Following the Seattle Seahawks' win over the New England Patriots to start the season with a Super Bowl rematch, and the San Francisco 49ers' stunner over the Los Angeles Rams in Australia, Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season has been insane!
Bears go off for 59
The Chicago Bears are the talk of the town after their 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers. Quarterbacks Caleb Williams (CHI) and Bryce Young (CAR) combined for 705 total yards and eight touchdowns alone.
It marked the 12th-highest-scoring NFL game of all time and the highest for an opening weekend game.
Williams went 21-for-29 passing with 334 total yards and four total touchdowns (two passing), while Young tossed 361 yards (10 rushing yards) with four touchdowns (three passing) and an interception.
After the Panthers got on board first to make it 7-0 in the first quarter, the Bears never let them have the lead the rest of the game (four ties).
The Bears' top two running backs combined for 224 yards and four touchdowns themselves, with D'Andre Swift going 124-3 on 18 carries (10 receiving yards) and Kyle Monangai 100-1 on 10 carries (24 receiving yards).
Panthers' Jalen Coker led all receivers with 138 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions.
Chicago finished with 552 total yards of offense and 12 penalties, while the Panthers finished with 478 yards and 11 penalties.
Derrick Henry makes history
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry surpassed legendary running back Marcus Allen for the third-most rushing touchdowns of all-time after finding the end zone three times in the team's 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Henry finished the game with 144 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. He now owns the most games (26) in NFL history with at least 100 rushing yards and multiple rushing touchdowns.
Jamal Lewis leads the Ravens with the most rushing touchdowns (45) in team history, doing so in 91 games. Meanwhile, Henry has 35 in 35 games with the Ravens.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson looked to be in MVP form after putting up 364 total yards (40 rushing) and two touchdowns with one fumble. But the Ravens have cause to be alarmed in Jesse Minter's first-ever win as an NFL head coach.
Both starting wide receivers Zay Flowers (hamstring) and Ja'Kobi Lane (wrist) left the game with injuries and didn't return.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor picked up where he did last season, scoring two of the Colts' three touchdowns with 121 total yards (98 rushing).
Lions win in OT
The Detroit Lions outlasted the New Orleans Saints 31-30 in the first overtime win of the NFL season. After going up 21-0, the Saints battled back with 17 unanswered points to start the fourth quarter.
Following a Lions field goal to make it 24-17, quarterback Tyler Shough led the Saints to another touchdown to tie things up at 24 with 2:32 remaining in the fourth.
After forcing the Lions to punt the next drive, New Orleans drove down the field again. But kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 62-yard field goal to send it to OT.
The Lions scored on their first possession in overtime to make it 31-24. New Orleans responded with one of their own on a touchdown pass to Noah Fant, but failed to convert on the two-point conversion, effectively giving the Lions their first win.
Shough led the game with 410 passing yards on 35-of-56 passing, three touchdowns, two interceptions, and one fumble. Wide receiver Chris Olave led all receivers with 182 yards on 10 receptions.
Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs led all rushers with 156 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries (30 receiving yards).
Vikings score 22 in 4th QTR comeback
After entering the fourth quarter losing 22-17, the Vikings put up 22 unanswered points in a dominant fourth quarter to seal a 39-22 win over their NFC North division rival Packers.
Minnesota put up three touchdowns on three drives in the final frame after forcing a pair of turnover-on-downs, one forced fumble, and one interception.
Justin Jefferson scored the final touchdown of the game for the Vikings to put them up by three scores. The superstar finished with 92 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions (nine targets).
QB Carson Wentz came in for the injured Kyler Murray, who left after a scary hit to the head, and finished with 133 yards and three touchdowns on 12-of-19 passing.
Packers' Christian Watson, however, led all receivers with 147 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions. Matthew Golden posted 95 yards on six receptions. QB Jordan Love tossed 387 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception on 21-of-42 passing.
They took their first loss of the season despite outgaining the Vikings 419-239. Their 12 penalties to Minnesota's three, and the two turnovers, proved costly.
Kirk Cousins surpassed John Elway
Las Vegas Raiders QB Kirk Cousins surpassed Hall of Famer John Elway on the all-time passing touchdowns list after tossing No. 301 in their 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Cousins finished the game with 160 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Two-year running back Aston Jeanty put up 102 rushing yards on 23 carries, while leading the Raiders with 45 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns on six receptions.
He's not just the only Raiders player to ever put up 100+ rushing yards with two or more receiving touchdowns in a game - Jeanty has now done it twice.
The Raiders defense forced two turnovers and six sacks. This now marks back-to-back seasons where the Raiders held their opponents to 13 points in Week 1.
Other games
The Buffalo Bills held off the Houston Texans on the final drive of the game to take home a 36-31 win. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud bobbled the ball under pressure from Greg Rousseau to end the game.
Bills QB Josh Allen finished with 357 total yards (334 passing, 20/29) with four touchdowns. Stoud finished with 289 total yards (274 passing, 26/38) with two touchdowns and two fumbles.
Buffalo tight end Dalton Kincaid led all receivers with 130 yards on five receptions, while D.J. Moore put up 100 yards and a touchdown in his Bills debut.
David Montgomery led all backs with 60 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns.
The Philadelphia Eagles held on to defeat the Washington Commanders in a close 24-22 division win to start the season.
Washington QB Jayden Daniels threw a short touchdown pass to rookie Antonio Williams with 1:01 remaining in the game. But ultimately failed to score on the two-point conversion that would have tied the game up at 24 apiece.
Daniels finished with 195 yards (164 passing) and two passing touchdowns, the other being to Stefon Diggs (4-55-1) for his first as a Commander. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts put up 249 total yards (203 passing) with three touchdowns. Saquon Barkley led all rushers with 83 yards on 15 carries.
Out in Los Angeles, the Arizona Cardinals earned a shocking 26-14 victory over the Chargers to mark Mike LaFleur's first win as an NFL head coach.
Arizona held the lead the entire game as QB Jacoby Brissett finished with 291 total yards and one touchdown.
Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love earned his first touchdown, finishing with 41 yards on 11 carries. Teammate Tyler Allgeier led all rushers with 61 yards on 17 carries.
Trey McBride led all receivers with 95 yards and one touchdown on nine receptions (13 targets).
Meanwhile, the New York Jets took down the Tennessee Titans 23-10 in Geno Smith's first game back with his former team. He finished with 222 total yards (212 passing, 19/24), while running back Breece Hall led all rushers with 102 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries.
Titans quarterback Cam Ward put up 161 total yards (140 passing) with one interception and three sacks.
Down south, the Jacksonville Jaguars decimated the Cleveland Browns 34-10.
The Jaguars led 24-0 at the half, forcing opposing quarterback Deshaun Watson to commit a turnover on the Browns' fifth play of the game.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence had 114 passing yards in the first quarter alone, finishing with 245 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers.
Parker Washington (5-83), Jakobi Meyers (2-40), Brenton Strange (2-23), and Josh Cameron (2-20) all found the end zone for the Jags.
Sticking with AFC North teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers took down the Atlanta Falcons 20-13.
Bijan Robinson led all players in both rushing yards (83) and receiving yards (90), while Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers finished with 221 yards and one touchdown on 24-of-40 passing.
EDGE rusher T.J. Watt had the highlight of the game when he returned one of two Cooper Rush interceptions for a touchdown.