The NFL season kicked off earlier this week, but the Sunday/Monday slate is packed with compelling Week 1 matchups. We spotlight the games to watch and make predictions.
The NFL season started where it left off, with the Seattle Seahawks and backup quarterback Drew Lock winning a Super Bowl rematch over the again-humbled New England Patriots, 13-10, on Wednesday night.
Then it was off to Australia on Thursday, where the Los Angeles Rams treated it like a trip to Las Vegas rather than a trek halfway across the globe, sleepwalking through their jetlag after arriving just 28 hours before kickoff and getting dominated 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers.
Those were two of the best matchups of the week, certainly, but the Sunday/Monday schedule brings plenty more marquee matchups for the rest of Week 1.
Three Must-See NFL Games Sunday
(All game times ET, all point spreads via DraftKings Sportsbook.)
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. Sunday on CBS
Two of the top contenders in the AFC clash right off the bat in nonconference play.
The Bills (+1000) are tied for the second-best Super Bowl odds entering the weekend while the Texans (+1800) are a trendy sleeper pick after the way they finished last season with 10 straight wins before bowing out in the divisional round.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is the preseason MVP favorite and could be in for a career year with the Bills giving him a much-needed WR1 in acquiring DJ Moore from the Bears, while promoting Joe Brady from offensive coordinator to head coach (replacing conservative, defensive-minded Sean McDermott) should open up the offense a bit.
Many questioned the Bills decision to fire McDermott after he went 98-50 in nine seasons with eight playoff appearances and two trips to the AFC championship game, but we defended that decision and argued that the team had reached its ceiling under McDermott and too often came out flat to start games while relying on Allen to play Superman.
Whether or not Brady was the right pick to replace him is up for debate, but it made sense to maintain continuity for Allen.
The pressure is on in 2026, though, in what feels like a Super Bowl or bust season for Buffalo.
Moore is coming off a disappointing season in Chicago where he got usurped by younger talent with a new coaching staff taking over, but he’s unquestionably the best receiver Allen has had since the first years with Stefon Diggs in Buffalo. Moore had a career-high 1,364 yards and 8 TDs as recently as 2023 and was very productive prior to that in Carolina with Brady as his OC.
With reigning NFL rushing leader James Cook (1,621 yards and 12 TDs) back, this should be one of the top offenses in the NFL.
What the Bills defense looks like under new coordinator Jim Leonhard remains to be seen.
As for the Texans, they were arguably the best defense in the NFL last year (or 1B to the champion Seahawks), allowing a league-low 277.2 yards per game and 17.4 points per game (second-best).
Houston is simply loaded at every level of the defense, led by elite edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. (second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2025 with 12 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and 3 forced fumbles) and Danielle Hunter (15 sacks in 2025, 114.5 career) and the best secondary in football with cornerbacks Kamari Lassiter (91 tackles, 4 INTs), and Derek Stingley Jr. (first-team All-Pro, 4 INTs, 15 passes defended) and safeties Calen Bullock (Pro Bowl, 64 tackles, 4 INTs, 10 PDs) and Reed Blankenship (83 tackles, INT for Eagles last year).
The question again for the Texans is the offense.
That starts with fourth-year QB C.J. Stroud, who was solid enough in the regular season with 3,041 yards, 19 TDs and 8 INTs before melting down in the playoffs with 5 picks and 5 fumbles (2 lost) in two games.
The Texans remade their offensive line in the offseason (including first-round pick Keylan Rutledge taking over at left guard), traded for running back David Montgomery, from the Lions, to bolster what was one of the weakest rushing attacks in the league and have one of the NFL’s better WRs back in Nico Collins (71 receptions for 1,117 yards and 6 TDs last year).
If Stroud can settle in and play with more confidence and ball security, the Texans could absolutely find themselves in the Super Bowl picture.
This is as good as Week 1 matchups get with both teams standing to learn a lot about how they came out of the offseason.
Point spread: Bills -1.5
Prediction: Texans 27, Bills 24
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, 4:25 p.m. Sunday on CBS
The NFC North sets up as one of the three toughest divisions in football with the NFC West and AFC West, and it’s the deepest of the three with all four of its teams viable playoff contenders with goals beyond just making the postseason.
And that division battle starts immediately with the Packers visiting the Vikings on Sunday.
The top storyline is quarterback Kyler Murray‘s Minnesota debut and how much the former Arizona Cardinals QB can elevate the Vikings.
Remember, Minnesota won 14 games two seasons ago with Sam Darnold, and really the only reason it regressed to 9-8 and out of the playoffs last year was the QB trio of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer. It was honestly one of the great coaching feats of the year that coach Kevin O’Connell even got the team to 9 wins given how bad the QB play was from that group.
Murray was released by the Cardinals, who are paying $35.5 million of the QB’s $36.8-million salary this year, and signed a one-year deal with the Vikings.
With even competent quarterback play, which Murray is absolutely capable of providing along with the extra dynamic of his dual-threat rushing abilities, the Vikings should be a formidable contender thanks to the talent at wide receiver with Justin Jefferson (579 receptions for 8,480 yards and 42 TDs in 5.5 healthy seasons), Jordan Addison (1,786 yards and 19 TDs over his first two seasons before a dropoff in 2025 due to the putrid QB play) and new addition Jauan Jennings (55-643-9 in 15 games for the 49ers last year), along with tight end T.J. Hockenson (career-high 95-960-5 line in 2024 before injuries and QB demise the last two years).
Minnesota finished third in total defense (282.6 YPG) and seventh in scoring defense (19.6 PPG) last season and will look to remain solid on that side of the ball despite a quiet offseason and taking a gamble on DT Caleb Banks with the No. 18 overall pick, which felt like a major reach in the moment and isn’t looking any better after Banks remained limited by a foot injury (after missing most of last season at Florida for that reason) and otherwise unimpressive in the preseason.
Safety Harrison Smith signed on just last weekend to return for his 15th season with the team, which will help provide some stability to the secondary, though it remains to be seen how many snaps he’ll play Sunday.
Green Bay, meanwhile, has questions along the offensive line and at running back, with Josh Jacobs starting the season on the commissioner’s exempt list still unable to even practice with the team while pleading no-contest earlier this week to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property.
Third-year pro MarShawn Lloyd will get a chance to show he can be an NFL starting running back after injuries limited the former USC star to just 6 rushing attempts over his first two seasons. Officially, he’s part of a committee in the backfield with Chris Brooks and newly acquired Kaleb Johnson, but Lloyd has the best upside of that group and should get every chance to show it.
The Packers thinned out their WR corps in letting Romeo Doubs leave as a free agent (to New England) and trading Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles. That leaves Christian Watson as the clear WR1, which he is capable of being if he can ever stay healthy (35-611-6 in just 10 games last year) with Jayden Reed (55-857-6 in 2024 before injuries undercut his 2025 season) and Matthew Golden (disappointing as a first-round pick last year with a 29-361-0 line in 14 games) needing to step up for QB Jordan Love.
Tight end Tucker Kraft could be the biggest beneficiary of the offseason losses as he returns from a torn ACL after showing flashes of top-5 NFL TE potential the last two years, including a 32-489-6 line in 7.5 games last season.
Ultimately, what Green Bay needs the most is for Love to take the next step and prove he can be a top 10 NFL QB in his fourth season as a starter. Love passed for 3,381 yards, 23 TDs and 6 INTs last year while missing two games due to a concussion.
Green Bay will be without star edge rusher Micah Parsons for the first part of the season as he continues his rehab from a torn ACL. The Packers’ defense simply wasn’t the same without him down the stretch last year, and the team also lost defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as he is now the Dolphins head coach. Fired Cardinals coach and former Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon replaces him.
Point spread: Vikings -1.5
Prediction: Vikings 24, Packers 20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. Sunday on FOX
Two of 2025’s more disappointing teams in missing the playoffs, there is heightened pressure on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and coach Todd Bowles and the Cincinnati Bengals and coach Zac Taylor this year.
In fact, we ranked Bowles and Taylor 1-2 on our preseason coach hot seat list.
There’s renewed optimism for both teams this season, though, especially the Bengals, with star QB Joe Burrow healthy to start the year after missing nine games due to a turf toe injury in 2025 and some notable additions to the defense.
Cincinnati has become a trendy dark horse Super Bowl pick, tied for the ninth-best preseason odds (+1800) to win it all. We’d argue the Bengals are the most overrated team entering the season, however.
Yes, a healthy Burrow along with wideouts Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and running back Chase Brown (and an improving offensive line) give Cincinnati the potential to be one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL.
Burrow, still chasing his first MVP award, has had three full seasons in his injury-plagued six-year NFL career. In those seasons, he finished with passing lines of 4,611-34-14 in 16 games in 2021 (on the way to a Super Bowl appearance), 4,475-35-12 in 16 games in 2022 (with a second straight AFC championship game appearance) and 4,918-43-9 in 2024.
Chase is a top-5 WR in the NFL with 520 receptions for 6,837 yards and 54 TDs in five seasons, Higgins (59-846-11 last year) is a high-end WR 2 and Brown is an all-around asset as a rusher and pass-catcher (1,019 rushing yards, 69 catches for 437 yards and 11 total TDs in 2025).
The questions remain on defense, where Cincinnati has been one of the worst units in the league the last three years while missing the playoffs in each season (even with Burrow playing a full season in 2024).
Trading for standout defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and pairing him with veteran free agent Jonathan Allen is a big upgrade to the interior defensive line, but the Bengals had the worst set of linebackers in the league last season and made no upgrades, made minimal changes to the secondary and have major questions in the pass rush.
If that defense is actually going to be improved this year — after giving up the third-most yards (380.9 YPG) and points (28.9 PPG) — a good test vs. QB Baker Mayfield and the Bucs in Week 1 is a prime chance to show it.
Mayfield’s public-contract saga finally ended with a three-year, $165-million extension last week. The veteran QB is coming off an injury-marred season in which he played all 17 games despite mounting physical issues and saw his production tank over the second half, finishing with 3,639 yards, 26 TDs and 11 INTs a year after posting a 4,500-41-16 line.
A healthy Mayfield makes all the difference for Tampa Bay, which should be the favorite in the weak NFC South after losing a three-way tiebreaker to the Panthers last year to miss the playoffs.
Longtime WR1 Mike Evans is off to San Francisco, and that hurts, but Mayfield has plenty of weapons still with second-year WR Emeka Egbuka (63-938-6 as a rookie), veteran Chris Godwin Jr. (looking to return to form after two seasons limited by a major 2024 knee injury), Jalen McMillan (who flashed as a rookie two years ago with a 37-461-8 line in 13 games before an injury-marred 2025), Tez Johnson and rookie Ted Hurst.
On the other side, the Bucs are hoping first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. provides an immediate impact off the edge like he did as a tone-setter at Miami.
Point spread: Bengals -3.5
Prediction: Bengals 28, Buccaneers 27
Remaining Schedule With Predictions
Sunday 1 p.m. Games
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts on CBS: The Ravens are a popular Super Bowl pick with former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter taking over as head coach after John Harbaugh was let go following 18 seasons in Baltimore. Can Minter rejuvenate a Ravens team still full of star power with QB Lamar Jackson, RB Derrick Henry, etc.? The Colts got off to an 8-2 start last season before it all unraveled, eventually losing QB Daniel Jones to a torn Achilles while losing their final seven games to miss the playoffs. Jones is back, but how will he look after such a quick return from a major injury? This will be a fun showdown between two of the league’s most prolific RBs in Henry and Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, who finished second and third respectively in rushing yards with 1,595 and 1,585 while Taylor had a league-best 18 rushing TDs with Henry next at 16. Baltimore is a 3.5-point favorite. Prediction: Ravens 27, Colts 20
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers on FOX: Kevin Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year in Cleveland, takes over a Falcons team loaded with offensive playmakers in RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts but lacking at quarterback. Former Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa won the competition for the starting job by default as Michael Penix Jr. is still easing back from a torn ACL, but he’s been ruled out for the opener with a hamstring injury as Cooper Rush gets the start. The Steelers start the Mike McCarthy Era after 19 years with former coach Mike Tomlin. McCarthy reunites with his former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who is playing his final NFL season. The strength for Pittsburgh, though, is a defense led by edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Pittsburgh is a 6.5-point favorite. Prediction: Steelers 23, Falcons 16
New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions on FOX: The Saints are hoping QB Tyler Shough‘s strong finish to his rookie season, including wins in four of the final five games, is a sign of things to come, even with top draft pick WR Jordyn Tyson missing the first part of the season with a hamstring injury. The Lions and their loaded offense are looking to shake off a highly disappointing 2025 after missing the playoffs and reassert themselves as Super Bowl contenders. Detroit is a 7-point favorite. Prediction: Lions 33, Saints 24
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans on CBS: Which rebuilding team did a better job taking the first step over the offseason? Can 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward prove himself as an NFL QB after a rough rookie season and concerning preseason? What will Robert Saleh show in his second chance as a head coach? Can veteran QB Geno Smith be enough of a stabilizer to help the Jets takeoff from the runway in 2026, and will the defensive upgrades (including No. 2 overall pick edge rusher David Bailey) be enough to get New York moving in the right direction? Two teams full of questions maybe start finding some answers Sunday. Tennessee is a 1.5-point favorite. Prediction: Jets 21, Titans 13
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers on FOX: The Bears broke out in coach Ben Johnson‘s first season as QB Caleb Williams took a leap forward in his second year and showed his penchant for late-game heroics, including a wild rally to stun the rival Packers in the wildcard round. Expectations are high for the Bears to continue that trajectory with talented young WRs Rome Odunze and Luther Burden and TE Colston Loveland all on the rise as well. The Panthers made the playoffs last season despite an 8-9 thanks to a tiebreaker and the collective struggles of the NFC South, but there is everything to prove still for fourth-year QB Bryce Young and Co. Chicago is a 3-point road favorite. Prediction: Bears 27, Panthers 17
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars on CBS: Embattled QB Deshaun Watson gets a final chance to make things right in Cleveland, returning to the starting role while missing all of last season with a torn Achilles and playing just 19 games in four years since the disastrous trade and contract extension that brought him to the Browns. The Jaguars were one of the pleasant surprises of 2025 under first-year head coach Liam Coen, winning 13 games as Trevor Lawrence played as well as any quarterback in the league down the stretch. Jacksonville is an 8.5-point favorite. Prediction: Jaguars 33, Browns 16
Sunday 4:25 p.m. Games
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles on FOX: Jayden Daniels is back for Washington after missing most of last season due to injury and he has a fresh new weapon in veteran WR Stefon Diggs, who pairs with Terry McLaurin. The Commanders invested heavily in upgrading their defense, including prized free agent EDGE Odafe Oweh and No. 7 overall pick LB Sonny Styles. The pressure is on for third-year coach Dan Quinn after a disappointing 2025. And the pressure is certainly ratcheted up for the Eagles, coach Nick Sirianni and QB Jalen Hurts after a lackluster 2025 season with a humbling wildcard round exit coming off a Super Bowl title. Philadelphia is a 6-point favorite. Prediction: Eagles 27, Commanders 24
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders on FOX: Veteran Kirk Cousins gets the start at QB for the Raiders while No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza eases into his first NFL season. Las Vegas is without star tight end Brock Bowers for probably the first two weeks due to a minor knee procedure late in the preseason, and that compromises an already weak thin group of pass-catchers. Expect a heavy dose of RBs Ashton Jeanty and rookie Mike Washington Jr. for new coach Klint Kubiak and the Raiders. Miami, meanwhile, starts over with new coach Jeff Hafley and QB Malik Willis. RB DeVon Achane will be the focal point for the rebuilding Dolphins. Las Vegas is a 3-point favorite. Prediction: Dolphins 23, Raiders 18
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers on CBS: Mike LaFleur takes over as head coach of the Cardinals, who released QB Kyler Murray and will go with Jacoby Brissett at QB again this year after he took over the job early last season due to Murray’s injury. The headliner, though, is rookie RB Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick and highest-drafted RB since Saquon Barkley in 2018. Love is listed as questionable with an ankle injury but is expected to play. The Chargers are looking to take the next step after winning 11 games in each of coach Jim Harbaugh‘s first two seasons but losing in the wildcard round. The hope is a healthier offensive line can better protect star QB Justin Herbert. Los Angeles is a 9.5-point favorite. Prediction: Chargers 27, Cardinals 14
Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. on NBC)
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants: The Cowboys upgraded their defense, including drafting safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence in the first round, are hoping that makes the difference with its star-studded offense returning in full with QB Dak Prescott, WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, RB Javonte Williams and TE Jake Ferguson. The Giants start a new era under coach John Harbaugh while looking for second-year QB Jaxson Dart to take the next step in his development. Dallas is a 3-point road favorite. Prediction: Cowboys 27, Giants 21
Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. on ESPN/ABC)
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs: The AFC West looks to be one of the three toughest divisions in football, and that battle begins immediately. The Broncos reached the AFC championship game last year and look to be even better in 2026 with new WR Jaylen Waddle giving QB Bo Nix another major weapon. Kansas City finished with a losing record (6-11) for the first time in coach Andy Reid‘s 13 seasons and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014, while star QB Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL late in the year. With Mahomes back and big-ticket free agent Kenneth Walker III taking over at RB, the Chiefs hope to return to Super Bowl contender status in 2026. Kansas City is a 2.5-point favorite. Prediction: Broncos 27, Chiefs 24
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