The opening Sunday of the 2026 season delivered a mix of record-setting offense, uneven quarterback play, and several first-time coaches making immediate impressions. Some teams looked ready to contend right away, while others left Week 1 with more questions than answers.

First-Time Play-Callers Produced Very Different Results

Four new head coaches or play-callers stepped into the spotlight on Sunday, and their debut performances varied widely. Mike LaFleur’s Cardinals were underdogs by 8.5 points but still beat the Chargers by moving the ball efficiently, leaning on Jacoby Brissett’s 277 passing yards, and capitalizing on two critical defensive takeaways. Klint Kubiak’s Raiders also opened with a strong showing, using a suddenly firm offensive line to spring Ashton Jeanty for a breakout performance in a win over Miami.

Joe Brady’s Bills added another twist to the league’s early narrative. Instead of Buffalo’s usual approach, the offense attacked vertically from the start, and Josh Allen completed 6 of 7 passes for 149 yards on throws traveling more than 10 air yards in the first half alone. That kind of aggressive early rhythm suggested a different version of the Bills offense was already taking shape.

Todd Monken’s first game in Cleveland went in the opposite direction. The Browns were overwhelmed in a 34-10 loss to Jacksonville, Deshaun Watson looked rusty in his first regular-season appearance since October 2024, and a defense missing Myles Garrett and former coordinator Jim Schwartz was exposed in several areas.

Teams That Changed the Conversation

New York’s 28-20 win over Dallas may have been the clearest statement of the day. The Giants ran for 165 yards, Jaxson Dart threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns, and he added 54 rushing yards to keep the Cowboys off balance all afternoon. The result snapped a stretch in which Dallas had won 16 of the previous 18 meetings, and it also forced a closer look at the NFC East after both Philadelphia and Washington showed flaws of their own. The spotlight on the Giants also included Isaiah Likely, who was flawless on eight targets and turned them into 78 yards and two touchdowns.

Dallas, meanwhile, appeared unsettled under new defensive playcaller Christian Parker. Seven first-half penalties undercut its rhythm, and a late taunting call even wiped out an extra point in a one-score game, which made the margin of error even smaller.

There was also a quieter but solid victory in Tennessee, where the Jets controlled the matchup 23-10. Geno Smith stayed mistake-free, the offense stayed balanced, and the receiving corps had already piled up more than 148 yards by the third quarter.

Records Tumbled Across the League

Chicago and Carolina combined for 96 points in the Bears’ 59-37 win, setting the NFL record for scoring in a season opener. Caleb Williams accounted for two rushing touchdowns and 269 passing yards, while Carolina’s defense absorbed the consequences of a major offseason investment that failed to show up in Week 1.

Buffalo’s 36-31 victory over Houston added another pair of milestones for Josh Allen. He recorded the ninth game of his career with multiple passing and rushing touchdowns, which is five more than any other player in league history, and he also became the first player ever to reach 300 combined touchdowns within his first nine seasons. Baltimore’s Derrick Henry also carved out a place in the record book by rushing for 144 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout of Indianapolis, passing Jim Brown for the most 100-yard, multi-touchdown games in NFL history.

Detroit needed overtime to escape New Orleans with a 31-30 win, and Jahmyr Gibbs kept building his own pace-setting résumé. His 51st career touchdown came in just his 50th game, making him the sixth-fastest player to reach that number in league history.

Quarterback Injuries and Immediate Concerns

Several teams left Week 1 worrying about their quarterback situations. Minnesota lost Kyler Murray after only 11 plays because of a concussion, but Carson Wentz stepped in and threw three touchdowns as the Vikings erased a 29-0 deficit to beat Green Bay 39-22. Wentz is expected to start until Murray clears the concussion protocol.

Atlanta also had reason to be uneasy. Cooper Rush struggled while filling in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa in a loss to Pittsburgh, and the Falcons are hoping Michael Penix Jr. will be ready to return by Week 2. Indianapolis saw Daniel Jones return from a torn Achilles in a one-sided loss, though the bigger issue appeared to be the offensive line rather than Jones’ recovery. Washington’s Jayden Daniels opened slowly against Philadelphia, completing just 6 of 16 passes in the first half before settling in during a narrow defeat.

Early Fantasy Takeaways and What Comes Next

Week 1 also reshaped fantasy expectations in a hurry. Isaiah Likely delivered the top tight end performance of the week with eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns, while Ashton Jeanty backed up his preseason buzz with 32.7 fantasy points and two 13-yard receiving scores that reinforced his status as an RB1. Christian Watson opened with 147 yards and two touchdowns on six catches, giving managers a surprising boost, and Trey McBride continued to thrive with quarterback help from Brissett, recording his eighth 20-plus fantasy-point outing in 13 games with him under center.

There were also more speculative developments worth watching. Lamar Jackson posted 324 passing yards, 41 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns, which puts him squarely in the top tier for Week 2. Dontayvion Wicks turned two catches into 77 yards and a score while remaining available in most leagues, and Ja’Marr Chase’s 3.2-point opener was not ideal, but his track record suggests slow starts are not unusual.

Detroit and Buffalo now face a short turnaround for Thursday Night Football, and several teams that stumbled in Week 1, including Dallas, Cleveland, and Atlanta, will try to recover quickly against division opponents or familiar matchups in Week 2.