The 10 best NFL player matchups to watch in Week 3

Stars collide in Denver: Davante Adams takes on Pat Surtain II, while Jaylen Waddle faces off with Trent McDuffie. Dallas Turner looks to stay hot against Tristan Wirfs: The league leader in pressures faces one of the NFL's most consistent pass protectors. Introducing the NEW PFF Pro subscription: PFF Pro includes everything in PFF+, plus an upgraded Premium Stats Pro experience, higher base access to Guru AI, revamped player and team pages, enhanced data and visualizations, an improved interface and programmatic data access for modeling. Click here to subscribe. The NFL delivered tons of dramatic finishes and wild results in Week 2. While the performance of overarching units is always chief, how one player fares against another can also drive results — especially when the two are among the game’s best. Consider Broncos tackle Garett Bolles, who didn’t allow a pressure across 16 direct pass-rushing matchups with Jaguars edge defender Josh Hines-Allen in Denver’s victory. The Week 3 schedule presents several fascinating games, which also include some of the league’s top players competing for four quarters. Here are the 10 best battles to keep an eye on throughout all the action this weekend. Los Angeles Rams WR Davante Adams vs. Denver Broncos CB Pat Surtain II Rams-Broncos looms as a potential Super Bowl matchup, featuring two of the most talented rosters in the league going head to head. The action will start on the perimeter between these two greats. After a quieter Week 1, Adams enjoyed a monster Week 2 outing against the Giants. With Puka Nacua out, the venerated veteran was up to the task, racking up 7.22 yards per route run, a 93.9 PFF receiving grade and two touchdowns. Surtain’s grading hasn’t quite been as elite as expected in the early going, recording a 68.5 PFF coverage mark. However, he’s allowed only 20 yards into his coverage via four targets. The All-Pro is still eyeing his first pass breakup of the season. With Nacua uncertain to go on Sunday night due to a hip issue, it could mean we see Surtain shadowing Adams in a battle between a legend still performing and one of the league’s stingiest corners. Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase vs. Pittsburgh Steelers CB Jamel Dean The undefeated Bengals take a trip to Pittsburgh in one of the best games of Week 3. Several matchups are worth circling here, but the premier one is Chase against Dean. Chase didn’t let an unassuming first game affect him in Week 2. Working against Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, the star receiver caught seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, securing an 80.3 PFF receiving grade. Through two games, Dean is the league’s fourth-highest-graded corner (84.8), starting as a Steeler where he left off last season in Tampa Bay. While Dean has been especially good against the run, his coverage has also been effective with a 76.5 PFF coverage grade. However, Dean has already surrendered 53 yards and a 92.2 passer rating against. The Steelers have played the sixth-lowest rate of man coverage so far (8.7%), which might mean we get fewer direct snaps of Dean following Chase. However, expect the two to still encounter each other often, especially if cornerback Joey Porter Jr. doesn’t return from a back injury. Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens vs. Baltimore Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey The NFL’s first ever game in Rio de Janeiro showcases the Ravens and Cowboys as they look to reclimb the league’s hierarchical ladder. Dallas’ offense will look to maintain its fireworks overseas, but Humphrey and Baltimore stand in the way. Pickens has started the year fairly slowly, amassing just 68 receiving yards on a 61.8 PFF receiving grade. He’s already dropped two passes and gained only seven yards after the catch, both of which are uncharacteristic from what we saw in 2025. Meanwhile, Humphrey has enjoyed a tremendous start under new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. His 90.4 PFF coverage grade is the third-best among qualified cornerbacks, although he fared slightly worse in Week 2 by giving up four catches for 42 yards. Any matchup of All-Pros is always fun, but especially when two former division rivals can reignite the flame. Pickens’ 48 matchups against Humphrey are the third-most of any receiver vs. the corner, and his 190 yards allowed to the wideout are second to just Chase. Click here to access PFF's Fantasy Football Matchups Tool! Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt vs. Cincinnati Bengals T Amarius Mims The principal headline in Bengals-Steelers is Cincinnati’s potent offense against the Steelers’ stifling defense. In particular, pay close attention to this collision along the right side of the offensive line when the Bengals have the ball. Watt has looked like his vintage self in 2026 after a down prior season. His 91.3 overall PFF grade leads all edge rushers, powered by an 89.8 PFF pass-rush grade. Watt’s four sacks also tie for the positional lead. Mims has taken another leap in his third pro season. His 80.9 PFF pass-blocking grade is the 10th-best among qualified tackles, and he’s yet to even allow a pressure through two games. The only other starting tackle to achieve that is All-Pro Garett Bolles. Mims was up to the task in Houston, handling Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter nicely. How he fares against the lightning-quick Watt will be eye-opening. Carolina Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan vs. Cleveland Browns CB Denzel Ward Panthers-Browns may not be the flashiest game on the Sunday schedule, but it does present this excellent showdown between a rising star receiver and a savvy corner. McMillan’s second pro campaign hasn’t been prolific just yet, earning only a 68.1 PFF receiving grade. However, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year has still averaged 2.35 yards per route run and turned eight of his 10 receptions into first downs. Fresh off a monster extension, Ward has been elite for the Browns. The Pro Bowl corner has compiled the second-highest PFF coverage grade (91.5) at the position, permitting just 16 yards over 69 coverage snaps. Even with a new defensive coordinator, the Browns have maintained their penchant for man coverage, running the look on a league-leading 44.3% of coverage snaps. That could prove tough for McMillan, whose 61.8 PFF receiving grade against man looks is 18th out of 26 qualifying wideouts. Denver Broncos WR Jaylen Waddle vs. Los Angeles Rams CB Trent McDuffie As it turns out, Adams vs. Surtain isn’t the only receiver-cornerback duel to watch on Sunday night. Waddle looked much more like his explosive self in Week 2 against the Jaguars. The new Bronco caught eight passes for 138 yards, compiling a 91.6 PFF receiving grade while averaging 6.27 yards per route run. McDuffie has already played representatively of his then-record-setting extension. The new Ram has allowed one reception for 13 yards into his coverage thus far, good for a 0.0 passer rating given up. McDuffie also already has three pass breakups and an interception to his name. Los Angeles’ prized corner has held his own against Malik Nabers and Mike Evans in 2026. Now, he’ll go toe-to-toe with Waddle, a fellow star who was also moved this offseason. Buffalo Bills EDGE Greg Rousseau vs. Los Angeles Chargers T Joe Alt Few teams have more on the line in Week 3 than the Chargers, who desperately need a win to stop their unraveling. In order for Los Angeles to prevail, Alt must be at his best against Rousseau. Rousseau has leveled up in his first two games working under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. His 90.5 PFF pass-rush grade is the second-best among qualified edge defenders, and his 30.6% pass-rush win rate leads the group. The reliable Alt wasn’t as clean against Maxx Crosby and the Raiders in Week 2. Alt produced a 46.6 overall PFF grade and permitted two pressures. Further, he was penalized four times, the most in his young career. Thus far, Rousseau has taken 69.8% of defensive snaps aligned over the right tackle. That means we’ll see a lot of these former first-round picks tussling on Sunday afternoon in Buffalo. Washington Commanders WR Stefon Diggs vs. Seattle Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon On paper, Seahawks-Commanders looks like it could be a repeat of last season’s lopsided affair. Nonetheless, following Diggs against Witherspoon is highly intriguing. Diggs has looked at home in his new uniform. The former Patriot has played to a 71.7 PFF receiving grade as a Commander, averaging 2.13 yards per route run. While Diggs has dropped two of his 15 targets, he’s also hauled in two of his three contested tries. Witherspoon remains one of the sport’s best all-around cornerbacks. After a more trying Week 1, the All-Pro dominated against the Cardinals, including accruing an 84.3 PFF coverage grade. With Diggs taking 67.3% of his snaps from the slot thus far — the highest rate of his career, albeit through just two contests — that creates plenty of snaps against Witherspoon, who has also played far more inside than in 2025. Minnesota Vikings EDGE Dallas Turner vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers T Tristan Wirfs An unstoppable force meets a movable object in Tampa Bay as the 2-0 Vikings take on the 0-2 Buccaneers. Watching Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy defense is always entertaining, especially with Turner and Wirfs set to go to war. Turner has been a havoc machine through the young 2026 season. His 20 pressures and eight quarterback hits lead all players. However, the down-to-down efficiency metrics haven’t been as strong, with Turner’s 74.4 PFF pass-rush grade tying for 14th among qualified edge defenders and his 17.1% pass-rush win rate tied for 21st. Wirfs has been his typically unperturbed self as the Buccaneers’ left tackle. Despite some struggles in the run game, Wirfs’ 83.2 PFF pass-blocking grade is the fifth-highest among qualified tackles through two weeks. Wirfs has permitted just three pressures through his first two games of the year, including handling Jared Verse last week. Can he rise to the occasion yet again in the league’s top pressure generator? New Orleans Saints EDGE Chase Young vs. Las Vegas Raiders T Kolton Miller Raiders-Saints is an underrated game worth monitoring given how both teams have come out of the gate in 2026. While Young and Miller aren’t as recognizable as other names, they’re both extremely quality players who will now face off. Young has proliferated his late-season tear to kickstart a scorching 2026. His 85.8 PFF pass-rush grade is the fifth-highest among qualified edge defenders, and his 26% pass-rush win rate sits third. In returning from a season-ending injury, Miller has been a sparkplug for Las Vegas’ offense. Miller’s 84.3 PFF pass-blocking mark trails just Bolles among qualified tackles, giving up only two pressures across 63 opportunities. With Young aligning almost exclusively over the left tackle, this sets the stage for a top-flight matchup between two players with legitimate All-Pro potential on Sunday in New Orleans.