We're one month into the NFL season and the good teams are starting to separate themselves from the bad ones.
At this early stage of the campaign, a handful of undefeated teams are typically chasing the dream of perfection. The 2024 NFL season has been unorthodox in that sense, with only two teams still owning a zero in the loss column.
One team is exactly where they are expected to be, while the other has been a pleasant surprise with an unforeseen comeback story.
Who are the two remaining undefeated teams in the NFL this season? The Sporting News breaks it down below.
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Undefeated teams left in NFL
The Chiefs and Vikings are the only two 5-0 teams remaining in the NFL through five weeks.
Kansas City has picked up five quality wins, defeating the Ravens, Bengals and Saints at home and the Falcons and Chargers on the road.
Minnesota's wins are impressive in their own right, defeating the Giants in New York and then Super Bowl contenders in the 49ers. The Vikings also bested the Texans and Jets at home, as well as Packers on the road.
Who do the Chiefs play this week?
The Chiefs hosted the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium on "Monday Night Football" in Week 5, beating New Orleans 26-13.
Kansas City powered through key injuries on the offensive end with running back Isiah Pacheco out with a fractured fibula and breakout wide receiver Rashee Rice out with a torn ACL. It has powered through to this point, getting out to a perfect start in its pursuit of the first three-peat in NFL history.
Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Co. were put to the test against a New Orleans team that has been up-and-down so far. It started the season 2-0 with convincing wins over the Panthers and Cowboys but suffered back-to-back losses to the Eagles and Falcons. It made it three losses in a row with the defeat at Arrowhead.
The Chiefs were 5.5-point favorites in the matchup, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
Now, they take their undefeated record into their Week 6 bye.
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Who do the Vikings play this week?
The Vikings faced a different type of challenge to keep their undefeated record alive.
Minnesota traveled to London to take on the Jets in a neutral-site location at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as part of the NFL's London Games. The Vikings came out on top 23-17, winning the first game of the 2024 NFL international game s.
The Vikings' strong start has been powered by one of the league's best defenses and a revitalization of 2018 No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold. Darnold secured the starting quarterback job when 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending torn meniscus.
Darnold has not looked back since, leading the NFL with 11 touchdown passes through five weeks.
He went head-to-head with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, who dropped to 2-3. New York opened the season with a loss to the 49ers but bounced back with consecutive wins over the Titans and Patriots. It followed up a disappointing loss to the Broncos in poor weather conditions with the loss in London.
The Vikings were 2.5-point favorites in the matchup, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
Just like the Chiefs, Minnesota remains undefeated through their Week 6 bye.
History of undefeated seasons in NFL
Undefeated regular season and won Super Bowl
- 1972 Miami Dolphins
The 1972 Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to complete an undefeated season. They went 14-0 during the regular season and went 3-0 in the playoffs to win the Super Bowl.
Undefeated regular season but lost in playoffs
- 2007 New England Patriots
- 1942 Chicago Bears
- 1934 Chicago Bears
The 1934 and 1942 Bears and 2007 Patriots all went undefeated in their respective regular seasons, but all lost in the Super Bowl.
The 1934 Bears went 13-0 in the regular season and lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants. At the time, there were no playoffs and the two best teams went to the "big game."
The 1942 Bears suffered a similar fate, going 11-0 in the regular season then losing the Super Bowl to the Washington Redskins.
The 2007 Patriots are the most recent example of a near-perfect season, going 16-0 in 2007 and winning two playoff games before falling to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
