Week 3 losses expose early pressure on five playoff teams

Five teams that reached the 2025 NFL playoffs suffered damaging defeats in Week 3, according to ESPN: the Seahawks, Patriots, Texans, Chargers and Panthers. Houston, Los Angeles and Carolina lost after leading in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers forced five turnovers against Buffalo but still fell short. ESPN’s analysis questioned coach Jim Harbaugh’s decisions to kick field goals on fourth down, including in goal-to-go situations, while noting that Los Angeles’ offence continued to struggle.

Houston also let a late lead slip, losing to Indianapolis after taking a 17–16 advantage with less than two minutes remaining. The Texans began 0–3 last season before reaching the divisional round, but ESPN cautioned that the earlier recovery does not assure another.

Carolina’s loss to Cleveland came amid a mounting injury list. ESPN highlighted the impact of absences in the secondary and on the offensive line, as well as the Panthers’ failure to extend a late lead with a two-point attempt.

Seattle lost to Washington despite the Commanders playing without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels. ESPN attributed much of the defeat to three Seahawks turnovers that led to 21 Washington points. New England, meanwhile, was heavily beaten by Jacksonville; the analysis raised concerns about quarterback Drake Maye’s turnovers and injuries affecting the offence.

Across the five teams, ESPN’s review focused on the gap between preseason expectations and early-season execution. The losses raise questions about ball security, offensive production, player availability and late-game choices, but do not settle how the teams’ seasons will unfold.