The NFL script writers seem to be out of fresh ideas.
Are we really headed for another Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl? Bleh.
They already have faced each other twice in recent Super Bowls — Patrick Mahomes defeating Jimmy Garoppolo at the end of the 2019 season, and Brock Purdy in overtime to cap the 2023 season.
Four weeks into 2026, and the Chiefs and 49ers are on a collision course for Round 3. The NFL only has three undefeated teams left, and they’re two of them.
The Chiefs improved to 4-0 with a 30-27 win over the Raiders on Sunday, while the 49ers took down the Broncos, 24-14. The Vikings are the other team at 4-0, but they might not have as much staying power with their historically bad offense.
Not so for the Chiefs, who rank No. 6 in scoring even though Mahomes isn’t quite himself as he returns from a torn ACL. But the Chiefs’ defense is also No. 6 in points allowed, new running back Kenneth Walker has been an X-factor with a league-high 537 rushing yards, and Mahomes still knows how to win, throwing just two interceptions in four games.
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“We’re close,” Mahomes said after Sunday’s win.
The 49ers have an NFL-best plus-58 point differential and have defeated two teams who reached the conference championship games last year (Rams and Broncos). They’re dealing with injuries, as usual, but Mike Evans has been a nice addition (213 yards, two touchdowns), and Purdy is playing like an MVP, with an NFL-best 126.2 passer rating, and no sacks through four games, joining Peyton Manning (2005) and Dan Marino (1984, 1989) in that feat.
The Chiefs host the 49ers in Week 16. It might not be the only time they play this season.
Other observations from Week 4:
⋅ It’s hard not to be impressed with the Raiders under first-year coach Klint Kubiak, even though they lost Sunday. They could have easily packed it in late in the fourth quarter after allowing 13 points in 19 seconds to give the Chiefs a 30-19 lead with 3:02 to play.
Instead, Kirk Cousins and the offense promptly marched 65 yards for a touchdown to make it 30-27, the defense got a quick three-and-out, and the Raiders fought to the final whistle, making it to midfield despite being backed up on their 1-yard line.
The 3-1 Raiders have two dynamic tight ends, Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer; a defense that leads the NFL in takeaways (nine); and a smart, aggressive coach in Kubiak. They won’t be fun for the Patriots on Sunday.
⋅ Week 4 was a rough one for coaches on the hot seat. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles is 0-4 with losses in 11 of 13 dating to last year, and he might be the first in-season firing. Commanders coach Dan Quinn’s defense got shredded again as he dropped to 1-3, with losses in 13 of his last 16 games.
Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel got the dreaded vote of confidence from coach Jim Harbaugh after dropping to 0-4, but Harbaugh might not be too safe, either. Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard may not last much longer as the leader of the 32nd-ranked scoring defense. The Eagles look ready to drop Sean Mannion’s new scheme after gaining just 172 yards and Jalen Hurts throwing for only 93 in a loss to the Rams. There’s already chatter in Denver about switching play-callers from Davis Webb back to Sean Payton with the Broncos 26th in points.
And I don’t know if it’s DeMeco Ryans, Nick Caserio, or C.J. Stroud, but if the 0-4 Texans miss the playoffs badly, it will probably cost at least one of them his job.
DeMeco Ryans's Texans dropped to 0-4 with a loss to the Cowboys.
DeMeco Ryans's Texans dropped to 0-4 with a loss to the Cowboys. Eric Christian Smith/AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith
Tracking former Patriots
Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton: Had five catches for a career-high 111 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ win, plus a 55-yard catch to set up the go-ahead touchdown. But he dislocated his ankle on the play and will be out awhile, possibly the season.
Commanders WR Stefon Diggs: Playing with a third-string quarterback, caught 5 of 9 passes for 35 yards in a loss to the Colts in London.
Texans WR Kayshon Boutte: Caught 3 of 4 passes for 36 yards with a long of 21. He’s playing in 62 percent of snaps but not getting many targets.
UNC coach Bill Belichick: Now 2-2 after losses to Clemson and Notre Dame. Tar Heels have been showing some fight, but he needs to start stringing together wins.
Quick hits
⋅ Continue to be impressed with Panthers coach Dave Canales. He has done a nice job developing Bryce Young, and his teams are 8-2 after a loss the last two regular seasons.
⋅ Got to love Ben Johnson’s edge. The Bears coach sent quarterbacks Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent on the field for the first play of the game, just to mess with everybody after it was reported that Bagent would get the start on Sunday. They then wiped the floor with the Jets, 23-12.
⋅ Now 1-3, the Jets are still the Jets. They ran just 32 plays on Sunday (compared with 89 for the Bears), the fourth-fewest plays in an NFL game since the merger.
⋅ The Jets and Eagles combined to go 0 for 19 on third down.
⋅ But the Jets made an interception! Minkah Fitzpatrick’s pick in the second quarter was their first since Week 18 of the 2024 season, a stretch of 20 games. The Jets last year became the first team in history to go an entire season without one.
The Jets finally recorded an interception, thanks to Minkah Fitzpatrick (29).
The Jets finally recorded an interception, thanks to Minkah Fitzpatrick (29). David Banks/AP Photo/David Banks
⋅ The last three times a team failed to score more than 13 points in any of its first four games: the 2026 Dolphins, 2019 Dolphins, and 2004 Dolphins. The Dolphins also are the only team not to hold a lead this season.
⋅ The Vikings’ undefeated start is great, but they’re the first 4-0 team since the Chicago Cardinals in 1922-23 to not score a touchdown in two of those wins. They might have to switch back to Carson Wentz if Kyler Murray doesn’t pick it up.
⋅ The 3-1 Giants keep finding ways to win despite injuries and turnovers, but they won’t get to play the Titans and Cardinals every week.
⋅ The NFC East is wide open for the Cowboys, who have the most functional offense in the division.
⋅ CeeDee Lamb’s 17 catches were tied for seventh most in a game all time, and second most in the last decade. (Keenan Allen had 18 in 2023.)