NFL Week 1 always brings a little chaos, and a little overreaction comes with the territory. But some ugly openers deserve a closer look than others. A few teams came out of the gate looking shaky, and the panic meter is already climbing in a couple of places.
The New England Patriots sit in the middle of the worry spectrum at 5.5/10 after scoring just 10 points and losing to Drew Lock in their 2026 debut. The problem for New England is that the road ahead does not get any friendlier.
The reigning AFC champs will be without A.J. Brown for at least four games after he landed on injured reserve, and the next three opponents are the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.
Without their most dynamic offensive weapon, the Patriots could very easily be staring at a 1-3 start.
The Los Angeles Chargers, meanwhile, are only at 3/10. That Week 1 blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals was ugly, and Justin Herbert and company were nowhere close to sharp.
Still, there’s some room to breathe here because this was Los Angeles’ first game with a completely new offense and defense. New coordinators usually mean early growing pains, and the belief is that Jim Harbaugh and Herbert can steady things before long.
Green Bay lands much closer to the danger zone at 6.5/10. The Packers spent two hours looking excellent on Sunday before everything unraveled in the second half.
They gave up 29 unanswered points to Carson Wentz and the Minnesota Vikings and lost by 17. The ground game was especially rough without Josh Jacobs, with Green Bay’s running backs managing only 66 yards on 20 carries.
Up front, both the offensive and defensive lines were pushed around. Those aren’t the kind of problems that disappear after one week of practice.
And then there’s the Dallas Cowboys defense, which checks in at a blunt 8/10. Dallas rebuilt a unit that ranked 30th a year ago, but Week 1 against the New York Giants looked alarmingly familiar.
The Giants moved the ball at will, piling up 5.8 yards per play and converting nine of 11 third downs. There’s still time for new play-caller Christian Parker and the new personnel to make this defense better, but the first impression was rough.
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Jordan Love Debate Is Getting Harder For Packers Fans To Win
The Jordan Love conversation keeps circling back every time Packers fans think theyve got a firm argument in hand. Love has the better overall numbers, and from Green Bays perspective that should be enough to quiet some of the noise around the comparison with Chicagos Caleb Williams, especially when the debate keeps tilting toward the Bears quarterback despite the statistical edge.
Williams has helped himself by coming through in key moments, which is part of why the discussion has stayed alive instead of fading away. Love will have chances to answer in the weeks ahead, with Green Bay set to face the Jets and Falcons, and the next head-to-head meeting with Williams looming as the kind of stage that could finally shift the tone of the debate for Packers fans. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Offense May Be Showing Matt LaFleur's Real 2026 Plan
The Packers Week 1 offensive look offered a useful clue about where Matt LaFleur may want to take this group next. Green Bay leaned on multi-tight end formations more often than the NFL average, a notable wrinkle for an offense that has spent recent years balancing speed, spacing and versatility. The personnel moves make the picture even more interesting, with the club adding veteran tight end Jonnu Smith and bringing in blocking tight end Mark Redman to give the scheme more options.
Taken together, the formation usage and the roster decisions suggest this is more than a one-game adjustment. LaFleur has long shown he is willing to reshape the offense around his personnel, and the early signs point toward a heavier tight end emphasis becoming part of the long-term plan. If that trend holds, it could be one of the clearest hints yet about what Green Bay wants its offense to look like heading into the 2026 season. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans May Remember No. 73 For More Than Steady Line Play
Before the Packers got a steady run of big-bodied linemen associated with No. 73, Daryn Colledge made the number feel familiar in Green Bay. Drafted in the second round in 2006, he settled in as a reliable offensive guard over five seasons and became part of the group that helped bring home Super Bowl 45, the kind of rsum that sticks with fans long after the jersey comes off.
No. 73 has belonged to other Packers over the years, but Colledge is the name most people would circle first when looking back through the numbers history. His career path and football roots helped make him more than just another lineman in the rotation, and for Green Bay followers, the number still carries a little extra weight because of what he represented during that stretch. [Read more 🡒]