NFL Week One continues on Sunday. Intriguing matchups and history could shape how certain games play out. Let’s dive deep.
The great Josh Allen has never won a game in Houston. He is 0-4 in NRG Stadium and has posted some of his worst statistical numbers in those games. In those four games, Allen has thrown for a combined three touchdowns and three interceptions.
The other numbers in that span are staggering. Allen posted a 56.8% completion percentage, 179 passing yards per game, and a passer rating of 74.8, which are all well below league average.
The numbers that matter are the games against Houston when DeMeco Ryans took over as head coach in 2023. Allen faced his version of the Texans in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, he completed just nine passes in 30 attempts and posted a 56.4 rating.
In 2025, Allen threw two interceptions with no touchdowns and was sacked eight times with a 67.4 passer rating. Can he exorcise those demons in the opening week?
Something to look out for in NFL Week One.
The second cool stat to note for NFL Week One is how much Joe Burrow normally struggles out of the gate. The former LSU Tiger has played in six Week One games. In that span, he has totaled just five touchdowns and five interceptions with a passer rating and completion percentage of 76.4 and 62.8, respectively.
That has led to the Cincinnati Bengals starting slow for most seasons in Burrow’s career. They’ve only won two of the six Week One games, and one of them was a 17-16 victory over the hapless Cleveland Browns in 2025. Burrow in that game was pedestrian, as he had just 113 passing yards.
The only game Burrow played well in Week One, and the team won, was in 2021, and Cincy went to the Super Bowl that year. It’s paramount that he and the team start fast in the opening game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to gain some momentum. It’s now been three straight years and counting of missing the postseason.
The Denver Broncos have been on the rise since the arrival of head coach Sean Payton. He has led them to back-to-back postseason appearances in 2024 and 2025 after an eight-year drought. In this most recent year, they were a game away from the Super Bowl.
Despite the growing success, one thing has been constant: September has been a struggle. In the three Septembers since Payton took over as head coach, Denver has gone 4-7 combined.
In 2023, the Broncos were 0-3 in that month. 2024 and 2025 were slightly better at 2-2. Can the team get off to a faster start in 2026?
This might be an underrated NFL Week One story.
It’ll be interesting to see if 2026 is the year of bucking trends. It begins with Allen and his struggle against the Texans. Will the addition of DJ Moore make a difference?
The next trend noted has been Burrow’s lack of excellence at the start of the season. It’s been a pivotal reason why the Bengals missed the playoffs in 2023 and 2024. He missed time due to turf toe in 2025, so it’s a bit of a different story. Can he put together an elite performance against a good Bucs team?
Finally, the trend is a little more under the radar than the first two. The Broncos have never finished above .500 under Payton in September. Can this be the year they finally do it?
Plenty of storylines to look forward to in NFL Week One.
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