The first week of 2026 NFL is over. On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs dominated the Denver Broncos 31-10 to end the first regular season week. Kenneth Walker III led the charge in his debut with KC.
Several teams are still trying to determine what went wrong in their Week 1 losses, while other are hoping to capitalize on the success of their first game. Many teams, as they prepare for Week 2, are dealing with the injuries that occurred over the weekend.
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The San Francisco 49ers are among the top movers in the Week 2 NFL Power Rankings. They climbed eleven spots following their 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams during the season’s opener in Australia. After their loss to the 49ers in Week 1, they will be missing DE Myles Garret for at least 4 games due to a procedure on his knee.
The Denver Broncos are now ranked lower than ever after their humiliating loss to the Chiefs on Monday. Bo Nix, who was the quarterback, threw just 131 yard, one touchdown, and an interception, in addition to his three fumbles. Ouch.
Ladd Mcconkey, of the Los Angeles Chargers, is one player who hopes to be healthy for Week 2. He left Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals after suffering a rib fracture. Jim Harbaugh labelled him as day-today. Zay Flowers was forced to leave the Baltimore Ravens game due to a hamstring injury. His injury, meanwhile, was not considered to be serious.
Kyler Murray, the new quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, also suffered a serious injury in his first game for the club. He was forced to leave the win on Sunday with a concussion and Carson Wentz replaced him in the starting lineup.
Yahoo Sports has the latest NFL injury news and updates, as well as other information about Week 1 of NFL.

NFL, MLB, MLS NBA NHL, and their respective players’ unions have asked the state to take action against “escalating threats” and harassment directed towards athletes and staff.
In a joint letter, the leagues and associations wrote that “too many individuals, who have lost sports bets, send threatening or harassing messages to players, coaches, and their families through social media, and even in person.”
Sports betting is booming since Supreme Court legalized it in 2018, and athletes from all sports are increasingly speaking out against the harassment they receive.
The NCAA began a campaign against harassment earlier this year. And the Big Ten Athletes Commission asked that the NCAA limit prop bets due to athlete abuse.
The leagues, unions and gaming regulators are asking sportsbooks to ban bettors who have “abusively harrassed or threatened violence” towards athletes, coaches and other staff members and their families.
In the letter, regulators are also asked to establish a standard reporting system, as well as to mandate that sportsbooks “proactively monitor and flag accounts associated with abusive behaviour.”
Joe Maloney said in response to this letter, “Harassing, threatening, or intimidating an athlete, coach or official because of a bet on sports is unacceptable. We support the efforts of holding these individuals accountable.” Legal sportsbooks have already implemented policies that suspend or ban players who behave in an abusive or threatening manner.
SBA members invest in partnerships and tools that identify and track bad actors, and then share this information with other leagues. “We welcome the efforts of leagues, athletes and regulators in building on this work and making clear that sexual harassment has no role in sport.”
This letter is being sent as leagues and teams are forming partnerships with sportsbooks. Many teams and leagues have struck partnerships with federally regulated prediction markets. Some athletes also appear in advertisements for sports betting or prediction markets.
This letter excludes all major female leagues and unions. The Women’s National Basketball Players Association learned of the letter only after its publication, according to a source who spoke under anonymity as they weren’t authorized to talk publicly.
The NBA decided that WNBA members did not deserve to be included in a joint statement that addressed this issue, Terri Carmichael-Jackson, WNBA’s Executive Director, said in a press release.
National Women’s Soccer League Players Association said they also learned about the letter only after it had been published.
Meghann Burke is the executive director of NWSLPA. She said: “The NWSLPA fully supports the efforts of protecting professional athletes, both women and men, from all forms of harassment, violence, and threats, regardless of their motivation, which includes sports betting.”

The NFL, NBA, MLS, NHL and MLB are banding together to crack down on betting-related harassment of players, coaches and families in their respective sports. The leagues — and their respective unions — put out a joint statement Tuesday suggesting punishments for those who engage in harassment due to betting.
The statement was written to address individuals who “direct threatening and harassing messages toward players, coaches and their families via social media and in-person interactions.”
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The leagues continued:
“Threatening the safety of an athlete or their family members over a sports bet crosses a bright ethical and criminal line, and it is entirely unacceptable.”
After laying out the issue, the leagues suggested a number of actions the State Gaming Commissions and Regulatory Authorities could take to curb that type of behavior from fans.
They include:
• Mandatory lifetime ban: Sportsbooks and mobile betting operators should create clear rules that could result in lifetime bans for fans who harass or issue threats of violence against athletes or others around the game.
• Steamlined reporting mechanisms: Sportsbooks and mobile betting operators should create a clear way to report evidence to the proper authorities.
• Operator accountability: Sportsbooks and mobile betting operators should proactively monitor flag and ban accounts linked to abusive behavior.
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NFL, MLB, NBA, others partnered with betting operators
The statement comes after multiple professional sports leagues have partnered with sportsbooks or betting operators in recent months. In August, the NFL announced partnerships with FanDuel, DraftKings and Fanatics Betting and Gaming. MLB has been partnered with FanDuel since 2023 and its teams have sought partnerships with other prediction markets. The NBA has a full webpage dedicated to listing off its official gaming partners and operators.
WNBPA issues its own statement criticizing NBA
The WNBA, notably, was not included in the statement. WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson said that was not the union’s choice, saying the NBA chose not to include the WNBPA in the joint statement.
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Her full statement read:
“It is deeply disappointing that, given the very public and troubling incidents of betting-related harassment experienced by our members over the past several seasons, the NBA determined that WNBA players did not warrant inclusion in a joint position statement intended to address this very issue.”
Like the NBA, the WNBA also has a webpage listing off its partnerships with betting operators.

It’s only been a week since the NFL started and already it is out of hand.
The Rams may have been ruined by the Rams’ trip to Australia, but I think the Browns were already eliminated. It’s mathematically impossible to make the playoffs after just one week. But I’m pretty sure the Browns are out.
It’s possible that Week 1 was the biggest surprise of all, as the Raiders won, along with the Jets, Giants, and Cardinals. It was not since never that all four teams won their first game in the same year.
Only the Chargers were normal in Week 1. The Chargers are always going to disappoint their fans, and they did that again on Sunday. They also disappointed everyone who had entered this year’s survivor pools.
The Chargers were the only team to eliminate entries worth $10.3 million from a survivors pool. This is the Chargers’ most impressive stat.
Let’s start with my Week 2 picks. They may not be as crazy as Week 1 but they will definitely get more insane.
Before we begin, I’d like to remind you that the CBSSports.com NFL experts provide weekly predictions. Click here for more information. If you do not want to go there, that’s totally fine. If I click over to another page, it’s likely that I will get sidetracked and never return to the original story. You might want to avoid clicking over.
Let’s take a look at my top picks.
NFL Week 2 Picks
Lions (1-0), Bills (1-1)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET (Streaming on Amazon)
Bills new stadium is hosting the first ever regular season game on Thursday and, to be honest, I am already anticipating all of the social media complaints. Bills’ unofficially inaugurated the stadium last month with a game. You know, like when the dinosaurs tried to open Jurassic Park and ate the people, this is what happened. This was not a very smooth test run. No one was eaten but several hundred ticket holders discovered that their view of the field had been obstructed.
You can stream the game from your smartphone if you have an obstruction. Does that mean the ticket is no longer worth it? It’s up to you.
The Bills must lose before I can see the value in tearing down the stadium and starting over. It’s not possible to tear down the stadium while it’s on a winning streak.
Is there a chance that the Bills will lose? It’s possible, if the first week is anything to go by. Last week, the Lions and Bills played zero defensively together. Bills’ defense allowed 31 points against the Texans, while Lions’ defense only gave 30 points to Saints.
This is my attempt to express that I am fully prepared for a shooting.
The first game on Thursday of the year can be a drag, especially if the teams have a long week. (Yes, there was one last Thursday, but it’s the first game this Thursday where they are playing in a shorter week.) Eight of the last 11 years, the short-week matchup on Thursdays has only been determined by one point. Seven of the 11 previous seasons have seen a matchup where both teams scored a minimum of 23 points.
You might think boring games with low scores when you hear about short-week games on Thursdays, but that is not the case. In 2024, the Bills won 48-42 in their last meeting. Earlier, we scored 90 points. We could surpass that. The Over/Under is set to 104.
It’s unfortunate for the Lions that the Week 1 match went into overtime. This means they will have to travel on short notice and after having played an additional 10 minutes Sunday. That’s brutal.
What else would you call brutal? It’s the fact that I never remember my Amazon Prime Password and will need to use it in order to watch this match. You can count on me to spend the next 3 hours trying to find out what password my wife has. It’s becoming clear that my wife keeps the password a secret from me so she can keep her purchases on Amazon hidden. The Bills will win 40 points if they score one point for each Amazon box delivered to my home in the last month.
THE PICK: Bills 38-31 over Lions
Browns (0-1 at Buccaneers 0-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET on CBS. (Streaming on Paramount+).
Baker Mayfield and the Browns are finally playing in what could be the biggest revenge game ever played by the NFL: after four long years, the Browns vs. Baker Mayfield.
Maximus, the main character in “Gladiator,” is driven by revenge against Emperor Commodus. I think that sums up Mayfield at this stage. Baker Mayfield is the only person in sports history who has a greater desire to defeat his former team than he does to win the Browns game this week.
In the last decade, the Browns made hundreds of poor decisions. But we know the one that was the most disastrous: in March 2022 they mortgaged their franchise to acquire Deshaun Watson. Mayfield, who was on the Browns’ roster at the time, ended up being traded to the Panthers four months later.
Mayfield was fired less than two year after he led the Browns in 2020 to their first postseason win in over 18 years.
Cleveland decided not to keep Mayfield who was drafted first overall by the Browns in 2018. Instead, they traded him for a player who had never played a snap of football in 2021. He also faced sexual harassment allegations from dozens of masseuses. The Browns would not have considered a trade even if one or both of these things occurred. Watson was not only acquired, but he also received a $230 million, five-year contract that is fully guaranteed.
Mayfield won the division title in Tampa Bay twice since leaving Cleveland. But I believe he’d trade them in for a chance to defeat Watson and Browns with 45 points.
Watson’s first-week suspension for an 11 game season meant that Mayfield didn’t face Watson in 2022.
The Watson deal was dubbed one of the worst trades in NFL history when it happened. Four years on, the trade is still considered the “worst” trade.
Mayfield signed with the Buccaneers back in 2023. Due to NFL’s scheduling formula, Mayfield has known that his Buccaneers would play the Browns three years ago. He has probably been counting the days in his blood until this kickoff.
Watson will be terrorized by the Buccaneers, even though they didn’t beat them in Week 1. He could throw up to three interceptions. This week, I’ll be sure to start the Buccaneers defense.
Mayfield is going to be a monster. In Week 1, the Browns defense was exposed, especially during the passing game. Trevor Lawrence threw for 245 yard and four touchdowns. Mayfield will want to increase those numbers. Baker will probably not get revenge, but he may finally do so against his former team.
THE PICK: Buccaneers 34-16 over Browns
Seahawks (1-0), Cardinals (1-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox. (Streaming on Fubo – try it for free.)
Only one week has passed since the start of the new season, and I must admit that I am already obsessed with my Cardinals. This obsession could be over in a few days, as most of mine last only a couple weeks.
This game would not have been on my list of top 14 games for Week 2. That’s a big deal when there are only sixteen games in Week 2. This matchup is intriguing for two different reasons. The Cardinals looked pretty good in week 1 and it’s likely that the Seahawks won’t be playing with Sam Darnold.
The Cardinals, who were not on TV in the first week of football — I assume you missed it because the game was only shown in 1.2% — pulled off an amazing feat by beating the Chargers at Los Angeles 26-14. This game wasn’t close. From the beginning to the end, it was all Cardinals. The Cardinals never fell behind.
The Chargers may be the Chargers – a team who makes unfathomable errors all the time – but this was an impressive victory. Justin Herbert was constantly under pressure from the Cardinals defense, which resulted in three sacks as well as an interception. Although no one seems to be able to agree as how good Herbert really is, I believe we all can agree that he’s better than Drew Lock. Lock’s situation could be much worse if Herbert struggles against the Cardinals defense.
The Cardinals will also have a hard time scoring, I think. Seahawks defense held the Patriots scoreless in week 1, so don’t expect a big scoring explosion from the Cardinals.
Mike Macdonald, one of the NFL’s smartest coaches is a big reason why the Seahawks have been so successful. Jacoby Brissett is not an easy quarterback to fool. In his 11 year career, he has started 66 matches and he is yet to throw three interceptions in one game. In fact, only five of his games have he thrown more than two interceptions. The Cardinals will be able keep the game close because he does not make any mistakes.
Did I really say to keep it close? They’ll do much more. This game will be won. It’s the Cardinals home opener, and beating the champs will probably be one of five of the biggest wins in the last decade.
That’s right. I am a complete idiot and think the Cardinals will win.
The Cardinals win 20-17 against the Seahawks
Post Australia special
We learned from week 1 that it is best to not listen to any travel advice given by the Rams when planning a trip. Last week, the Rams arrived the night before their game and played as if they had just landed. It was ugly.
The Rams strategy was not just for Week 1. It also included Week 2. Rams believed that they wouldn’t have to adjust to Pacific Time if they didn’t change to Australia Time. This part of the Rams’ logic makes sense. The 49ers just returned from a week-long trip to Australia. They will have to adjust and probably be in a state of confusion for the rest of this week.
Now we are in Week 2 of the Rams and 49ers.
Dolphins (1-0) at 49ers
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox. (Streaming on Fubo – try it for free.)
You might not have known this interesting fact about the Australia match: the 49ers requested that the game be played on a Monday in Week 2, so they could have a day extra to rest, but the NFL refused. The league not only said no but also gave the game to the RAMS on Monday.
It’s good for the 49ers that they got a week off from the NFL by playing the Dolphins. The Dolphins are paying more to non-players than to those on the team this year. (I mentioned this last week, and may continue to do so until they win the game).
College teams probably have higher salaries than the Dolphins in this year. Dolphins only hope of winning this game would have been if 49ers were stuck in Australia. But that did not happen.
De’Von Achane is the Dolphins’ only offensive weapon. But I doubt they use him effectively, as he got only 11 carries during Week 1. Miami, he’s the only way to win this game. Run him down. Achane’s performance is the best chance the Dolphins have to win the game. The only way the Dolphins can win this game is if Achane goes off.
In Super Bowl XIX the 49ers defeated the Dolphins by 38-16. I will be honest and say that this feels right. It’s official: the Dolphins are on a run of 0-17.
The pick: 49ers win 38-16 against Dolphins
Giants (1-0), Rams (0-1),
Monday, 8:15 p.m. Try Fubo for Free!
The Rams may be in serious trouble. I’m not saying they are, but it is possible. The travel plans of a NFL team for an overseas game could end up derailing their season. This is the first time this has happened in NFL history. Rams employees have been to Australia several times in the last two years, trying to learn how to land the night before the match.
Now, it’s the Rams season that is at stake. It may sound absurd, but I do not think the Rams will make the playoffs if they lose and go 0-2. Here’s who the Rams will be facing after they face the Giants:
Broncos in Week Three
Eagles, Week 4, at Eagles
Week 5: vs. Bills
Week 6: Cardinals vs. Packers
The Cardinals were not on my list five days ago. But now, that I am on board, they will be part of Rams’ next gauntlet.
Myles Garrett will be missing the Rams’ next four matches as he is on injury reserve. Aaron Donald may play but it will be the first time since 2023 that he has played. He is not likely to be football-ready.
The Giants are another team who suddenly look competent with John Harbaugh after only one game. If they bully the Rams in the trenches they will win.
The Rams were favored to start the game by one touchdown. This makes no sense. If you have only scored 7 points this season, it’s impossible to be the favorite by 7. The Rams scored the least points during Week 1 in a universe where there are Dolphins, Titans, and all the teams in the NFC South.
It’s not a good thing for the Rams that they are 1-1 in Australia.
The Rams win 27-24 against the Giants
NFL Week 2 Picks: The rest
Panthers win 24-17 against Falcons
Bears win 20-17 against Vikings
Eagles win 27-16 against Titans
Patriots win 27-20 against Steelers
Packers beat Jets 26-23
Ravens 34-23 over Saints
Bengals 23-20 over Texans
Broncos 30-27 over Jaguars
Chargers beat Raiders by 27-19
Cowboys 34-24 over Commanders
Chiefs win 23-16 against Colts
Last Week
Bengals are the best pick. Preseason, my pick for the Super Bowl was the Bengals. I picked them because, among other things, I thought their defense would be very good. After one game, it’s safe to say that I look like a guru. Bengals defense scored against Bucs. They forced four mistakes and had a touchdown. The Bengals could go unbeaten if the Bengals’ defense is able to force four turnovers each week and score a touchdown.
Titans beat Jets. It’s one of those choices that I regret almost immediately after making it. Robert Saleh was not going to lose the revenge game against Jets. But I made a mistake when I picked him. The Titans were bad in every way.
Record Picks
Straight Up in Week One: 9-7
Overall: 9-7
In Week 1, the underdog is 6-10
Overall: 6-10

The music might have sounded more appropriate for a high-end football training facility than a nightclub.
As the Manchester City team warmed up for a session on the Etihad campus, high-energy dance songs pumped from speakers all around the pitch.
Enzo Maresca, the new manager of Enzo’s team, watched with approval. The Italian was introducing new methods to his team, trying to create harmony while he forged his own identity under the shadow of Pep Guardiola, his legendary predecessor.
The 46-year old, who believes in music’s power in a high-performance setting, is the man behind the 1-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford in Sunday’s Manchester Derby despite Phil Foden being sent off in the first half.
The City team is training this season to electronic dance music played through speakers branded with the club. Maresca can turn down the volume or stop playing music to send more complex messages.
The Italian told reporters at a pre-match press conference that his team had just won the Champions League by a score of 2-0 against Porto.
There are times when music players are more energetic and can do a better job. They (the players) decide the songs. “It’s only to make them feel more comfortable.”
Matheus nunes, the City’s defender, has also embraced this. He said, “All players want to DJ” before the Porto match. I like the concept. “Why not?”
Maresca has a unique approach, even though other Premier League coaches also have. Scott Parker, who was in charge of Burnley last season, also used music to accompany warm-ups, ball work and sessions. His staff, however, paused it for the tactical session.
Not just to get the good vibes. Science supports the notion that music can have a positive effect on performance.
The Institute of Sports Science at University of Hanover, Germany (supported by Sennheiser audio equipment maker) conducted in 2013 a study that demonstrated how the performance of footballers could be improved when they listened to music at an established rhythm using headphones.
Researchers set up five-aside teams and played 10-minute matches against each other.
One of the games involved giving a team wireless headphones and playing fast electronic music with 140 beats per minutes.
In the third game, both teams were given headphones. However, each team member heard different music pieces with various beats. The third round involved the musical offering of the two teams being switched. One team heard tracks at the same time and speed, while the other was hearing them at different speeds and times.
The teams were analysed by professional football coaches using recognised criteria, such as the accuracy and frequency of the passes and the success of the game.
The Guardian reported that the results were clear — the teams hearing synchronised songs played “significantly” better.
Martin Perry, sports psychologist, author and dubbed the “Confidence coach”, says: “I’m not sure if Enzo Maesca did this for City, but the ideal is that the music acts as a code.”
Specific tracks can help to create a link between the game’s tempo and music. There would, for example, be music that was different depending on whether you were chasing the game, controlling it or defending it.
It’s easier for the players to remember in the heat and excitement of a match because it is musically encoded. “You could create associations between the music and game states.”
Music during training can have other advantages, even if the music isn’t that deep. Danny Donachie, a Burnley consultant in mental performance coaching and former head of medicine for Everton and Aston Villa, is also a music therapist.
He thought Burnley’s players reacted well to music during training. He says that managers like Scott Parker and Maresca are using the music in a new way. “Football is a serious game.
The music can help players feel lighter, happier and happier.
It’s a little different and I think it’s wonderful that Maresca is treating players more humanely instead of like robots. The more humans you treat players, the better.
Donachie cites how Mikel Arteta of Arsenal has used music differently. Donachie explains how other coaches, like Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, have used music in varying ways.
Donachie: “Mikel tried to recreate the chaos and emotion of playing at Anfield to as great an extent as he could.” Music can have a big impact, but it is a fantastic way to relax and lift players’ spirits during training.
Nunes also said that allowing players to choose the music is an essential part of this method.
Marc Sagal, a performance and psychology consultant, has experience in sports, working with Liverpool, Olympic and business athletes. He also worked with executives from McKinsey & Company and Hewlett Packard, and JPMorgan.
Maresca, he feels, gives the players an important sense of agency when he lets them become DJs. He says that Maresca is very astute in terms of culture. He creates a situation in which the players can feel ownership. It’s an advantage.
Most of the time they’ll feel that they are being bossed all day long in training. It’s smart to let them have some say, even in the music played.
Sagal’s experience working with athletes made him realize how much music helps them relax. He says that players now listen to music through headphones all day long.
When you’re a player and you are being trained by a coach who is as rigorous as Maresca is, the music provides a good counterpoint.
Sagal says that Maresca learned a lot from the best man-managers of all time. He adds, “He played with some of the best in the game such as Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti.” He has likely picked up some things from his coaches, as he worked with them in various countries.
If you want to keep players motivated and interested, try new things.
You have to prepare to change things. We live in an overstimulated world, where people are constantly trying to get your attention. It will keep the players interested.
Maresca’s teammates from the early days of his playing career at West Bromwich Albion, England remember his unselfconscious singing Italian pop songs while in showers. They were able to warm up to him as a person, as well as his talent on the pitch.
As a manager, his passion for music is being used to build relationships and achieve success in an entirely new setting.