NFL Week 1 Winners and Losers: Bears Explode, Cowboys Collapse
The first full Sunday of the 2026 NFL season delivered everything football fans could have asked for, from historic offensive performances to surprising upsets and painful losses. The Chicago Bears scored 59 points against the Carolina Panthers, Jaxson Dart announced himself with three touchdown passes in the Giants’ win over Dallas, and Josh Allen once again delivered a late-game masterpiece for Buffalo. On the other side, several teams left Week 1 with much bigger questions than they had entering the season. Here are the biggest winners and losers from the opening weekend.
The Chicago Bears were arguably the biggest winners of Week 1 after putting together one of the most explosive offensive performances in recent NFL history. Chicago defeated the Carolina Panthers 59-37, setting a Week 1 scoring record while piling up 552 total yards. Caleb Williams accounted for four touchdowns, while D’Andre Swift added three rushing touchdowns and 124 yards on the ground. The Bears still have defensive issues to address after allowing 37 points, but their offensive firepower immediately makes Chicago one of the most intriguing teams to watch heading into Week 2.
The New York Giants delivered one of the biggest surprises of Week 1 by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 in Jaxson Dart’s first season-opening start. Dart completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns while adding 54 rushing yards, giving New York a quarterback performance that could quickly change the conversation around the NFC East. The Giants also controlled the clock for more than 36 minutes, showing this was more than simply a quarterback stealing a game. It is too early to call New York a contender, but the Giants certainly changed expectations with their opening-week performance.
Josh Allen reminded the NFL why the Buffalo Bills remain one of the league’s biggest Super Bowl threats. Allen accounted for four touchdowns and finished with 334 passing yards while leading Buffalo on a 96-yard winning drive that ended with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer. The Bills did not make the game easy on themselves, but finding a way to win 36-31 on the road against Houston is exactly the type of result that can matter when the playoff race tightens. Buffalo’s Week 1 performance should keep the Bills near the top of early NFL power rankings.
The Detroit Lions survived one of the wildest games of Week 1, defeating the New Orleans Saints 31-30 in overtime. Jahmyr Gibbs was the offensive star, rushing for 156 yards and two touchdowns, while Jared Goff connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for two touchdowns. Detroit still has defensive questions to answer, but winning a game that required multiple late-game responses is a positive sign for a team expected to compete in the NFC.
The Jacksonville Jaguars made one of the strongest statements of Week 1 by dominating the Cleveland Browns 34-10. Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes without an interception, and Jacksonville quickly turned the game into a blowout by taking a 31-0 lead early in the second half. The Jaguars entered the season with legitimate expectations after winning the AFC South last year, and this performance suggests they could be more than just a division contender.
The Baltimore Ravens also deserve a place among the biggest Week 1 winners after defeating the Indianapolis Colts 41-23 behind another outstanding performance from Derrick Henry. Henry rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns, while Lamar Jackson added 324 passing yards and a rushing touchdown. Baltimore showed the balance and explosive offense that could make the Ravens a serious AFC contender, although the defense will need to remain consistent as the schedule gets tougher.
The Dallas Cowboys were one of the biggest losers of Week 1 after falling 28-20 to the New York Giants in a game that exposed problems on both sides of the ball. Dallas managed only 244 total yards, while Dak Prescott threw for 175 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The Cowboys also struggled to stop Jaxson Dart and repeatedly allowed the Giants to control the clock and convert important third downs. One loss does not ruin Dallas’ season, but the performance creates immediate questions about whether the Cowboys can compete in a difficult NFC East.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wasted a strong opportunity in Cincinnati, falling 33-27 after committing four lost fumbles. Baker Mayfield did not throw an interception, but Tampa Bay’s ball-security problems gave the Bengals too many extra opportunities and turned what could have been a winnable road game into a frustrating loss. The Buccaneers showed enough offensive ability to stay in the game, but giving the ball away repeatedly is the kind of mistake that can quickly become a trend. Tampa Bay now has to clean up those mistakes before they become a bigger problem.
The Cleveland Browns had one of the roughest offensive performances of the opening weekend in a 34-10 loss to Jacksonville. Cleveland managed only 272 total yards and struggled to stay competitive after Jacksonville built a commanding lead. Meanwhile, Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes without an interception for the Jaguars. The Browns have plenty of time to recover, but Week 1 provided very little evidence that their offense is ready to consistently compete against better teams.
The Atlanta Falcons became another Week 1 loser after dropping a 20-13 decision to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cooper Rush threw for only 143 yards and two interceptions, while Atlanta’s offense repeatedly failed to capitalize on opportunities. Bijan Robinson was productive as both a runner and receiver, but the Falcons could not generate enough offense around him. Missed field goals and late defensive pressure from Pittsburgh made the loss even more frustrating for Atlanta.
The Carolina Panthers may have scored 37 points, but their defense turned an encouraging offensive performance into a 59-37 loss against Chicago. Carolina allowed 552 total yards and surrendered 59 points, including three unanswered Chicago touchdowns after the game was tied 31-31 in the third quarter. Bryce Young and the Panthers offense showed plenty of fight, but giving up that many explosive plays is a major concern. If Carolina cannot improve defensively, its offense may have to play nearly perfect football every week just to stay competitive.
One week is not enough to completely rewrite the NFL landscape, but several teams gave us legitimate reasons to change our expectations. The Bears, Bills, Ravens, and Jaguars looked like teams capable of making noise in the postseason, while the Giants showed they may be much more competitive than expected. At the same time, Dallas, Cleveland, and the Los Angeles Chargers created immediate concerns that could follow them into Week 2.
The biggest NFL Week 1 takeaway is that some performances deserve more attention than others. Chicago’s 59-point explosion and Buffalo’s late comeback were difficult to dismiss as simple Week 1 noise, while teams such as Detroit and New York still have questions despite impressive victories. The first NFL power rankings of the season should move some teams significantly, but the real test will come when these teams have to prove their Week 1 performances were not one-game surprises.
Week 2 will begin separating the legitimate contenders from the early overreactions. Injuries, quarterback play, and defensive consistency will become even more important as teams adjust to what they saw during the opening weekend. For now, the biggest winners have earned the benefit of the doubt, while the biggest losers have one week to start answering some serious questions.
One week is not enough to completely rewrite the NFL landscape, but several teams gave us legitimate reasons to change our expectations. The Bears, Bills, Ravens and Jaguars looked like teams capable of making noise in the postseason, while the Giants showed they may be much more competitive than expected.
The biggest NFL Week 1 takeaway is that some performances deserve more attention than others. Chicago’s 59-point explosion and Buffalo’s late comeback were difficult to dismiss as simple Week 1 noise, while teams such as Detroit and New York still have questions despite impressive victories.
Week 2 will begin separating the legitimate contenders from the early overreactions. Injuries, quarterback play, and defensive consistency will become even more important as teams adjust to what they saw during the opening weekend.
A wild Week One in the NFL, as there were ups and downs for a lot of teams. There were some close nail-biters to the end. And bad news to start Week One, as the Cowboys suffered a setback by losing their first game. New York Giants was succesful by over coming the Cowboys and beating them for the record between the two.
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