NFL 2026 RECAP: WEEK ONE

THE MOMENT YOU’VE WAITED FOR IS FINALLY HERE: THE START OF ANOTHER NFL SEASON! Now try and contain yourselves…or at least better than I just did. We had some high scores this week, the most in an opening week in NFL history. In other words, the defenses in the NFL proved to be as useful as an air conditioner on the ice planet of Hoth. So, Stand Back as I break down the first week of this highly anticipated NFL season (and also honor my first Stevie Nicks reference of the NFL season).

PATRIOTS 10 – SEAHAWKS 13

The season started with a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl. The New England Patriots put up a better fight this time around, but it was still not enough as the Seattle Seahawks began their title defense with a victory. There is an asterisk with this game, as Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold went down on the opening drive. Drew Lock stepped up to lead the Seahawks over the Patriots after the Patriot offense once again ground down to a halt. Lock ended the game by throwing 16 for 22 for 187 yards and a touchdown. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had a worse day throwing 23 for 33 for 178 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions. We’ll have to see what the Seahawks do without Darnold for at least one game next week against the Cardinals. As for the Patriots, they also lost someone, wide receiver AJ Brown. Also, and this is for Maye, these interceptions MUST STOP or the Patriots are going nowhere fast! They’ll look to bounce back next week against the Steelers in their home opener.

RAMS 7- 49ERS 27

Los Angeles fans might want to turn away for the next two games.  The Rams, a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl, were crushed in Australia by the rival San Francisco 49ers.  In the same famed Melbourne Cricket Ground that the Los Angeles Dodgers played in at the height of Clayton Kershaw’s career, the Rams had no answer and played miserably for the whole game. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy completed 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford had a forgettable game completing 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards and an interception. The 49ers return to the states to face the new look Dolphins next week. As for the Rams, it looks like this will be a tougher road than everyone expected to get to the Super Bowl especially with Myles Garrett out. Also, this game should serve as an example of what to do and what NOT to do when playing an international game. The Rams face an upstart Giants team in their home opener next week.

CARDINALS 26 – CHARGERS 14

The other LA team didn’t do any better as the Arizona Cardinals pulled off an upset against the Los Angeles Chargers. Sunday certainly looked like a new dawn for Arizona under first year coach Mike LaFleur. Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett outdueled Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Brisset threw for 277 yards and a touchdown while Herbert threw for 209 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. We’ll see if these Cardinals are for real as they face the defending champion Seahawks for their home opener. As for the Chargers, I cannot say this enough: THIS WIDE RECEIVING CORPS SUCKS! The Chargers’ receivers are the answer to the question “what would happen if Pokémon mascot Pikachu had no electricity?” (If that was the case, Pikachu really would be as useful as an air conditioner on the ice planet of Hoth.) The Chargers will need more from this lackluster receiving corps next week against the Raiders.

BROWNS 10 – JAGUARS 34

Talk about a one-sided affair. This was no contest as the Jacksonville Jaguars rolled over the Cleveland Browns in the season opener. The Jaguars were in control from the start and never looked back. Trevor Lawrence had a dazzling game, completing 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns. Deshaun Watson’s return to action for the first time in over a year went as well as Sony Pictures’ movie Kraven the Hunter. Watson threw for 205 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The next five games that will tell us if the Jaguars are actually as good as this win suggested, starting with a trip to Denver to face the Broncos. As for the Browns, Todd Monken’s first game as an NFL head coach was a worst-case outcome for a team with major question marks. These questions will need answers as the team goes on the road to face the Buccaneers next week.

BUCCANEERS 27 – BENGALS 33

Okay, first time of the NFL season already, but here it goes. HOLY MOLE HOLES! In what I consider a big upset, the Cincinnati Bengals managed to hold off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This was a surprise as the Bengals went into this game with a very startling and uninspiring record when scoring 30 or more points. What do I mean? Basically: the Bengals’ defense has had as big a hole in them the last few years as a Simpsons’ donut. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 254 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 216 yards and no touchdowns (but no interceptions either). So, has the Bengals’ defense finally turned the corner? Well, this didn’t look like a mirage, and there looks like some parts that can use some slight reinforcement, but this defensive line looks solid. We’ll see if the Bengals’ defense really can go the distance next week on the road against the Texans. As for the Buccaneers, there sure were some mistakes that Mayfield will want to forget, as turnovers such as fumbles and interceptions have become his MO. The Buccaneers will look to bounce back against the Browns in their home opener.

JETS 23 – TITANS 10

Maybe the world is flat after all. The New York Jets won their first game of the season against the Tennessee Titans. This is rarefied air for coach Aaron Glenn, who needed eight games last season to record a victory. The good news for Jets quarterback Geno Smith is that he had no turnovers in his return to New York. The bad news is that Smith only threw for 215 yards and no touchdowns. Former number one draft pick Cam Ward also gave a subpar performance with 140 passing yards and a touchdown. So, should the Jets be optimistic about their season this year? Well, slow your roll everyone. One victory means nothing…but two victories? Well, then we know we have something. Next week’s home opener against the Packers will see if the Jets are for real. As for the Titans, it doesn’t seem to be getting any better if Cam Ward keeps missing easy throws. It might be worse next week when the Titans hosts the Eagles.

FALCONS 13 – STEELERS 20

It seems like a given that whenever you have someone on your defense with the last name Watt…you’ve got an amazing defense. TJ Watt’s late pick-six was the decider as the Pittsburg Steelers took down the injury-laden Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons still had star running back Bijan Robinson, who nearly single-handedly kept the Falcons afloat. Robinson had an impressive 83 yards rushing, plus 8 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers began his final season with 221 passing yards and a touchdown. Now the only question for the Steelers is the status of Joey Porter Jr. He and the Steelers still haven’t come to an agreement about a contract extension, and he was inactive this week. It’s something to watch as the Steelers go on the road next week against the Patriots. As for the Falcons, Cooper Rush was no good at quarterback. So, who will be the Falcons’ quarterback in Week 2? Tua Tagovailoa is still week-to-week, and we don’t know how close Michael Penix Jr. is to returning. All eyes will be on the Falcons’ decision this week leading up to the Falcons’ home opener against the Panthers.

RAVENS 41 – COLTS 23

This was a brutal butt-kicking for the Indianapolis Colts as the Baltimore Ravens showed no mercy in this season opener. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looked like he didn’t lose a step as he passed for 324 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones played as well as Lucy from The Peanuts comic strip: throwing for 166 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The question for this week for the Ravens will be the health of wide receiver Zay Flowers. Flowers had a banner day before departing with five catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said Monday that Flowers is considered day-to-day with a hamstring injury, Sam Cohn of The Baltimore Sun reports. Minter’s comments essentially match what Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier Monday, as Flowers’ left hamstring injury isn’t considered serious and is unlikely to result in the wideout missing much time, if any. We’ll have to see as the Ravens host the Saints for their home opener next week. As for the Colts, 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. It doesn’t get better as the Colts travel to face the Chiefs next week.

SAINTS 30 – LIONS 31 (OT)

In what turned out to be the most entertaining game of the week, the Detroit Lions survived an overtime battle with the New Orleans Saints. Lions quarterback Jared Goff finished with 206 passing yards and two touchdowns. It was an up and down day for Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. He finished the day with 410 passing yards, three touchdowns, but two interceptions. Should the Lions be worried about the defense, or is this what we should expect? Well, I think they should be concerned about the fact they let the Saints back into this game when they really shouldn’t have had any problems putting this away. Let me put it this way: you wouldn’t settle for half of an aria from Mozart or half a song from Taylor Swift…you want the whole thing. The Lions will need more from their defense next week as they go on the road to face the Bills. As for the Saints, it might have been a case of “too little, too late.” Tyler Shough had no sync with the offense in the first half and then turned it around in the second half. That last two-point conversion play to end the game was the right call, but poorly executed. We’ll see which Saints offense we see next week on the road against the Ravens.

BILLS 36 – TEXANS 31

Speaking of entertaining games, this one went down to the wire as the Buffalo Bills took their first win on the road against the Houston Texans. In this duel of star quarterbacks, it was Bills quarterback Josh Allen who triumphed over Texans quarterback CJ Stroud. Allen completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Stroud finished completing 26 of 38 passes for 274 passing yards and two touchdowns. Is this the version of the Bills’ offense we should expect with former coordinator Joe Brady now in charge? Well, we were promised more aggressiveness and downfield attacking, and things did seem to flow smoothly as one could expect from a Josh Allen-led offense. The defense, however, remains a concern for the Bills. We will see the Bills in their new stadium for Thursday Night Football against the Lions. As for the Texans, what happened to their vaunted defense? Allowing over 30 points? Not since the Christmas Day beatdown they got from the Ravens in 2024. 36 points is unacceptable for a defense that believes it’s the best. We’ll see if they can bounce back at home next week against the Bengals.

BEARS 59 – PANTHERS 37

It was a great start if you are a Chicago Bears fan. If you’re a Carolina Panthers fan…you have my sympathies. The Bears won this shootout with brute force over the Panthers. All facets of the offense were humming on full cylinders for the Bears as Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, but the running game was on point with 291 rushing yards and six touchdowns. It was a great sign from the Bears that their offense looks top-notch. However, I seriously doubt they can expect to just ride their offense without improving both their health and mistakes on defense. Get ready for a huge divisional rivalry matchup next week as the Bears host the Vikings. As for the Panthers, this wasn’t good…not good…at all! They spent a fortune on linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, and this was the best their defense could perform? Essentially, the Panthers were buying what they thought was a Lamborghini and instead got a lemon. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is now on the hot seat to start the season as the Panthers head on the road to face the Falcons.

DOLPHINS 13 – RAIDERS 27

This was definitely the good start fans were hoping for from…DA RAIDERS! The new look Las Vegas Raiders passed their first test by defeating the Miami Dolphins. It was a forgettable showing from the Raiders’ new quarterback Kirk Cousins, throwing for only 160 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. However, it was star running back Ashton Jeanty that stole the show with 102 rushing yards to add to six catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns. THIS is the Jeanty we’ve all been waiting for since last season. The new offensive line looks solid enough to allow Jeanty to do his thing. Imagine how much better the Raiders will look when they get a healthy Brock Bowers back. The Raiders will look to continue their momentum on the road next week against the Chargers. Looking over at the Dolphins, no one except Caleb Douglas consistently got open. Game script impacted the Dolphins’ ability to call run plays, but even when they rushed, ball carrier De’Von Achane was stuffed on nearly 20% of his attempts. It doesn’t get any better as the Dolphins next play against the 49ers who just made mincemeat out of the Rams’ vaunted offense.

COMMANDERS 22 – EAGLES 24

In what was a sloppy game for both sides, the Philadelphia Eagles survived their home opener against Washington Commanders. The three touchdown passes from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts covers the fact that he only passed for 203 yards. It wasn’t any better for Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who only threw for 164 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles’ offense looked like boom-or-bust. There were explosive plays that carried them to the victory, but the offensive line wasn’t very efficient and brought back painful memories of last season. They’ll have a chance to work out the bugs next week on the road against the Titans. As for the Commanders, look, the Eagles have a better defense than people think, and this was Daniels’ first game back since Week 14 last season. However, Daniels did show too much hesitation and that doesn’t inspire confidence. The Commanders look to right the ship next week on the road against the Cowboys.

PACKERS 22 – VIKINGS 39

I didn’t expect to do this twice in one week, but HOLY MOLE HOLES! The Minnesota Vikings suddenly pulled 29 unanswered points to claw back and beat their bitter rivals, the Green Bay Packers. Carson Wentz had to step up for the Vikings as Kyler Murray exited the contest early with a concussion. Wentz completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 passing yards and three touchdowns. It wasn’t a very efficient outing for Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who ended up completing half of his 42 passes for 387 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. So, the Vikings…this song sounds familiar. 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 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. Once more, the Vikings must rely on Carson Wentz as the Vikings face another bitter divisional rival on the road next week; the Bears. As for the Packers, this song also sounds familiar: grab the lead, look like a playoff contender, and then blow it all in spectacular fashion in the second half. I was really hoping the Packers learned from last year. Evidently not. The Packers need answers, and they need them fast as their next opponent is on the road: a surprisingly good-looking Jets squad.

COWBOYS 20 – GIANTS 28

HOLY MOLE HOLES! After languishing in relative obscurity for what seems like an eternity…BOTH New York teams won the first game of the season. I cannot believe I am writing this, but the New York Giants triumphed over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Jaxson Dart looked amazing for the Giants, passing for 230 yards and three touchdowns. It was also a respectable outing for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott was efficient, completing 22 of 34 passes for 175 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. First off, I want to apologize to the Giants: I did NOT think John Harbaugh would have turned things around THIS FAST for the Giants. Second, I must ask why on Earth did the Ravens let this man walk to go coach the Giants? For the first time in years, the Giants should be taken seriously in the NFC East. However, they’ll have a tough road test next week: a showdown in Los Angeles with a ticked off Rams team. As for the Cowboys, first off…kudos for a drama-free offseason. However, this team still needs to improve quite a bit before we can seriously consider them playoff contenders. An ill-timed Dak Prescott interception at the end of the first half led to a Giants’ 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’ taunting penalty led to a missed extra point attempt in a one-score game. The Cowboys will need to clean this all up next week for their home opener against the Commanders.

BRONCOS 10 – CHIEFS 31

I am not going to jump on the bandwagon with the “experts” in saying the Kansas City Chiefs are back. But I will say this: this was definitely a good step in the right direction. The Chiefs were able to easily overwhelm a Denver Broncos team that clearly did not come to play. This isn’t the Patrick Mahomes we are used to seeing, only throwing 184 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception with a QBR (quarterback rating) of only 50.2. But while Mahomes looks to be on the mend, Bo Nix is most definitely not. Nix threw an abysmal 131 yards, a touchdown, and an interception for a QBR of 8.3.  Yeah, you read that right…an 8. Now, the credit for the Chiefs’ victory belongs to Kenneth Walker III, with 173 rushing yards and a touchdown. Now, the Chiefs will have to rely on MORE than just rushing the ball. However, as I said before, it’s a step in the right direction. The Chiefs host the Colts next week on Sunday Night Football. As for the Broncos, this team is basically what we thought of them: they’re nothing without Bo Nix healthy at the helm. No one is taking their eyes off the Broncos, so nothing they do will surprise anyone. They need Nix healthy if they want any prayer of doing better this season. It doesn’t get any easier as the Broncos have their home opener next week against an even better team than they played this week: the Jaguars.