NFL Week 1 Preview 2026
September 18, 20268 min readUpdated October 8, 2026
Seattle and New England both finished with joint-top records (14-3) last season, and they meet in Week 1 on a Wednesday night in a rematch of the Super Bowl the Seahawks won.
The Slate at a Glance
| Matchup | 2025 records | Kickoff |
|---|---|---|
| Patriots at Seahawks | 14-3 / 14-3 | Wed, Sep 9 |
| 49ers at Rams | 12-5 / 12-5 | Thu, Sep 10 |
| Buccaneers at Bengals | 8-9 / 6-11 | Sun, 1:00 PM ET |
| Saints at Lions | 6-11 / 9-8 | Sun, 1:00 PM ET |
| Jets at Titans | 3-14 / 3-14 | Sun, 1:00 PM ET |
| Ravens at Colts | 8-9 / 8-9 | Sun, 1:00 PM ET |
| Falcons at Steelers | 8-9 / 10-7 | Sun, 1:00 PM ET |
| Bears at Panthers | 11-6 / 8-9 | Sun, 1:00 PM ET |
| Browns at Jaguars | 5-12 / 13-4 | Sun, 1:00 PM ET |
| Bills at Texans | 12-5 / 12-5 | Sun, 1:00 PM ET |
New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks
Seattle and New England enter as the only Week 1 pairing of two 14-3 teams, and the only one that doubles as a Super Bowl rematch. Follow it on the Patriots at Seahawks page.
Identical Records, Different Shapes
Seattle led the NFL in point differential at plus-191 and closed the regular season on a seven-game winning streak. New England matched the record but got there differently with an 8-0 road record, the only unbeaten away mark in the league, against 6-3 at home.
What Separates Them
The Seahawks beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, by a score of 29-13. Prior to the big game, Seattle went 4-2 in the NFC West and earned a first-round bye, while New England went 5-1 in the AFC East. Both scored heavily: 483 points for Seattle, 490 for New England, but Seattle conceded 292 points to New England's 320.
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco and Los Angeles both finished 12-5, and they open the season at Melbourne Cricket Ground in the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia. Market on the 49ers at Rams page.
An NFC West Rematch 8,000 Miles From Home
Both went 4-2 in a division that sent three teams to the postseason. The Rams were the more explosive side, scoring 518 points to San Francisco's 437, and were nearly unbeatable at home at 7-1. However, the Melbourne venue removes home-field advantage entirely, and the teams chose different methods of coping with the long journey and jet lag.
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans
Buffalo and Houston are the third pairing of teams with matching records, both 12-5 and wild card teams last season. Houston arrives on the back of a nine-game winning streak to close 2025 and a 10-2 conference record, the AFC's best. See the market on the Bills at Texans page.
Offense Against Defense
Buffalo scored 481 points to Houston's 404 in 2025, but the Texans allowed just 295 points, 70 fewer than the Bills. Houston also went 5-1 in the AFC South against Buffalo's 4-2 in the AFC East.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay finished 9-7-1 and Minnesota 9-8, the closest non-identical pair on the slate. Both went 4-2 in the NFC North, though the Packers lost four straight to end the season while the Vikings won five. Follow the Packers at Vikings market.
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts
Baltimore and Indianapolis both finished 8-9 and disappointingly missed the postseason. The split is situational: the Colts were 6-3 at home and 2-6 on the road, the Ravens the reverse at 3-6 home while going 5-3 on the road. Indianapolis also lost its last seven. Market on the Ravens at Colts page.
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh won the AFC North at 10-7; Atlanta finished 8-9 in an NFC South where three teams landed on that exact record. The Falcons closed on a four-game winning streak. Aaron Rodgers takes Pittsburgh's first snaps of the season. Follow the Falcons at Steelers market.
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers
Chicago took the NFC North at 11-6, while Carolina won the NFC South with a losing record of 8-9. The Panthers are the outlier, winning a division despite conceding 69 more points than they scored. Market on the Bears at Panthers page.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals
Tampa Bay finished 8-9, Cincinnati 6-11, and both had losing point differentials. The Bengals conceded 492 points, the second-most in the AFC. See the market on the Buccaneers at Bengals page.
New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions
Detroit finished 9-8 and scored 481 points, fourth-most in the NFC. New Orleans went 6-11 with the conference's lowest scoring output at 306. Market on the Saints at Lions page.
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans
This is one of the most evenly matched games on the board by record, with both teams finishing 3-14 last season. The Jets went 0-6 in the AFC East and conceded 503 points, the most in the league. Tennessee scored 241, the fewest. Follow the Jets at Titans market.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Dallas finished 7-9-1 and New York 4-13, but the division records are tighter than the composite: the Cowboys went 4-2 in the NFC East, the Giants 2-4. Dallas scored 471 points while conceding 511, the most allowed by any NFC team. Market on the Cowboys at Giants page.
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia won the NFC East at 11-6 with the division's only positive point differential in 2025. Washington finished 5-12 but went 3-3 in divisional play, matching the Eagles' own 3-3 mark. Market on the Commanders at Eagles page.
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
The widest record gap among the week's higher-profile games: Denver finished 14-3 and earned a first-round bye, Kansas City 6-11. Patrick Mahomes returns after tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee in Week 15 last season. See the market on the Broncos at Chiefs page.
The Splits Behind the Gap
Kansas City went 1-7 on the road but 5-4 at home, and 1-5 in the AFC West. Denver was 8-1 at home and 5-1 in the division. The Chiefs also had to cope with an injured Patrick Mahomes, who has come into camp healthier than he finished last year.
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders
Miami finished 7-10, Las Vegas 3-14 with an 0-6 divisional record and 478 points conceded. Both closed the season on losing streaks. Follow the Dolphins at Raiders market.
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville won the AFC South at 13-4, went 5-1 in the division and closed on an eight-game winning streak. Cleveland finished 5-12 and scored 279 points, the fewest in the AFC. Market on the Browns at Jaguars page.
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers
The widest gap on the slate. Los Angeles finished 11-6 and 5-1 in the AFC West; Arizona went 3-14, including 0-6 in the NFC West, and lost its final nine. Follow the Cardinals at Chargers market.
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See the Week 1 Slate
All sixteen Week 1 matchups have markets on the NFL hub, from the Wednesday opener in Seattle through Monday night at Arrowhead.
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