NFL · Week 1 wrap
Wentz, Watt, Swift, Dart — and the Chiefs run Denver out.
Vikings and Cardinals surprise. Watt’s pick-six. Bears explode. Daniels closes. Giants beat Cowboys. Monday night: Chiefs 31, Broncos 10 — Walker’s huge night, Mahomes shows his worth, Delane’s pick then a shoulder exit.
Sunday’s slate had a theme: the teams people expected to cruise did not always cruise, and a few names wrote the highlight reel themselves. Melbourne already had its chapter. This is the rest of Week 1 — scores first, desk colour where it belongs, Monday night folded in at the close. Source: NFL.com scores; team and wire recaps cited below.
Vikings and Cardinals — the surprises
Minnesota 39, Green Bay 22. Carson Wentz came in after Kyler Murray left in the first quarter with a concussion on his Vikings debut and threw three touchdown passes, two to Justin Jefferson, as Minnesota scored 29 straight to close it. That is a decisive win with the backup under centre. Source: Sportsnet / AP.
Arizona 26, Los Angeles Chargers 14. The Chargers were the biggest favourite on the Week 1 board; Mike LaFleur’s Cardinals led throughout. Jacoby Brissett: 277 yards and a touchdown. Chad Ryland four field goals. Road win over L.A. for the first time since 2001. Source: AP / ABC; CBS Sports.
Steelers defence — Watt’s pick-six
Pittsburgh 20, Atlanta 13. The defence carried Mike McCarthy’s first game as Steelers coach. T.J. Watt snagged a Cooper Rush swing pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth — his first career pick-six — plus two sacks on the day. That was the separation play. Source: Steelers.com; Steelers Depot.
Bears live up to it — Young still looks fine
Chicago 59, Carolina 37 — the highest-scoring Week 1 game the league has recorded. Caleb Williams: 21 of 29, 269 yards, two passing touchdowns, two rushing scores. D’Andre Swift, on his new deal: 18 carries, 124 yards, three rushing touchdowns. The Bears lived up to the hype. Source: ChicagoBears.com; CBS Sports; NBC Sports.
Bryce Young, in a loss that got away late, still put up 23 of 37 for 361 yards, three touchdowns and a rushing score. The box score says he did his job; the scoreboard said Chicago did more of it. Source: Bleacher Report box; Bears recap.
Eagles–Commanders — Daniels closes
Philadelphia 24, Washington 22. Jalen Hurts three touchdown passes. Jayden Daniels threw two fourth-quarter scores and dragged Washington to the doorstep; the Eagles stuffed the tying two-point try with 1:01 left. Daniels finished 18 of 34 for 164 yards — the stamina to erase most of the deficit was real; the last play was not enough. Run game showed up for both sides in a genuine contest. Source: CBS Philadelphia; Reuters.
Titans and Browns — same worry
Jets 23, Titans 10. Cam Ward 19 of 32, 140 yards; Tennessee’s only touchdown came late when it was already gone. Cleveland 10, Jacksonville 34. Deshaun Watson’s first regular-season start since 2024: 16 of 22, 205 yards, one touchdown, one interception — and ten points on the board. Neither side held the opponent to single digits. The desk read: throwing Watson to the wolves does not fix what is broken in Cleveland, even if you also do not think he is the long-term answer. Source: Titans.com; Browns.com; Bleacher Report.
SNF — Dart is accurate
Giants 28, Cowboys 20. Jaxson Dart: 23 of 29, 230 yards, three touchdown passes — Likely twice, Singletary once — plus designed runs and scrambles in a John Harbaugh opener. Very accurate, as the completion rate says. New York’s run game stacked 165 yards. First primetime Week 1 win over Dallas in nine tries for the Giants. Source: CBS Sports live; PFT.
MNF — Chiefs run Denver out
Kansas City 31, Denver 10 at Arrowhead. Kenneth Walker III had the huge game: 23 carries, 173 yards, a 60-yard rush touchdown, plus a receiving score — about 191 total yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs ran all over Denver. Source: NFL.com / box score.
Patrick Mahomes showed his worth after an up-and-down 2025. Desk colour: this was the reminder, not a cautionary tale. Confirmed line: 15 of 27 for 184 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, plus six carries for 24 yards and a rushing score. Source: NFL.com / ESPN box.
The Chiefs defence had Denver wrapped up all night. Rookie corner Mansoor Delane set the tone — interception on Denver’s opening drive that set up a Chiefs touchdown — then left with a shoulder injury and did not return (Rapoport / KMBC). Do not read the rest of the night as his personal sack/TFL reel; the unit carried it after the early exit. Source: NFL.com / team wire; Rapoport / KMBC.
What this item is not
No invented injury return weeks. No Week 2 rankings. No stamp on Watson’s job. No Delane sack/TFL claim after the early exit. Paid sit/starts stay on the weekly.
Sources: Sportsnet / AP; AP / ABC; CBS Sports; Steelers.com; Steelers Depot; ChicagoBears.com; NBC Sports; Bleacher Report; CBS Philadelphia; Reuters; Titans.com; Browns.com; CBS Sports SNF; PFT; NFL.com / ESPN MNF box; Rapoport / KMBC on Delane shoulder. Desk colour labelled as such where it is not a box-score fact.