I’ll be tracking each week’s matchups between AFC and NFC teams to see who can win the battle of the conferences. I’ll unpack every matchup after it happens (and maybe occasionally a preview article), while tracking the overall record. Through the first two weeks, the AFC held a four-game lead over the NFC thanks to a sweep in week one, but the NFC just said we had to grow the sample size.
Without further delay, the breakdown of the week three results. The home team is on the left.
Dolphins vs Bears
Bears 35 def. Dolphins 25
Is my defense legit or have I just played JT and an out-of-practice Bandit? Either way, it’s a different feeling for JC and the Bears, and it seems to lead to better results. Chicago was the clear favorite, and they handled business, never letting the Dolphins have a real chance at the lead. NFC inches closer.
Titans vs Commanders
Commanders 31 def. Titans 24
The AFC representing Doc comes up short just one week after coming up short against a different NFC East opponent. At least this puts to bed the idea that the home team is having much of an impact. Que needs to regain his offensive confidence cause the defense still looks like a top unit.
Giants vs Texans
Giants 49 def. Texans 42
Can you feel the Burn!?! After tanking in season one for speedster wideout Zachariah Branch, the G-men are looking good, including this shootout victory with an AFC team that was favored in the matchup, even without CJ Stroud. New York has a good defensive roster, and if they start playing like it they could very well still be over .500 come playoff time. The Texans are supposed to be trying to make the playoffs this season, but maybe the NFC is just better?
Chiefs vs Seahawks
Seahawks 35 def. Chiefs 27
I’m not going to lie, I was very scared of what CPU Mahomes could do. I checked in a couple of times over the course of this game and CB figured it out relatively fast, getting two interceptions and a handful of sacks. And with that, the AFC’s lead is gone. Poof.
Overall
AFC 0-4 NFC
NFC gets their get back and faster than I expected. A sweep, and one that wasn’t fully expected in multiple spots, even if the AFC was the overall underdog for these matchups. Is the NFC deeper than we thought, and not just the home of the Eagles? The best roster in the AFC is Kansas City, and they probably won’t make the playoffs even if a good user is found fast, so it seems everyone is trending toward the middle.
AFC 6-6 NFC
And just like that! It’s all tied through just three weeks. A sweep, a split, and a sweep the other way. The conferences are battling and it seems to be pretty back and forth, despite the small sample size. It makes me wonder if either conference will be able to leap out to a substantial lead or will it stay within five games the whole season?
