and the coach decided to replace him late in the game. Defensive back Travis Hunter recorded his first career interception, while the Jags controlled the game and closed it out early.

Kansas City beat Miami 24-10, with Patrick Mahomes finishing 20-of-24 for 246 yards and two touchdowns. Kenneth Walker III powered the Chiefs’ offense, scoring the team’s first two touchdowns. Miami fought despite absences and injuries, won time of possession and put together several long drives, but could not turn them into a win.

According to the NFL, Week 3 highlighted the strength of several big offenses and the persistent weaknesses of some defenses, leaving clear markers for the teams expected to fight for the hot spots during the regular season.