As many have said and will continue to say, Week 1 in the NFL can be misleading, as it's not a stretch to call the first game of the season an extension of the preseason. Teams are still trying to find their groove, and in the coming weeks, that will happen.
Still, though, winning is winning, and a 1-0 start in the NFL is the best-possible record any team can have right now, so there is still a lot of substance in winning the first game of the season. As Week 2 rapidly approaches, we want to take a look at the NFC a bit deeper.
Let's rank the NFC following Week 1, using a combination of the first game this year and an overall season projection as the criteria for our rankings.
Ranking the NFC following Week 1 of the 2026 NFL Season
16. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
It's hard to find much of anything to be optimistic about with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons didn't necessarily lose big-time to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but you get the sense that this season has been doomed from the start, as the quarterback situation might be the worst in the NFL.
Tua Tagovailoa is already hurt, and Michael Penix Jr. isn't yet ready to takeover the starting role in his return from his knee injury. The Falcons do have enough talent on both sides of the ball to scrape together some wins, but the QB situation is ultimately the one thing that will hold this team back all year.
15. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
The Arizona Cardinals Week 1 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers was quite something, but the Cardinals have a high-end backup inserted as their starter, an extremely tough schedule, and a defense that doesn't really have enough overall talent. The frisky talent the Cardinals have on offense is notable, but there is a reason why many across the NFL landscape have predicted this team to be among the worst in football this year.
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