The Best Moments from the First Sunday of the 2026 NFL Season
The first football Sunday of the 2026 NFL season is in the books. Tons of highlights happened across the league, and many teams showed how dominant they can be. The final game of Week One will have the Denver Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs in an interesting AFC West showdown, but Sunday’s schedule offers plenty of action to discuss. Here are some of the best moments from the first Sunday of the new NFL season.
Bears Score the Most Points in a Season Opener
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears put on a frenzy in Carolina against the Panthers. Chicago’s offense poured in 59 points, the most in a Bears season opener. Williams recorded 269 passing yards and two touchdowns while running back D’Andre Swift ran for 124 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns. Throughout the first half, the Panthers kept up with the Bears offense, tying the game whenever they got the chance, yet Carolina’s defense could not sustain the poise they had, giving up huge plays which ultimately cost them the game. Chicago will take on division rival Minnesota Vikings during their Week Two bout. They’ll certainly look to keep the momentum and the confidence flowing into the second week of the season.
Vikings 22-Point Fourth Quarter
Speaking of the Vikings, Minnesota was down 22-10 with five minutes left in the third quarter against division rivals in the Green Bay Packers. Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray took a hard hit from Packers safety Javon Bullard and defensive end Lukas Van Ness in the first quarter, which took Murray out for the remainder of the game. This brought in Minnesota’s backup QB Carson Wentz, who struggled initially in the first half but showed why he was a candidate for NFL MVP at one time. Wentz and the Vikings brought the game within five points with two minutes left in the third. Then in the fourth quarter it was all Minnesota as they scored 22 points to shut down Jordan Love and the Packers in a 39-22 outing. Wentz threw for 133 passing yards and three touchdowns, proving head coach Kevin O’Connell right about why they chose the 33-year-old as the backup over J.J. McCarthy.
Jets & Giants Win in a Season Debut Together for the First Time Since 2009
Earlier in the day, the New York Jets went against the Tennessee Titans. While there were some drives where they struggled significantly, the Jets shocked the league and even their own fans by scoring 23 points in a 23-10 win. Tennessee’s offense struggled tremendously. New York’s running back Breece Hall rushed for over 100 yards, and quarterback Geno Smith put on a Jets jersey for the first time in over a decade and was able to lead the team to a massive Week One win.
The New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys were the Sunday night football matchup, with the Giants coming out on top 28-20. This was due to their united young offensive trio of quarterback Jaxson Dart, running back Cam Skattebo, and receiver Malik Nabers looking solid, plus New York’s defense shutting down the Cowboys on multiple occasions, frustrating Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. Dart threw for 230 passing yards and three touchdowns, Skattebo ran for 81 yards, and Nabers had 69 receiving yards in his first game since tearing his ACL in Week Four of last season. The Giants also got help from former Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely, who had 78 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the win.
This would be the first time both the Jets and the Giants won the first game of the NFL season since 2009. While it’s only one game, a massive boost in trajectory could be in store for both these New York teams. The Giants beat a team that was classified as a Super Bowl candidate, and the Jets pulled off a win no one thought they’d be able to do. Could we see these two teams in the NFL Playoffs come January?
