NFL teams combined to score 791 points (49.4 per game) in Week 1, tied with 2012 (791) for the highest scoring Kickoff Weekend in NFL history. Kickoff Weekend in 2026 also set the all-time Week 1 marks for total touchdowns (93), offensive touchdowns (90) and rushing touchdowns (37).
High scoring teams meet: For the first time in 24 years and the third time in NFL history, 11 teams scored at least 30 points on Kickoff Weekend, joining 1986 (12 teams) and 2002 (11). In Week 2, there are four matchups that feature two teams that each scored at least 30 points in Week 1, the most in a single week since Week 15 of the 2021 season.
Detroit (1-0) at Buffalo (1-0) (Thursday night, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video): The Lions, coming off a 31-30 overtime victory against New Orleans on Kickoff Weekend, are set to visit the Bills, who defeated Houston 36-31 last week, in the inaugural game at the new Highmark Stadium. Detroit looks to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2017 while Buffalo aims to start 2-0 for a third consecutive season.
In the last meeting between the two clubs, Buffalo defeated Detroit, 48-42, in Week 15 of the 2024 season as quarterback Josh Allen totaled 430 yards (362 passing, 68 rushing) and four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) in the victory.
Allen, who had two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in Week 1, became the sixth player in NFL history with at least four combined passing and rushing touchdowns in 25 career games, joining Tom Brady (47 games) and Aaron Rodgers (40) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Drew Brees (42), Peyton Manning (36) and Brett Favre (25).
Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who had 186 scrimmage yards (156 rushing, 30 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns in Week 1, became the fifth player in NFL history with at least 50 scrimmage touchdowns (51) in his first 50 games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown (53 scrimmage touchdowns) and Marcus Allen (51).as well as Chuck Foreman (55) and Larry Johnson (52).
Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who set career highs in receptions (14) and receiving yards (193) in the last meeting against the Bills, has 12 career games with at least 10 receptions (including 10 receptions in Week 1), tied with Anquan Boldin (12 games), CeeDee Lamb (12), Brandon Marshall (12) and Julio Jones (12) for the third-most such games by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only Michael Thomas (18 games) and Ja’Marr Chase (16) have more.
Minnesota (1-0) at Chicago (1-0) (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): The Bears – who scored an NFL-high 59 points last week, tied for the second-most points ever in a season-opening game – will host the Vikings – who scored 29 unanswered second half points to defeat Green Bay, 39-22, last week – in an NFC North divisional showdown. Chicago can begin 2-0 for the first time since 2020 while Minnesota can start 2-0 for the second time in the past three seasons (began 5-0 in 2024).
Last week, Chicago became the second team in the past 76 seasons and the sixth team ever to score at least 14 points in every quarter of a regular season game, joining Miami (Sept. 24, 2023), the Los Angeles Rams (Oct. 22, 1950), Philadelphia (Oct. 7, 1950), San Francisco (Nov. 21, 1948) and Chicago (Nov. 14, 1943).
The Bears recorded six rushing touchdowns in Week 1, tied with the 1920 Detroit Heralds, 1920 Rock Island Independents and the 1922 Canton Bulldogs for the most in a season opening game in NFL history.
Minnesota quarterback Carson Wentz became the first non-starting quarterback with at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions in a season-opening win since Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton on Sept. 17, 1961.
New Orleans (0-1) at Baltimore (1-0) (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Ravens led all AFC teams with 41 points and 506 total yards of offense in Week 1 while New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough led all quarterbacks with a career-high 410 passing yards and wide receiver Chris Olave led all players with a career-best 182 receiving yards on Kickoff Weekend.
Shough, who has at least 300 passing yards in three of his past four starts, ranks fourth among all quarterbacks with 2,666 passing yards since his first career start in Week 9 last season.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson has a .893 winning percentage (25-3) and 62 touchdowns (52 passing, 10 rushing) in 28 career starts against the NFC, the highest winning percentage all-time by a starting quarterback against the opposing conference (minimum 15 starts).
Baltimore running back Derrick Henry rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1, his 26th career game with at least 100 rushing yards and multiple rushing touchdowns, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown (25 games) and LaDainian Tomlinson (25) for the most such games in NFL history.
Henry has 125 career rushing touchdowns and last week surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (123 rushing touchdowns) for the third-most rushing touchdowns in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (164 rushing touchdowns) and LaDainian Tomlinson (145) have more.
Cincinnati (1-0) at Houston (0-1) (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Last week, the Bengals became the fifth team since 1963 with four sacks, four defensive fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown in a season opening game, joining the 1984 New York Jets, 1988 Los Angeles Rams, 1989 Cleveland Browns and 1993 New Orleans Saints. Cincinnati can begin 2-0 in consecutive seasons for the second time in franchise history (2014-15).
Nine teams won in Week 1 after missing the postseason in 2025: Arizona, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Minnesota, the New York Giants and the New York Jets.
Since 1990, history has shown that teams that are victorious in their season openers are more than twice as likely to advance to the playoffs as teams that lose their opener. During that span, 54.3 percent of teams (303 of 558) to win their opener have advanced to the playoffs.
However, an 0-1 start is not impossible to overcome, as 25 percent of teams (141 of 557) since 1990 that lost a season opener advance to the playoffs, including both of last year’s Super Bowl participants – the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
Primetime history: For the first time since 1970, three teams – the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants – will each play their first two games in primetime (7 p.m. ET or later) in the same season.
Indianapolis (0-1) at Kansas City (1-0) (Sunday night, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Since 2013, when Andy Reid was hired as head coach, the Chiefs have 11 victories on Kickoff Weekend, trailing only Philadelphia (12) for the most in the NFL.
Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for two touchdowns in Week 1 and has 17 career games with at least two rushing touchdowns, second-most among all running backs since he entered the NFL in 2020 (Derrick Henry – 25).
Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce had 71 receiving yards in Week 1 and surpassed Jason Witten (13,046 receiving yards) 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).
New York Giants (1-0) at Los Angeles Rams (0-1) (Monday night, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC): The Giants look to begin 2-0 for the first time since 2022 after defeating Dallas, 28-20, on Sunday Night Football in Week 1.
On Kickoff Weekend, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart became the first player ever with at least three touchdown passes, a passer rating of 130-or-higher (career-high 134.2) and 50-or-more rushing yards (54) in a season opening game.
The Rams are set to become the third team in the past three seasons (Philadelphia – 2024; Los Angeles Chargers – 2025) and ninth team since 1970 to not play on Sunday in Weeks 1 and 2.
In eight home starts last season, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for 2,320 yards (290 per game) with 22 touchdowns against one interception for a 114.7 passer rating.
About The Author
