The NFL is back: Week 1 schedule, predictions and more
The NFL regular season opens with a unique Wednesday night kickoff when the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl 60 rematch. It’s the first Wednesday Week 1 opener since 2012.
Video above: Patriots prepare for Super Bowl rematch in Seattle
It’s the beginning of a 272-game slate — 17 contests for all 32 teams — including nine games that will be played in international venues. All of it leads to the playoffs and Super Bowl 61 on Feb. 14, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The Los Angeles Rams are the frontrunners to win the 2027 Super Bowl on their home field, with early betting odds checking in at +500. The Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are also among the favorites.
As for the longest shots: The Arizona Cardinals (+100000), Miami Dolphins (+75000) and New York Jets (+35000) could make some risky gamblers quite rich if one could pull off a miracle season.
Here’s a look at what’s ahead this week, with predictions by Matthew Peaslee of the Hearst National Team. All game times are in Eastern Standard Time.
Wednesday, Sept. 9
New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m.
The debut of a new season brings a fresh start for the biggest offseason acquisition, A.J. Brown of the Patriots. Even with a minor injury, he should be good to go in this one and could be an X-factor on offense. However, Seattle’s defense, with five All-Pro selections returning, should be able to contain New England in front of a raucous “12th Man” crowd.
Prediction: Seahawks 27, Patriots 21
Thursday, Sept. 10
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams, 8:35 p.m.
Doug Benc
A Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers jersey is displayed at an NFL media breakfast event in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.
From the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, the first of a record-tying nine international games kicks off the NFL season. The Super Bowl favorite Rams are led by a stingy defense that includes newly acquired Myles Garrett and 35-year-old Aaron Donald, who has come out of a short-lived retirement. The jet lag of a long flight might slow the offenses in this one.
Prediction: Rams 17, 49ers 14
Sunday, Sept. 13
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was chosen as the cover man for “Madden 26” and he very well could be the premier QB in the league this season. The Chicago defense is suspect, but so are both sides of the ball for the Panthers, even though they won the NFC South last year with a losing record. Bryce Young had an outstanding college career at Alabama, and he is well on his way to a breakout year for Carolina at quarterback.
Prediction: Bears 30, Panthers 21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.
The Bengals have the potential to be the best offense in the AFC with a healthy Joe Burrow and an improving trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown. They also shored up their defense by adding Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen after giving up nearly 30 points per game last season. This is likely a rebuilding year for Tampa Bay.
Prediction: Bengals 38, Buccaneers 10
New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.
Just when the Lions think they can turn a corner, they take a few steps back. After making the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, Detroit finished last in the tough NFC North last year. That shouldn’t be the case in 2026. Behind great production from Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the always-reliable edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions are reloading this season. For the Saints, quarterback Tyler Shough is still unproven.
Prediction: Lions 33, Saints 17
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.
Buffalo holds the longest active playoff streak with seven consecutive appearances heading into the 2026 season. The Bills should make it eight this season and could avoid the heartbreaking losses they’ve become accustomed to in January. DJ Moore is a new target for quarterback Josh Allen, and the addition of Bradley Chubb shores up the defense. While the Texans have made the postseason three straight years, it’ll be a tough year to make it four.
Prediction: Bills 28, Texans 17
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.
Lamar Jackson is back for his ninth NFL season, and he could win his third MVP Award. Another veteran on offense, Derrick Henry is gearing up for his 11th season and he hasn’t missed a beat. The Ravens will even have a stronger defensive edge this season with new head coach Jesse Minter, a former Baltimore defensive assistant who has made a name for himself in the college ranks with recent stops at Michigan and Vanderbilt after stops at Notre Dame and Cincinnati to start his career. This is the first meeting between these two teams since 2023, and the home-standing Colts hold a 6-1 series advantage, though that won’t stay on trend this year.
Prediction: Ravens 24, Colts 21
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.
Can Deshaun Watson silence his critics and become a better person and leader on and off the field? He faces a tough task in Week 1 against a strong Jacksonville defense. The Browns only scored around 16 points per game last season, while the Jaguars look to repeat as NFC South champions with their trademark disruptive defense again. Trevor Lawrence returns at quarterback for the Jags in a make-or-break year to continue his legacy.
Prediction: Jaguars 21, Browns 3
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.
Both teams come in with new, yet well-polished head coaches: Kevin Stefanski for the Falcons and Mike McCarthy for the Steelers. The reunion of McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who teamed up for record-setting offensive numbers in Green Bay last decade, should be enough to make things interesting again in Pittsburgh. Stefanski has his work cut out for him in Atlanta, just as he did leading Cleveland the past few years. It’s been 10 years since the Falcons won a division title.
Prediction: Steelers 40, Falcons 21
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.
Expectations are low for both teams after dismal 3-win seasons in 2025. The good news is, there’s nowhere to go but up, and one team will be a third of the way to matching their win total from a year ago. Geno Smith, who has been in the league since 2013, is in his second stint with the Jets and looks to write another strong chapter in his up-and-down career. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons might make that difficult in this tough Week 1 matchup.
Prediction: Titans 17, Jets 14
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m.
The Cardinals bring in new head coach 39-year-old Mike LaFleur, who looks to revamp the offense after a successful stint as a coordinator for the Rams. On the other side is successful veteran Jim Harbaugh, who led the Chargers to two playoff appearances in his first two years in LA. With Justin Herbert at quarterback, this season should be another successful one for the Chargers, who open as a huge favorite in this Week 1 matchup.
Prediction: Chargers 30, Cardinals 10
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m.
The Raiders went 3-14 last year, earning the No. 1 overall draft pick. That selection went to Heisman Trophy winner and national champion Fernando Mendoza, who will not be starting Week 1 for Las Vegas. It’ll be interesting to see if newcomer 38-year-old Kirk Cousins, now on his fourth team in 15 seasons, has some gas left in the tank. Running back De’Von Achane is a dark-horse candidate to be the AFC Offensive Player of the Year, as the Dolphins try to find their way under new head coach Jeff Hafley, a pick nobody saw coming.
Prediction: Raiders 17, Dolphins 14
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, 4:25 p.m.
Some may say the Bears are a bigger rival to the Packers, but in the modern era, the Vikings have proven to be Green Bay’s biggest competition. The Packers lead the all-time series with a 67-61-3 edge, and Minnesota was victorious in the last meeting, 16-3. It’ll be tough for the Packers to pull off a road win without Micah Parsons or Josh Jacobs. The Vikings’ Justin Jefferson will lead the way at receiver as Kyler Murray steps in at quarterback after a solid stint in Arizona.
Prediction: Vikings 27, Packers 24
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m.
The NFC East could come down to these two teams at the end of the season, and whoever comes out on top here may have an easier path to a division title. The Commanders have been turning things around in recent years, but the Eagles are still the Eagles. The Philadelphia offense behind running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts is still among the best in the professional ranks. But Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin pose a deep threat, too.
Prediction: Eagles 24, Commanders 23
Sunday, Sept. 13
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, 8:20 p.m.
After 18 seasons with the Ravens, John Harbaugh takes over for the Giants and he has a tough matchup in Week 1. The Cowboys have won nine of their last 10 meetings against the Giants and should easily pull out a road win here. Dak Prescott on offense and first-round pick Caleb Downs on defense make Dallas a well-rounded team heading into 2026.
Prediction: Cowboys 33, Giants 14
Monday, Sept. 14
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 p.m.
Patrick Mahomes sustained an ACL injury but is now back to full strength. The only problem, though, the Broncos’ smothering defense led the league with 68 sacks last season. The problem for Denver here is entering into one of the NFL’s toughest environments, trying to will their team back to the prominence it was used to in the past few years. Expectations are high in Kansas City to rebound after a rough 6-11 campaign last season.
Prediction: Chiefs 20, Broncos 17
