BOSTON (CBS) -- You know the narrative by now: the Patriots are perfect, and everyone else is stupid.

Of course, that's a monumental overstatement - but Patriots fans (those paying attention, anyway) get weekly reminders of how spoiled they are that they have Bill Belichick, who is head-and-shoulders above every other coach in the league. The Pats may not have the most talented or balanced team in the league, but you rarely see them make the kind of boneheaded mistakes with situational football, clock management, penalties, etc. that plague other teams, even relatively well-coached ones.

It's why the 3-0 Patriots right now look and feel like they're in a class of their own, even with five other undefeated teams.

But as the Patriots go on bye in Week 4, you get to take a closer look at all of the other contenders in the league. Some of them have started out red-hot like the Patriots, and others look like disasters-in-the-making. But as Tom Brady proved to the world a year ago this week, let's not bury anyone just yet.

That's why the Ravens and Colts still count among the contenders. They are off to bad starts and have plenty of questions surrounding them, but it's far too early to say they are done.

There are also plenty of NFC contenders to watch, most of which would not face the Patriots this season unless it's in Super Bowl 50 - but hey, that's the goal every year, right? Might as well play a game of "What if?"

Since the Patriots have 10 days before their next game, it's time to examine the rest of the NFL. Here are 8 key questions for other teams around the league...

1. Can the Ravens and Colts overcome their poor starts?

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An 0-2 start is fixable. But when you start 0-3, that's when your season is put in serious jeopardy. A shock to pretty much everyone, the 0-3 Baltimore Ravens suddenly finding themselves playing for their season in Week 4.

Of course, that doomsday scenario could be incredibly short-sighted. For all we know the Ravens could start 0-6, win 10 straight and sneak into the playoffs. But 0-3 or 0-4 is historically a tough hill to climb and one that teams rarely overcome. The Ravens go on the road on a short week Thursday night against the division-rival Steelers, a tall task for any team. If the Ravens can't escape Pittsburgh with a win, they will start circling the drain.

As for the Colts, they barely avoided their own 0-3 start with a gutsy comeback win over the Tennessee Titans. But that narrative has become all-too-familiar for Colts fans: the defense has never been up to snuff in Andrew Luck's career, forcing him to play from behind and fight the team back into contention. The Colts will likely end up AFC South champions - but similar to the Tom Brady-centric Patriots from 2009-2013, they will need to rely on Luck to put up big numbers to win - and eventually, he'll have an off day and it won't be enough.

2. Can the Steelers and Cowboys survive without their quarterbacks for extended time?

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Two of the NFL's top quarterbacks are down with long-term injuries, as both the Cowboys' Tony Romo and Steelers' Roethlisberger will miss over a month of action. The question for those teams now is, can they stay alive while their field generals are on the mend?

The Cowboys also lost stud wide receiver Dez Bryant for most of the regular season, having to rely on Brandon Weeden, their stable of running backs, and the league's best offensive line to carry the load. The Steelers, meanwhile, still have Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown to lean on, but with an older Michael Vick handling the signal-calling they may struggle with turnovers and consistency.

Neither team really has the defense to carry them through several weeks without scoring big. But if they can stay above .500 before they get their QBs back, they'll both remain in the mix with the rest of the playoff contenders.

3. Will the Broncos be at full strength late in the season?

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Peyton Manning has looked as tough as ever in his first three games of 2015, gutting out wins while perhaps the league's best defense keeps games close. Manning's arm strength has dropped off a cliff in the past year; he can still make big plays at times, but he's not a safe bet to stay at his current level all season.

As the season wears on and the temperatures drop, what will Manning look like in November and December? How will the Broncos offense look when the Patriots go to Denver in Week 12? Manning has historically seen his production dip in cold weather, so there's no reason to believe that won't happen again - and this time, it could get ugly.

As for the defense, the Broncos look like the strongest unit in the league through three games. New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has breathed new life into a group filled with tough, talented players. But Aqib Talib, arguably their most important player on defense, has a spotty history when it comes to health come playoff time - Patriots fans know that all-too-well.

4. Are the Cardinals a worthy NFC foe?

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The short answer is yes. The Arizona Cardinals should be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender at this point. Their defense has been championship-caliber for a few years now.

The difference this year? Quarterback Carson Palmer and receiver Larry Fitzgerald are both enjoying Renaissance seasons. The Cards bowed out early in the playoffs last season because of abysmal QB play, and with Palmer looking like his former Pro-Bowl self and Fitzy enjoying his best start in years, this is a worthy competitor to the NFC crown.

If it came down to the Patriots and Cardinals in the Super Bowl, it would be a tough battle for the Pats to overcome in having to beat the elite Cards defense and stop their offense with a questionable secondary. If Palmer and Fitzgerald are still getting it done in December, they will be a legitimate threat in January.

5. Are the 3-0 Bengals, Falcons, and Panthers for real?

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The short answer is no, but it's more complicated than that. While Andy Dalton looks as good as ever and the Bengals off to a hot 3-0 start, they are still Marvin Lewis' Bengals. The same Bengals who are 0-6 in the playoffs since Lewis took over in 2003. Until they can win just any playoff game, there's no reason to believe they could do it in New England, Denver, or anywhere else on the road.

As for the Falcons and Panthers, for both it will come down to their quarterbacks. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones have enjoyed a scorching start, but will have to overcome a still-shoddy defense. The Panthers, meanwhile, have a solid defense, but Cam Newton will have to get by with no legitimate weapons besides tight end Greg Olsen.

The latter two teams have a much better chance of overcoming their flaws than the Bengals, who have proven time and time again to be a team that can't get it done for even a single game in January. Ryan and Newton have at least played in NFC Title games - and, you know, won playoff games in general. These teams aren't busts, but they're not exactly going 16-0 either.

6. Are the Chiefs, Jets, and Bills QBs good enough?

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The answer here is "incomplete". It's still too early in Tyrod Taylor's career as a starter to conclude his capabilities as the leader of the Bills offense. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Alex Smith, meanwhile, have established themselves as serviceable starting QBs, but far from elite.

All three teams will likely have to lean on their strong-to-quite-strong defenses to make games in December meaningful, and will need to be lights out to have a shot in January and February. But stranger things have happened in NFL history - maybe Taylor is the next Russell Wilson...

7. Are the Seahawks still the favorite in the NFC?

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Speaking of Wilson, his Seahawks are off to a rocky 1-2 start, losing to the division-rival Rams (once again on Pete Carroll's questionable play-calling) and Green Bay Packers. They got back on track with an easy win over the Chicago Bears, who might be the worst team in the league - so it's tough to tell where this team really stands.

Their defense just got Kam Chancellor back, so they still have one of the strongest units in the league, and Wilson's new toy Jimmy Graham looks to be getting on the same page with the QB. Barring more Carroll brain-farts, the Seahawks will absolutely be in the NFC playoff picture, if not the NFC West champs once again. But they're no longer the favorite to come out of the NFC that they looked like entering the season.

Which brings me to the real favorite...

8. Can the Packers be stopped?

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Aaron Rodgers is just ridiculous. In terms of physical skills, he's in a class by himself at the quarterback position (yes, even over Tom Brady). He's one of, if not the best in the game in his ability to dissect defenses and win plays before the ball is snapped. He's easily the hardest player in the league to gameplan for.

But the one thing separating Rodgers from Brady, and some of the other all-time greats, is championships. You could argue the Packers should have more than one Super Bowl in Rodgers' career by now. The 2011 Packers choked big-time in the NFC playoffs, and in no small part because of Rodgers' own shaky play. It's not all Rodgers' fault (make the catch, Brandon Bostick), but at some point he will need to overcome adversity and lead the Pack to another win (or two or three) in the Big Game.

Rodgers has established himself as the most dynamic player in the league, so it's only fair to hold him to the same standard that we do for Brady and Manning. He needs more championships, and he needs to start doing it soon. So far this season, he looks unstoppable - and that's without Jordy Nelson. Can he carry his unreal level of play into January and beyond? He hasn't done enough of it in his career so far - but he has plenty of time, and maybe this year he can.

How do you feel about all the other contenders in the NFL? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read more from Matt here and follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff.