We have already seen Seattle survive New England and San Francisco dismantle the Rams.

Now comes the real avalanche.

Thirteen games fill the Sunday schedule, with new quarterbacks, new coaches, returning stars, injury questions and several teams immediately trying to prove that last season either meant everything—or nothing.

Instead of trying to identify every matchup within every game, I’m narrowing each one down to a single question.

If you watch only one thing in every Sunday game, make it this.

Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers

Can Caleb Williams and Chicago’s offense pick up where it left off?

Chicago enters the season with considerably different expectations than it did a year ago.

The Bears are no longer simply hoping Caleb Williams develops. After winning the NFC North, they now need to show that Ben Johnson’s offense can become one of the conference’s defining units.

The immediate concern is health. Rome Odunze has been limited with a calf injury, adding uncertainty to a receiving corps Chicago expects to help Williams take another step. Carolina, meanwhile, enters this season needing to prove last year’s playoff appearance was the beginning of something rather than an outlier.

For Chicago, the opener is about showing that 2025 changed the standard.

The storyline: Does Williams look like the quarterback of a legitimate NFC contender?

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts

Can Indianapolis keep Lamar Jackson off the field?

The obvious temptation is to turn this into a quarterback comparison.

I think the bigger issue is Jonathan Taylor.

Indianapolis’ best path against Baltimore is keeping Lamar Jackson watching from the sideline. That means controlling possession, shortening the game and leaning heavily on Taylor rather than asking Daniel Jones to trade explosive plays with Jackson.

Baltimore enters a new era defensively under Jesse Minter and has made significant changes throughout the coaching staff. Indianapolis gets the first opportunity to test how quickly all of that has come together.

If Baltimore jumps ahead early and forces Jones into obvious passing situations, the Colts are in trouble.

The storyline: Can Taylor turn this into Indianapolis’ kind of football game?

Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers

How healthy is Tua Tagovailoa—really?

Atlanta already chose Tua Tagovailoa over Michael Penix Jr. for Week 1.

Then Tua landed on the injury report with an oblique problem.

Penix has returned to full practice, meaning the Falcons at least have another viable option if Tua experiences a setback. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, begins the Mike McCarthy era with Aaron Rodgers and a defense that should immediately test Atlanta’s protection.

This game becomes dramatically different if Tua cannot move or throw comfortably.

Atlanta has Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. The skill talent is good enough.

The quarterback needs to make it work.

The storyline: Does Tua look healthy enough to stabilize Atlanta’s offense?

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars

What does Deshaun Watson have left?

Few players enter Week 1 facing more uncertainty.

Watson is back atop Cleveland’s depth chart and preparing for his first regular-season start since 2024. The Browns have a new coaching staff, a reshaped offense and a young quarterback waiting behind him in Shedeur Sanders.

Jacksonville presents a difficult first test.

The Jaguars went 13-4 last season and want to establish immediately that the breakout was sustainable. Trevor Lawrence has continuity under Liam Coen, while Cleveland is still trying to discover what its offense actually is.

Watson does not need to look like his 2020 self Sunday.

He does need to give Cleveland a reason to believe the quarterback discussion can remain quiet for a while.

The storyline: Can Watson make himself the story for the right reasons?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals

Can Tampa Bay’s rebuilt pass rush protect its secondary?

This is almost unfair as an opening examination.

The Buccaneers spent the offseason rebuilding their defensive front. Rueben Bain Jr. is already back to full participation after dealing with a shoulder problem, and Tampa believes this group can finally generate pressure without Todd Bowles constantly manufacturing it.

Great.

Now go deal with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Tampa’s corners will be stressed immediately. The only way to consistently help them is to prevent Burrow from standing comfortably in the pocket waiting for Chase and Higgins to uncover. The Bengals’ two star receivers have been full participants despite appearing on the injury report.

We spent the offseason asking whether the Bucs’ pass rush is legitimately improved.

We’re going to get an answer quickly.

The storyline: Can Tampa generate pressure with four?

New York Jets at Tennessee Titans

Robert Saleh faces the Jets—and brings some familiar faces with him

Week 1 scheduling occasionally has a sense of humor.

Robert Saleh’s first regular-season game leading Tennessee comes against the franchise that fired him.

And he won’t be alone.

Several former Jets followed Saleh to Tennessee, giving the matchup an unusually personal feel for an opener. Meanwhile, Jets running back Breece Hall says he will play after recovering from a groin strain.

There is also a fascinating football question underneath the reunion angle.

Can Cam Ward make the Year 2 leap against a Jets secondary that expects to be significantly better?

Tennessee needs the answer to eventually be yes.

The storyline: Can Saleh immediately expose the weaknesses of the team he knows so well?

New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions

Can Tyler Shough take advantage of a Detroit defense missing key pieces?

This is an important Year 2 opener for Tyler Shough.

New Orleans believes it may finally have found some stability at quarterback, and Detroit provides a useful measuring stick.

The Saints still revolve heavily around Chris Olave in the passing game, while Detroit enters with questions throughout its secondary. The Lions will likely ask D.J. Reed to spend considerable time dealing with Olave.

New Orleans also has its own injury problems. Cameron Jordan and Audric Estimé have missed practice, while Alvin Kamara has been limited by a knee issue.

Shough does not need to carry the Saints by himself.

But if he’s going to convince New Orleans that he is more than a temporary answer, these are the games where he needs to create offense.

The storyline: Is Shough ready to become the centerpiece rather than the question mark?

Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans

Can Josh Allen finally win in Houston?

Here is my favorite strange statistic of Week 1.

Josh Allen is 0-4 in games played in Houston.

In those four games—including a playoff loss—he has thrown only one touchdown against two interceptions and produced a passer rating far below his career norm.

That would be interesting trivia against an average defense.

Houston’s defense is anything but average.

Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and Derek Stingley Jr. headline a Texans unit capable of generating pressure and forcing Allen into exactly the kind of chaotic game Houston wants.

Buffalo has improved the receiving corps around Allen, including the addition of DJ Moore, and still enters as an AFC heavyweight. Houston believes its defense is championship caliber.

Strength against strength.

And one very weird venue history.

The storyline: Can Allen finally conquer Houston?

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers

What does a Mike McDaniel offense built around Justin Herbert actually look like?

This is one of the Sunday games I’m most interested in watching.

Not because Arizona-Los Angeles screams marquee matchup.

Because Mike McDaniel finally gets Justin Herbert.

Jim Harbaugh hired McDaniel to essentially become the head coach of the Chargers offense, and Week 1 gives us our first real look at what that means. Expect motion, spacing, play-action and an attempt to manufacture more easy completions for one of the league’s most physically gifted quarterbacks.

Arizona has its own intrigue with rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, who has been working back from a high-ankle sprain.

But the larger story is Herbert.

We’ve seen what he can do.

Now we see what McDaniel thinks he should do.

The storyline: Does McDaniel immediately unlock another level of Herbert?

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

Welcome to Minnesota, Kyler Murray

No easing into the new job.

Kyler Murray’s first regular-season game as a Viking comes against Green Bay in an NFC North matchup.

Minnesota has Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, giving Murray one of the better skill groups he has played with. The question is how Kevin O’Connell adapts the offense to a quarterback whose movement ability changes what defenses must prepare for.

Green Bay enters less than fully healthy. Micah Parsons is unavailable to begin the season, and the Packers’ injury report has also included multiple defensive linemen and linebackers.

That’s a favorable environment for Murray’s debut.

But divisional games rarely cooperate with the expected script.

The storyline: How quickly can Murray make this Vikings offense his own?

Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders

What does Las Vegas’ offense look like without Brock Bowers?

The Raiders spent the offseason building a new offensive identity.

Now they may have to unveil it without their best pass catcher.

Brock Bowers has missed consecutive practices because of a knee injury, putting his Week 1 availability in serious doubt. Ashton Jeanty, meanwhile, has returned to full participation.

Las Vegas was already asking its receiving corps to take a significant step forward. If Bowers is unavailable, Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor and Jack Bech become considerably more important.

Miami provides the other major unknown.

Malik Willis begins the year as the Dolphins’ quarterback after an enormous organizational reset.

One of these teams is going to leave Sunday feeling much better about its offensive reconstruction.

The storyline: Can the Raiders create enough offense if Bowers can’t go?

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles

Which NFC East contender establishes the early standard?

This may be Sunday’s most underrated game.

Philadelphia remains one of the NFC’s deepest teams, but the offense has changed significantly since A.J. Brown left. Washington still has Jayden Daniels and enters believing it can challenge the Eagles for the division.

Both teams also have interesting defensive questions.

Philadelphia’s Jonathan Greenard has been limited, while Washington has several front-seven players on its injury report, including K’Lavon Chaisson, Odafe Oweh and Daron Payne.

Ultimately, though, this comes down to the quarterbacks.

Jalen Hurts has already proven he can lead a championship-caliber team.

Daniels wants Washington to join that conversation.

September games don’t decide divisions.

They can establish who everyone is chasing.

The storyline: Can Daniels walk into Philadelphia and immediately alter the NFC East hierarchy?

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

Jaxson Dart gets the Sunday Night Football stage

This is a perfect Week 1 closer.

Jaxson Dart begins Year 2 with John Harbaugh overseeing the Giants and Malik Nabers back as a full practice participant, giving New York its most important offensive weapon for the matchup.

Dallas’ defense will immediately have to deal with something it has struggled against before: a quarterback capable of creating explosive plays with his legs.

Dart was one of the league’s more dangerous scrambling quarterbacks last season, and Dallas must keep him contained while also accounting for Nabers outside. The Cowboys’ own young defense contains several new pieces, including rookie safety Caleb Downs.

The other side is just as intriguing.

New York has an excellent collection of pass rushers, while Dallas enters the opener without All-Pro guard Tyler Smith.

Dak Prescott versus the Giants’ front could determine the game.

But this night feels like Dart’s opportunity to announce something.

The storyline: Is Dart ready to turn the Giants from interesting into dangerous?

Meyer’s Sunday Game of the Day

Bills at Texans.

There are better rivalries.

There are bigger television windows.

But Buffalo-Houston gives us the best football test.

Josh Allen against one of the NFL’s best defenses.

C.J. Stroud against a Buffalo team expecting to contend for a Super Bowl.

Two AFC teams that may eventually meet again in January.

And Allen walking into a stadium where he has somehow never won.

That’s Week 1 football at its best.

The opener gives us months to imagine what teams might become.

Sunday finally begins telling us what they actually are.

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