NEW YORK — September 16, 2025 — Entering Week 3, close, high-scoring games have been the norm around the NFL, and the dynamic kickoff is living up to its name.
Seventeen games have been decided by a touchdown (six points) or less, the most at this point in 12 years, and second-most all-time (20, 2013). Last week, teams combined to score 797 points, the highest scoring week in the NFL since Week 18, 2021 (817 points).
As for the dynamic kickoff, the kickoff return rate of 76.9 percent (256 of 333) is the highest through the first two weeks of a season in 16 years (77.7 percent in 2009, 241 of 310) and the average of 201.4 kick return yards per game is the most through Week 2 since 1970.
For Week 3 capsules, click here.
Here’s a look at a few interesting storylines entering Week 3:
- 2-0 teams: 10 teams have begun the season 2-0 (with at least one undefeated team in each division for the third time since 2002), including four teams – Arizona, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and San Francisco – that missed the postseason in 2024. For the second consecutive season, at least four teams started 2-0 the season after missing the playoffs.
- L.A. Rams (2-0) at Philadelphia (2-0) (1 p.m. ET, FOX): In last season’s NFC Divisional playoffs, the Eagles defeated the Rams, 28-22, as running back Saquon Barkley became the sixth player ever with at least 200 rushing yards (205) and two rushing touchdowns in a postseason game. The teams also met in Los Angeles in Week 12 last season, a 37-20 Philadelphia victory in which Barkley became the fourth running back in the Super Bowl era with at least 300 scrimmage yards in a regular-season game [302 scrimmage yards – 255 rushing (ninth-most in a game in NFL history), 47 receiving].
- Los Angeles can begin 3-0 for the fourth time since head coach Sean McVay was hired in 2017 (2018-19, 2021) while Philadelphia can begin the season with three consecutive victories for the third time in five seasons under head coach Nick Sirianni (2022-23).
- In five of the past 10 seasons (2015-24), the reigning Super Bowl champion has begun 3-0 (2024 and 2020 Kansas City Chiefs, 2019 and 2015 New England Patriots, and 2016 Denver Broncos).
- Last week, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts recorded his 45th career game with a rushing touchdown (including the playoffs), surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (44 games) for the third-most such games by a quarterback in NFL history, including the postseason. Only Cam Newton (65 games) and Josh Allen (58) have more.
- Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams recorded his 33rd career game with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception last week, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (33 games) and Reggie Wayne (33) for the fifth-most such games since 1970.
- Arizona (2-0) at San Francisco (2-0) (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX): Since 1970, the Cardinals have begun 3-0 on five previous occasions (1974, 2012, 2014-15 and 2021). San Francisco has begun a season with three straight wins five times since 1990 (1990, 1995, 1998, 2019 and 2023).
- Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell, appearing for Arizona for the first time since 2016, had two sacks in the team’s Week 2 win and became the fourth player age 39-or-older since 1982 to record multiple sacks in a game, joining James Harrison, Clay Matthews and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith (three times).
- San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey, with a touchdown reception in Week 2, became the third player in NFL history with at least 50 rushing touchdowns and 30 touchdown receptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore. McCaffrey is one of three running backs (James Cook and Bijan Robinson) with at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of the first two weeks of the season.
- Miami (0-2) at Buffalo (2-0) (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video): Buffalo can win their first three games for the second-consecutive season and for the fourth time since 2017, when head coach Sean McDermott was hired. The Bills have won 12 consecutive regular-season home games, the longest active home winning streak in the NFL.
- Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is 7-0 as a starting quarterback in Thursday games and can join Tom Brady (nine consecutive Thursday wins from 2002-15), Russell Wilson (nine from 2013-20) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (eight from 2004-13) as the only quarterbacks ever to win eight consecutive Thursday starts.
- Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is 7-0 as a starting quarterback in Thursday games and can join Tom Brady (nine consecutive Thursday wins from 2002-15), Russell Wilson (nine from 2013-20) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (eight from 2004-13) as the only quarterbacks ever to win eight consecutive Thursday starts.
- Green Bay (2-0) at Cleveland (0-2) (1 p.m. ET, FOX): Green Bay can begin 3-0 for the third time (2019-20) since head coach Matt LaFleur was hired in 2019.
- Packers running back Josh Jacobs has a rushing touchdown in 11 consecutive games (including the playoffs) since Week 11 of the 2024 season. On Sunday, he can become the fifth player all-time with a rushing touchdown in 12 straight games, including the postseason, and the first since Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (12 consecutive games in 2004).
- Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is one of two players (Carl Granderson) with at least 1.5 sacks in each of the first two weeks. Since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, only four players have recorded 1.5-or-more sacks in each of their team’s first three games of a season: Mark Gastineau (1984 with the N.Y. Jets), Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene (1998 with Carolina), DeMarcus Lawrence (2017 with Dallas) and Haason Reddick (2021 with Carolina).
- Cincinnati (2-0) at Minnesota (1-1) (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Cincinnati can begin a season with three consecutive wins for the first time since 2015. Among players with at least 50 career games played, Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson (95.7 receiving yards per game).
and Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (87.8 receiving yards per game) have the two highest receiving yards per game averages in NFL history.- Jefferson recorded his 500th career reception last week and tied Larry Fitzgerald (26 years and 90 days old) as the youngest player in NFL history to reach 500 career receptions.
- Chase had 14 receptions for 165 yards and one touchdown in the Bengals’ Week 2 win and became the fourth player in NFL history with at least 14 receptions in three career games, joining Keenan Allen (six games), Antonio Brown (four) and Jason Witten (three).
- N.Y. Jets (0-2) at Tampa Bay (2-0) (1 p.m. ET, FOX): Tampa Bay, who began 2-0 for the fifth consecutive season, look to win their first three games of a season for the first time since 2005. The Buccaneers are the first team since the 1970 merger to score a game-winning touchdown in the final minute of each of their first two games of a season.
- Indianapolis (2-0) at Tennessee (0-2) (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Indianapolis looks to start 3-0 for the first time since 2009. In the first two weeks, the Colts became the first team in NFL history to score on each of their first 10 offensive possessions of a season and the first team in the Super Bowl era to not punt in either of their first two games in a season.
- Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones is one of four players in NFL history with at least 270 passing yards, a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown in each of his team’s first two games of a season, joining Jack Kemp (1965 with Buffalo), Kyler Murray (2021 with Arizona) and Cam Newton (2011 with Carolina).
- Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones is one of four players in NFL history with at least 270 passing yards, a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown in each of his team’s first two games of a season, joining Jack Kemp (1965 with Buffalo), Kyler Murray (2021 with Arizona) and Cam Newton (2011 with Carolina).
- Denver (1-1) at the Los Angeles Chargers (2-0) (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): The Los Angeles Chargers can begin the season with three straight wins for the first time since 2002. With divisional wins over Kansas City and Las Vegas in the first two weeks, the Chargers can become the third team since realignment in 2002 to defeat division opponents in each of their first three games of a season, joining the 2006 Chicago Bears and 2003 Minnesota Vikings.
- L.A. Rams (2-0) at Philadelphia (2-0) (1 p.m. ET, FOX): In last season’s NFC Divisional playoffs, the Eagles defeated the Rams, 28-22, as running back Saquon Barkley became the sixth player ever with at least 200 rushing yards (205) and two rushing touchdowns in a postseason game. The teams also met in Los Angeles in Week 12 last season, a 37-20 Philadelphia victory in which Barkley became the fourth running back in the Super Bowl era with at least 300 scrimmage yards in a regular-season game [302 scrimmage yards – 255 rushing (ninth-most in a game in NFL history), 47 receiving].
- High powered offenses meet on Monday night: When the Detroit Lions visit the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), the two highest scoring teams from Week 2 and two of the most consistently prolific offenses will take the field. Last season, Detroit (409.5 yards per game) and Baltimore (424.9) had the top-two offenses in yards per game while the Lions ranked first (33.2 points per game) and the Ravens ranked third (30.5) in scoring average.
- Since 2021, when the Lions acquired quarterback Jared Goff, Detroit ranks third in points per game (26.7) and fourth in yards per game (376.8).
- With the Lions scoring an NFL-high 52 points in Week 2, Goff now has five career starts in which his team scored at least 50 points, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (five) for the fourth-most such starts by a quarterback since 1950, trailing only Tom Brady (eight starts), Drew Brees (six) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Len Dawson (six).
- Since 2018, when the Ravens selected quarterback Lamar Jackson in the NFL Draft, Baltimore ranks second in the NFL in both points per game (27.2) and yards per game (379.0).
- Since Week 12 of the 2024 season and including the playoffs, Jackson has 10 consecutive games with at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 90-or-higher. In NFL history, only five quarterbacks have recorded longer such streaks, including the postseason: Aaron Rodgers (14 consecutive games from 2010-11), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (13 in 2004), Philip Rivers (13 from 2017-18), Tom Brady (12 from 2014-15) and Patrick Mahomes (11 in 2018).
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