Four weeks into the 2026 NFL season, the league has already turned upside down.
A few teams that were supposed to be steady are sinking fast, while some unexpected names are sitting in spots nobody predicted. That’s the kind of early chaos that makes “any given Sunday” feel less like a cliché and more like a warning label. Here are four of the biggest surprises so far.
The Houston Texans are sitting at 0-4, and that’s the kind of hole almost nobody climbs out of. Only one team in NFL history has started 0-4 and still reached the postseason: the 1992 San Diego Chargers, whose current team is also winless.
What makes Houston so odd is that the defense was supposed to be a strength. Last season, that unit allowed just 17.2 points per game, the second-best mark in the league.
This year, with most of the same group back, the Texans are giving up 27.7 points per game through four weeks. C.J.
Stroud has done his part to steady things, throwing for 1,141 yards, good for fifth overall, with no interceptions. But even that kind of production can’t cover for a team that keeps finding ways to lose.
In New York, John Harbaugh has the Giants leading the NFC East at 3-1, which is not exactly how anyone drew this up. A Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys gave the Giants a little momentum, but that was followed by a season-ending knee injury for Jaxson Dart in Week 2 and then the loss of outside linebacker and defensive captain Brian Burns the next week.
Even so, the Giants have kept rolling. Harbaugh has brought belief into the building, and the team is leaning on the Jameis Winston experience at quarterback.
Winston went 18-of-29 for 250 yards and three touchdowns, but also had two baffling interceptions in Sunday’s 36-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Giants are still all-in on him, and if the defense keeps closing out games, they may have a real shot to stay in the mix.
The Chargers’ partnership with Mike McDaniel and Justin Herbert has gone the opposite direction. McDaniel was supposed to bring the offensive spark that made him so valuable around the league, even after a rough run as Miami’s head coach, where he went 35-33.
In Los Angeles, the idea was simple: let Herbert focus on quarterbacking while McDaniel handles the offense. Instead, the results have been ugly.
Through four games, the Chargers have scored only 67 points, the fifth-lowest total in the NFL. Herbert has more interceptions, six, than touchdown passes, four. At 0-4, the Chargers are staring at a bleak path, even if head coach Jim Harbaugh is still optimistic McDaniel can turn things around.
And then there’s Bryce Young, who looks like the franchise answer the Panthers were hoping for all along. David Canales may have done the most important work of Young’s career after benching him for part of last season and helping rebuild his game. This year, Young has been one of the league’s most productive passers, leading all quarterbacks with 1,268 passing yards, ranking third with nine touchdowns, and posting a 74.6 quarterback rating, fifth-best in the league.
His latest statement came on “Sunday Night Football,” where he guided Carolina to a 32-26 win over the once-feared Detroit Lions. For the Panthers, the next step is simple: keep getting this version of Young for a full season.
In Other News...
Justin Herbert And Jim Harbaugh Have A Chargers Problem Getting Worse
A rough opening month has left the Chargers in an early hole, and the loss to the Seahawks only deepened it. At 0-4, they sit last in the division and already have work to do just to keep their playoff hopes from slipping away. The offense has been the biggest issue, with Justin Herbert unable to find much rhythm as the unit has struggled on third down and inside the red zone.
Jim Harbaughs team has also had to deal with injuries and a lack of chemistry among the key pieces around Herbert, which has made the slow start feel even more stubborn. For a roster built to compete now, this is the kind of stretch that turns every drive into a test and every missed chance into a bigger problem. The season is still early, but the margin for error is getting smaller by the week. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Let Winnable Game Slip Away As Injuries Pile Up
The Chargers had every chance to leave Seattle with a road win, and for stretches they looked capable of doing it despite a growing list of injuries. Los Angeles lost multiple offensive linemen and other key players during the game, a blow that made an already difficult matchup even harder to manage as the offense tried to keep moving against the Seahawks.
Instead, the game tilted on turnovers, with the Chargers giving the ball away four times in a 30-23 loss. Justin Herbert was responsible for three of those giveaways, and the final dagger came when Uchenna Nwosu forced a late fumble that Derick Hall recovered, sealing a result that felt especially frustrating for a team that outgained Seattle but could not protect the football when it mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers 0-4 Start Is Turning Into A Serious Problem
The Chargers latest loss in Seattle only sharpened the pressure around a start that has quickly gone from disappointing to alarming. A 30-23 defeat to the Seahawks left Los Angeles still searching for its first win of the season, and it came in a game where turnovers and missed chances kept the margin from ever feeling truly manageable.
Justin Herberts interception was part of a messy afternoon for the offense, while Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold also had a pick in a game that featured scoring from both sides but little sustained momentum for the Chargers. Los Angeles kept answering with field goals and touchdowns, but each rally seemed to run into another Seattle response, leaving the Chargers with the same growing problem and no clear reprieve in sight. [Read more 🡒]