Week 1 2026 NFL Season Grades Begin with Notable Upsets and High-Scoring Games

Welcome to the Week 1 grades.

The start of the 2026 season is here, and like we do every year, we're going to be grading every game that's played between now and January.

The first week of the season always seems to get a little crazy, and this year was no exception. In the early games on Sunday, we saw the Saints claw back from a 21-0 deficit to force overtime against the Lions, only to lose on a two-point conversion attempt. We also saw the Bears and Panthers make NFL history by combining for 96 points, the highest total ever in a Week 1 game (and a Scoragami!).

And then there was the Browns, who lost to the Jaguars 34-10. OK, that one wasn't crazy, because as you may or may not have noticed, the Browns almost never win in Week 1. Since returning to the NFL in 1999, the Browns are now 3-24-1 in the opening week of the season.

The Browns never came close to pulling off the upset, but there is one team that pulled off a massive upset in Week 1: The Arizona Cardinals. The Cards were the biggest underdog of the opening week at +9.5, but they still managed to go into Los Angeles and pull of a total shocker with a 26-14 win over the Chargers.

Speaking of big wins, one of the biggest victories in Week 1 came in Houston, where Josh Allen won on the road against the Texans for the first time. That's where we're going to start our Week 1 grades.

NOTE: More grades will be added as games finish.

Buffalo 36-31 over Houston

Arizona 26-14 L.A. Chargers

Minnesota 39-22 over Green Bay

Philadelphia 24-22 over Washington

Las Vegas 27-13 over Miami

Cincinnati 33-27 over Tampa Bay

Detroit 31-30 over New Orleans in OT

N.Y. Jets 23-10 over Tennessee

Baltimore 41-23 over Indianapolis

Pittsburgh 20-13 over Atlanta

Chicago 59-37 over Carolina

Jacksonville 34-10 over Cleveland

San Francisco 27-7 over L.A. Rams (Thursday)

Seattle 13-10 over New England (Wednesday)