The First Read: Who deserves respect after 3 games? Plus, most intriguing Week 4 matchup, MVP rankings

In The First Read, Jeffri Chadiha provides a snapshot of the hottest stories and trends heading into Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season, including:

But first, a look at who deserves your R-E-S-P-E-C-T ...

The old adage about respect is that nobody gives it to you. It takes a lot to earn respect, and once you have it, there's plenty of work that goes into keeping it. The NFL is a perfect example of that. We spend an ample amount of time in the offseason talking about who's going to do what, based on new coaching hires and personnel moves in free agency and the draft. Then we actually get to witness what happens when the games are real, which is the only way we can decide if those opinions carried any merit in the first place.

Three Sundays into the 2023 campaign, it's time to start talking about who really is legit -- or more specifically, who deserves that high level of respect. We know there were a fair number of surprise teams that jumped out to 2-0 starts and wanted to keep the good vibes going. There also were plenty of players and coaches who were thrust into positions to prove themselves, either because of high expectations or the need to rebound from rough beginnings. This is what comes with this league. Every week is a testament to who you really are.

That isn't to say there won't be more to discuss on this topic as we move deeper into the season. It's just to note that there are some folks who have done plenty to open the eyes of this particular writer. So give them your respect today. They've damn sure earned it thus far.

1) Mike McDaniel: Seventy points??? The Dolphins have been doing crazy things with their offense already this season, but that number is both mind-boggling and further evidence of how scary Miami