Week 1 NFL Preview & Capsules

NEW YORK - September 4, 2026 - The NFL returns next week and it's time to get back to football! Kickoff Weekend presented by YouTube TV signals the start of a 272-game journey, one that promises hope for each of the league's 32 teams as they set their sights on Super Bowl LXI, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

For Week 1 capsules, click here.

Here's a look at a few interesting storylines as the NFL kicks off its 107th season:

• EVERY TEAM HAS A CHANCE: Entering the 2026 season, every team has hope and here are a few reasons why…
  
  
  • Since 1990 - a streak of 36 consecutive seasons (1990-2025) - at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs that were not in the postseason the year before. There were six new playoff teams last season: Carolina, Chicago, Jacksonville, New England, San Francisco and Seattle.
    
    
  • There have been at least two new division winners for 23 consecutive seasons (2003-25), including seven new division winners in 2025 - Carolina, Chicago, Denver, Jacksonville, New England, Pittsburgh and Seattle.
    
    
  • In 27 of the past 30 seasons (1996-2025), at least one team has made the playoffs the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. In 2025, Carolina, Chicago, New England and San Francisco clinched playoff berths after finishing in last or tied for last in their divisions in 2024.
    
    
  • In 20 of the past 23 seasons (2003-25), at least one team finished in first place in its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. Last season, Carolina, Chicago and New England won division titles after finishing in last or tied for last in their divisions in 2024.
    
• GAMES HAVE NEVER BEEN CLOSER OR MORE EXCITING:
  
  
  • In 2025, 73 games were decided by three-or-fewer points, tied for the most in a season in NFL history (2018, 2022).
    
    
  • There were 72 games with a game-winning score in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime in 2025, second-most in a season all-time, while approximately 70 percent of all games last season were within one score (eight points) at some point of the fourth quarter.
    
• SUPER BOWL LX REMATCH:
  
  • New England at Seattle - Super Bowl LX rematch (Wednesday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): After a 29-13 victory in Super Bowl LX over New England, the Seahawks will host the Patriots in the third Week 1 game in NFL history that features the matchup from the previous season's Super Bowl (Kansas City at Minnesota in 1970 and Carolina at Denver in 2016). New England at Seattle also marks the second ever season-opening game to kick off on a Wednesday (Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants in 2012).
    
    Last year, Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in his first season with a team, joining Tom Brady (Super Bowl LV with Tampa Bay), Trent Dilfer (Super Bowl XXXV with Baltimore) and Matthew Stafford (Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams). In 2025, Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the fourth player (fifth occurrence) to lead the NFL in receiving yards (franchise-record 1,793) during the regular season and win the Super Bowl in the same year, joining Cooper Kupp (2021 with the Los Angeles Rams) and Pro Football Hall of Famers Drew Pearson (1977 with Dallas) and Jerry Rice (1989 and 1994 with San Francisco).
    
    Super Bowl LX marked the 12th Super Bowl appearance for New England, the most among all clubs. In 2025, New England quarterback Drake Maye led all quarterbacks in passer rating (113.5) and led the AFC in touchdown passes (31) and passing yards (4,394). Wide receiver A.J. Brown looks to make his debut with New England in Week 1 and can become the fourth player with at least 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions in seven of his first eight seasons in NFL history, joining Mike Evans and Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss and Jerry Rice.
    
• THE NFL ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA:
  
  
  • San Francisco vs. Los Angeles Rams (Thursday, 8:35 p.m. ET, Netflix, Melbourne): The first-ever regular season game played in Australia will feature the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, two 2025 playoff teams that have seen four of their last five matchups decided by six or fewer points. Thursday night's game will take place in Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
    
    Last season, Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford was named Associated Press Most Valuable Player after leading the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes. Stafford, who enters the 2026 season with 423 career touchdown passes, can surpass Philip Rivers (425 touchdown passes) for the sixth-most regular season touchdown passes in NFL history.
    
    Los Angeles defensive end Myles Garrett looks to make his Rams debut in Week 1 after earning Defensive Player of the Year honors and recording 23 sacks with Cleveland in 2025, the most in a single season since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
    
    With Stafford and Garrett, it marks the first time ever that the reigning Most Valuable Player and reigning Defensive Player of the Year began the season with the same team (excluding the two instances where the same player won both awards).
    
    Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald returns to Los Angeles this season after retiring at the end of the 2024 season. Donald spent 11 seasons with the Rams (2014-2024), recording a franchise-high 111 sacks and 176 tackles for loss. Donald is one of three players to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors three times (2017, 2018 and 2020), joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor (1981, 1982, 1986) and J.J. Watt (2012, 2014, 2015).
    
    With Garrett and Donald both earning multiple Defensive Player of the Year honors in their career, the Rams are the first team in NFL history to have two players who have won the award multiple times.
    
    Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua led the NFL with 129 receptions and ranked second with 1,715 yards last season. Nacua, who has 313 receptions entering 2026, can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 400 receptions in his first four career seasons, joining Michael Thomas (470 receptions), Amon-Ra St. Brown (430) and Jarvis Landry (400).
    
    Los Angeles wide receiver Davante Adams led the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions in 2025 and this season, can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 10 touchdown receptions in eight career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (nine seasons), Jerry Rice (nine), Marvin Harrison (eight) and Terrell Owens (eight).
    
    Adams (117 career touchdown receptions) and San Francisco wide receiver Mike Evans (108), who can make his 49ers debut in Week 1, both rank in the top 10 all-time in regular season touchdown receptions. It marks the first Week 1 matchup to feature opposing players each with at least 100 career touchdown receptions in 16 years (Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (with New England) and Terrell Owens (with Cincinnati) in 2010).
    
    Last season, San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey led all running backs with 102 receptions, ranked second with 2,126 scrimmage yards (1,202 rushing, 924 receiving) and third with 17 scrimmage touchdowns (10 rushing, five receiving). In 2026, he can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards in four career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk and Walter Payton.
    
• 2025 PLAYOFF TEAMS MEET ON KICKOFF WEEKEND:
  
  
  • Chicago at Carolina (1 p.m. ET, FOX): Carolina and Chicago each won division titles last season after finishing last or tied for last in their division in 2024. In 20 of the past 23 seasons (2003-25), at least one team finished in first place in its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. This year, Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams can become the first player in NFL history with at least 3,500 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes and 10-or-fewer interceptions in each of his first three career seasons.
    
    With Williams (24 years old) and Carolina quarterback Bryce Young (25), it will mark the third ever Week 1 matchup between quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall with each age 25 or younger, joining Sam Bradford and Matthew Stafford in 2012, and Trevor Lawrence and Bryce Young in 2025).
    
    
  • Buffalo at Houston (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Bills and Texans, two of the three AFC Wild Card teams from last season, are set to meet in Houston for the third consecutive year, with Houston winning by four-or-fewer points in both 2024 (Week 5) and 2025 (Week 12).
    
    The Texans clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive season last year and became the fifth team since 1990 to begin 0-3 and qualify for the postseason. Quarterback C.J. Stroud joined Joe Flacco, Pro Football Hall of Famer Otto Graham and Russell Wilson as the only starting quarterbacks in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of their first three seasons.
    
    In 2025, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen totaled 39 touchdowns (25 passing, 14 rushing), his third consecutive season with at least 25 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns, the most such seasons by a quarterback in NFL history, This year, Allen (34,823 yards) can surpass Patrick Mahomes (38,604) for the most combined passing and rushing yards by a quarterback in his first nine seasons in NFL history.
    
• DIVISIONAL PRIMETIME GAMES:
  
  • Dallas at New York Giants (Sunday night, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): The NFC East division rivals meet for the 12th time on Kickoff Weekend and the seventh Week 1 primetime meeting. Dallas has won the last three Week 1 matchups (2017, 2019 and 2023) and holds a 10-1 record over New York on Kickoff Weekend. New York head coach John Harbaugh will make his club debut in Week 1 after spending the last 18 seasons as the head coach in Baltimore. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott has multiple touchdown passes in four of his past five Sunday Night Football games and in 2025, became the sixth player ever with at least three touchdown passes in 40 career games within his first 10 seasons.
    
    
  • Denver at Kansas City (Monday night, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC): The Broncos and Chiefs will face each other on Monday Night Football in Week 1 for the first time. Denver has defeated Kansas City in four of the past five meetings, while the Chiefs have won eight of the past nine primetime matchups. This season, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce has 13,002 career receiving yards entering 2026 and on Monday night, can surpass Jason Witten (13,046) for the second-most regular season receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (15,127).
    
    After leading the Broncos to an AFC West title in 2025 and winning 14 games in a season for the second time in franchise history (1998), quarterback Bo Nix, who was 24 career wins since entering the NFL in 2024, looks to join Russell Wilson (36 wins) as the only quarterbacks ever with at least 35 regular season wins in his first three career seasons.
    
• COACHING DEBUTS: Two matchups in Week 1 will feature four new head coaches, including Atlanta at Pittsburgh (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX) with Atlanta's Kevin Stefanski (entering his seventh NFL season as a head coach) and Pittsburgh's Mike McCarthy (entering his 19^th). Miami at Las Vegas (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX) will feature two first-time head coaches with the Raiders' Klint Kubiak and the Dolphins' Jeff Hafley.

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Media Contact: Sam Drexler, NFL; [email protected]