The NFL season is officially three weeks old, so it’s time to start panicking.
Sure, we were told not to overreact after Week 1. Then we were told the same thing after Week 2.
But three games?
Now we have a little more information.
Three weeks is still a small sample size, but trends are starting to become much harder to ignore. Whether it is an offense that cannot get anything going, a defense that has taken a massive step backward, a quarterback injury, or a team that simply looks completely lost, there are plenty of reasons for fans to start worrying.
With that in mind, it is time to break out the NFL Panic Meter.
5/5 — Sound the alarms.
4/5 — Serious concerns.
3/5 — Keep an eye on it.
2/5 — Not great, but relax.
1/5 — Probably nothing to worry about.
Here are the teams I am most concerned about following Week 3.
NFL Panic Meter – Week 3
Los Angeles Chargers – Panic Meter: 5/5
At some point, we have to stop calling it a slow start.
The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-3, and the offense that was supposed to become one of the league’s most exciting units has looked anything but.
Los Angeles entered the season with Justin Herbert, Mike McDaniel, and plenty of offensive talent.
Instead of taking the expected step forward, the Chargers are averaging just 14 points per game and have struggled to consistently move the football through the air or on the ground. The team is already ranked 30th in scoring after two weeks, and Week 3 did little to change the narrative.
The latest problem might have been the most frustrating.
The defense forced five turnovers against Buffalo, giving the offense opportunity after opportunity. The Chargers still managed just 16 points and lost 24-16.
That is extremely difficult to overcome.
The schedule isn’t doing Los Angeles any favours either. The Chargers now have the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens coming up, with the remaining schedule currently ranking among the toughest in the NFL.
Being 0-3 is concerning on its own, but the bigger issue is that the Chargers look almost nothing like the playoff contender many expected them to be.
There is still plenty of time to turn things around, but the panic button has officially been pressed.
Panic Meter: 5/5
Miami Dolphins – Panic Meter: 5/5
There wasn’t much optimism surrounding the Miami Dolphins entering the season.
They had a projected win total of just 4.5 games, moved on from Tua Tagovailoa and handed Malik Willis a three-year, $67.5 million contract that includes $45 million guaranteed.
Still, things have somehow gotten even worse.
Miami is now 0-3 after losing 24-10 to the Chiefs, and the Dolphins are struggling on both sides of the football.
The offense has been one of the worst in the NFL, while the defense has done little to make up for it.
And now the Dolphins have lost their biggest offensive weapon.
Running back De’Von Achane suffered a torn ACL in the Week 3 loss, ending his season.
That is a brutal blow for an offense that already had plenty of questions.
Achane was supposed to be one of the players Miami could build around during what was expected to be a rebuilding season. Losing him leaves the Dolphins trying to replace one of their most important offensive pieces while already sitting at 0-3.
There were not many expectations for Miami coming into the season.
Unfortunately, the Dolphins are currently finding ways to fall below even those expectations.
Panic Meter: 5/5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Panic Meter: 4/5
Things went from bad to worse for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a hurry.
After starting the season 0-2, Tampa Bay entered Week 3 needing a win against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.
Instead, the Buccaneers lost 23-16 and dropped to 0-3.
The loss itself is concerning, but the bigger issue is what happened to Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield suffered a dislocated right thumb on his throwing hand late in the fourth quarter and is expected to miss time.
Tampa Bay was already struggling to consistently move the football, and now it has to figure out how to do that without its starting quarterback.
Through three games, Tampa Bay has not been able to establish itself offensively, while the defense has also given up too many points. The Buccaneers are allowing 28 points per game, putting them among the league’s worst defenses in that category.
And now they have to figure out how to survive without their starting quarterback.
The one thing working in Tampa Bay’s favour is the NFC South.
The division is hardly running away from anyone, with the other three teams sitting at 1-2 after Week 3. That means the Buccaneers are not completely out of the picture despite their 0-3 record.
That gives Tampa Bay at least some room for error, but the Mayfield injury makes the path forward much tougher.
Tampa Bay already needed to turn things around. Now they have to do it without their quarterback.
Panic Meter: 4/5
Tennessee Titans – Panic Meter: 4/5
At some point, the Tennessee Titans need to show us something.
Anything.
Tennessee entered the season with a projected win total of just 6.5 games, so nobody expected this team to suddenly become a Super Bowl contender.
But there was at least supposed to be some progress.
Instead, the Titans are 0-3 after losing 12-7 to the New York Giants in Week 3.
The frustrating part is that there isn’t one specific weakness to point at.
The offense isn’t good.
The defense isn’t good.
And the Titans aren’t really doing anything particularly well.
After completely overhauling their coaching staff in the offseason, with a new head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator, Tennessee was always going to need some time to adjust.
But three games into the season, there still isn’t much to get excited about.
The schedule ahead does not make things much easier either.
Tennessee is going to need to find some answers quickly. Otherwise, it is difficult to see where the wins are going to come from if this team continues playing the way it has through three weeks.
The Titans were already given a 4/5 panic meter rating after Week 1 and Week 2.
Nothing has happened since then to lower it.
Panic Meter: 4/5
Green Bay Packers – Panic Meter: 4/5
The Green Bay Packers are starting to pile up problems.
After blowing a 19-10 halftime lead against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, Green Bay has continued to struggle in several key areas.
The Packers are currently near the bottom of the league in rushing, and the uncertainty surrounding their running back situation has not helped. Josh Jacobs remains unavailable, leaving Green Bay without a clear-cut answer in the backfield.
Then there is the offensive line.
It has struggled to consistently protect Jordan Love, and that is not something Green Bay can afford if it wants to compete at the highest level.
The defense has also been inconsistent, ranking in the bottom 10 in points allowed.
The good news?
Reinforcements are coming.
Micah Parsons is still working his way back from injury, and his eventual return could give the defense a significant boost.
Jacobs could also provide some much-needed stability to the running game when he returns.
Those potential returns give Green Bay some reason to remain patient, especially with how much talent is still on the roster.
But that does not mean the problems can simply be ignored.
The offensive line, running game, and defense all need to improve if the Packers are going to get back on track.
The Packers aren’t in full-blown panic territory yet.
But the warning lights are definitely flashing.
Panic Meter: 4/5
Houston Texans – Panic Meter: 3/5
This one is tricky.
The Houston Texans are 0-3, which normally would be enough to immediately put a team near the top of the panic meter.
But there is still reason to believe Houston can turn this around.
The Texans lost 19-17 to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 after also losing to the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals to begin the season.
The biggest surprise has been the defense.
This was one of the NFL’s best defensive units last season, but through three weeks, Houston has looked much closer to the bottom of the league.
That is a major concern.
The good news is that the schedule gets a little more manageable.
Houston has the Dallas Cowboys, Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Giants coming up before its Week 8 bye. The Texans also face Cleveland later in the season, giving them several opportunities to climb back into the AFC playoff race.
And if there is one reason Texans fans should not completely lose hope, it is history.
Since 2000, only two teams have started 0-3 and still made the playoffs: the 2018 Texans and 2025 Texans. Houston has somehow pulled off this comeback twice already.
Starting 0-3 is obviously a major hole, but Houston has already shown it knows how to climb out of one.
For now, the Texans are in trouble, but I am not ready to write them off.
Panic Meter: 3/5
Main Image: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
