Week 1 gave the NFC its first real snapshot of 2026, but that picture still comes with plenty of smudges. The opener can flatter teams, bury others, and tell you just enough to make you think you know what’s coming next. With Week 2 on deck, the early pecking order in the conference already has a few clear trouble spots.
At the bottom, the Atlanta Falcons sit at 0-1, and there isn’t much to hang optimism on after their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It wasn’t a runaway defeat, but the bigger issue is the feeling around the roster.
The quarterback situation looks like the league’s weakest link. Tua Tagovailoa is already hurt, and Michael Penix Jr. still isn’t ready to take over the starting job as he works back from his knee injury.
Atlanta has enough talent on both sides to piece together some wins, but that position is what threatens to drag the whole season down.
Just ahead of them are the Arizona Cardinals at 1-0, fresh off a Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The result was impressive, but it doesn’t erase the concerns built into this team.
Arizona is leaning on a high-end backup at quarterback, and the road ahead is brutal. Add in a defense that doesn’t have enough overall talent, and the Cardinals still look like a team many around the league expected to land near the bottom this year.
The offense has some lively pieces, sure, but the schedule and the defensive limitations make the early success feel fragile.
In Other News...
Falcons Suddenly Have A Backfield Depth Problem They Created
The Falcons running back room took an unexpected hit this week when the Cowboys signed Tyler Goodson off Atlantas practice squad and onto their active 53-man roster after losing Malik Davis to injury. Goodson had been waived by Atlanta after a strong preseason, a move that left the team thin behind its top backs and opened the door for another club to swoop in.
Now Atlanta is left with rookie Cash Jones as its only running back on the practice squad, and the front office may need to move quickly to restore some depth. Goodson had been in position to compete for a role behind Javonte Williams and Emari Demercado in Dallas, but the more immediate concern for the Falcons is the self-inflicted vacancy they now have to patch before it becomes a bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Pitts Is Already Putting Falcons Quarterback Problem Under Pressure
Kyle Pitts new deal made it clear the Falcons still view him as one of the central pieces of the offense, but the season opener offered a reminder that his production is still tied closely to who is throwing him the ball. In the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pitts was targeted only once and did not record a reception while Cooper Rush handled the start at quarterback, a quiet night for a player Atlanta is counting on much more heavily.
The larger issue for the Falcons is less about Pitts himself than the uncertainty around the quarterback room. Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa are both dealing with injuries and are expected back soon, and Pitts early line only underscores how much the offense needs stability under center. Until that settles, the Falcons may keep feeling the strain of trying to make a top weapon work through an unsettled passing game. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Already Face An Early Cam Ward Concern
The first week of the 2026 NFL season did not exactly settle much for the teams still circling the quarterback conversation, and Atlanta is among the ones still feeling the ripple effects. The Falcons entered the year with an uncertain setup under center, as Cooper Rush and Michael Penix Jr. both sit inside a broader picture that leaves the position looking anything but finalized.
That matters because the early struggles around the league can quickly push teams toward bigger decisions, and the 2027 draft is already part of that conversation for several quarterback-needy clubs. Atlanta is in that mix with a group that also includes Cleveland, Miami and Tennessee, where Cam Ward is one name to watch if the Titans decide their current path needs another turn, though nothing in this stage makes any of those outcomes certain. [Read more 🡒]