The 2026 NFL season is already off to an exciting start.<\/p>\n
In the early window Sunday, the Bears and Panthers combined for 96 points, the most in a season opener in NFL history, per ESPN Research. The Jaguars easily handled the Browns in Cleveland in quarterback Deshaun Watson<\/a>\u2019s first regular-season game since October 2024. The Bills looked sharp offensively in Joe Brady\u2019s head coaching debut against the Texans, and the Lions needed overtime to get past the Saints.<\/p>\n In the late window, the Cardinals and Raiders won in the respective debuts of first-year coaches Mike LaFleur and Klint Kubiak. The Commanders fell despite a comeback against division foe Philadelphia. And after losing quarterback Kyler Murray<\/a> to a concussion early, the Vikings scored 29 unanswered to defeat the Packers. The Giants finished things off by beating the Cowboys on Sunday night, marking the first time since 2009 both New York teams opened with a victory.<\/p>\n Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for teams that played Sunday. Fantasy football analysts Matt Bowen and Tristan Cockcroft also have fantasy takeaways from each matchup. Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n N.Y. Giants 28, Dallas 20Giants<\/p>\n Should the Giants be taken seriously in the NFC East? This was a statement game for the John Harbaugh Giants. They looked like the better team in beating a Cowboys squad that had prevailed in 16 of its previous 18 meetings with the Giants. New York\u2019s offense looked dangerous with a power running game (165 yards) led by Cam Skattebo<\/a> (18 carries, 81 yards), and quarterback Jaxson Dart<\/a> was in command throughout. The defense also looked greatly improved. With neither the Eagles nor Commanders looking dominant in Week1, the Giants could be a real threat in the NFC East. For the first time in years, it\u2019s not an outlandish thought.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Brilliant. Dart was in control throughout, running and throwing with precision. He finished 23-of-29 for 230 passing yards with three touchdown and added 54 rushing yards. The chemistry that Dart showed all summer with new tight end Isaiah Likely<\/a> translated to the opener. Likely caught eight passes on eight targets for 78 yards with two touchdowns and helped ice the game late with two big third-down receptions. — Jordan Raanan<\/p>\n Next game: at Rams (Monday, Sept. 21, 8:15 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Cowboys<\/p>\n Will this serve as a wake-up call for the Cowboys? After a drama-free offseason, the return of a top-tier offense and a revamped defense, expectations were high. Though there are 16 more games to go, the loss to the Giants showed the Cowboys have a lot of work to do. An ill-timed Dak Prescott<\/a> interception at the end of the first half led to a Giants\u2019 TD. There were far too many penalties in the first half (seven, tied for the most in an opener since 2008) and a costly one in the fourth quarter, as Javonte Williams<\/a>\u2019 taunting penalty led to a missed extra point attempt in a one-score game. The Giants were able to control the line of scrimmage and the clock in the second half to win a game that went according to the Giants\u2019 desired script.<\/p>\n Most surprising performance: Things were supposed to be different for this Cowboys defense. Not necessarily a massive move to the top of the league, but they were disappointing throughout Christian Parker\u2019s first game as playcaller. The end-of-half work that saw New York go ahead 14-7 was filled with coverage breakdowns. The second half opened with the Cowboys needing to call timeout because they had only 10 defenders on the field, and they could not come up with any stops in the final two quarters. With eight new starters from last season\u2019s opener and another handful of new key contributors, it\u2019s clear it will take time for it to come together. — Todd Archer<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Commanders (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Likely paced the Giants with eight catches — the most by any Giants tight end in nearly three years — with two going for touchdowns. His 27.8 fantasy points led the position, and are an indicator he\u2019ll be involved enough to be a weekly TE1. — Cockcroft<\/p>\n Minnesota 39, Green Bay 22Vikings<\/p>\n What now at quarterback? For the second consecutive season, and for the third campaign in the past four, the Vikings are dealing with an injury to their quarterback. This time, new starter Kyler Murray<\/a> made it only 11 plays — and they were 11 shaky plays, at that — before suffering a concussion at the end of a first-quarter scramble. Backup Carson Wentz<\/a>, named the No. 2 quarterback last week after he was a bystander in the competition between Murray and J.J. McCarthy<\/a> this summer, was understandably rusty at the outset but hung in to throw three touchdown passes and avoid a turnover. Wentz will be the starter until Murray is cleared to return.<\/p>\n Trend to watch: The Vikings blitzed Packers quarterback Jordan Love<\/a> on nearly every first-half snap (15-of-18, or 83%), and Love burned them repeatedly en route to putting up 19 points. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores adjusted with more variety in the second half, taking down the blitz rate to 63%. It wasn\u2019t the only reason the Packers struggled to score thereafter, but it made the blitzes the Vikings did execute more effective. — Kevin Seifert<\/p>\n Next game: at Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Packers<\/p>\n Did the Packers learn nothing from last year? So much for all that offseason talk about finishing. Week 1 followed the same script from late last season: Grab the lead, make major mistakes in the second half and let the opponent back in the game. The blunders were many in this matchup: a special teams miscue (allowing a 69-yard kickoff return); a blown coverage (leaving tight end T.J. Hockenson<\/a> wide open for a touchdown); bad penalties (three of them on the Vikings\u2019 go-ahead drive that wiped out a pair of would-have-been third-down stops and nullified an interception); shoddy offensive line play; and a poor coaching decision (opting to take a field goal off the board on a penalty then failing on the ensuing QB sneak).<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Love, despite a 387-yard passing game, barely had a chance, especially down the stretch, thanks to a disastrous performance by his offensive line. Being without starting left guard Aaron Banks<\/a> (knee) wasn\u2019t the reason the Vikings recorded 15 QB hits on Love; it was because the Packers couldn\u2019t handle the myriad of blitzes. When the Packers needed a fourth-quarter drive to regain the lead, Love was sacked on back-to-back plays, losing a fumble on the second one that was returned to Green Bay\u2019s 1-yard line. — Rob Demovsky<\/p>\n Next game: at Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Christian Watson<\/a>\u2019s 32.7 fantasy points were the second most among wide receivers in Week 1 through the late window. He caught 6-of-8 targets for 147 yards and two touchdowns for the Pack. With an expanding route tree and big-play speed, Watson can be safely played as a lower-tier WR2 for Week 2. — Bowen<\/p>\n Philadelphia 24, Washington 22Eagles<\/p>\n Did the Eagles\u2019 new offense pass the test Week 1? There was a boom-or-bust element to it, but the explosive plays carried them to a passing grade and a win over Washington. From WR Dontayvion Wicks<\/a>\u2019 64-yard reception (a career high) to QB Jalen Hurts<\/a>\u2019 22-yard scramble on third-and-18 to TE Dallas Goedert<\/a>\u2019s 43-yard score moments later, there was plenty to be encouraged about from offensive coordinator Sean Mannion\u2019s debut. Some issues along the offensive front (left guard Landon Dickerson<\/a> looked as if he was laboring) and long stretches of ineffectiveness brought back memories of 2025, but patience is required while Philly breaks in a new system.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Hurts threw three touchdowns, was timely with his runs and didn\u2019t commit a turnover. The pass-and-catch between the signal-caller and new WR1 DeVonta Smith<\/a> along the right sideline late in the third quarter was a thing of beauty. Hurts was at his best when attacking downfield, completing 6 of 9 such attempts for 176 yards. — Tim McManus<\/p>\n Next game: at Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Commanders<\/p>\n Did quarterback Jayden Daniels<\/a> show enough to inspire a bounce-back season? Daniels looked sharp this summer in new coordinator David Blough\u2019s offense. But for most of Sunday\u2019s game — his first since Week 14 last season — the offense struggled against one of the NFL\u2019s best defenses. Daniels hesitated too many times because he didn\u2019t have an open target or wasn\u2019t confident in what he saw. That\u2019s concerning, as one of his best traits is being decisive. In the first half, he completed 6 of 16 passes for 43 yards. Daniels still finished strong, leading two scoring drives to nearly tie the score. But if Washington is going to avoid a bad start, Blough and Daniels need to find a better rhythm early.<\/p>\n Most surprising performance: Wide receiver Terry McLaurin<\/a> did not catch a pass until less than five minutes remained in the contest. He finished with just two catches and four targets. It\u2019s not what Blough had in mind when he took over, saying he wanted to get McLaurin 10 targets per game. But the Eagles often doubled him, rolled coverage his way or simply blanketed him.<\/p>\n Best quote from the locker room: Philadelphia had four plays of 31 yards or longer that accounted for 180 of its 318 total yards, which frustrated Washington rookie LB Sonny Styles<\/a>. \u201cThose four explosives determined the game. Aside from those plays, we played pretty well. But when you put those chunk [plays] on the table, it\u2019s hard to win the game,\u201d Styles said. — John Keim<\/p>\n Next game: at Cowboys (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Wicks caught just two of four targets this week, but he finished with 77 yards and a touchdown (15.3 fantasy points). He has the ability to uncover over the top, and he scored on an end zone throw from Hurts. Rostered in just 10.1% of ESPN leagues, I would add Wicks this week as a bench stash. — Bowen<\/p>\n Las Vegas 27, Miami 13Raiders<\/p>\n Is the offensive line\u2019s performance sustainable? Yes. It\u2019s just one game, but the Raiders showed that a new coaching staff and scheme have paid dividends for the O-line. Running back Ashton Jeanty<\/a> was the star, but that wouldn\u2019t have been the case without a strong performance from the players in the trenches. It will be intriguing to see if the line can translate this performance against tougher competition in the coming weeks. Two positions to monitor are left guard and right tackle. Left guard Spencer Burford<\/a> gave up a team-high four pressures. Right tackle DJ Glaze<\/a> allowed only one pressure on 31 pass-block snaps, which was a good sign after he struggled in 2025.<\/p>\n Trend to watch: Edge rusher Maxx Crosby<\/a> could be on a pitch count. During the Dolphins\u2019 third drive, Crosby sat out six consecutive plays. At the league meeting in March, Las Vegas general manager John Spytek hinted at the possibility of monitoring Crosby\u2019s snap count after he underwent offseason knee surgery. Crosby totaled 1.5 sacks and seven pressures against Miami. If managing his snap count can improve Crosby\u2019s longevity, then it\u2019s a smart decision. Kwity Paye<\/a> might be the one who steps up; he had two sacks and five pressures Sunday. — Ryan McFadden<\/p>\n Next game: at Chargers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Dolphins<\/p>\n How concerning is the Dolphins\u2019 offensive performance? No Miami player besides Caleb Douglas<\/a> consistently got open. Game script impacted the Dolphins\u2019 ability to call run plays, but even when they rushed, ball carrier De\u2019Von Achane was stuffed on nearly 20% of his attempts. Quarterback Malik Willis<\/a> was pressured 17 times and sacked five times. Considering the Dolphins\u2019 lack of experience at wide receiver, it\u2019s fairly easy to write this off as growing pains. But the schedule doesn\u2019t get easier, and Miami\u2019s offense next gets a 49ers defense that shut down the Rams in Week 1.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Willis was steady, albeit unspectacular in the first half, as Miami\u2019s receivers struggled to get open downfield. Willis appeared to press a bit in the second half, highlighted by a head-scratching interception that looked more like an arm punt on second down from deep in his own territory. Willis showed a willingness to make plays with his legs, but this was a relatively uninspiring performance against what could end up being one of the Dolphins\u2019 easier matchups this season. — Marcel Louis-Jacques<\/p>\n Next game: at 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: The ankle injury Jeanty suffered during the preseason no longer appears to be an issue. The second-year running back scored 32.7 fantasy points, thanks in part to a pair of 13-yard receiving touchdowns. Sure, the matchup helped, but this performance reaffirmed his fantasy RB1 status. — Cockcroft<\/p>\n Arizona 26, L.A. Chargers 14Cardinals<\/p>\n What does an impressive upset win say about Mike LaFleur\u2019s impact on the Cardinals? Sunday certainly looked like a new dawn for Arizona under the first-year coach. It wasn\u2019t perfect, by any stretch. But the Cardinals\u2019 upset win — they were 8.5-point underdogs on DraftKings — showcased LaFleur\u2019s offense and all of its weapons, as Arizona moved efficiently and swiftly downfield all afternoon. Add in a few key plays by the defense at opportune times — including a forced and recovered fumble and a blocked kick that set up a touchdown — and suddenly a team that lost its final nine outings in 2025 looks confident for future games.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Jacoby Brissett<\/a> played as well as anyone could\u2019ve hoped in his first game in a new offense without the benefit of working through the nuances of it during OTAs or minicamp. The quarterback had one hiccup but otherwise turned in a clean and efficient performance with 277 passing yards and a touchdown on 27-for-37 passing. — Josh Weinfuss<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Chargers<\/p>\n Is there reason for concern about Mike McDaniel\u2019s offense? Much has been made about how explosive the pairing between quarterback Justin Herbert<\/a> and McDaniel might be this season, and the O-coordinator hasn\u2019t shied away from that, saying he anticipated his receivers would have career highs across the board. On Sunday, those expectations seemed farfetched. It was the Cardinals\u2019 offense, however, that had the explosiveness with 393 total yards, as compared with L.A.\u2019s 268. The hope for the Chargers is that they just need time to make this major offensive shift under McDaniel.<\/p>\n Stat to know: Coach Jim Harbaugh has gone for it on fourth down inside the 20-yard line just seven times with the Chargers, converting three. This makes Harbaugh\u2019s decision Sunday all the more surprising. With just under two minutes remaining in the second quarter and the Chargers down 10-7, Harbaugh went go for it on fourth from the 3-yard line. Defensive tackle Dante Stills<\/a> sacked Herbert, and the Cardinals went on to sink a field goal to extend their lead to six points before halftime. The Chargers\u2019 38 fourth-down attempts under Harbaugh since 2024 are tied for third fewest by any team, per ESPN Research. — Kris Rhim<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Raiders (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Brissett kept the Cards\u2019 offense afloat and most notably helped tight end Trey McBride<\/a> reach his eighth game of 20-plus fantasy points in their past 13 starts working together. They\u2019ll need this level of chemistry to survive one of the league\u2019s toughest schedules in 2026. — Cockcroft<\/p>\n Chicago 59, Carolina 37Bears<\/p>\n Can the Bears\u2019 offense be expected to overcome defensive woes all season? Their 59 points were the fourth most in franchise history. Coach Ben Johnson\u2019s goal was to have the highest-scoring offense ever and to score every time the unit touches the field; not a bad start with that goal. Chicago\u2019s 552 yards were their third most in a game in the Super Bowl era. There\u2019s plenty to clean up, from penalties to TE Colston Loveland<\/a>\u2019s usage, but Caleb Williams<\/a>\u2019 playmaking and a rushing attack that scored a franchise-record six TDs proved decisive. The Bears\u2019 defense, though, will need to get healthy and improve for the team to reach its overall goals.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Williams (21-for-29, 269 yards, two TDs, 124.1 rating) proved again his legs are legit difference makers. He recorded his first career game with multiple rushing touchdowns and was prolific when he escaped the pocket to make throws. He rushed for 65 yards on 10 carries. — Courtney Cronin<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Panthers<\/p>\n How much stock can Panthers put into an historically bad defensive performance? After spending a fortune on outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips<\/a> and inside linebacker Devin Lloyd<\/a> in free agency, the Panthers expected their defense to be greatly improved. However, the unit was completely dismantled in an all-time horrible outing. The Panthers gave up 442 net yards and seven scoring drives before the end of the third quarter. And the 59 points scored by the Bears were the most allowed by the Panthers in franchise history. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero frequently came under fire during the previous three seasons. And Sunday\u2019s performance was easily his worst to date.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: With the defense faltering all afternoon, Bryce Young<\/a> did his best to keep his squad even in the opener. With offensive coordinator Brad Idzik calling plays for the first time, Young dwarfed his three previous Week 1 performances with 361 passing yards, four total touchdowns and an interception. He led six scoring drives in a shootout that Carolina ultimately lost largely because of the defense. — Mike Kaye<\/p>\n Next game: at Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Williams led all quarterbacks in the early window with 37.26 fantasy points. Yes, Williams showed his rare playmaking ability as a runner, but his efficiency from the pocket was on full display as he completed 72.4% of his passes. He\u2019ll be a top-five QB in my ranks for Week 2. — Bowen<\/p>\n Buffalo 36, Houston 31Bills<\/p>\n Is this the version of the Bills\u2019 offense we should expect with former coordinator Joe Brady now in charge? We were promised more aggressiveness and downfield attacking, which we sure got a peek at Sunday. Of his 11 passes in the first half, quarterback Josh Allen<\/a> went 6-of-7 for 149 yards and a touchdown on throws that traveled more than 10 air yards downfield, according to ESPN research. He had 11 completions of more than 10 air yards, tied for his most in a game in his career.<\/p>\n Stat to know: This was Allen\u2019s ninth career game with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. That\u2019s five more than any other player in NFL history. Steve Young had four. Allen also became the first player in NFL history to reach 300 combined touchdowns in his first nine seasons. — Judy Battista<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Lions (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Texans<\/p>\n How did the Texans\u2019 defense struggle so badly? It has been awhile since Houston\u2019s starting defense has allowed 30 points. The last time the unit gave up 30 in a game in which the starters finished was Christmas Day 2024 against the Ravens. Today, the offense gave them 31 points — and usually that\u2019s more than enough for a Texans\u2019 win under coach DeMeco Ryans. A silver lining is the unit allowed only 12 points in the second half after giving up 24 in the first. But still, 36 points is unacceptable for a defense that believes it\u2019s the best.<\/p>\n Most surprising performance: Running back David Montgomery<\/a> was viewed as a strong trade acquisition by the team, but kicking off his Texans career with three scrimmage touchdowns was impressive. Two of those came on the ground and one through the air for a total of 79 yards. It was the second game of his career with three scrimmage TDs. — DJ Bien-Aime<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Montgomery (28.9 points) didn\u2019t have a very efficient day running the ball (3.0 yards per carry), but the red zone usage gives him a boost. He scored twice on red zone carries (one on the goal line), and he was targeted on a schemed throw from Stroud to find the end zone. Montgomery remains a touchdown-dependent RB2 in Week 2. — Bowen<\/p>\n Detroit 31, New Orleans 30 (OT)Lions<\/p>\n Should the Lions be worried about the defense, or is this what we should expect? Honestly, it might be somewhere in between, as the Saints\u2019 offense likely won\u2019t be this stellar throughout the season. When Detroit\u2019s offense struggled in the first half, the defense held the Saints scoreless and created three turnovers. But then it gave up 24 points in the second half. Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson<\/a> finished with two sacks, while S Chuck Clark<\/a> and LB Derrick Barnes<\/a> both snagged interceptions, but the defense was still susceptible to explosive plays. That was the same issue last year. Perhaps the eventual return of safeties Kerby Joseph<\/a> (knee) and Brian Branch<\/a> (Achilles) from IR will help.<\/p>\n Stat to know: Jahmyr Gibbs<\/a>\u2019 second TD marked his 51st score in 50 career games, making him the sixth player in NFL history to reach at least 50 touchdowns in 50 or fewer games, per ESPN Research. Chuck Foreman (44 games), Steve Van Buren (45), Jim Brown (46), Larry Johnson (48) and Marcus Allen<\/a> (49) round out the list.<\/p>\n Best quote from the locker room: Lions QB Jared Goff<\/a> on tough overtime win: \u201cI don\u2019t care how it happens. If we\u2019re up and they come back or we\u2019re down and we come back, it doesn\u2019t matter … Yeah, of course, we\u2019d love to keep scoring and win 49-0 of course, I\u2019m not saying that. But listen, it\u2019s the NFL. This thing\u2019s hard. Week 1\u2019s very hard and we\u2019re happy to get a win.\u201d — Eric Woodyard<\/p>\n Next game: at Bills (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Saints<\/p>\n What will we see from the Saints\u2019 offense next week after its slow start? It\u2019s hard to know whether the slow start in Detroit was a result of simple season-opening jitters or a true concern moving forward. The Saints took a long time to finally look right on offense. The offense came up big late and was a two-point conversion away from winning in OT, but it had too much to overcome because of its first-half struggles.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: It was a tale of two Shoughs. He looked out of sync with the offense and had several turnovers that put the Saints in a 21-0 hole by the third quarter. But he was able to generate a lot of momentum, nearly winning the game in overtime while becoming the first Saints QB to pass for 400 yards since Drew Brees in 2018.<\/p>\n Best quote from the locker room: Wide receiver Chris Olave<\/a>, who had a personal best 182 yards, said he was happy to be wearing a Guardian cap after he took a hard hit in practice earlier in the offseason. \u201cY\u2019all know all the head injuries I done had in my career. It was just a decision I had made. I got kids now. I want to be able to live the long game. It\u2019s not all about football. I want to live regular life after I\u2019m done with football. I love my kids to death. I don\u2019t really care how it looks no more. I just got to throw it on and shoot, it did me good today.\u201d — Katherine Terrell<\/p>\n Next game: at Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Shough certainly seemed to have the skills as a passer to help fantasy managers sooner rather than later in standard 10-team formats. Coming back from two touchdowns behind, he scored nearly the entirety of his 23.2 fantasy points on the Saints\u2019 final five drives. — Cockcroft<\/p>\n Baltimore 41, Indianapolis 23Ravens<\/p>\n What are the Ravens going to do at wide receiver if Zay Flowers<\/a> misses any time? The Ravens may need to add a veteran receiver depending on the severity of Flowers\u2019 injury. Flowers was on his way to a career day (150 yards and one touchdown) before aggravating a left hamstring injury late in the first half, which forced him to sit out the entire second half. Flowers\u2019 injury is compounded by the loss of promising rookie Ja\u2019Kobi Lane, who didn\u2019t play in the second half because of a wrist injury. That leaves Baltimore without its No. 1 (Flowers) and No. 3 receivers (Lane). The Ravens\u2019 only healthy wide receivers are: Rashod Bateman<\/a>, LaJohntay Wester<\/a>, who is primarily a punt returner, Chris Moore<\/a>, who was elevated from the practice squad, and Elijah Sarratt<\/a>, a rookie fourth-round pick who was a healthy scratch. Before Flowers\u2019 injury, quarterback Lamar Jackson<\/a> was 10-of-13 for 214 yards and a touchdown. Without Flowers, Jackson was 7-of-12 for 110 yards.<\/p>\n Trend to watch: Derrick Henry<\/a>\u2019s workload will remain the same. Before the season, new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle wouldn\u2019t commit to Henry getting over 300 carries for a third straight year but indicated Henry would have \u201can immense role.\u201d In Indy, Henry had 24 carries for 144 yards and three touchdowns. It was Henry\u2019s 26th game with more than 100 yards rushing and multiple touchdowns, which moved him past Jim Brown for the most in NFL history.<\/p>\n Best quote from the locker room: Jesse Minter on his first win as a head coach: \u201cIt\u2019s surreal a little bit, honestly. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s actually hit me yet, but it\u2019s a blessing to be where I\u2019m at. Such appreciation for the opportunity given to me by this organization.\u201d — Jamison Hensley<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Colts<\/p>\n Is the Colts\u2019 defense in trouble? This was a catastrophic start for a defense that was supposed to be improved, with Indy giving up its most yards since Week 8 of the 2023 season. The youth of the unit proved problematic, as Jackson exploited cornerback Justin Walley<\/a> and safety A.J. Haulcy<\/a> (both first-time starters) at different moments. Meanwhile, the pass rush remains a huge question. Jackson enjoyed an inordinate amount of time in the pocket, allowing his receivers to finish routes.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Daniel Jones<\/a> was making his return to the field after sustaining an Achilles tear last December. He didn\u2019t display any obvious effects from his injury, but judging him under these circumstances will be difficult. Why? Because he got so little help from anyone else, including blockers who failed to pick up assorted blitzes and receivers who couldn\u2019t create separation. Jones was consistently under duress in the second half, given the lopsided score, and finished 19-of-31 for 166 yards. — Stephen Holder<\/p>\n Next game: at Chiefs (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Doyle schemed open his playmakers in the passing game, while Jackson reminded managers about his elite dual-threat ability. Jackson threw for 324 passing yards and rushed for 41, finishing with two total touchdowns (24.96 FPTS). You can lock in Jackson as a top-two option for Week 2. — Bowen<\/p>\n Pittsburgh 20, Atlanta 13Steelers<\/p>\n What\u2019s next with Joey Porter Jr.<\/a>? It\u2019s rare that the biggest question has nothing to do with what happened on the field, but that\u2019s the case as the Steelers and Porter failed to reach an agreement on an extension by the regular-season negotiating deadline. Porter was inactive in coach Mike McCarthy\u2019s Steelers debut, though the 2023 second-round pick was spotted on the sideline wearing a gray hoodie and gray Steelers shorts. Sources told ESPN that there is a possibility of trading Porter. Once an unthinkable outcome for one of the team\u2019s up-and-coming defenders and legacy players, that possibility seems more realistic after Porter missed the game following a week of limited practice participation with a back injury. Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.<\/a> started in Porter\u2019s place, and he played well opposite Jamel Dean<\/a> despite an unnecessary roughness penalty.<\/p>\n Trend to watch: After seeing his opportunities reduced a season ago, tight end Pat Freiermuth<\/a> was Mr. Consistency for QB Aaron Rodgers<\/a>. Through three quarters, Freiermuth had five catches on five targets for 46 yards. He had five catches just once last season and five-plus targets four times. Freiermuth\u2019s dependability was especially key because wide receiver DK Metcalf<\/a> struggled to make contested catches. Metcalf finished with four catches on 10 targets for 40 yards.<\/p>\n Best quote from the locker room: Pittsburgh\u2019s T.J. Watt<\/a> said he was surprised he wasn\u2019t touched, allowing him to jump up and score a 35-yard pick-six, after intercepting Rush early in the fourth quarter. \u201cI had no idea where I was,\u201d he said. \u201cI had no bearing at all. I\u2019m sure the fall didn\u2019t look too graceful, but glad someone told me to get up and keep running.\u201d — Brooke Pryor<\/p>\n Next game: at Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Falcons<\/p>\n Who will be the Falcons\u2019 quarterback in Week 2? Cooper Rush<\/a> was not good in replacing Tua Tagovailoa<\/a> (oblique) against the Steelers. The Falcons have classified Tagovailoa as week-to-week and Michael Penix Jr.<\/a> is close to returning, he said a few days ago. Atlanta would love to have Penix back against the Panthers for Week 2. It does not seem like the team thinks undrafted rookie Jack Strand<\/a>, who played great in the preseason, is ready just yet.<\/p>\n Most surprising performance: Kicker Nick Folk<\/a> missed two field goal attempts combined over his past three NFL seasons. On Sunday, Folk missed his first two of the 2026 season, including a 45-yard attempt. The Falcons were a mess at kicker during the 2024 and 2025 seasons and were hoping Folk would be a savior. — Marc Raimondi<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Best quote from the locker room: Folk didn\u2019t mince words when assessing his 45-yard field goal miss: \u201c[That one] I just didn\u2019t hit very well. I haven\u2019t hit a kick like that in a very long time. I take full responsibility for today and just a bad day on my part.\u201d — Marc Raimondi<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: It\u2019s hard to imagine how badly an offense needs a healthy Tagovailoa, but that was the story of the Falcons in Week 1. Thankfully, RB Bijan Robinson<\/a> managed a massive 35.3 fantasy point game and accounted for 66% of their yardage, including a heavy dose of receiving work. — Cockcroft<\/p>\n N.Y. Jets 23, Tennessee 10Jets<\/p>\n How optimistic should the Jets be? This is rarefied air for coach Aaron Glenn, who needed eight games last season to record a victory. Unlike last season, he now has a balanced offense. Consider: By the first drive of the third quarter, the wide receivers already had 148 receiving yards — more than any game in 2025. Garrett Wilson<\/a> and Adonai Mitchell<\/a> delivered explosive plays while Breece Hall<\/a> (102 yards) and Braelon Allen<\/a> (40 yards) spearheaded a 152-yard rushing attack. QB Geno Smith<\/a>, with terrific protection, played a clean game — no turnovers, a bugaboo from last year in Las Vegas. If the Jets can stick to this formula, they could be a surprise team.<\/p>\n Stat to know: The defense has gone 571 pass attempts without an interception, dating to the 2024 finale — a historic drought. Despite no picks against second-year QB Cam Ward<\/a>, the defense played fantastic, making three sacks and holding the Titans to 195 total yards. They did it without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick<\/a>, who left with a groin injury after six snaps. — Rich Cimini<\/p>\n Best quote from the locker room: \u201cI\u2019m not going to write a book too early,\u201d Hall said. \u201cWe definitely left some (points) out there. I would feel a lot better if … I wanted a little more.\u201d He said they should\u2019ve scored 40 points.<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Titans<\/p>\n Will it be this hard for the Titans to reach the end zone? The first-team offense scored one touchdown on six drives in the preseason. They managed to do worse against the Jets with 10 points on nine drives. The only touchdown came in garbage time with the Jets up by 20 points. Carnell Tate<\/a>\u2019s 14-yard catch in the fourth quarter was the longest offensive play of the day. New Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll stressed taking what the defense gives them, but that won\u2019t work if Cam Ward<\/a> keeps missing easy throws. It could be worse next week when Tennessee hosts the Eagles.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Saying Ward\u2019s 2026 debut was bad is an understatement. Ward missed easy throws to RB Tyjae Spears<\/a> and WR Wan\u2019Dale Robinson near the line of scrimmage, and he failed to connect with Tate on a pass across the middle that would have been a big gain. Ward finished with 140 passing yards, though 55 came on the final drive. — Turron Davenport<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Hall, who worked through a groin injury in camp, saw a team-high 22 carries and finished with 118 total yards and a score (19.8 points) for the Jets. He will remain a high-end RB2 next week. — Bowen<\/p>\n Cincinnati 33, Tampa Bay 27Bengals<\/p>\n Is the Bengals\u2019 defense as good as it appeared against Tampa Bay? It\u2019s not a mirage. There are still some aspects that need to be shored up, but the defensive line was as good as advertised. Cincinnati forced and recovered four fumbles, including a scoop and score by second-year LB Demetrius Knight Jr.<\/a> for the team\u2019s first TD of the season. Cincinnati got key contributions from nearly all of its offseason signings. It was the exact impact the Bengals hoped for from a revamped defense.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Joe Burrow<\/a> took what the defense gave him Sunday. He did a good job finding the tight ends, particularly Mike Gesicki<\/a>, and working the underneath routes to move the ball down the field. The pick-six he threw in the third quarter didn\u2019t prove to be disastrous, and Burrow typically gets better the deeper he gets into a season. — Ben Baby<\/p>\n Next game: at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Buccaneers<\/p>\n What do we make of the Bucs\u2019 four fumbles that led to 24 points? Quarterback Baker Mayfield<\/a>\u2019s first fumble came while moving laterally to try to find an open receiver. The second fumble was from running back Bucky Irving<\/a>, who left the ball exposed when he collided with Boye Mafe<\/a> and Myles Murphy<\/a>. (It\u2019s unclear if his offseason shoulder surgery played into this at all.) The third came from Mayfield while he was spinning his way out of a sack, scrambling and desperately trying to reach the end zone while in a 14-3 hole — trying to do too much. The fourth was simply the result of Mayfield holding on to the ball too long; Mafe hit him from behind to jar it loose.<\/p>\n Stat to know: Rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter<\/a> is the first NFL rookie with a pick-six and a sack in his NFL debut since sacks became an official stat in 1982, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He is also the ninth player in NFL history with a sack and interception in his NFL debut since 1982. — Jenna Laine<\/p>\n Next game: vs. Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: Don\u2019t panic, Ja\u2019Marr Chase managers: The star wide receiver had 3.2 fantasy points, but he is no stranger to slow starts. Two of his worst games have come in the past two Week 1s. And over his career, he has averaged 5.5 fewer points in September than the rest of the season. — Cockcroft<\/p>\n Jacksonville 34, Cleveland 10Jaguars<\/p>\n Is the Jaguars\u2019 Week 1 dominance sustainable? The Jaguars controlled the entirety of their season opener against the Browns, led by four touchdown passes from quarterback Trevor Lawrence<\/a>. But it\u2019s the next five games that will tell us if they are actually as good as this win suggested. Four of the Jaguars\u2019 next five games are against 2025 playoff teams, beginning at the Broncos next week, Patriots at home in Week 3, at the Bengals in Week 4, and then back-to-back games in London against the Eagles and Texans. Thrive in that stretch and the Jaguars could enter their Week 7 bye as one of the best in the AFC. Time will tell.<\/p>\n Trend to watch: Lawrence targeted 10 players — nine had at least one catch — and four different players caught TDs (Parker Washington<\/a>, Josh Cameron<\/a>, Brenton Strange<\/a> and Jakobi Meyers<\/a>). Not only that, but Lawrence targeted all areas of the field. He had two TD passes of 20 or more yards, which is one shy of what he had in 2025. Having that many options in the pass game could make this offense hard to stop. — Mike DiRocco<\/p>\n Next game: at Broncos (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Best quote from the locker room: Jaguars DE Josh Hines-Allen<\/a> on Foyesade Oluokun<\/a>\u2019s interception on the fifth offensive play of the game: \u201cIt was actually kind of crazy because the coin toss, when [the Browns] wanted to receive [the ball to start the game], I was like, \u2018Oh, OK.\u2019 Then we got that interception. For me … that was the statement right there. This is when the game is going to turn that fast.\u201d<\/p>\n Browns<\/p>\n Was this just a bad game or a bad sign for the Browns? Todd Monken\u2019s first game as an NFL head coach was a worst-case outcome for a team with major question marks. Deshaun Watson<\/a> looked every bit the quarterback who hadn\u2019t played a regular-season game in 693 days, while the defense looked like a unit missing edge rusher Myles Garrett<\/a> and ex-defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Jacksonville was a tough Week 1 draw, but Sunday highlighted fundamental issues that might not be solved in a week.<\/p>\n What to make of the QB performance: Concerns over Watson\u2019s training camp — inconsistent at best — and preseason performance will only grow after this outing. In his first regular-season game since October 2024, Watson looked tentative and inaccurate throughout the game. (He went 16-of-22 with five sacks and an INT). Those are issues that predated the Achilles injury that sidelined him for all of the 2025 season. — Daniel Oyefusi<\/p>\n Next game: at Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n Best quote from the locker room: Monken on Cleveland\u2019s blowout loss: \u201cI\u2019m not down. I\u2019m disappointed. I mean, you\u2019re not going to get me down. Waited a long time to be a head coach in this league, man. It\u2019s freaking awesome. And we\u2019re not where we want to be, and they better get us now. We\u2019ve got a young group and we just didn\u2019t play well today.\u201d<\/p>\n Fantasy football takeaway: The Browns, who scored 10 points and saw the opposing Jaguars D\/ST score 14 fantasy points, reaffirmed their status as a top-shelf D\/ST streaming target. The Buccaneers (Week 2), Panthers (Week 3) and Jets (Week 5) — all widely available defenses — are three of their next four opponents. — Cockcroft<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 NFL season is already off to an exciting start. In the early window Sunday, the Bears…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":895480,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[132380,49,48,514,82,259113],"class_list":["post-895479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-2026-season","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nfl","tag-sports","tag-week-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=895479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/895480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=895479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=895479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=895479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}