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Walker Delivered for KC Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY – (Wire Service Report) – Kenneth Walker III delivered a K.C. masterpiece in his debut and the Chiefs announced their return to form with a 31-10 win over the visiting Denver Broncos on Monday night.

Signed as a free agent after winning Super Bowl MVP honors with the Seahawks in February, Walker wowed with a career-high 173 rushing yards and two total touchdowns.

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Another Super Bowl MVP, Patrick Mahomes, threw TD passes to Walker and Rashee Rice, ran for a 15-yard score in the first half and worked through early cobwebs in his first game since sustaining a season-ending knee injury in December. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards with one interception.

Heat, wind and humidity hindered Broncos quarterback Bo Nix at different times in the game. He was intercepted on the third play from scrimmage of the game and Kansas City’s defense kept bringing the heat with four sacks and two forced fumbles.

In his first game with Davis Webb operating as the play-caller instead of head coach Sean Payton, Nix connected on 17 of 28 passes for 131 yards and a first-quarter touchdown pass to Evan Engram.

The Chiefs rushed for 220 yards. The Broncos had 176 total yards.

Walker boosted Kansas City’s lead to 21-7 with a 60-yard TD on the first possession of the second half. On his 16th carry of the game, Walker bounced a fourth-and-1 run left while eluding diving Broncos cornerback Riley Moss and found nothing but green grass in front of him. Walker also picked up first downs on three third-and-1 carries in the first half.

When Walker crossed the goal line with the clock showing 12:43 in the third, he had outgained the Broncos 165-113.

Kansas City limited Denver’s offense to nine first downs (including one via penalty) and two third-down conversions on 12 attempts.

Walker caught a misdirection toss from Mahomes and trailed an escort into the end zone to stake the Chiefs to a 31-10 lead 21 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Broncos appeared to be already hanging by a thread in the third quarter when Brandon Jones came up with a gift interception courtesy of Mahomes.

Throwing from his own end zone, Mahomes was picked off on a pass intended for Xavier Worthy. Worthy cut up the field, and Mahomes threw the ball between the hashmarks where Jones stood alone at the 28. Jones returned the ball to the Kansas City 5, but the Broncos botched multiple plays, narrowly evading disaster when Nix lost the ball near the sideline while scrambling away from L’Jarius Sneed. Sneed recovered but was out of bounds. By rule, the Broncos retained possession.

Denver lost 8 yards on three plays and came away with a 31-yard field goal by Wil Lutz.

The Chiefs had first-and-goal at the 4 on the next possession only to put three on the board themselves. On that drive, the Chiefs made some history.

Mahomes hooked up with Travis Kelce for the second time in the game, a 59-yard reception that moved Kelce to second all-time in NFL history for most receiving yards by a tight end. He passed Jason Witten (13,046 yards) but still stands more than 2,000 yards behind former Chiefs and Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (15,127).

With his three catches for 71 yards on Monday, Kelce now has 13,079 receiving yards.

Nix fumbled again to give Mahomes the ball right back. Nix moved up in the pocket on third-and-16, but the ball squirted out of his hands and Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones recovered at Denver’s 34.

Nix was intercepted by rookie Mansoor Delane on the opening drive of the game. Delane, the No. 6 pick in the 2026 draft, left the game with a shoulder injury and didn’t return.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Week One Round-Up

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CHARLOTTE – (Wire Service Reports by Field Level Media) – Caleb Williams threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more and the Chicago Bears pulled away for a 59-37 victory against the Carolina Panthers in the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history.

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In the teams’ season opener, D’Andre Swift scored three touchdown runs and rushed for 124 yards on 18 carries for Chicago. Williams completed 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards and added 65 rushing yards. Kyle Monangai gained 100 yards on 10 carries, including a 61-yard TD.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young threw two of his three touchdown passes to Jalen Coker. Young was 23-of-37 passing for 361 yards with one interception. Coker made eight catches for 138 yards. Chuba Hubbard scored touchdowns on a run and a reception.

The Panthers pulled even at 31-31 on Hubbard’s 2-yard run with 9:02 left in the third quarter. From there, the Bears posted the next three touchdowns on runs by Swift (1 yard), Monangai and Williams’ 1-yard pass to Jahdae Walker. Later, Swift found the end zone from 28 yards out.

Bills 36, Texans 31

Josh Allen accounted for four touchdowns and tossed the decisive 34-yard scoring pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining as Buffalo won in Houston for the first time in 20 years with a wild victory over the Texans.

Allen completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns and added two rushing scores while winning in Houston for the first time in five career attempts, including the postseason. The touchdown throw to Palmer capped a seven-play, 96-yard drive.

Dalton Kincaid had five receptions for 130 yards and DJ Moore had five catches for 100 yards and one touchdown in his Buffalo debut. Tyler Bass kicked three field goals and Rousseau had two sacks as the Bills won in Joe Brady’s first game as head coach. David Montgomery rushed for two touchdowns and caught another in his Texans debut.

Lions 31, Saints 30 (OT)

Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns, Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown and host Detroit held off New Orleans in overtime.

Detroit got the ball first in overtime and Goff threw a 4-yard TD pass to St. Brown for a 31-24 lead with 5:04 remaining in the extra period. Tyler Shough drove the Saints down the field on the ensuing drive and threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Noah Fant, but his two-point conversion pass was incomplete in the back of the end zone.

Shough recovered from three turnovers to pass for 410 yards and three touchdowns, including a 9-yard strike to Juwan Johnson late in regulation that forced OT. Chris Olave hauled in 10 receptions for 182 yards.

Jaguars 34, Browns 10

Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes and Jacksonville dominated visiting Cleveland and Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Lawrence completed 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards as Jacksonville built a 31-0 lead before tapping the brakes in the second half. Parker Washington caught Lawrence’s first TD pass and led the Jaguars with five receptions for 83 yards. Ten Jacksonville receivers caught at least one pass.

With the Browns down 34-3, Watson threw a 46-yard TD pass to rookie Denzel Boston with 1:52 remaining in the game. Watson was 16-of-22 passing for 205 yards and an interception, but he also fumbled and was sacked five times.

Steelers 20, Falcons 13

Aaron Rodgers began his final NFL season by throwing for 221 yards and a score and T.J. Watt returned an interception for a touchdown to help Pittsburgh hold off visiting Atlanta.

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Watt also had three tackles for loss and two sacks for the Steelers, who won their third straight season opener. Cooper Rush completed 12 of 22 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions for the Falcons. Bijan Robinson rushed for 83 yards and had eight catches for 90 yards and a score.

Facing a 13-7 halftime deficit, Atlanta threatened to cut the margin in half on its first drive of the second half, but Nick Folk missed his second field goal attempt of the game — this time a 45-yard try. So when Folk hit from 51 later in the third quarter, the Falcons still trailed 13-10. But Watt’s touchdown less than a minute into the fourth made the lead too big for Atlanta to overcome.

Bengals 33, Buccaneers 27

Cincinnati’s overhauled defense converted three first-half fumbles into touchdowns and led the Bengals past visiting Tampa Bay.

Joe Burrow finished 25-of-35 passing for 254 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Bengals, who finished with four forced turnovers. Baker Mayfield was 23-of-28 for 216 yards and a touchdown run for the Buccaneers, who dropped their first season opener since 2020. Mayfield lost three fumbles for the first time in his career.

Evan McPherson converted all four field goal attempts, including kicks of 55 and 58 yards, to help Cincinnati to its first Week 1 win at home since beating Minnesota in 2021.

Jets 23, Titans 10

Kenyon Sadiq and Breece Hall ran for touchdowns, Geno Smith threw for 215 yards and visiting New York put the clamps on Tennessee. The outcome spoiled the first game as Tennessee’s coach for former Jets boss Robert Saleh.

Smith was 19-of-24 in winning his first start for the Jets since 2016. Hall added 102 yards on 22 rushes as the Jets outgained Tennessee 367-195 and hogged the ball for 38 minutes and 46 seconds.

Cam Ward struggled most of the game for the Titans, hitting 19 of 32 passes for only 140 yards and a late touchdown. Ward played under constant pressure as New York recorded three sacks and forced him into inaccurate throws.

Ravens 41, Colts 23

Derrick Henry scored three touchdowns to move into third place on the all-time rushing TDs list and rushed for 144 yards to power visiting Baltimore past Indianapolis.

Ravens wideout Zay Flowers (hamstring) had five receptions for a career-high 150 yards before he was ruled out. Lamar Jackson had 324 yards passing with a touchdown pass to Flowers and ran for a score while Henry (125) passed Marcus Allen (123) on the TD list.

Daniel Jones passed for 166 yards, one TD and one interception, while Jonathan Taylor ran for 98 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns for Indianapolis. The Colts fell to 1-8-1 in regular-season openers the past 10 years.

Vikings 39, Packers 22

Justin Jefferson caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and Minnesota closed the game with 29 unanswered points to stun Green Bay in Minneapolis.

Kyler Murray’s Vikings debut ended early as he sustained a concussion, and Carson Wentz came off the bench to complete 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. rushed for one touchdown apiece, and T.J. Hockenson had one touchdown catch.

Jordan Love completed 21 of 42 passes for 387 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Packers. Christian Watson caught six passes for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Raiders 27, Dolphins 13

Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for three touchdowns, two to running back Ashton Jeanty, and Las Vegas took care of visiting Miami in a meeting of teams not expected to do much this season.

Cousins, who signed with Las Vegas this offseason after spending the last two seasons with the Falcons, completed 21 of 30 passes for 160 yards and two interceptions. He leaned heavily on Jeanty, who rushed for 102 yards on 23 carries and caught six passes for a team-high 45 yards. Las Vegas controlled the ball for 34:53 and finished with 290 total yards.

Malik Willis hit 15 of 27 passes for 220 yards and an interception in his first start for Miami while running for its only touchdown. The Dolphins managed 259 total yards and converted only 2 of 10 third downs. Willis absorbed five sacks.

Cardinals 26, Chargers 14

Jacoby Brissett threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, Jeremiyah Love added a TD in his NFL debut and Arizona pulled off a victory over Los Angeles at Inglewood, Calif.

Trey McBride had nine receptions for 95 yards and a TD as the Cardinals won their season opener after losing their final nine games of the 2025 season. Arizona outscored the Chargers 19-7 after each team scored on its opening drive, thanks in large part to Chad Ryland’s four made field goals.

Justin Herbert was held to 209 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Ladd McConkey caught five passes for 82 yards and a score before departing toward the end of the third quarter with a chest injury for Los Angeles, which was unable to find sustained offense in its first game under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

Eagles 24, Commanders 22

Jalen Hurts completed 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards and three touchdown passes plus 46 rushing yards as Philadelphia won its sixth consecutive opener by holding off visiting Washington.

Dallas Goedert caught four passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns, while Saquon Barkley had 15 carries for 83 yards for the Eagles. Dontayvion Wicks, in his first game for Philadelphia, had two receptions for 73 yards, including a 9-yard TD catch in the first half.

Jayden Daniels completed 18 of 34 passes in the game for 164 yards with two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Commanders created a dramatic finish. Daniels went to rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams on a quick out for a 1-yard TD pass with 1:01 remaining for a 24-22 deficit. The Eagles weren’t fooled on the two-point try. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo was waiting for an inside shovel pass to tight end John Bates, stopping him at the line of scrimmage.

Giants 28, Cowboys 20

Jaxson Dart passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns and New York excelled in John Harbaugh’s debut as coach, beating Dallas in the season opener for both teams at East Rutherford’s Met Life Stadium.

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Isaiah Likely caught eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns as the Giants defeated the Cowboys for the second straight time after losing 16 of the previous 17 meetings. Cam Skattebo rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown, Devin Singletary caught a touchdown pass and Jevon Holland had a key interception. Giants star receiver Malik Nabers caught six passes for 69 yards in his first contest since sustaining a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee 11 1/2 months ago.

Dak Prescott was 22-of-34 passing for 175 yards, two touchdowns and the costly pick for Dallas. Javonte Williams accounted for two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) and CeeDee Lamb had a scoring grab for the Cowboys.

–Field Level Media

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NFL Sunday Night Football

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Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Cowboys -2.5, Total 48.5

Series Rewind: The Giants’ 34-17 win at MetLife Stadium in Week 18 last season snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Cowboys. Dallas is 16-2 against New York since the start of the 2017 season.

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The schedule-makers decided to throw John Harbaugh directly into the NFC East fire by inviting the rival Cowboys to town for his prime-time debut as head coach of the Giants following 18 seasons in Baltimore. Harbaugh was 4-1 vs. Dallas while coaching the Ravens. New York QB Jaxson Dart led all rookies with 24 touchdowns (15 passing and nine rushing) last season despite a high-contact playing style that led to multiple concussion evaluations. Keeping him healthy is essential if the Giants want to make the playoffs for just the third time since winning Super Bowl XLVI. WR Malik Nabers went off — nine catches for 167 yards and two TDs — in his most recent clash with the Cowboys in Week 2 last season. When it comes to success in this rivalry, however, Dallas QB Dak Prescott has earned bragging rights with a 14-3 record, 4,346 passing yards and a 31-9 TD-INT ratio in 17 meetings with Big Blue. He will be looking to air it out Sunday night with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens stretching the field.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Week 1 Previews ; 1pm

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Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Bears -3, Total 47.5

Series Rewind: The Bears have won seven of the past eight meetings with the Panthers and are 9-3 all-time against Carolina.

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Playoffs? Check. The Panthers won the NFC South for the first time since 2015. The Bears are defending NFC North champions after claiming the title for the first time since 2018. The principals involved in the 2023 trade that put the Panthers atop the draft order to select QB Bryce Young No. 1 overall, and the player the Bears selected with the top pick the next year — Caleb Williams — with the top selection acquired from Carolina in that deal, are squaring off in a Week 1 duel between division winners. The Bears are expecting WRs Rome Odunze (left calf injury) and Luther Burden III (left groin) to suit up. Williams led an offense ranked in the top 10 in total offense, rushing offense, passing offense and points per game last season. Young’s array of offensive support isn’t as vast, but he showed significant progress and enough of a gamer’s mentality in critical spots last season that Carolina picked up his option for 2027. The Bears led the NFL in takeaways last season thanks to a league-leading 23 interceptions.

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Jaguars -8.5, Total 40.5

Series Rewind: Cleveland has won three straight against Jacksonville, including two road games in 2020 and 2024, but the Jaguars lead the all-time series 12-8 in large part thanks to winning the first six matchups from 1995-2000.

Todd Monken officially begins his head coaching tenure with the Browns Sunday against a Jaguars squad led by Liam Coen, who anchored a sensational 13-4 debut-season turnaround in 2025. Jacksonville’s offense ranked sixth in the NFL in scoring (27.9 points per game) behind a return-to-form season from QB Trevor Lawrence. While former starting running back Travis Etienne is now with the Saints, the Jaguars return receivers Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter. Hunter is back and recovered from the torn LCL that ended his rookie season and will again attempt to play receiver and cornerback for Jacksonville. Sunday’s game will be Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s first appearance since October 2024 due to two tears of his right Achilles tendon. The three-time Pro Bowler with Houston has played just 19 games over four seasons since Cleveland acquired him via trade. Healthy once more, he’ll get another chance to prove his worth after beating out Shedeur Sanders in a QB competition.

New York Jets at Tennessee Titans

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Titans -1.5, Total 38.5

Series Rewind: The Jets have won four of the past five meetings.

There are a few opportunities for those “Hey, don’t I know you?” moments pregame with Titans coach Robert Saleh facing his former employer. Saleh was 20-30 before the Jets pulled the plug on his head-coaching tenure. As for his replacement? It wasn’t a great start for Aaron Glenn in 2025. The Jets went 3-14 and went backward in the mission to find a franchise quarterback, pulling their own former second-round pick from the time machine by landing Geno Smith in a deal with the Raiders. Smith makes his first start for the Jets since 2016. The Jets are not lacking talent on either side of the ball, but Saleh won’t be facing a few of his defensive stalwarts from his Jets’ depth chart such as Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner. They were both traded in deals that brought first-round picks and other loot back to New York to resume the quest for the Jets to find their Cam Ward. Well, he’s not an option, as the former No. 1 pick enters his second NFL season and works under former Giants head coach and new Titans play-caller Brian Daboll.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Bengals -3.5, Total 50.5

Series Rewind: This series has been one of runs, with the Bengals winning the last three matchups but the Buccaneers winning the six before that and owning a 7-6 edge in the all-time series.

The Buccaneers are looking to begin working toward a return trip to the postseason after their five-year playoff streak was snapped last season. The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to make their first postseason appearance since 2022 after the initial magic of Joe Burrow’s career has waned a bit. The preseason vibes started bad in Tampa Bay but have gotten better of late with franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield locked in through the 2029 season on a three-year extension signed this week. The Buccaneers bring in a five-game winning streak in Week 1 games. With Cincinnati already having locked in receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to extensions to give Burrow potent passing options, this offseason was about boosting the defense, including a trade of its first-round pick to the Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, to turn around a unit that ranked 30th in points allowed per game and 31st in yards allowed per game last season.

Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Bills -1.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: Houston has dominated the matchup of late, winning four of the last five and eight of the last 10 against Buffalo.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen, fresh off a fourth straight top-five MVP finish, looks to begin his ninth season doing something he never has before in his NFL career: Win a road game against the Houston Texans. He’s 0-4 all-time, including a loss in his playoff debut in the 2019 season wild-card round when his Bills blew a 16-0 lead. Before his chance at that first, he begins this season with a new first, playing his first game with Buffalo without Sean McDermott as head coach. McDermott, fired after another disappointing playoff exit, was replaced by offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Houston All-Pro pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. (2 1/2 sacks) and Danielle Hunter (two) accounted for more than half the team’s eight sacks of Allen in last year’s 23-19 win over the Bills. The defense should again be excellent, but the question that will likely determine if Houston can return to the top of AFC South after Jacksonville jumped the Texans last year is the health and production of QB C.J. Stroud in his fourth season. Stroud was a rookie standout in 2023, passing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions. But over the past two regular seasons, the touchdown-to-interception ratio slipped to 39-to-20.

New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Lions -6.5, Total 49.5

Series Rewind: Lions head coach Dan Campbell played for the Saints and was an assistant coach under Sean Payton. He is 1-0 as a head coach against New Orleans, a 33-28 victory at the Superdome in 2023.

Lions QB Jared Goff is working under a different offensive coordinator for the third consecutive season but sounds confident Detroit won’t relive its fate last season, when it missed the playoffs. Drew Petzing was hired by head coach Dan Campbell in the offseason, after multiple play-callers — including Campbell himself — tried to replace Ben Johnson on the headset and came up short in 2025. With Goff at the controls, Petzing has a promising set of pupils. As long as a revamped offensive line holds up, the Lions are positioned to be an offensive juggernaut. Jahmyr Gibbs, recently signed to a three-year, $67.5 million extension, scored 18 total touchdowns last season and might be the league’s most talented all-around running back. Top wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has already been selected to four Pro Bowls, and Jameson Williams ranks as one of the league’s most feared deep threats. Tight end Sam LaPorta is back in action after missing a chunk of last season due to a back injury. Kellen Moore is in only his second season as head coach, but optimism is peaking entering the season in a division with no clear favorite, the NFC South. Tyler Shough took over the second half of last season, and the strong-armed passer showed plenty of promise. With RB Travis Etienne added in free agency, New Orleans should be capable of putting up plenty of points. The fate of the defense is not as clear. The Saints’ defense held opponents to 21 or fewer points in eight games last season. Chase Young and Cameron Jordan combined for 20.5 sacks, but Jordan will miss Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury.

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Ravens -3.5, Total 47.5

Series Rewind: The Colts beat the Ravens 22-19 in overtime in the last meeting between these teams (2023). Indianapolis leads the all-time series 9-6.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor led the NFL with 20 total touchdowns and is the player every defense plots to slow down. QB Daniel Jones spread the ball around consistently before he was injured in November. Jones recovered from the torn right Achilles and enters the season with Alec Pierce sliding into the No. 1 receiver role. Pierce was largely absent from on-field team workouts in the offseason while recovering from a heel issue. The Ravens are still riding with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in the backfield, but Jesse Minter replaced John Harbaugh as head coach, and there is some mystery around how first-time playcaller Declan Doyle will attack defenses. Jackson was giddy discussing what’s coming from Doyle. Minter’s specialty is defense as he returns to Baltimore following a stint as defensive coordinator of the Chargers with plans to make the most of a versatile secondary.

Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Steelers -4.5, Total 41.5

Series Rewind: Pittsburgh holds a commanding 16-2-1 all-time lead against Atlanta and has won the last five matchups, including a Week 1 game at the Falcons in 2024.

Mike McCarthy and Kevin Stefanski each look for wins in their retread coaching debuts for the Steelers and Falcons, respectively. The two coaches have drastically different quarterback situations. Aaron Rodgers, who began his career playing for McCarthy in Green Bay, is back for a second season leading Pittsburgh in what he’s announced will be his farewell campaign. The Steelers aimed to upgrade their attack around Rodgers by trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and adding former Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, who gained 130 or more yards in three games last season. The Falcons were expected to start former Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa in the opener, but he was ruled out Friday with an oblique injury. With incumbent starter Michael Penix Jr. set to be inactive as he’s in the final phases of recovery from a 2025 knee injury, the starting nod goes to Cooper Rush. The journeyman backup played for McCarthy in Dallas, where he went 9-5 as a starter. The Falcons were second in the NFL with 57 sacks a season ago but will be without two of their top three 2025 sack leaders for much of the season with James Pearce Jr.’s half-season suspension and Jalon Walker’s season-ending knee injury sustained in training camp.

– Field Level Media

NFL Week One Previews; 4pm

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Arizona Cardinals Los Angeles Chargers

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Chargers -9.5, Total 47.5

Series Rewind: Arizona won the last meeting between the teams, 17-15, in 2024. Overall, the Chargers lead the head-to-head series 11-5.

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The Chargers are 6-1 in the season opener over the past seven seasons and are out to hit the ground running with new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel promising plenty of running back Omarion Hampton. With their offensive line scrambled anew, the Chargers now have rookie Jake Slaughter at center and newcomer Kayode Awosika at left guard. They will try to get quarterback Justin Herbert back to the level he showed in 2021 when he passed for career highs of 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns in his second NFL season. Keeping Herbert on two feet will be of the utmost importance after he was sacked a career-high 54 times in 2025. Herbert completed 66.4% of his passes last season for 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns with 13 interceptions as the team went 11-6 before losing a wild-card playoff game to the New England Patriots. The Cardinals hired Mike LaFleur as head coach, plucking the younger brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur from Sean McVay’s coaching staff with the Rams. Jacoby Brissett gets another look as the QB1 with rookie No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love (ankle) planning to get in on the action in Week 1. The Cardinals do have options at running back. Tyler Allgeier signed in free agency after scoring eight touchdowns with the Falcons last season and James Conner is back from a season-ending injury.

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Eagles -5.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: Five of the last six regular-season meetings between the NFC East rivals have been decided by eight or fewer points. This is their earliest clash since Philadelphia’s 27-17 Week 1 win in 2020.

The two-time defending division champion Eagles have never lost a season opener (5-0 record) with Nick Sirianni as head coach and Jalen Hurts as the starting QB. Hurts has a new OC in Sean Mannion, a healthy Saquon Barkley in the backfield and one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. Hurts no longer has A.J. Brown, leaving DeVonta Smith as the undisputed WR1. Vic Fangio’s Philadelphia defense returns star tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis and added OLB Jonathan Greenard, who was limited in practice this week after missing camp with a pec injury. The Commanders followed up a 12-5 effort in Year 1 under coach Dan Quinn with a 5-12 flop last season as injuries plagued second-year signal-caller Jayden Daniels. Daniels has 19 TDs (14 passing, five rushing) and just three picks in 12 career road starts. WR Terry McLaurin has 71 catches for 1,027 yards in 14 games against the Eagles. Washington’s new edge-rushing pairing of Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson were both limited in practice this week.

Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Raiders -3, Total 39.5

Series Rewind: The Dolphins have won four of the past five games in the series.

Malik Willis opens a season as QB1 for the first time in his career. Willis, who was drafted by the Titans and played for the Packers last season, has played in 22 career games but has only 155 pass attempts and eight turnovers (three interceptions, five fumbles lost). First-year coach Jeff Hafley was hired to replace Mike McDaniel. He was defensive coordinator in Green Bay and knows what he has in Willis, but there are many other variables in play with one of the league’s youngest rosters. Miami could begin the season with rookies listed as the starter or top backup at 10 of 22 positions. That includes two starting wide receivers, third-round picks Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas. The Dolphins released Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos, and the QB1 spot opened for Willis after Tua Tagovailoa was released. One Miami skill-position mainstay, running back De’Von Achane, was retained and should power a potent running game in which Willis expects to be a factor. The Raiders resisted the urge to start No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. They’ll go with Kirk Cousins to open the season. He is in the top five among active quarterbacks in TD passes (298, third) and passing yards (44,700; fourth).

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Vikings -1.5, Total 46.5

Series Rewind: The Vikings have won three of the last four regular-season meetings in this NFC North rivalry. Green Bay is 1-4 in its last five trips to Minneapolis and hasn’t won there in September since 2020.

Competing in arguably the NFL’s deepest division with the Lions and Bears, neither team wants to dig an early hole. The newest addition to this fierce rivalry is Vikings QB Kyler Murray, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick who went 0-2 against the Packers and 3-2-1 in season openers while with the Cardinals. Superstar receiver Justin Jefferson posted his sixth straight 1,000-yard campaign in 2025 but only scored twice. Head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense also returns former Green Bay RB Aaron Jones, WR Jordan Addison and TE T.J. Hockenson. Safety Harrison Smith is back for Year 15 to captain the defense. The Packers reached the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons under coach Matt LaFleur in 2025 but are starting the 2026 season without RB Josh Jacobs (legal issues) and pass rusher Micah Parsons (left knee injury). QB Jordan Love, who has a losing record (4-5-1) as a starter in September, has a handful of healthy playmakers in wideouts Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden and TE Tucker Kraft.

– Field Level Media

A.J. Brown Out Four+ Weeks

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FOXBOROUGH – (Wire service Report) – The New England Patriots will put wide receiver A.J. Brown on injured reserve because of a high-ankle sprain sustained in a season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, according to multiple media reports.

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Brown walked off the field with the injury to his right ankle on New England’s opening possession of the second half in the Patriots’ 13-10 road loss on Wednesday. An MRI confirmed the high-ankle sprain.

He must miss at least four games before the Patriots can activate him. The earliest Brown could return would be New England’s Week 6.

The injury occurred when Brown was targeted by a third-down pass from Drake Maye, but Seahawks nickel cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett deflected the pass to force a punt. Pritchett’s knee landed on the outside of Brown’s ankle, which twisted inward as he went to the ground.

Brown removed his right cleat and entered the blue medical tent on the sideline as the Patriots added a field goal to go ahead 10-0 in the third quarter.

 

Seahawks Rally to Defeat Patriots, 17-10

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SEATTLE – (Wire Service Report) – Josh Jobe intercepted Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in the end zone with 21 seconds remaining as the Seahawks beat New England 13-10 in a Super Bowl rematch Wednesday night.

Seattle picked off Maye on New England’s final three possessions to overcome a 10-0 deficit and the early exit of starting quarterback Sam Darnold.

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Well within the field-goal range of Andy Borregales, who connected on a 50-yarder earlier in the game, the Patriots went for the win in the final minute rather than taking the game to overtime. New England converted on fourth down twice on the final drive. Maye hit wide receiver Mack Hollins for 11 yards on fourth-and-9 on the first play after the two-minute warning to move the chains, after the QB ran for 5 yards on fourth-and-2 earlier in the possession.

His third-and-5 toss was underthrown, and Jobe was in front of Hollins one step into the end zone.

Backup quarterback Drew Lock helped save the day for Seattle. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught eight passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

The Seahawks turned the tide in the fourth quarter with three interceptions and three sacks of Maye, who was rarely pressured in the first half. His first gamble of the game early in the fourth quarter was a deep pass intended for Romeo Doubs that was tipped in the air and intercepted by Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett.

Seattle turned the first takeaway of the game into points when Lock hooked up with Smith-Njigba on a short fourth-down completion. A play-fake froze the Patriots’ defense, and Lock fired to Smith-Njigba for a short gain, and the receiver turned upfield to open turf to do the rest for a game-tying 45-yard touchdown with 11:28 to play.

On the ensuing possession, Maye tried to go deep over the middle, but safety Julian Love leapt in front of wide receiver DeMario Douglas for another pick. The play came after Doubs dropped a pass for what would have been a clear first down on a crossing route.

The Seahawks drove inside the New England 5, but two incompletions and a delay-of-game penalty led to Seattle settling for a chip-shot field goal from Jason Myers with just under six minutes left in the game.

The Patriots lost wide receiver A.J. Brown to a right ankle injury early on their first drive in the third quarter.

Five plays into their title defense, Seattle had its script shredded. Darnold left the game with a hip injury after being dragged down for a sack by Dre’Mont Jones and didn’t return.

Seahawks first-time play-caller Brian Fleury was caught in the whirlwind with Lock, who played 38 total snaps last season, pushed into the primetime spotlight. Fleury was hired after Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak left to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

With the Seahawks trailing 10-0 and 5:30 left in the third quarter, Lock floated a pass down the right sideline to Cooper Kupp for the longest gain of the game to that point, a 24-yarder. Kupp adjusted to the underthrown pass and hauled it in with his right arm. Three plays later, Lock zipped a quick slant pass to his left and found Kupp for an apparent 7-yard TD, but it was negated by an illegal shift.

The Seahawks settled for a 30-yard field goal by Myers and trailed 10-3 with 3:13 left in the third quarter.

Maye finished 23 of 33 for 178 yards, one touchdown and the three picks.

–Field Level Media

Aussie, Aussie Aussie – Go, Go, Go!

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MELBOURNE – (Wire Service Report) – Familiar foes find an entirely foreign entry into the 2026 season this week when the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers play in the first regular-season game ever staged in Australia.

“The jet lag didn’t hit me that bad,” 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey said as San Francisco settled in for a week in Melbourne. But, remember. It’s “MEL-burnn” not “MEL-Born.”

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A flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles takes around 90 minutes, and the 380-mile drive can be done in around six hours.

However, it’s about 8,000 miles to fly the L.A. to Melbourne, and the Rams are taking a 16-hour flight to be the “home” team in Australia when the NFC West rivals reconnect on Friday morning local time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The extreme time difference means the regular-season opener for the teams will air in the usual Thursday NFL primetime slot.

“We always have an advantage of having one home game a year in L.A., just the way our fans are, to take over (SoFi) stadium,” Shanahan said. “So, it’s disappointing to let (the Rams) off the hook and get them out of that. But I have a feeling, knowing how our fans roll, I have a feeling it won’t be much different here.

The Rams’ travel plan is vastly different. Their departure is set for Tuesday night (U.S. time) to play in Australia.

“The most important thing to me is they know that everything we do is what we think is best,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of his players. “It doesn’t mean that we think we’re right and a different approach is wrong. It’s just what we think is best is based on the things that we’ve done (in the past) and what we’ve learned over our time here.”

McVay stands on the idea the Rams were, well, rebuilt for this. General manager Les Snead reclaimed his reputation in the offseason as “Trader Les” by acquiring reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. On the heels of setting the single-season record for sacks, Garrett helped Snead and McVay coax Aaron Donald out of retirement. Donald would suit up for his first game since January 2024 if he is in the lineup this week. He decided to retire following that wild-card playoff loss at Detroit.

“I feel like we’ve had a really solid offseason — a really nice, strong training camp on both sides of the ball,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “That puts you in a position to have confidence going into the season that you understand what your team’s about. Then, inevitably, things happen and you’ve got to morph and change and find the ways to be successful.”

Shanahan believes the 49ers are better this season. He’d love to steer San Francisco away from the injury subplots that crept up the past two seasons. Defensive end Nick Bosa accelerated his bid to return from a torn ACL sustained last September and is expected to play in Australia, as is tight end George Kittle.

Bosa has only been practicing without limitations for one week. Kittle is less than nine months removed from tearing his right Achilles tendon. He was hurt Jan. 11 in the 49ers’ wild-card playoff win at Philadelphia.

Bosa battled tendinitis and the 49ers scaled back workouts. Bosa said he is back on track to play, but until Monday (U.S. time), the team hadn’t joined in the chorus.

“Oh, he’s going out there,” 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said of Bosa. “Whatever you want to say, he’s going. He’ll be there. We’re not hiding that.”

Among the important additions the 49ers made since January, wide receiver Mike Evans signed as a free agent and San Francisco spent its top draft pick to select wideout De’Zhaun Stribling in the second round. Deebo Samuel re-signed after a year with the Washington Commanders, giving quarterback Brock Purdy a sturdy and physical group of targets. Purdy hasn’t had a 1,000-yard wide receiver since Brandon Aiyuk in 2023.

Purdy can also lean on McCaffrey, who had eight receptions in both matchups with the Rams last season.

The teams split a pair of regular-season games last season dominated by offense. The Rams outscored the 49ers 65-52. Both teams went 12-5 and reached the playoffs.

Los Angeles wideout Puka Nacua had 15 total receptions in two games against the 49ers last season. Nacua, limited in training camp due to groin/hip soreness, led the NFL with 129 receptions and posted a career-high 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025.

San Francisco hosts the rematch with the Rams in Week 14 (Dec. 13) just ahead of consecutive road games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.

–Field Level Media

Henderson to Sit for Pats’ Opener

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SEATTLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots ruled out running back TreVeyon Henderson for the NFL season opener Wednesday against the host Seattle Seahawks.

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Henderson did not practice all week due to a lingering ankle injury he suffered Aug. 24, when he slipped on a run play during practice.

Henderson, 23, led the Patriots in his rookie season with 911 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He had six attempts for 19 yards and added three catches for 26 yards in New England’s 29-13 loss to Seattle in Super Bowl LX, but now won’t be available for the rematch.

That will mean more work for Rhamondre Stevenson as the Patriots’ lead ball-carrier. Stevenson enters his sixth season in the league, all with the Patriots, after gaining 603 rushing yards and scoring nine touchdowns (seven rushing, two receiving) last year.

The Patriots had already ruled out offensive lineman Ben Brown (knee), who did not make the trip west. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore (knee) is cleared to play.

On the other side, the Seahawks ruled out safety Ty Okada (hamstring) and deemed fellow safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle) questionable. Wide receiver Tory Horton (hamstring) is also questionable. Offensive lineman Josh Jones (knee) carries no game designation.

Emmanwori was limited on the Seahawks’ practice report all three days this week. Tuesday’s was an estimation, as the defending champs only held a walkthrough.

Emmanwori, 22, had a standout first season in the NFL and was runner-up for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. He had 81 tackles (nine for loss), 2.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups and one interception.

He played through multiple ankle sprains during the season, including a low sprain suffered days before the Super Bowl, and had an arthroscopic procedure during the offseason.

–Field Level Media

Patriots’ Gonzalez NFL’s Top $ Corner

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FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Completing protracted negotiations, the New England Patriots agreed to a contract extension that makes Christian Gonzalez the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, multiple media outlets reported late Monday night.

The four-year, $135 million extension reportedly includes $102 million in guaranteed money.

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The pact moves Gonzalez ahead of the Seattle Seahawks’ Devon Witherspoon, who agreed in mid-August to a four-year, $132 million extension with $101 million guaranteed.

The Gonzalez deal comes two days before the Patriots and the Seahawks will clash in a season-opening Super Bowl rematch at Seattle.

Gonzalez, 24, missed two weeks of training camp action in August due to a leg injury, but he has been back at full strength for two weeks.

A 2023 first-round draft pick out of Oregon, Gonzalez played just four games for New England that year due to a right shoulder injury. He returned the following year to log two interceptions, 11 passes defensed, one fumble recovery and 59 tackles in 16 games, all starts.

Last year, Gonzalez recorded 10 passes defensed and 69 tackles in 14 games, all starts. During the Patriots’ postseason run that ended in a Super Bowl defeat, he registered one interception, one sack, one forced fumble, seven passes defensed and 19 tackles in four games.

–Field Level Media