Greatest Story on Turf 2026 Week 1

Dolphins vs. Raiders

Must Win

The Dolphins and Raiders are both expected to be the bottom of the barrel, and this is probably one of their few chances at victory, so they have to seize it.

Prediction Dolphins

Jets vs.Titans

Meaningful or Mirage?

Both teams have a lot to prove. Aaron Glenn was awful last year. Was that due to his circumstances, or is he just awful? Cam Ward has damaged a lot of his stock. If the preseason is any indication, he hasn’t gotten better, and it’s gonna be another long season. But is the preseason indicative of anything? One great performance against the Jets could shut people up real fast.

Prediction Titans

Cardinals vs.Chargers

Perfect Opportunity

For the Cardinals, they have nothing to lose. Nobody expects them to be good. But just how bad will they be? 8-win almost-bad, or 3-win-bad? They get a contender right away, so we will get the chance to see. The Chargers are looking to get over the hump finally, and their QB Herbert still has a lot of people expecting him to win MVP this year thanks to his new offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel. He definitely gets a good Week 1 matchup to either start his MVP campaign or fall on his face.

Prediction Chargers

Lions vs. Saints

Hype or reality?

After last year, people expect Shough to take the next step. He’s a trendy QB, but his first test is a tough one. The Lions are a hard-nosed, relentless team. If Shough can hang with them or even win, then maybe the hype is real, but the Lions could also expose him in game 1. Conversely, the Lions could be exposed too; they can’t lose this game if we are meant to take them seriously. Also, what does the offense look like? Has the new coordinator helped?

Prediction Lions

Falcons vs. Steelers

Blender

The Steelers have a lot on the line. TJ Watt has never won a playoff game. McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers have appeared in only 1 Super Bowl.Also, after Mike Tomlin’s exit, it would look bad if the Steelers had a losing season as soon as the new coach took command. This could be a legacy-defining year for the Steelers. The Falcons, on the other hand, want to be good again. And they aren’t off to a good start. Playing the Steelers won’t help. Facing a top-flight defense while struggling at QB feels like a recipe for disaster. Can the Falcons shock everyone?

Prediction Steelers

Jaguars vs. Browns

What are we?

Two former Clemson QBs facing off. For Deshaun, this is a rematch. The first time he played with the Browns in his preseason debut, it was against the Jaguars. He was booed heavily, but it was in a way that felt more personal than just booing the visiting team's QB. Especially given that it was preseason. Now he goes back to Jacksonville, and this time he knows the boos are coming. He’s ready. He needs to prove he isn’t washed, that his career isn’t over. He used to be elite; what is he now? Conversely, Trevor Lawrence was supposed to be generational, but despite a playoff win and a few appearances, he hasn’t shown that. Even though he's still on the team that drafted him, he still feels blah. Is he elite? Is he just good? We know he isn’t a bust, but 5 years in, we still have to ask: what is he? Which Clemson QB will carve out their legacy and cement themselves?

Prediction Jaguars

Cowboys vs Giants

Not Your Brothers NFC East

Normally, the Giants wouldn’t be a serious threat to the Cowboys, but times have changed. The Giants have an unproven quarterback and plenty of exciting offensive talent to support their defense. But these aren’t the Cowboys of old. They aren’t talented, overrated, and unfocused. They're making serious moves, and they are locked in. Who’s grown more?

Prediction Cowboys

Eagles vs. Commanders

Renewed Rivary

Last year's Commanders were a shadow of themselves, a team forced to keep walking even though they were dead the second Jayden went down. But they are back and ready to prove Jayden isn’t RG3 2.0 and that the Commanders are for real. More than that, Jayden wants to put all these 5 memes to bed, and the best way to silence critics is by winning. Well, at least sometimes. Jalen Hurts knows even that doesn’t always work. All these years later, multiple Super Bowls played, one won, and he’s still disrespected. People think he will be nothing without AJ Brown. Jalen is ready to prove he is the engine of the team, and he’s that guy with or without Brown.

Prediction Eagles

Ravens vs. Colts

Mv3 Or Indymvp?

Last year, Daniel Jones went down with an Achilles tear right as he was on the best tear of his career with the Colts. If he wants to make his big comeback, then he’s gonna have to go through someone with a similar story. Lamar Jackson also got injured last year, and the team fell short because of it. Lamar and Daniel Jones actually have even more in common than just injury. Both are getting disrespected as QBs. Lamar ranked 69th by players last year. I’m sure he wants to remind everyone he’s nobody's 69th-best QB; he’s #1. A lot of people forgot, and he needs to remind them. Whose journey will get the storybook start, and who will come up short?

Prediction Ravens

Bears vs. Panthers

Trade Race

So it’s not even a question: the single greatest moment of Ryan Poles's career as Bears GM was the Carolina trade. But how is it aging? Everyone assumes the Panthers were fleeced, but DJ isn’t on the Bears anymore, and the Panthers were in the playoffs too last year, just one win away from where the Bears ended their season. Have the Panthers sneakily caught up to the Bears, or will the Bears show once and for all that they definitely fleeced the Panthers?

Prediction Bears

Packers vs Vikings

Because It’s You

The Packers are falling behind in the NFC North race. If they don’t shape up soon, they could be fourth in this division. Every team in this division has won a playoff game since the last time the Packers have, except the Vikings, who are debuting their new QB, Kyler Murray. If the Vikings fail again, heads will roll, but if they get it together before the Packers, they may need to make some hard choices if they want to dominate this division. This is a big rivalry game. Losing to a division rival is bad enough from a pride standpoint. Still, it's also like two losses because it's a blow to your regular-season record and your division record, and it's the first game of the season, so you will have to work your way out of all the negativity that comes with losing such a big game.

Prediction Vikings

Bucs vs Bengals

#1 shootout

Two number-one overall picks by Ohio teams and former division rivals Baker and Joe Burrow going at it, and I expect a shootout. Last year, the Bucs were ravaged by injuries, and the Bengals had no defense. Have they solved their problems? Can Baker finish the job this year and bring home an MVP now that he has gotten paid 169 million? Can Joe Burrow overcome the slow starts the Bengals always have?

Prediction Bucs

Patriots vs Seahawks

Rematch

The Seahawks embarrassed the Patriots in the biggest game of their season. The Patriots got to the Super Bowl and hit their ceiling hard. Many thought the Patriots were fraudulent to begin with anyway. Now that the Patriots have a harder schedule, will they prove the haters wrong? Have they gotten better since last year? There’s been a lot of change on the Seahawks side as well. They lost Kobe Bryant, Kenneth Walker, and Klint Kubiac, but have they done enough to repeat their success, or has the magic left the building?

Prediction Seahawks

Bills vs. Texans

Sneaky Rivalry

People don’t often think of the Bills and Texans as rivals, but the Texans have been a thorn in the Bills' side. Back in the Deshaun Watson days, it was the Texans who knocked off Josh Allen and the Bills in the playoffs. Also, when Stefon Diggs left the Bills, he went to the Texans, and in the revenge game the Texans made a fool of Josh Allen, making him play one of his worst games.

Now the two teams meet again in Week 1. The Bills are trying to finally roll their boulder all the way to the top of the hill. They lost to the Broncos last year, a team led by a young Bo Nix, and the Texans are rising as top contenders too. Are the Bills still top-flight, or are the newer QB-led teams passing them by?

Prediction Texans

Rams vs. 49ers

Great on Great

Two great coaches and rosters face off. You've got the 49ers, who are always favorites to win because of their talented roster but never have, and the Rams, who are favored because of their talented roster to get to Super Bowl number two. There’s no love lost between these rivals. Kyle Shanahan is already firing shots, saying this game internationally saved the Rams from having their stadium taken over by 49ers fans. The Rams are planning to go to Australia, sleep on the plan, and play while ignoring the time difference, while the 49ers went there ahead of time to acclimate. Whose strategy will work? Will the 49ers crumble from injury or show they are strong as ever? Because the quiet part is that the 49ers' window will eventually close. There isn’t enough air for both these teams in the Super Bowl. Will the Rams come out and look as dominant as everyone expects, or will the 49ers drag them down under in Australia?

Prediction Rams

Broncos vs. Chiefs

Changing of the Guard

This day has come a lot sooner than we expected. The Chiefs may not be the top dogs in this division anymore. Last year the Broncos took the AFC West and the entire AFC. This game will set the tone. Was last year a fluke? Will Mahomes come back like he was never hurt and the Chiefs continue their dominance in September, or will the Broncos become the new top dogs?

Prediction Chiefs