Looking at Week 3.

Four of the NFL’s nine unbeaten teams face off on Sunday, and along with those two contests, several early must-win games highlight the Week 3 slate.

There is, of course, Dallas’ matchup with Chicago at Soldier Field on Sunday night, which is a pretty big one, but outside of that, there are several goodies on the schedule.

Surprise 2-0 Houston is going to get a real test of how far they’ve come when they take on the Colts (2-0) on Sunday afternoon at Reliant Stadium. The Texans have dispatched of their first two opponents comfortably, but a game against the defending champs will be an early test to see if Gary Kubiak’s team still has a ways to go, or if they’re for real.

In the other matchup of unbeaten, San Francisco also faces a test of their worth when they go to Pittsburgh on Sunday. The 49ers have pulled out two close wins against NFC West foes Arizona and St. Louis, but they’re going to have to play much better if they want to beat the Steelers, who have been extremely impressive in bashing the Browns and Bills. Sure, it’s the Browns and Bills, but it looks like the Steelers are well on their way to being back. And, a win on Sunday would help confirm that.

Green Bay, Detroit, and Washington have all started 2-0, but those unbeaten records will be on the line Sunday. The Packers welcome the Chargers to town, and it’s as big of a game for the Chargers as it is for the Pack. L.T. and the Chargers’ offense has gotten off to a slow start under Norv Turner, and coming off of a beating at New England, it’s proving time for San Diego. For the Packers, a win would be their third straight against a playoff-caliber team, and show that Brett Favre, who is inching ever closer to Dan Marino’s touchdown mark, may well have at least one more run left in him.

Detroit goes to Philadelphia, in another game that’s big for both teams. Who’d have thought that the Lions would be 2-0, and the Eagles would be 0-2? Well, if you did, you must be a millionaire now. Jon Kitna and the Lions have gotten off to a great start, while the Eagles have flopped in losses to Green Bay and Washington. A win for the Lions would restore excitement not seen since the Barry Sanders days, and probably get Matt Millen a lifetime extension. If the Eagles lose, the calls for Kevin Kolb are going to start getting louder and louder. For Donovan McNabb’s sake, Brian Westbrook best stay healthy, because if he’s out, that takes away the Eagles’ best offensive threat (besides #5).

I wasn’t too high on the Redskins going into the season, but they’ve proved me and a lot of other people wrong so far in starting 2-0. Their Monday night win at Philly was a big one for Joe Gibbs and Co., but knocking off the Giants would be yet another step in the right direction. And, as for the Giants, well, they’re staring at 0-3, and Tom Coughlin is staring at a pink slip.

It could be that, at the end of Week 3, that the Cowboys and Redskins have a three-game lead over the Giants and Eagles. Wow?

The other two unbeaten teams, New England and Denver, face off against Buffalo and Jacksonville respectively. The Patriots silenced a lot of people with a convincing 38-14 whipping of the Chargers on Sunday night, and look to be well on their way to another AFC East crown (and losing their #1 pick). And, as for the Broncos, their offense hasn’t looked this good since John Elway and a healthy Terrell Davis were leading the Mile High men to two straight Super Bowl titles.

In Sunday’s other early games, the Dolphins take on the Jets in a battle of 0-2 teams. Someone, anyone, needs to give the Pats a little bit of a challenge in the division, otherwise it’s going to be another runaway for New England. That team was supposed to be the Jets, but they haven’t looked like anything like a contender so far. The winner of this game will have a leg up on the race for second, but given how many teams are in contention for playoff spots, second might mean you stay home in January.

St. Louis visits Tampa Bay looking for their first win of the season. The Bucs throttled the Saints on Sunday, and all of a sudden look like a team that could step up and win an NFC South that appears to be a little down right now.

Minnesota goes to K.C. looking to go to 2-1. The Vikings are a serviceable QB away from being 2-0, after Tarvaris Jackson’s four interceptions cost them in a 20-17 loss at Detroit. But they do have Adrian Peterson, who’s looking like an early favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Chiefs have looked pretty horrible in two losses, and don’t really have much going for them right now, especially with their offense desperately searching for a heartbeat. It’s about time to go to Brodie Croyle, who played well in mop-up duty on Sunday. And, L.J., you know how to run, so do it!

Matt Leinart and the Cardinals go to Baltimore to face off against the Ravens in the last early afternoon game. The Cardinals racked up well over 400 yards in a win over Seattle on Sunday, and are a drive away from being the one that’s leading the NFC West instead of the 49ers. Will it turn into a passing showdown between two former Pac-10 star Qbs in Leinart (USC) and Kyle Boller (Cal), who looked good in Baltimore’s win over the Jets on Sunday? Or will Baltimore’s defense make Leinart’s day miserable?

On Sunday afternoon, the offensive juggernaut that is the Cleveland Browns looks to go over .500 when they go to Oakland. The Raiders are 0-2, and trying to regain their prowess on defense. So, either Derek Anderson and Jamal Lewis have another big day, or the Browns are quickly brought back down to earth. Hey, Lane Kiffin, Mike Vanderjagt is available, in case you were wondering.

Carolina took it on the chin at home to Houston last Sunday, but thankfully, they get to play the Falcons this week. Atlanta, in desperate need of a pick-me-up, signed ex-Jaguars’ QB Byron Leftwich, who will likely to take over for the ineffective Joey Harrington (time’s up, piano man?) this week or next. Maybe Leftwich will be the lift the Falcons need to stem the flood of sales of Brian Brohm replica jerseys. The way things are looking in the NFC South means that things are up for grabs right now, so the Falcons aren’t out of it…yet.

Cincinnati goes to Seattle, off the heels of their 51-45 loss to the Browns. When you score 45 points in a game, you expect to win 99 percent of the time. But, we’re talking about the Bengals, whose defense tends to be invisible more than any NFL unit should. They should be able to move the ball well against the Seahawks, who were pretty sieve-like against the Cardinals, allowing Matt Leinart to throw for nearly 300 yards and Edgerrin James to rush for over 100. But, the question is, can they stop the Seahawks enough to help Carson Palmer out? Palmer could throw for 4,500 yards or more and 40+ touchdowns, but Cincy could end up under .500 if they don’t play a little D consistently.

On Monday night, New Orleans will be looking to stop their horrid early-season form when they take on Vince Young and Tennessee. The Saints have looked pretty bad in losses to Indy and Tampa Bay, and look like the team that won the AFC South and made it to the NFC title game last year. Is the mojo gone? Reggie Bush needs to lay off of the Kim Kardashian and focus on making highlights of another kind. The Titans, meanwhile, need to win so that they don’t fall behind Indy and Houston. Lest we forget, this one’s a matchup between two guys that possibly should have been #1 in last year’s draft. If both play up to their talents, then Monday Night Football will be anything but a snoozer.

Week 3 Schedule

Buffalo (0-2) at New England (2-0)
Minnesota (1-1) at Kansas City (0-2)
Indianapolis (2-0) at Houston (2-0)
San Diego (1-1) at Green Bay (2-0)
Arizona (1-1) at Baltimore (1-1)
St. Louis (0-2) at Tampa Bay (1-1)
San Francisco (2-0) at Pittsburgh (2-0)
Detroit (2-0) at Philadelphia (0-2)
Miami (0-2) at New York Jets (0-2)
Cincinnati (1-1) at Seattle (1-1)
Jacksonville (1-1) at Denver (2-0)
Cleveland (1-1) at Oakland (0-2)
Carolina (1-1) at Atlanta (0-2)
New York Giants (0-2) at Washington (2-0)
Dallas (2-0) at Chicago (1-1)
Tennessee (1-1) at New Orleans (0-2) - Monday night