The Josh Allen Rollercoaster Is Back for a New NFL Season

The NFL's best player of the week award goes to Derrick Henry, the 32-year-old running back for the Baltimore Ravens. Henry carried the ball 24 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns in Baltimore's 41–23 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He also caught a 19-yard pass, just to show he can do it all. Quarterback Lamar Jackson played his usual great game, and receiver Zay Flowers had a 54-yard touchdown catch.

Henry reached a huge milestone in that game. He passed Marcus Allen on the NFL's all-time rushing touchdowns list, moving to 125 career rushing touchdowns. Only Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson are ahead of him now. Not bad for someone some people thought was too old to keep playing at a high level.

The Cleveland Browns had a rough opener, losing 34–10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Deshaun Watson played poorly, but head coach Todd Monken kept him in the game the whole time. After the game, Monken gave a confusing answer when asked why he stuck with Watson. Many fans think the real reason is that Watson's contract is so expensive that the team feels stuck with him.

The Chicago Bears had a day to remember, beating the Carolina Panthers 59–37 on Sunday. That is the most points the Bears have ever scored in a season opener. It is also the highest-scoring opening game in NFL history. Quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran for two more scores.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson said before the season that he wanted his team to have the highest-scoring offense ever. After Sunday's game, that goal does not seem so far away. The Bears scored six rushing touchdowns in all. Fans are excited about the offense — though the defense still has some questions to answer.

The New York Jets have lost more games than any other team over the last 10 seasons. But they looked much better in a 23–10 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Quarterback Geno Smith completed 19 of 24 passes, and running back Breece Hall helped lead a rushing attack that gained 152 yards. The Jets' defense also held Tennessee to just 195 net yards.

The Los Angeles Chargers were expected to be much improved this season, thanks to new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. But they lost 26–14 to the Arizona Cardinals, a team that has not been very good in recent years. Quarterback Justin Herbert only threw two passes that traveled 20 or more yards in the air, completing just one. It was a disappointing start for a team with high hopes.

The Minnesota Vikings are dealing with big quarterback problems. Starter Kyler Murray threw an interception on his very first pass against the Green Bay Packers, and then got a concussion and left the game. Backup Carson Wentz came in with the Vikings trailing 22–10. Wentz then led the team to 29 straight points to win the game, throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Wentz was once a star quarterback but had fallen out of favor around the league in recent years. His comeback story could be one of the most surprising of the 2026 season. The Vikings signed him as a backup, but he may end up being much more than that. Sometimes in football, the player you least expect becomes the most important one.

The Los Angeles Rams traded for superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett in the offseason, hoping he would help them dominate. But Garrett will need knee surgery and will miss at least four games. The Rams already lost 27–7 to the San Francisco 49ers in their opener, and Garrett had no sacks in that game. It is a tough start for a team that many people picked to be one of the NFL's best.