The 2026 NFL season is already off to an exciting start.
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 Deshaun Watson's first regular-season game since October 2024.
The Bills looked sharp offensively against the Texans in Joe Brady's head-coaching debut, and the Lions needed to go to overtime to get past the Saints. In the late window, the Cardinals won in coach Mike LaFleur's debut despite being heavy underdogs against the Chargers.
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 every team. Fantasy football analysts Matt Bowen and Tristan Cockcroft also have fantasy takeaways from every matchup. Let's get to it.
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ARI-LAC | CHI-CAR | BUF-HOU
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Arizona 26, L.A. Chargers 14
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Cardinals
What does an impressive upset win say about Mike LaFleur's impact on the Cardinals? Sunday certainly looked like a new dawn for Arizona under first-year coach Mike LaFleur. It wasn't perfect by any stretch, but the Cardinals' upset win -- they were 8.5-point underdogs on DraftKings -- showcased his offense and all of its weapons, which 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 Arizona's touchdown, and suddenly a team that lost its last nine in 2025 looks confident for future games.
What to make of the QB performance: Jacoby Brissett played as well as anyone could've hoped in his first game in a new offense without the benefit of working through the nuances of it during OTAs and minicamp. He had one hiccup but otherwise turned in an efficient, clean performance, for 277 passing yards and a touchdown on 27-for-37 passing. -- Josh Weinfuss
Next game: vs. Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Chargers
Is there reason for concern about Mike McDaniel's offense? Much has been made about how explosive the pairing between quarterback Justin Herbert and McDaniel might be this season, and McDaniel hasn't shied away from that, saying that he anticipated receivers to have career highs across the board. On Sunday, those promises seemed far-fetched. It was the Cardinals' offense, however, that had the explosiveness with 393 total yards (compared to L.A.'s 268). The hope for the Chargers is that they just need time to make this major offensive shift under McDaniel.
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's decision Sunday all the more surprising. With just under two minutes remaining and the Chargers losing 10-7, Harbaugh decided to go for it on fourth down from the 3-yard line. Defensive tackle Dante Stills sacked Herbert, and the Cardinals went sunk a field goal to extend their lead to six before half. The Chargers' 38 fourth-down attempts under Harbaugh since 2024 are tied for third-fewest by any team, per ESPN Research. -- Kris Rhim
Next game: vs. Raiders (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Fantasy football takeaway: Brissett kept the offense afloat and most notably helped tight end Trey McBride reach his eighth game of 20-plus fantasy points in their past 13 starts working together. They'll need this level of chemistry to survive one of the league's toughest schedules in 2026. -- Cockcroft
Chicago 59, Carolina 37
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Bears
Can the Bears' offense be expected to overcome defensive woes all season? Their 59 points were the fourth most in franchise history. Coach Ben Johnson's 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's 552 yards were their third most in a game in the Super Bowl era. There's plenty to clean up, from penalties to TE Colston Loveland's usage, but Caleb Williams' playmaking and a rushing attack that scored a franchise-record six TDs proved decisive. The Bears' defense, though, will need to get healthy and improve for the team to reach its overall goals.
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
Next game: vs. Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Panthers
How much stock can Panthers put into an historically bad defensive performance? After spending a fortune on outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips and inside linebacker Devin Lloyd 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's performance was easily his worst to date.
What to make of the QB performance: With the defense faltering all afternoon, Bryce Young 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
Next game: at Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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'll be a top-five QB in my ranks for Week 2. -- Bowen
Buffalo 36, Houston 31
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Bills
Is this the version of the Bills' 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 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.
Stat to know: This was Allen's ninth career game with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. That's 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
Next game: vs. Lions (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Texans
How did the Texans' defense struggle so badly? It has been awhile since Houston's 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's more than enough for a Texans' 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's the best.
Most surprising performance: Running back David Montgomery 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
Next game: vs. Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Fantasy football takeaway: Montgomery (28.9 points) didn't 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
Detroit 31, New Orleans 30 (OT)
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Lions
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' offense likely won't be this stellar throughout the season. When Detroit's 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 finished with two sacks, while S Chuck Clark and LB Derrick Barnes 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 (knee) and Brian Branch (Achilles) from IR will help.
Stat to know: Jahmyr Gibbs' 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 (49) round out the list.
Best quote from the locker room: Lions QB Jared Goff on tough overtime win: "I don't care how it happens. If we're up and they come back or we're down and we come back, it doesn't matter ... Yeah, of course, we'd love to keep scoring and win 49-0 of course, I'm not saying that. But listen, it's the NFL. This thing's hard. Week 1's very hard and we're happy to get a win." -- Eric Woodyard
Next game: at Bills (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Saints
What will we see from the Saints' offense next week after its slow start? It's 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.
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.
Best quote from the locker room: Wide receiver Chris Olave, 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. "Y'all 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's not all about football. I want to live regular life after I'm done with football. I love my kids to death. I don't really care how it looks no more. I just got to throw it on and shoot, it did me good today." -- Katherine Terrell
Next game: at Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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' final five drives. -- Cockcroft
Baltimore 41, Indianapolis 23
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Ravens
What are the Ravens going to do at wide receiver if Zay Flowers misses any time? The Ravens may need to add a veteran receiver depending on the severity of Flowers' 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' injury is compounded by the loss of promising rookie Ja'Kobi Lane, who didn't 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' only healthy wide receivers are: Rashod Bateman, LaJohntay Wester, who is primarily a punt returner, Chris Moore, who was elevated from the practice squad, and Elijah Sarratt, a rookie fourth-round pick who was a healthy scratch. Before Flowers' injury, quarterback Lamar Jackson was 10-of-13 for 214 yards and a touchdown. Without Flowers, Jackson was 7-of-12 for 110 yards.
Trend to watch: Derrick Henry's workload will remain the same. Before the season, new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle wouldn't commit to Henry getting over 300 carries for a third straight year but indicated Henry would have "an immense role." In Indy, Henry had 24 carries for 144 yards and three touchdowns. It was Henry's 26th game with more than 100 yards rushing and multiple touchdowns, which moved him past Jim Brown for the most in NFL history.
Best quote from the locker room: Jesse Minter on his first win as a head coach: "It's surreal a little bit, honestly. I don't know if it's actually hit me yet, but it's a blessing to be where I'm at. Such appreciation for the opportunity given to me by this organization." -- Jamison Hensley
Next game: vs. Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Colts
Is the Colts' 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 and safety A.J. Haulcy (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.
What to make of the QB performance: Daniel Jones was making his return to the field after sustaining an Achilles tear last December. He didn't 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't 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
Next game: at Chiefs (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
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
Pittsburgh 20, Atlanta 13
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Steelers
What's next with Joey Porter Jr.? It's rare that the biggest question has nothing to do with what happened on the field, but that's 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's 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's 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. started in Porter's place, and he played well opposite Jamel Dean despite an unnecessary roughness penalty.
Trend to watch: After seeing his opportunities reduced a season ago, tight end Pat Freiermuth was Mr. Consistency for QB Aaron Rodgers. 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's dependability was especially key because wide receiver DK Metcalf struggled to make contested catches. Metcalf finished with four catches on 10 targets for 40 yards.
Best quote from the locker room: Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt said he was surprised he wasn't touched, allowing him to jump up and score a 35-yard pick-six, after intercepting Rush early in the fourth quarter. "I had no idea where I was," he said. "I had no bearing at all. I'm sure the fall didn't look too graceful, but glad someone told me to get up and keep running." -- Brooke Pryor
Next game: at Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Falcons
Who will be the Falcons' quarterback in Week 2? Cooper Rush was not good in replacing Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) against the Steelers. The Falcons have classified Tagovailoa as week-to-week and Michael Penix Jr. 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, who played great in the preseason, is ready just yet.
Most surprising performance: Kicker Nick Folk 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
Next game: vs. Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Best quote from the locker room: Folk didn't mince words when assessing his 45-yard field goal miss: "[That one] I just didn't hit very well. I haven't hit a kick like that in a very long time. I take full responsibility for today and just a bad day on my part." -- Marc Raimondi
Fantasy football takeaway: It's 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 managed a massive 35.3 fantasy point game and accounted for 66% of their yardage, including a heavy dose of receiving work. -- Cockcroft
N.Y. Jets 23, Tennessee 10
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Jets
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 and Adonai Mitchell delivered explosive plays while Breece Hall (102 yards) and Braelon Allen (40 yards) spearheaded a 152-yard rushing attack. QB Geno Smith, 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.
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, the defense played fantastic, making three sacks and holding the Titans to 195 total yards. They did it without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who left with a groin injury after six snaps. -- Rich Cimini
Best quote from the locker room: "I'm not going to write a book too early," Hall said. "We definitely left some (points) out there. I would feel a lot better if ... I wanted a little more." He said they should've scored 40 points.
Next game: vs. Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Titans
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's 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't work if Cam Ward keeps missing easy throws. It could be worse next week when Tennessee hosts the Eagles.
What to make of the QB performance: Saying Ward's 2026 debut was bad is an understatement. Ward missed easy throws to RB Tyjae Spears and WR Wan'Dale 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
Next game: vs. Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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
Cincinnati 33, Tampa Bay 27
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Bengals
Is the Bengals' defense as good as it appeared against Tampa Bay? It's 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. for the team's 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.
What to make of the QB performance: Joe Burrow took what the defense gave him Sunday. He did a good job finding the tight ends, particularly Mike Gesicki, and working the underneath routes to move the ball down the field. The pick-six he threw in the third quarter didn't prove to be disastrous, and Burrow typically gets better the deeper he gets into a season. -- Ben Baby
Next game: at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Buccaneers
What do we make of the Bucs' four fumbles that led to 24 points? Quarterback Baker Mayfield's first fumble came while moving laterally to try to find an open receiver. The second fumble was from running back Bucky Irving, who left the ball exposed when he collided with Boye Mafe and Myles Murphy. (It's 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.
Stat to know: Rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter 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
Next game: vs. Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Fantasy football takeaway: Don't panic, Ja'Marr 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
Jacksonville 34, Cleveland 10
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Jaguars
Is the Jaguars' 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. But it's the next five games that will tell us if they are actually as good as this win suggested. Four of the Jaguars' 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.
Trend to watch: Lawrence targeted 10 players -- nine had at least one catch -- and four different players caught TDs (Parker Washington, Josh Cameron, Brenton Strange and Jakobi Meyers). 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
Next game: at Broncos (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Best quote from the locker room: Jaguars DE Josh Hines-Allen on Foyesade Oluokun's interception on the fifth offensive play of the game: "It was actually kind of crazy because the coin toss, when [the Browns] wanted to receive [the ball to start the game], I was like, 'Oh, okay.' Then we got that interception. For me ... that was the statement right there. This is when the game is going to turn that fast."
Browns
Was this just a bad game or a bad sign 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. Deshaun Watson looked every bit the quarterback who hadn't played a regular-season game in 693 days, while the defense looked like a unit missing edge rusher Myles Garrett 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.
What to make of the QB performance: Concerns over Watson's 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
Next game: at Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Best quote from the locker room: Monken on Cleveland's blowout loss: "I'm not down. I'm disappointed. I mean, you're not going to get me down. Waited a long time to be a head coach in this league, man. It's freaking awesome. And we're not where we want to be, and they better get us now. We've got a young group and we just didn't play well today."
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