All 32 NFL fanbases entered the 2026 NFL season with hope. Of course, some had more than others. After Week 1, some of those fanbases had to feel like their teams let them down. Here are the five biggest letdowns from NFL Week 1, including several playoff contenders.
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New England Patriots
5Sep 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel during the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Heading into the Super Bowl LX rematch, it felt like this game could have gone either way. Then, Sam Darnold got hurt five snaps into the game, which should have essentially handed the win to New England. Except that’s not what happened. The Patriots didn’t look anything like a Super Bowl contender, with Drake Maye tossing three interceptions and the running game averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. They scored just 10 points, which is fewer than they mustered in any regular season game last season. That’s definitely not what fans were hoping to see.
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Denver Broncos
5Sep 14, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Feeling like they were just a piece or two away from Super Bowl contention, the Denver Broncos traded their first-round pick for Jaylen Waddle, hoping he could help unlock a new element of Sean Payton’s offense. Well, it didn’t happen in Week 1, when Waddle was limited to just two yards. It didn’t help that Bo Nix only mustered 131 passing yards against a revamped Chiefs secondary, but it’s always hard to win NFL games when you score just 10 points.
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Green Bay Packers
5Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is shown during the first quarter of their game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Credit: USA Today
What a rollercoaster start to the Green Bay Packers. Matt LaFleur’s team came out firing, looking like the clear-cut better team in the first half, getting out to a 12-point lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. But then they fell apart in the second half, allowing the Vikings to score 29 unanswered points in the final 21 minutes of the game. The Packers looked like they were set to cruise to an easy win without two of their best players, but instead they dropped a key game to a division rival.
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Los Angeles Chargers
5Sep 13, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh reacts after a play against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
There was no bigger upset in Week 1 than the Los Angeles Chargers, an 11-win team last season, losing by 12 points to an Arizona Cardinals team that won just three games a year ago. It’s tough to live losses like that down. Anything short of a convincing win over the Las Vegas Raiders would lead to serious questions about this team’s upside, but Jim Harbaugh should be able to avoid such a disappointing start, right?
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Los Angeles Rams
5Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, AUS; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay in the second half at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
After trading for Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett, plus bringing Aaron Donald back while retaining reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams kicked the season off as Super Bowl favorites. Yet, Week 1 was a reminder of why they still play the games, because coach Sean McVay’s team was not ready for action against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, losing 27-7. No one expected coach McVay’s offense to score just seven points with a healthy Stafford, Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams, but somehow that’s the dud they put forth in Week 1.
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Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on Sportsnaut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports … More about Andrew Buller-Russ