Green Bay Packers (@ Minnesota Vikings)
The Green Bay Packers are in Minnesota in Week 1 in what could already be a major NFC North matchup. Green Bay got off to a great start in the 2026 season but did see injuries piling up that effectively ended their season.
As for the Vikings, they managed to win the final five games of the 2025 season and very quietly finished with a 9-8 record. Of note, the Vikings signed Kyler Murray this offseason, and I would have to assume that Murray starts for the team.
I am not sure Murray would have signed with the Vikings without being guaranteed the starting job, and while I do believe this pairing could work out well, in Week 1, all bets are off.
There is reason to believe that Murray and the Vikings offense just won't look that smooth, and that is normal for many teams across the first couple of weeks of a season. As for the Packers, they've had the same 'system' in place for years now and should be able to take advantage of the Vikings offensive newness.
Dallas Cowboys (@ New York Giants)
The Dallas Cowboys changed up the defense big-time this offseason in a series of moves that simply needed to happen. Offensively, not much needed to change, as this team finished 7th in scoring in the 2025 season and really only need the defense to be average to win a ton of games.
The New York Giants made a very solid move of their own, hiring John Harbaugh as the next head coach, but the Giants might end up being a slower build than the Cowboys, and I am not sure it's controversial to say that the Cowboys are ahead of the Giants right now.
Dallas didn't have to make major coaching changes like New York did, and Jaxson Dart is still an unknown at the quarterback position.
The Cowboys should be able to win this one.
Denver Broncos (@ Kansas City Chiefs)
The Denver Broncos swept the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2025 season and have won three games in a row against them and four of the last five, dating back to the 2023 NFL Season. Back in Week 10 of the 2024 season, the Broncos were lining up for what would have been a game-winning field goal in Arrowhead, but it got blocked.
Denver has simply been able to take care of business against Kansas City in recent years, and that will continue in 2026. The Chiefs saw much of their starting secondary disappear in free agency, which included trading Trent McDuffie.
And while Patrick Mahomes could be fully cleared for Week 1, there has to be some sort of mental factor in what would be his first game back from a major knee injury. While the Chiefs could bounce back in 2026, the Broncos have less going on in a good way and will be able to take care of business.
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