The 2026 NFL season may only be one week old, but we already have so many storylines that are going to be worth monitoring this weekend and in the coming weeks.
This is truly the league that keeps on giving when it comes to headlines, intrigue and talking points. With that in mind, here are three things I will be keeping an eye on this weekend.
Can fancied teams avoid an 0-2 start?
Obviously, there are 16 teams who are keen to avoid an 0-2 start this weekend. But there are some notable fancied squads who are in real danger of falling into the kind of hole you don’t want to find yourself in.
Since 1990, only 12.8 percent of teams who have started 0-2 have gone on to reach the playoffs. Of those 298 teams who have started 0-2 since 1990, only three have gone on to win the Super Bowl. So, it can be a long road back from a bumpy start.
The Houston Texans face real danger of falling to 0-2 with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals coming to town. It’s the same for the Denver Broncos as they welcome the red-hot Trevor Lawrence and his Jacksonville Jaguars to Mile High Stadium. And the Los Angeles Rams – the Super Bowl favourite for many coming out of the summer – will host a spirited New York Giants team on Monday Night Football. It’s very possible one of that fancied trio finds themselves in the dreaded 0-2 hole.
Who wins the chess match in Chicago?
A fascinating NFC North matchup should play out in Chicago on Sunday evening as the hometown Bears take on the Minnesota Vikings in a battle of Week 1 winners at Soldier Field.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson oversaw his team putting 59 points on the scoreboard at Carolina in Week 1, further cementing his status as one of the NFL’s most successful and creative play-callers in the league right now. The Vikings trailed Green Bay 22-10 late in the third quarter but exploded to a 39-22 win with much of the momentum being driven by Brian Flores and his hard-to-figure-out defense.
Johnson versus Flores is going to be the ultimate X’s and O’s battle. But what makes this game so appealing is the fact that both clubs are powered by offensive weapons who can throw the best scripts out of the window and decide games on their own. Who will show up on that front, Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams or Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson?
Are the Kansas City Chiefs officially back?
The Kansas City Chiefs made us sit up and take notice in Week 1 with their demolition of the Denver Broncos. Patrick Mahomes looked comfortable on his return from torn knee ligaments at quarterback, Kenneth Walker was an absolute star turn at running back and the defense held the Broncos in check all night long.
The well-coached Chiefs looked a lot like the team that had played in five of the previous seven Super Bowls. It was a big win against the AFC West champions, but it was just one game.
That said, Sunday Night Football offers a stage for the Chiefs to repeat their trick because the Indianapolis Colts did not impress in Week 1. Quarterback Daniel Jones is clearly going to need time to work back to full fitness after tearing his Achilles in December. And the defense allowed the Baltimore Ravens to gain more than 500 yards of total offense.