NFL · 18 minutes ago

Predicting the 8 NFL Division Winners Going Into Week 3

Frank LaBella

Host · Writer

Where Does Your Team Stand?
There’s still plenty of football left for all 32 NFL teams, with 16 weeks to go. The standings will surely shake up throughout the season, and fans of every team should get their money's worth.

Is your team projected to topple their division? If not, what needs to change for it to happen? Do you disagree with any of our selections? Are there any potential division winners we're overlooking? We'd love to hear your take!
Predicting the 8 NFL Division Winners Going Into Week 3
Two weeks into the NFL season, storylines are sparking across the league. Division races are already taking shape, and they may look a bit different than preseason projections.

While it may be early to assume, we have an outlook on the eight teams that will rise to the top of their division by the end of Week 18. Here are our projections of all the division champions heading into Week 3.
AFC East Winner
Buffalo kicks off the season with two compelling victories, immediately appearing as Super Bowl contenders, as they always seem to be.

Buffalo Bills Team Profile
- Head Coach: Joe Brady
- Offensive Coordinator: Pete Carmichael
- Defensive Coordinator: Jim Leonhard
- Stadium: Highmark Stadium
- 2026 Record: 2-o
AFC East Winner: Buffalo Bills

Consistently posting double-digit wins each season, Buffalo never seems out of playoff contention. After some offseason coaching changes, the organization decided to change gears from Sean McDermott, who led the team to playoff appearances in eight of the last nine seasons but never got over the hump into a Super Bowl appearance.

With Josh Allen already looking like an MVP candidate, the Bills look like the league's most explosive offense, and the only question mark might be their defense. Nonetheless, the only real competition in this division is the reigning AFC champions in New England, which so far doesn’t appear as threatening as last season.
AFC North Winner
Another new head coach and a refreshing start for an intimidating Ravens roster.

Baltimore Ravens Team Profile
- Head Coach: Jesse Minter
- Offensive Coordinator: Declan Doyle
- Defensive Coordinator: Anthony Weaver
- Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium
- 2026 Record: 1-1
AFC North Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Something feels different in Baltimore this season, with the Harbaugh name not being stamped on the coaching staff for the first time since 2007. The Lamar Jackson-led offense might have fallen short of winning the division title over the past two seasons, but this team always sneaks into the playoff race.

With Cleveland struggling to find its identity and Pittsburgh holding on for life in what should be the last dance for Aaron Rodgers, the Bengals are the roadblock keeping Baltimore from cleaning up the division. Cincinnati’s defense has struggled substantially in recent years, and it’s hard to believe that the thorn will suddenly be pulled this season. The question is whether the mighty ground game, as mighty as it is, will be enough to lift Baltimore’s offense, with Zay Flowers as the only real threat in the passing game.
AFC South Winner
Injuries aside, the Texans could run the AFC South for the next half-decade.

Houston Texans Team Profile
- Head Coach: DeMeco Ryans
- Offensive Coordinator: Nick Caley
- Defensive Coordinator: Matt Burke
- Stadium: Reliant Stadium
- 2026 Record: 0-2
AFC South Winner: Houston Texans

You might look at the AFC South standings through two weeks and find it to be the most disappointing of the eight divisions, and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. Three starting quarterbacks were #1 or #2 picks in their respective drafts, and one was an MVP candidate through the first half of last year's season. All four teams have a nonzero chance of finishing the season below .500, but they all have promising features.

Houston's 0-2 start isn’t as unencouraging as you might think. Week 1 featured a shootout against Buffalo that ended with a red-zone fumble on a chance to win. Week 2 featured a 350-yard outing from CJ Stroud, despite not having his main target, Nico Collins, to sling it to. Former 49ers Defensive Coordinator Demeco Ryans consistently fields a top-tier defense, and the young quarterback is playing at a high enough level to rally the troops on the other side of the ball.
AFC West Winner
The dynasty may be over, but business is booming in Kansas City again.

Kansas City Chiefs Team Profile
- Head Coach: Andy Reid
- Offensive Coordinator: Brian Daboll
- Defensive Coordinator: Gus Bradley
- Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium
- 2026 Record: 2-o
AFC West Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

Things got ugly last season for the AFC West’s champion of the nine seasons prior. The drop-off from the most feared name on your favorite team’s schedule to a mere six-win squad was a hard pill to swallow, and for any lover of dynasties, a year that could bring a tear to your eye. The tear of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ ACL and MCL in Week 15 certainly didn’t help the cause and was enough to make NFL analysts suspicious about what the Chiefs could bring to the table this season.

As if turning a blind eye to last season, Arrowhead’s heroes have redeemed themselves, striking two victories with 30-point outings in each, including one over the Denver Broncos, the biggest competition in the division in most people’s eyes. For a year in which big changes seemed to be coming, especially with Travis Kelce pondering retirement in the offseason, Kansas City seems to be having fun again, and they’re going to be one of the premier forces to be reckoned with. Currently winless at the bottom of the division, the Los Angeles Chargers are off to a slow start, and the 1-1 Broncos are figuring out how to make Jayden Waddle a top receiver. As for the undefeated Las Vegas Raiders, how much confidence do you have in Kirk Cousins to spark a playoff appearance for a franchise that’s found it only twice in its last 23 seasons?
NFC East Winner
Philadelphia has a chance to run away with the NFC East.

Philadelphia Eagles Team Profile
- Head Coach: Nick Sirianni
- Offensive Coordinator: Sean Mannion
- Defensive Coordinator: Vic Fangio
- Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field
- 2026 Record: 2-o
NFC East Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

The answer might have been different if not for Jaxson Dart's Week 2 injury. If you want to talk about a toss-up of a division, this one’s the most interesting, or at least it has been for the last 25 years or so. Last season was the first time since the 2003 to 2004 seasons that a team in this division won it after doing so the year prior. That team was the Eagles, which took on more notable additions than losses this offseason.

Philadelphia's big offseason hit was A.J. Brown’s departure, which pushed Devonta Smith into the WR1 slot. For anyone who may have doubted that potential, Smith has recorded 13 catches and 170 yards through two weeks, a pretty sizeable stat line. With Dart declared out for the regular season, and Jayden Daniels currently with no definitive timeline for a return, Dak Prescott serves as the last man standing to fend off the Eagles for the lead in the division, other than any miracle backup performances. The Cowboys certainly have the tools to fight for the top spot, but recently, Nick Sirianni has usually found a way to hold things down.
NFC North Winner
Circumstances are encouraging for Detroit to come alive again.

Detroit Lions Team Profile
- Head Coach: Dan Campbell
- Offensive Coordinator: Drew Petzing
- Defensive Coordinator: Kelvin Sheppard
- Stadium: Ford Field
- 2026 Record: 1-1
NFC North Winner: Detroit Lions

Quarterback injuries quickly shook up this division. Kyler Murray's chance to prove himself as a serviceable starting quarterback was quickly hampered by a Week 1 concussion, leaving Carson Wentz on the throne. Murray is the projected starter for Week 3 and is ready to play again, but during his absence, Wentz did the job well enough to get two wins. Truthfully, Justin Jefferson might need to play at his prime-season level for Minnesota to stay competitive, no matter the quarterback situation, as their defense likely won’t hold teams to three points as it did in Week 2.

Caleb Williams is the other notable NFC North quarterback to fall, after a phenomenal start in Week 1. Though his hamstring injury will likely take only a few weeks to recover from, it sets the Bears back enough to lose some confidence in their future, especially one that includes the hardest strength of schedule in the entire league. As for Green Bay, things aren’t quite clicking yet on either side of the ball as much as they should, and they’ll need to show more fear-invoking qualities before they’re ranked higher. Detroit might not be its 15-2 self from two seasons ago, but Dan Campbell’s courageous schemes have all the offensive weapons it needs to succeed, and this team can go toe-to-toe with any NFL offense.
NFC South Winner
New Orleans has its best chance in the last six years to win its division.

New Orleans Saints Team Profile
- Head Coach: Kellen Moore
- Offensive Coordinator: Doug Nussmeier
- Defensive Coordinator: Brandon Staley
- Stadium: Caesars Superdome
- 2026 Record: 1-1
NFC South Winner: New Orleans Saints

Since the Drew Brees era in New Orleans, it’s been a slow ride for Saints fans, and not the good kind. A carousel of quarterbacks led to a second-round draft selection of Tyler Shough, who is now in his first full season after taking the reins for good in Week 9 of last season. There hasn’t been this much excitement around the Saints in a while, with a fourth-quarter comeback in Week 2 and an overtime close loss in Week 1 against the powerful Lions. With the second-easiest strength of schedule in the NFL, the load ahead is light, relatively speaking.

The preseason projections favored Tampa Bay, which hasn’t opened up much in its first season without Mike Evans since 2013. Losing a consistent 1,000-yard receiver leaves a big gap, and the Buccaneers have a lot to address. In Atlanta, the quarterback room has a big question mark, and even with strong offensive threats like Bijan Robinson and Drake London, it doesn’t seem like a favorable path to a playoff spot, not to mention a division snatch. As for the Panthers, who have dropped 71 points in two games, there’s a lot to be excited about with the young offense, but the slight edge goes to New Orleans, with Carolina still a Wild Card possibility.
NFC West Winner
A Rams team with no observable weaknesses is the reasonable favorite for the Lombardi.

Los Angeles Rams Team Profile
- Head Coach: Sean McVay
- Offensive Coordinator: Nate Scheelhaase
- Defensive Coordinator: Chris Shula
- Stadium: SoFi Stadium
- 2026 Record: 1-1
NFC West Winner: Los Angeles Rams

Is it the expected answer? Probably. That’s not to say this isn’t a powerhouse division, with last season’s Super Bowl champions and a 49ers team that beat the Rams to open the NFL season. This division could easily be anyone’s to take, except Arizona, led by Jacoby Brissett.

Last year’s MVP doesn’t look like he’s slowing down at age 38, and he has a quality setup around him once again. It feels like the Rams organization has gone all in every year, which paid off in the 2021 season. With the defense only getting stronger, both physically and metaphorically, with the arrival of Myles Garrett and the return of Aaron Donald, there are no gaps in this roster. LA only fell by four points to Seattle in the NFC Championship Game back in January, and this team looks like it’s only improved, at least on paper.
Where Does Your Team Stand?
There’s still plenty of football left for all 32 NFL teams, with 16 weeks to go. The standings will surely shake up throughout the season, and fans of every team should get their money's worth.

Is your team projected to topple their division? If not, what needs to change for it to happen? Do you disagree with any of our selections? Are there any potential division winners we're overlooking? We'd love to hear your take!
Predicting the 8 NFL Division Winners Going Into Week 3
Two weeks into the NFL season, storylines are sparking across the league. Division races are already taking shape, and they may look a bit different than preseason projections.

While it may be early to assume, we have an outlook on the eight teams that will rise to the top of their division by the end of Week 18. Here are our projections of all the division champions heading into Week 3.

Predicting the 8 NFL Division Winners Going Into Week 3

Buffalo Bills Team Profile

AFC East Winner: Buffalo Bills

Baltimore Ravens Team Profile

AFC North Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Houston Texans Team Profile

AFC South Winner: Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs Team Profile

AFC West Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

Philadelphia Eagles Team Profile

NFC East Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Detroit Lions Team Profile

NFC North Winner: Detroit Lions

New Orleans Saints Team Profile

NFC South Winner: New Orleans Saints

Los Angeles Rams Team Profile

NFC West Winner: Los Angeles Rams

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