Comebacks, buzzer-beaters and a definitive No. 1. But before we celebrate too early, let’s see how things are shaking down after the NFL’s third edition.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
Last week: 1
Patrick Mahomes is an artist. The way he moves around, evading pressure and throwing darts is actually quite mesmerising. I know without crowds the visit to Baltimore became a bit easier, but still, going in and throwing four touchdowns plus rushing for one on their defence in their house is straight up disrespectful. Chris Jones led the Chiefs defence well too, not allowing Lamar Jackson much scope at all. Despite third quarter wobbles, this one was over by halftime.

2. Green Bay Packers (3-0)
Last week: 3
Bit of a letdown for the Pack this week. Following consecutive weeks of 40-plus points they managed to pile up a mere 37 against the Saints. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m being sarcastic. Things are looking peachy in Wisconsin right now. Missing top wide receiver Davante Adams may prove to be a blessing for this side, as Allen Lazard exploded for 146 yards and a touchdown, including some key catches. As for the man throwing passes to him, well, he looks like he’s just out having some fun. #funtimes

3. Tennessee Titans (3-0)
Last week: 4
The Tight-wins get another one, this time against the desperate Vikings. They let in a stack of offence and some big plays, but Ryan Tannehill’s gang don’t seem to mind trailing big in the third quarter. And when you’ve got Clutchy McClutchface (Stephen Gostkowski) as your kicker, then, heck, just get it close enough and let him win it. Which is just what happened. Again.

4. Seattle Seahawks (3-0)
Last week: 5
Never celebrate before you’ve scored. Hawks wideout DK Metcalf became the latest meme, having beaten Trevon Diggs, caught a perfect pass from Russell Wilson and was cantering towards a touchdown, when – oh no – cornerback Diggs knocked the ball loose and out of the end zone for a touchback. Good thing Russ is his quarterback, cos he still got plenty more opportunities. Speaking of Russ, last week he was cooking with gas; this week he set the whole kitchen alight, setting an NFL record for the most touchdown passes in the first three games of the season with 14.

5. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Last week: 2
Well, I guess that settles that debate for now. Having looked the goods in Weeks 1 and 2, the Ravens came out and lay a stinker at home. There’s obviously no shame in losing to Kansas, but it’s probably more the manner in which they didn’t offer much on either side of the ball, though special teams was one bright spot. However, this team is made of stern stuff and John Harbaugh will have Lamar and co back up for a rebound against Washington next week.

6. Buffalo Bills (3-0)
Last week: 8
Cracking game, this one, as the unbeaten Bills hosted the unbeaten Rams. But in the end one of them had to leave beaten. Josh Allen accounted for another five touchdowns but also led a sizeable meltdown in the second half to surrender a 28-3 lead. Maybe he’d been watching too many Falcons games. However, he did come up clutch with a beautiful floating touchdown reception to Dawson Knox stealing the game back. The unbeaten Bills head off to Vegas next week.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0)
Last week: 10
“Wwwatt!” The Steelers-Texans match saw all three Watt brothers – football’s equivalent of the Hemsworths – take the field. That’s JJ, TJ and… the other one (see, just like the Hemsworths!). And for the first half it was JJ’s team having the fun, until the Steelers defence eventually blanked them, finishing stronger and ultimately getting the chocolates. “Ohhh-kayyyy!”

8. New England Patriots (2-1)
Last week: 7
Following a tough loss last week, the Patty cakes got the ground game going against the visiting Raiders. The defence came up big, causing all sorts of problems for Austin Carr and friends, including a fumble recovery for a touchdown. On the other side of the ball it was over to Rex Burkhead to go ‘berzerk-head’ with three touchdowns. Though, to be fair, a lot of the heavy lifting was done by Sony Michel carving the Raiders defence like a Christmas ham. Get this, though: next week at Kansas City. Get excited.

9. San Francisco (2-1)
Last week: 6
Coaching is a tough gig already, but Kyle Shanahan is really earning his money right now. Sure, they were only playing the Giants, but given a ridiculous injury toll, the 49ers came out and destroyed any hope of an upset. Quarterback Nick Mullens was back and looked solid in throwing for 343 yards and a touchdown. Rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk put up 101 yards of total offence, with a touchdown and the depleted defence still strangled the Giants to death. Next comes an intriguing game against the winless Eagles.

10. Los Angeles Rams (2-1)
Last week: 9
You live by the sword and die by the sword I guess. In Game 1 the Rams had a tight pass interference call go in their favour to finish a hard-fought win. Against the Bills the call went the other way and the Buffalos snuck a three-point victory. LA won’t be keen to spot too many 25-point leads going forward, but Aaron Donald showed that this unit won’t go quietly into the night. Plus they get a nice, cushy get-right next week against the Giants.

11. Chicago Bears (3-0)
Last week: 12
It takes a lot of courage for anyone to admit they’ve got things wrong, especially a professional football franchise, when they’ve got things spectacularly wrong. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky has officially been benched for now and the foreseeable future. Falling into a 16-point hole against the Falcons, Chicago turned to ‘football’s lifejacket’, Nick Foles. All he did was throw three touchdowns, lead them to victory and remain perfect on the season. It may be time to put a line through that 2017 draft, Bears fans.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
Last week: 16
“Your precious armoury, gratefully accepted.” That was Tom Brady waltzing into Tampa Bay this off-season. And he’s starting to look eerily comfortable with his new toys, hitting Mike Evans for a pair of touchdowns (two receptions for two yards) and Chris Godwin for another. Meanwhile, the Bucs defence is full of people with bad intentions, led by Shaq Barrett’s two sacks and a Mike Edwards pick. Belichick two, Brady two.

13. Las Vegas Raiders (2-1)
Last week: 14
Back to earth with a sudden thump, as the Patriots tend to do to teams. Injuries didn’t help, with speedy receiver Henry Ruggs III missing the game along with tackle Trent Brown, linebacker Nick Kwiatkowski and guard Richie Incognito. Add in three key fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown and a missed field goal, and you can see why they didn’t come away victorious. They’ve got a cracking game coming up though, hosting the Bills back at the Star next week.

14. New Orleans Saints (1-2)
Last week: 11
Sure, a home loss dropping the team below 500 isn’t positive, but there are a few that can be taken from defeat to the Packers. First of all, this is a very good Packers team. Second, they were still missing Michael Thomas, which is a huge chunk of their offence. Third, Alvin Kamara is on another level right now – check out his brilliant touchdown that tied the game at 27. Drew Brees also had a bit more pep in his step. Barring a couple of mistakes here and there, they’ll still be in the mix.

15. Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
Last week: 13
The Cowboys and Seahawks are two of the funnest teams to watch – and, yes, you’re probably right that ‘funnest’ isn’t a word, but you know what I mean. This turned out to be a monster game for Wilson too. Not just Russell, but Cowboys wide receiver Cedric Wilson hauled in five receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Considering he’d had only five catches in his entire career to that point, then yes, I think that would qualify for a couple of post-match lemonades. There was a comeback but, alas, no win this week.

16. Arizona Cardinals (2-1)
Last week: 15
Yet another belter of a game this week as the Cards hosted the Lions. In a receiving corps featuring DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, it was actually Andy Isabella who snared the two scoring catches on the day. There’s some really nice flow to the Arizona offence, and when it clicks it’s just really smooth to watch. Kyler Murray’s rushing touchdown looked like he was giving rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah a salsa lesson before Okudah got one back with a pick later in the game. That was one of three interceptions thrown by Murray, which will be a work-on.

17. Indianapolis Colts (2-1)
Last week: 23
Indy came into the week with the league’s leading defensive unit and played every bit like it. I know, it was against the Jets, but you’ve got to go out and earn a win against any team in this league – or something like that. Three interceptions, including a pair to cornerback Xavier Rhodes and a pick-six meant a cruisy sort of day for Philip Rivers and the offence. The Colts have not won in Chicago since 2004 and so have the chance to break that streak next week against the Bears.

18. Cleveland Browns (2-1)
Last week: 26
Runnin’, runnin’ and runnin’, runnin’. Stick to the blueprint and you’ll have success. When the going got tough against the team, the Browns ground ‘em down with a healthy dose of Nick Chubb, who gained 108 yards and two scores. They gave as good as they got on defence too, forcing five turnovers, with Myles Garrett making the bottom of Dwayne Haskins jersey look more like a wedding train as he eventually dragged him down for a sack.

19. Philadelphia Eagles (0-2-1)
Last week: 19
I tuned into this game during overtime, as the Eagles defence had backed Cincy up deep in their own half for a punt. From there on it was as if the table had been nicely set, but all the Eagles did was play around with a few peas on their plate as time expired. Still no wins for the year, and whats up with Carson Wentz? It was only a late rally that saved him from earlier blushes. Next week they visit San Fran.

20. Houston Texans (0-3)
Last week: 17
I’ve got to say there are a few handy 0-3 teams this season. Houston is one of them, helped by their draw from hell. Plus next week they get to go head to head with another winless outfit, the Minnesota Vikings. There’s a lot of promise in this squad but also a number of work-ons. The defensive front needs to get more pressure, as shown by Juju Smith-Schuster’s touchdown where even DK Metcalf could’ve walked that in for a touchdown (ouch). They also need to start getting David Johnson cranking too, as 1.8 yards a carry isn’t going to cut it.

21. Minnesota Vikings (0-3)
Last week: 18
Okay, so let’s get this straight. Cousins throws for three touchdowns, Cook runs for 181 yards with a touchdown, rookie wideout Justin Jefferson gains 175 yards with a score and Kyle Rudolph pulls off a ridiculous highlight-reel touchdown catch – and you lose? Well, I don’t really know what to say. If Mike Zimmer can get his defence looking more like a ‘Mike Zimmer defence’, that would certainly help.

22. Atlanta Falcons (0-3)
Last week: 20
Singer Max Merritt passed away last week. If you’re like me and were unfamiliar with the name, you may know the hit song he had with the Meteors called Slipping Away, which is about the perfect soundtrack for the Falcons 2020 hopes and head coach Dan Quinn’s employment. Another blown double-digit lead in successive weeks has Quinn sitting on a Weber Q right and it’s really cranking up. Sing along Falcons fans: “Ohhhhhh, slippin’ away from me…”.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
Last week: 22
And we’re back. Just as everyone was getting a little optimistic about these Jaggies they turned up for Thursday night football wearing all-aqua or teal. What even is that colour? Regardless, they looked bad and stank it up at home. Gardner Minshew got swallowed up by the Miami defence while their own defence let Ryan Fitzpatrick pile up a 90 per cent completion rate. Yes, 90 per cent. But nothing you could say could tear me away from my guy: rookie running back James Robinson looks like a decent find.

24. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
Last week: 28
Coach Matt Rhule gets off the duck, recording his first NFL win. A pretty decent effort with CMC Music Factory (Christian McCaffrey) out injured. It also broke a ten-game losing streak for the Panthers, so that’s another significant monkey off their collective shoulder. This game was a defensive slugfest, along with steady play at quarterback by Teddy Bridgewater with a 22-28, 235-yard, one-touchdown stat line.

25. Washington Football Team (1-2)
Last week: 25
Another week, another decent scrap from this gritty side. However, what you cannot do when you’re a team like this is allow too many rushing yards, and you absolutely cannot commit five turnovers. Dwayne Haskins needs to protect the ball better in order for these guys to compete. Next up they get to host a Baltimore side who will be fairly disgruntled after Monday night football.

26. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2)
Last week: 24
There were no easy yards against the Panthers this week. In fact no easy yards either way, with both teams bashing each other with a real edge. After falling into an 18-7 pit, Justin Herbert showed good poise and his touchdown throw to Keenan Allen was an absolute bullet, so there’s a tonne of promise there. He can go get some pointers from Uncle Tom Brady in Tampa next week.

27. Miami Dolphins (1-2)
Last week: 29
Fitzmagic! Not Tua Time just yet, friends. Throwing two touchdowns on an amazing 90 per cent completion rate and running one to the house as well, Ryan Fitzpatrick, the NFL’s ultimate journeyman, had himself a time. Aided and abetted by a defence that was strangling the life out of its opposition and general interest in the game itself. Suspect the going won’t be as easy against Russell and the Seahawks next week.

28. Detroit Lions (1-2)
Last week: 31
The blue cats came up big in the moments that mattered this week. Matt Stafford sure appreciated having Kenny Golladay back and Matt Prater kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired. Gutsy call in the first half too on fourth and one from the Cards six-yard line. Instead of settling for a field goal, Stafford decided that, if they were going to lose, they were going to go down in flames, throwing a touchdown to Jesse James.

29. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2-1)
Last week: 32
I’m trying to hold off any ‘Eye of the Tiger’ references, but the way these Bengals keep scrapping away for every inch will likely see something by season’s end. These guys fight. And, frankly, if they had an offensive line that didn’t give up eight sacks in a game, they would be fighting and getting wins too. Next week they host the Jaguars, so if they dial in, they could be looking at one.

30. Denver Broncos (0-3)
Last week: 21
The Denver giddy-ups hoped that by adding cardboard cutouts of South Park characters to their home ground would help them in having themselves a time. However, it was not to be. Still missing Courtland Sutton, Philip Lindsay and now quarterback Drew Lock, this ended up being a long day at the office. Replacement quarterback Jeff Driskel struggled mightily against an intimidating Buccaneers defence before being benched for the previously undrafted Brett Rypien, who will now start on Thursday night football against the Jets. That’s some ‘must-see TV’ right there.

31. New York Jets (0-3)
Last week: 27
I saw an ESPN trailer for the ‘up-and-coming Jets’ game against the Broncos on Thursday night football. Up and coming? What game are they watching? I like to think of myself as a glass-half-full sort of fella, but come on. They started their game against the Colts by conceding a pick-six and really things didn’t get a heck of a lot better. The defence recorded zero sacks and zero tackles for loss, while their leading receiver was a guy called Braxton Berrios. I think we have a problem.

32. New York Giants (0-3)
Last week: 30
Tanking for Trevor? Not if they’ve got ‘their guy’ in Daniel Jones. So, unless the G-Men go all ‘Arizona’ with next year’s draft, they will look to build elsewhere. I’m sorry, I need to stop talking about the draft in Week 3, but these are very dark times in Winterfell.