NFL Week 1: Takeaways, questions, fantasy spin for Sunday games - ESPN

The 2026 NFL season is already off to an exciting start.

In the early window Sunday, the Bears and Panthers combined for 96 points, the most in a season opener in NFL history, per ESPN Research. The host Jaguars easily handled the Browns in quarterback Deshaun Watson's first regular-season game since October 2024. The Bills looked sharp offensively in Joe Brady's head coaching debut against the Texans, and the Lions needed overtime to get past the Saints.

In the late window, the Cardinals and Raiders won in the respective debuts of first-year coaches Mike LaFleur and Klint Kubiak. The Commanders fell despite a comeback against division foe Philadelphia. And after losing quarterback Kyler Murray to a concussion early, the Vikings scored 29 unanswered to defeat the Packers. The Giants finished things off by beating the Cowboys on Sunday night, marking the first time since 2009 both New York teams opened with a victory.

Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for teams that played Sunday. Fantasy football analysts Matt Bowen and Tristan Cockcroft also have fantasy takeaways from each matchup. Let's get to it.

Jump to:
DAL-NYG | GB-MIN | WSH-PHI
MIA-LV | ARI-LAC | CHI-CAR
BUF-HOU | NO-DET | BAL-IND
ATL-PIT | NYJ-TEN | TB-CIN
CLE-JAX

Catch up on weekday games:
SF-LAR | NE-SEA

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Should the Giants be taken seriously in the NFC East? This was a statement game for the John Harbaugh Giants. They looked like the better team in beating a Cowboys squad that had prevailed in 16 of its previous 18 meetings with the Giants. New York's offense looked dangerous with a power running game