Three weeks have come and gone in the NFL meaning we are about 20% done with the regular season. It is very early and many things can change. Schedules get easier or harder down the stretch depending on the team, competitive teams might make a trade at the trade deadline, injuries can happen, & weather starts to factor in a few weeks from now. But, just because we are 3 weeks in doesn’t mean some teams have made their name for discussion as Super Bowl contenders. In this article, I’m going to list my top 10 Super Bowl contenders going into week 4.

HM (Honorable Mentions)

Seattle Seahawks- Seattle shocked most NFL fans after going 9-8 and clinching a playoff berth before getting stomped on by their division rival, the 49ers. Seattle had a really solid offseason and went into the season looking to make noise but got stung week 1 in an embarrassing loss at home. In the last two weeks, the Hawks look much better averaging 37 points and picking up 2 much needed wins. They definitely look competitive but have some room for improvement before they crack my top 10.

New Orleans Saints- One of the best defenses of the 2022-2023 NFL season got a much needed improvement at quarterback in Derek Carr before the 2023 season and so far the team has played as expected. The defense has looked elite but an AC sprain to Carr definitely puts a stop on their season right now. Head coach Dennis Allen sounded somewhat hopeful saying Carr’s injury will be a week to week injury and with Alvin Kamara coming back after a suspension the team could really make a push once fully healthy.

Los Angeles Rams- Even at 1-2, the Rams have played very well against the 49ers and Bengals who are two of the Super Bowl favorites for this season. With Cooper Kupp looking to return this week he can give their offense a much needed boost to launch them into the top 10 within the next few weeks.

Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals are built really well roster wise and with the health of Joe Burrow getting better the Bengals will continue to get better too. They are a team with plenty of experience in the postseason and would be a team I would hate to face in January with their pass-rush & run game behind Joe Burrow leading the way. 

Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers are just warming up in my opinion. They are just starting the season and could be a team you don’t want to face when it’s cold and games are more physical. Once both units (offense & defense) show some more consistency they will easily be a top 10 team.

Miami Dolphins- The Dolphins just put on the most dominant offensive beat-down of the Super Bowl era, dropping 70 points for the first time since the NFL/AFL merger without their second best offensive weapon in Jaylen Waddle. Miami looks unstoppable right now. They can beat you in different ways; can outscore you, beat you in a shoot-out, & play great defense especially in key situations. If Tua stays healthy they easily have a shot to go all the way. 

San Francisco 49ers- Brock Purdy remains undefeated as a starter in the regular season as he and the 49ers cruised to a 30-12 win against the New York Giants boosted by a 10 point 4th quarter to close out. The 49ers defense is up there for best in the league and have shown that so far this season. If Brock Purdy can keep up his high-level of game management style play alongside his all-pro offensive teammates the 9ers could look to get their first Super Bowl in over 2 decades.

Philadelphia Eagles- The Eagles showed out defensively forcing 2 turnovers and allowing 11 points against the Buccaneers. The Eagles run game has been amazing the last two games and so far Philly has one of the most popular recipes to success in NFL history. Good run game + good defense. Not to mention their receiving threats like AJ Brown or Devonta Smith. They need to keep running the ball if they want to get revenge on the rest of the league, winning their second Super Bowl. 

Kansas City Chiefs- To keep it short and sweet the Chiefs are the Chiefs. The Chiefs defense is the unsung hero so far averaging 13.3 ppg while Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes steal the show on offense and continue to work their way up on the list of greatest QB & head coach duos of all time. The two look to ride their partnership to a third Super Bowl this year.

Dallas Cowboys- Even with a week 3 stumble, Dallas has what looks to be their best defense they have had in years. If their offense can keep up I believe it’s their best chance to get a Super Bowl in the Dak Prescott era. 

Cleveland Browns- If the Browns can start running the ball with Jerome Ford & Kareem Hunt in any sort of similar fashion as they did with Nick Chubb, this team can easily win their division and make some noise in the playoffs. DeShaun Watson definitely looks better than he did last year and their defense is starting to enter the elite tier of NFL defenses. They need to follow the Eagles script if they wanna put themselves up there as Super Bowl contenders.

Bills- The Bills at their best are an elite team that plays high level defense at all levels and can score at will in no time at all. The Bills at their worst though are a sloppy, turnover-prone offensive team with a bad run game and shaky secondary. Their Super Bowl chances really just depend on what team you get on Sunday afternoon. So far the Bills have beaten up on two bad teams and lost to a good defense. They need to beat a playoff team to get higher on the list.

Ravens- The Ravens are doing everything really well so far. Nothing jumps off the page as far as being great, but they are a solid team. Similar to their division rival the Steelers, the Ravens are well-coached, who play physical football week-in and week-out. This is a team I would not want to face once we enter the colder months.

Lions- The Lions have been one of the most competitive teams of the last two seasons even in losses always putting up a fight or taking teams to the 4th quarter even. Detroit finally clicked this year and look to make the postseason for the first time since 2016. With how talented Detroit’s offense is, their season starts and ends with their defense, specifically their secondary. With the amount of elite quarterbacks in the league you need a secondary who can hold their own. Detroit has an elite run defense but you need at least an average secondary to have a real shot at the Super Bowl. 

Packers- With plenty of questions around Jordan Love’s ability to take the starting job, he has taken those questions and thrown them out the window the past 3 weeks. Love has played very well and with Christian Watson and Aaron Jones making their return, Love could easily make another jump early in the season. The defense has remained elite and is one of the best second half defenses only allowing 30 points in 3 second halves.