Can The Bears Actually Break The NFL Scoring Record? This Weekend Will Be Very Telling

Ben Johnson may look like a generic coach model Madden uses when it can’t secure the real guy’s likeness rights, but the Bears head coach has become one of the most interesting characters in just over a year. There's a lot to like about the 40-year-old. He calls a high-octane offense, delivers viral locker-room speeches weekly, and already has multiple catchphrases going. On top of all that, Johnson says things in press conferences you don’t often hear from other coaches. Like when he told reporters that he’d like to set the league’s scoring record this season. "I want more than [the Super Bowl]," he said in August. "I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored, and I want to surpass them." As Johnson later said, every offense aims to be the best and score a bunch of points, but other coaches don’t name-check the team record holders or have the record point totals committed to memory. The single-season record is 37.6 points per game, by the way. And Chicago is way ahead of that pace after dropping 59 points in a season-opening win over the Panthers. Now that we’ve seen this offense in action, Johnson’s goal doesn’t seem so far-fetched. If the Bears can keep it up against a Vikings defense coached by Brian Flores, we can put that 2013 Denver team on official notice. To break the scoring record, Chicago will have to be adaptable, and no defense forces an offense to adapt quite like Minnesota’s. Flores is known for running an aggressive, blitzing defense that shape-shifts every week to attack a specific opponent. You know pressure is coming, but you don’t know when or where. "That scheme is one of a kind," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said this week at his weekly press conference. "It’s a game-plan defense. [Flores] is gonna game plan all the way up to the tee – from first snap to last snap … coach called it ‘mental warfare’ when you go up against him." We’re still days away from the game, and you can already see the effect that mental warfare is having on Johnson. When asked how to avoid overthinking things against Flores, the Bears coach laughed and said, "I’m already down that path." Johnson seems to be a serial overthinker, which is partly why he’s such a good coach – and maybe the perfect coach if your goal is to score the most points in history. While he’s great at drawing up cool plays, it’s his understanding of situational football that makes him an exceptional play-caller. Johnson understands more than most that it’s not just about what plays you’re calling; it’s about when you’re calling them. Johnson reminds me of a great baseball hitter who works into favorable counts and then goes into attack mode. Second-and-short situations are his version of a 3-1 count in baseball. He knows he’s got a few more pitches to work with (third and fourth down), so he uses this one to swing for the fences. Last season, the Bears had the league’s highest pass rate in second-and-short situations and produced the most explosive plays, per Next Gen Stats. Chicago’s explosive play rate jumped to a ridiculous 25% on second-and-short, so you can see why Johnson seems obsessed with getting in that down and distance. He has a reputation for aggressive play-calling, but he knows how to pick his spots. The Bears have a lot of ways to get to those spots, as Flores noted this week. "I mean any type of offense that’s out there – whether it’s ground and pound, run-and-shoot, RPO, or 4-by-1 – he’s got it. So, what are we getting week-to-week? It’s hard to know, so a lot of the game is [about] adjustments." Johnson’s adaptability is another key to Chicago’s offensive success. It’s why concerns about Williams’ schematic fit were always laughable. Some assumed Johnson wanted – or needed – his quarterback to operate like Jared Goff, who Johnson worked with in Detroit, for it to work. There was a thought that if Williams intended to play backyard football, Johnson would look for a new quarterback. Some even wondered if backup Tyson Bagent was a better option to start after Williams got off to a slow start in 2025. That all seems silly now, and not just because of how well Williams is playing. Johnson seems to be encouraging his quarterback to lean into that backyard style more often. Williams abandoned the pocket even more quickly in his sophomore season. Then, in the 2026 opener against the Panthers, he scrambled on nearly a fifth of his dropbacks and scored twice. Johnson realizes those scrambles are another source of big plays and is trying to weaponize them for the Bears offense. Johnson told the Chicago Sun-Times that he did an offseason study of the 120 dropbacks in 2025 when Williams vacated the pocket. He found that only 40% produced positive results and shared that information with his quarterback. But that 40% included a lot of big plays, so Johnson’s message wasn’t, Hey, you need to stop doing this. It was, We need to do this even better. As a coach, you’re dedicated to teaching the playbook, [but] we don’t want to fully shut that [ability] off," Johnson said in August. "We see opportunity there. It’s not that we want to take those 120 plays down; I want to see that 40% go up." Johnson said the Bears would spend time coaching their receivers on how to approach scramble-drill situations, and it showed up on tape in Week 1. Here’s a snapshot from one of the scramble touchdowns. Look at those receivers blocking downfield! Rome Odunze is smothering his guy. Luther Burden III is screening his. Kalif Raymond is doing anything he can to get in front of the linebacker trying to close in on Williams. That effort can turn a solid scramble into a touchdown. Williams broke the pocket 13 times against the Panthers. Those plays generated 12.5 expected points added, leading the league by a full eight points, and a success rate of 61%, far higher than the 40% mark from last year, according to Johnson’s calculations. "[On the scrambles], we had a lot more production than maybe we would’ve had in the past," Johnson said after the win in Carolina. "Hopefully, we can bring this dynamic with us each and every week. He and I went over the tape, [and] there's a couple of times where we don't have the best call on for the defensive coverage, and our quarterback is able to make this thing right for us … we think it's really, really dangerous for our offense." Against the Bears, you have to defend two plays: the play call, designed by one of the league’s brightest offensive minds, and then the second play created by one of its most dynamic quarterbacks. Then there’s also the matter of slowing down running back DeAndre Swift, Odunze and Burden at receiver and tight end Colston Loveland. There is a lot to plan for when facing this Bears offense. "Anything that could potentially give a defense problems, they do," Flores said this week. "And I think this being year two [in the system], they understand exactly what they’re trying to get done, so there’s better execution – at least through one game" That’s important to remember. It’s only been one game, and this league has a way of humbling teams quickly. Remember the 2023 Dolphins that hung 70 on the Broncos? That offense was averaging over 43 points per game and was on pace to shatter Denver’s scoring record. A week later, Miami was embarrassed by the Bills and never reached that high again. These Bears seem more well-rounded than that Miami offense that was supposed to revolutionize the game. Chicago has a coach who knows how to adapt to different situations, a quarterback who can follow the script or ad-lib his own lines, a road-grating offensive line, and a skill group that has fully bought into the coach’s vision. This year's Bears team is seemingly built for anything a defense can throw at it throughout the season. With the Vikings coming to Chicago, the Bears are facing a defense designed to test that theory.

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NFL Says Harris, Wright Ineligible In 2026 After Attempt To Play For LSU

Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright are ineligible to join any NFL teams this season after they attempted to return to college and play for LSU, the league said in a memo sent to each NFL team. Harris was a defensive tackle and Wright played tight end for Mississippi during its run to a College Football Playoff semifinal last season. Both had tryouts in the NFL this summer after going undrafted, with Wright first joining the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in April before being cut in August, when he had a brief stay with the Cleveland Browns, and Harris signed with the New Orleans Saints before being placed on the non-football injury list in July, prior to being waived in August. They then tried joining former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin at LSU and sued for the right to regain their college eligibility, after a Louisiana judge granted 33 athletes – 16 of them football players – a temporary restraining order to seek a fifth year of eligibility. After the Southeastern Conference passed a rule barring pros from heading back to college to play and a Louisiana court put that restriction on hold, LSU left both players off its roster as it opened its season. Beforehand, the SEC had threatened to vote on removing LSU from the conference, but in the end no punishments were handed out since the Tigers complied with the ban. The NFL’s letter noted both Harris and Wright "were eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, returned to college and participated with their college football team after the opening of NFL training camp, and therefore, they are ineligible to visit, try out with or be signed by NFL clubs during the 2026 season." The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo, which was dated Wednesday. Harris and Wright were the only players mentioned in the letter. The NFL acknowledged this list didn’t include all 2026 draft-eligible players who returned to college and said teams should contact the league’s player personnel department with any questions about a player’s eligibility. The letter also noted it is each team’s responsibility to verify a player’s eligibility. Discipline for eligibility violations can include fines and/or the loss of draft picks. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Who Is Drew Lock? 5 Things To Know About Seahawks QB Starting For Sam Darnold

Lock it in! The Seattle Seahawks are putting 29-year-old quarterback Drew Lock under center for their Week 2 road matchup against the NFC West-rival Arizona Cardinals (Sunday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX), as starter Sam Darnold nurses a glute injury that he sustained in their Week 1 win over the New England Patriots. Here are five things to know about Lock: Drew Lock balled out for the Missouri Tigers. Serving as the Tigers' starting quarterback from 2016-18 — and being part of the program from 2015-18 — Lock averaged 3,620.3 passing yards, 31.7 passing touchdowns, 10.3 interceptions and a 148.7 passer rating per season over that span, while completing 58.4% of his passes. Most notably, Lock led the SEC with 3,964 passing yards, 44 passing touchdowns and a 165.7 passer rating in 2017. Granted, he also led the conference with 13 interceptions. Missouri appeared in a bowl game with Lock in both 2017 and 2018. Lock is second in Missouri history with 12,193 passing yards and 99 passing touchdowns. In between Peyton Manning's final season (2015) and Russell Wilson's first season with the franchise (2022) — we'll revisit this shortly — 11 different players started at quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Lock was one of those 11 players. Denver selected Lock with the No. 42 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, with him starting a combined 21 games from 2019-21. Lock was the team's primary quarterback in 2020, throwing for 2,933 yards, 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions across 13 starts, while posting a 75.4 passer rating and completing 57.3% of his passes. He also rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns. So, why did Denver's 2019 second-round pick only play three seasons for the team? Lock was part of one of the biggest trades in NFL history. In March 2022, the Broncos traded Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two-second round picks and a fifth-rounder to the Seahawks for star quarterback and then-nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick. The New York Giants entered their Week 17 home tilt against the Indianapolis Colts with the worst record in the NFL and two losses away from having the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Not on Lock's watch. After spending the bulk of the 2024 season as the team's backup to Daniel Jones, Lock made five starts after New York released Jones following a 2-8 start, with Lock's fourth start being arguably the best of his career and one of the best in Giants' history. In what was a 45-33 win for the Giants, Lock threw for 309 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions, while posting a career-high 155.3 passer rating – it was the third-highest passer rating in a game in Giants' history – completing 73.9% of his passes (17 of 23) and rushing for a score. The Giants went on to pick third in the 2025 NFL Draft. That said, one could argue it worked out for New York, which selected Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick and traded up to select Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart with the No. 25 pick. Dart and the Giants opened the 2026 season with a win at home over the Dallas Cowboys, with the second-year quarterback throwing for 230 yards and three touchdowns, posting a 134.2 passer rating and completing 79.3% of his passes (23 of 29) in the victory. Of course, Lock landing in Seattle in 2022 and later playing one season for the Giants makes his presence with the Seahawks in 2026 his second act with the franchise. Act 1 got off to a bumpy start for Lock, who lost a quarterback battle to Geno Smith in 2022, with Smith going on to be the team's starting quarterback from 2022-24. With that said, Lock made two starts for the Seahawks in 2023, highlighted by hitting wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a go-ahead and eventual game-winning 29-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of a Week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. As for the present, Lock played all but the opening series in Seattle's Week 1 win over New England, throwing for 187 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, while posting a 113.3 passer rating and completing 72.7% of his passes (16 of 22). Last year, Lock appeared in five regular-season games and one playoff game for the Seahawks, but he never made a start. Sunday will mark Lock's 29th NFL start.

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Sammy’s Sportsbook Whispers: Is Chicago No Longer Your Average Bears?

Are the Chicago Bears that good? Full disclosure, I had a bet on Carolina +3 last Sunday, and if you would’ve told me the Panthers would average 7.7 yards per play and score 37 points, odds were good they would have covered or won the game outright. Problem is, Chicago scored 59. FOX Sports posted its weekly power ratings on Monday morning and the Bears were on line three, behind only the Seahawks and Broncos. I’ve never been one to overreact and third seems insanely high. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. "Third-best offense maybe," one professional bettor told me. "You can’t be the third-best team with that defense. Not after that performance against a below-average offense. Chicago’s head coach and quarterback have elite potential, but the secondary is an issue and there wasn’t much of a pass rush. "The Bears' defense made Bryce Young look great." What say you, Las Vegas? "I have them eighth with room for growth," retired bookmaker Ed Salmons told me. "Rams, Ravens, Bills, Eagles, Niners, Patriots, Lions, Bears." "The Bears looked every bit the part offensively against Carolina," Caesars Sportsbook head of football Joey Feazel added. "Caleb Williams showed why he entered the season as one of the league’s brightest stars. "Market reaction has leaned more toward the Bears being legitimately improved. Their lookahead line moved two points in their favor week over week and bettors also showed support for Carolina against Atlanta. "My lean is that the Bears are a good football team, but they’ll obviously need to sustain this level of play over several weeks before we can confidently make that distinction." Don’t look now, but Williams has the third-shortest NFL MVP odds at multiple sportsbooks. Those 15 and 16-to-1 preseason prices are long gone. To college football, there are some serious injury rumblings at Ohio. QB1 Nick Poulos and QB2 Matt Vezza are both banged up, and RB1 Duncan Brune left Saturday’s game with an injury, too. Sources say Poulos is doubtful for Saturday’s game against South Alabama and Vezza is questionable. South Alabama was -4.5 everywhere on Monday and the board is now painted -7. Clearly, some people expect the Bobcats to be shorthanded. "I moved from -5 to -6 when I first heard," South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews told me. "You want to get ahead of those injuries [because] these guys don’t wait for news to break, they just bet." If both quarterbacks are eventually ruled out, this line will undoubtedly spring north of a touchdown. And having worked in this racket long enough, I know vultures on the other side will be waiting to take 8 or 8.5 with Ohio. A 27-20 final would be no bueno for the house. I got a ton of flack on social media — shocker — when I said Ohio State is still my highest-rated team in the country. I mean, the Buckeyes took a 23-3 lead into the fourth quarter on the road. That’s impressive. And yes, they would still be favored over Texas on a neutral field. That’s how it works. "I think Ohio State and Georgia are the two best teams in the country," Salmons opined. "Notre Dame is right there with Georgia, too." Salmons gave us Ohio State +2 last week, a wire-to-wire winner. What about this week? "I bet Houston +8.5 against Texas Tech." Lastly, what the hell is going with Oregon? This was a Ducks team several sharp people predicted would win the national championship. It beat Boise State by seven as a 25.5-point favorite, then lost at Oklahoma State as a 24.5-point favorite. From the Las Vegas numbers perspective, Oregon is one of the most underachieving teams in the country. That said, I might bet the Ducks to make the College Football Playoff at +160. That number was -300 or higher before the season and I don’t remember the last time the public didn’t love them. We are nearing that reality. "It hasn’t been great," professional bettor Slice said. "I dropped them three points after the loss to Oklahoma State. I still want to see one more bad game before I get nuts. And I’m not sure that’s going to happen with [Dan] Lanning. "I’ll be looking to bet ‘em at a cheap price against USC."

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NFL Week 2 Betting Report: Public Fixated On Influx Of Scoring

In the NFL, the public betting masses love nothing more than scoring. And they got plenty of it in Week 1. Fifteen teams scored 27 or more points, led by the Bears, who hung a 59-burger on the Panthers. That’s playing a big role in the mindset for NFL Week 2 odds. "That’s the public’s focus — who is going to be able to score with ease," Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said. "So they’ll be eyeing this Thursday night Lions-Bills game, and Vikings-Bears and Saints-Ravens." Oddsmakers and sharp bettors serve up their midweek insights, as we dive into NFL Week 2 betting nuggets. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The Bills were also among the big Week 1 scorers, going on the road and outlasting the Texans 36-31. Ditto for the Lions, who blew a 21-0 lead at home, while barely outlasting the Saints 31-30 in overtime. Buffalo went to 1-0 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) by covering as a 1.5-point favorite. Detroit is 1-0 SU/0-1 ATS, failing to cover as a 7-point favorite. Caesars Sports opened the Bills -3 (-114) in NFL Week 2 odds, quickly went to -3.5 and on Wednesday evening was up to -4.5 (-115). Based on both teams’ offensive outputs, the total is on the rise, too, from 53.5 to 54.5. "What we’re seeing is one-way action toward that Over and the Bills, as well," Feazel said. "There are a couple reasons for that. First, it’s the home opener of a new stadium for the Bills. "But on top of that, the Bills just went up against one of the NFL’s top defenses and really had no problem with it. That really adds to what the public is coming in on." Feazel expects no slowdown heading toward Thursday’s 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. "They’re on the Bills, and that will continue to be the narrative," he said. America’s Game of the Week again includes the Commanders (0-1 SU/1-0 ATS), who last week gave the Eagles a scare before falling 24-22 in Philly. This week, Washington meets another NFC East rival on the road, traveling to Dallas for a 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday kick. The Cowboys (0-1 SU and ATS) were less impressive in Week 1, losing to the Giants 28-20 as 3-point road favorites Sunday night. Last Sunday, before the Cowboys-Giants tilt, Caesars opened Commanders-Cowboys at Dallas -4.5. After the Cowboys’ lackluster Week 1 showing, that number dropped to Dallas -3.5. But by midweek, Dak Prescott & Co. are back at -4.5. "That performance vs. the Giants is not stopping bettors here. They’re still betting the Cowboys in this spot," Feazel said. "I think we’re gonna continue to see steady action on the Cowboys." Professional bettor Randy McKay was on the right side in Week 1, taking the 49ers +4 vs. the Rams. San Francisco ended up rolling to the upset, 27-7. In Week 2 NFL odds, McKay is on Broncos -2.5 vs. Jaguars. "Denver will bounce back at home after a stinker on Monday Night Football," McKay said, alluding to the Broncos’ 31-10 road loss to the Chiefs. "I’m expecting Mile High magic. Early in the season, teams traveling to Denver usually gas out in the second half." With Joe Burrow healthy, the Bengals (1-0 SU and ATS) were another high-flying team in Week 1, beating the Bucs 33-27 as 3.5-point home favorites. As noted above, the Texans (0-1 SU and ATS) also put up points in Week 1. But Houston’s defense couldn’t contain Allen, and early bettors this week think Burrow will be a tough chore, as well. Caesars opened at Texans -2.5 (-114) and visited -3 (-105) early in the week. On Wednesday evening, Houston was at -2.5 (-118), for Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET start. "We’ve seen mostly Bengals action. That’s not really a surprise, because there was a lot of Bengals love coming into the season," Feazel said. "I’d expect that to continue — mostly Bengals money and then closer to kickoff, more Over money." The total is actually down 1.5 points, from 47.5 to 46. But the public will certainly load up on the Over by game day, per usual. At 1 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX, the aforementioned Bears (1-0 SU and ATS) host the Vikings (0-1 SU and ATS). During training camp, Chicago coach Ben Johnson put this on everyone’s bulletin board: "I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored (37.9), and I want to surpass them. I want shutouts. I want blowouts." The latter was certainly accomplished in Week 1, when the Bears were 3-point road favorites and pounded the Panthers 59-37. In NFL Week 2 odds, the Bears are 4.5-point home favorites vs. the Vikings. Minnesota blew a 22-10 third-quarter lead vs. Green Bay last week, losing 39-22. And Vikes QB Kyler Murray is in concussion protocol, so it could be Carson Wentz on Sunday. Midweek at DraftKings Sports, Chicago is a 4.5-point favorite, actually down notably from a -6.5 opener. But early action is solidly on the Bears, and even more so on the Over. Chicago is taking 60% of early spread bets/76% of early spread money. The total surged from 46.5 to 49.5 by early Monday, then backed up to 47.5 by Wednesday. But the Over is attracting 84% of bets/74% of money as of Wednesday evening. Normally, when it comes to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the public betting masses need very little convincing. But a blowout Week 1 win isn’t yet enough to win over the public, which still remembers Kansas City’s 6-11 SU/4-13 ATS debacle last season. Mahomes & Co. — and by Co., that’s mainly running back Kenneth Walker III — routed the Broncos 31-10 on Monday night. In turn, Caesars opened Kansas City -6.5 (-117) vs. the Colts (0-1 SU and ATS) in an 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday clash. But the line hasn’t budged at all. "It doesn’t look like the win over the Broncos is carrying over," Feazel said. "There really isn’t a belief in this Chiefs team just yet. Right now, we’re seeing balanced two-way action at 6.5." The Giants (1-0 SU and ATS) were 3-point home underdogs to the Cowboys in Week 1. But New York never trailed and in fact dominated much of the game in a 28-20 victory. On the flip side, the Rams (0-1 SU and ATS) got thumped 27-7 as 3.5-point favorites vs. the 49ers in far-flung Melbourne, Australia. Plus, Myles Garrett (knee) is out at least the next four weeks. A week ago, on the look-ahead lines in NFL Week 2 odds, Caesars had Giants-Rams at L.A. -9.5. The line reopened Sunday afternoon at Rams -7.5, and after the G-Men’s strong showing, the number dipped to Rams -7. "We saw a different Jaxson Dart out there, and coach John Harbaugh making a clear difference. The public noticed that," Feazel said. "The Rams were not what we expected. They were flat on both sides of the ball. "So far, it’s been all Giants money, and I think that will continue. What I expect we’ll need by game time is that Super Bowl middle: Rams to win by 1-7." Giants-Rams kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday.

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NFL Week 1 Surprises & Shocks: Our Biggest Stunners From The Opening Week

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season brought the drama, and then some. Opening night saw a dramatic victory by the Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch over the New England Patriots, and there was an unexpected hero. A day later, the San Francisco 49ers put a pause on any Dream Team talk surrounding the Los Angeles Rams with their blowout victory Down Under. The surprises only continued on Sunday and Monday. The Arizona Cardinals delivered the upset of the weekend, beating the Los Angeles Chargers as 10.5-point underdogs. There were other stunners, too, as this year's Week 1 tied for the most points scored in a Week 1 in NFL history. So, which surprises and shocks were the best and biggest from Week 1? We share our top stunners from the opening week. Greg Auman: Best surprise of the opening weekend? As a team, you’d have to say the Cardinals knocking off the Chargers, but as an overall theme, how about backup quarterbacks coming off the bench and leading their team to big wins? First, it was Drew Lock leading the Seattle Seahawks past the New England Patriots on Wednesday night. He’d been 2-8 as a starter over the last five years, and then Carson Wentz stepped up for the Minnesota Vikings after Kyler Murray’s concussion. Wentz hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2021 and was 5-9 as a backup bouncing around the league, but Minnesota’s defense helped a lot, but he came through in a key division win against the Green Bay Packers. Steven Ruiz: I wasn’t high on the Packers coming into the season, and I was still left disappointed by their performance against the Vikings. I’m not willing to go as far as Green Bay fans calling for Matt LaFleur’s job, but this roster needs a reboot. The offensive line, which is crucial in a run-based offense, isn't viable. It couldn’t open up anything in the run game, and the pocket was untenable for Jordan Love. Christian Watson looked good, and Love battled, but the rest of the offense offered no bright spots. The defense may have been worse. Without Micah Parsons, the pass rush is non-existent, which makes things harder for a cornerback group that already has enough issues. I believe that LaFleur is a good coach and know that Love is a good quarterback, but the rest of the team may be beyond saving until Parsons gets back. In a competitive NFC North, that may be too late. Eric D. Williams: Among the head-scratching results in Week 1 were the Los Angeles Chargers starting the season with a flat performance in a 26-14 loss at home against the Arizona Cardinals. The Chargers had a rare home game in which they enjoyed home-field advantage due to the lack of Cardinals fans in attendance. Brought in to turn Justin Herbert into an MVP-worthy quarterback, offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel made his debut for the Bolts. Yet the Cardinals, led by journeyman Jacoby Brissett, were the team that dominated offensively. Los Angeles mustered just 14 points against one of the worst defenses from last season, and it was marred by pre-snap penalties, turnovers and missed assignments that had head coach Jim Harbaugh wondering if he played his starters enough during exhibition play. "We made some preseason type of mistakes," Harbaugh said. "Now in retrospect, I wish we’d played our guys a little bit more in the preseason and given them those reps." Added defensive leader Derwin James after the game: "This is the National Football League, man. If you don’t come ready to play, stuff like this happens." The road does not get any easier for the Chargers. They face a much-improved Las Vegas Raiders squad in Week 2. Following that, five of the Bolts’ next six opponents are playoff teams: the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Houston Texans — along with the Kansas City Chiefs, who look like they have returned to form with a healthy Patrick Mahomes. Things could get ugly for the Bolts if they don’t turn things around quickly. Ralph Vacchiano: You’d think by now I’d know better than to believe in the Chargers, but I did buy a little into the hype. I thought Mike McDaniel would be the one who finally unlocked the potential of Justin Herbert. And I get that weird things happen on Opening Day. But losing at home to the Arizona Cardinals? Putting up just 268 yards against a defense that was one of the worst in the NFL last year and didn’t do much to improve in the offseason? Nothing shocked me more. As much as I believe the Cards have some promising young players, I really believed that with their schedule, the division they play in, and the quarterback issues and other holes, they had a shot to start 0-13. Seriously. And I was suckered into thinking the Chargers were at least a fringe contender. I still think Herbert is loaded with talent. I think Jim Harbaugh is a brilliant coach and I think McDaniel is a brilliant offensive mind. But something isn’t working there, obviously. They'd better fix it quickly, or they’re going to have to start thinking about a major overhaul. And by the way, I don’t know what surprises me more about this — the Chargers losing, or the Cardinals winning. The Chargers being a disappointment is nothing new, really, so the Cardinals playing well might be the thing that shocked me most. Ben Arthur: How about those Ravens? With a new, green offensive coordinator in 30-year-old (!) Declan Doyle, I expected Baltimore to have hiccups offensively. I was stunned to see the Ravens’ offense look like a well-oiled machine in Week 1. Lamar Jackson, after an injury-riddled 2025 season, regained his MVP form. Derrick Henry was unstoppable. Zay Flowers was unguardable. Baltimore had 41 points and 506 yards of offense, the latter of which is its most in a game since Week 7 of the 2024 season. It came against a Colts’ defense that probably won’t be very good, but you can’t ignore an explosion like that. It was honestly more impressive to me than the Bears hanging 59 points on the Panthers, because we know what Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams are capable of. As much talent as the Ravens have, they have a first-time play caller and an offensive line that entered the year with questions. They put it together in the opener, and I’m now intrigued. The Bengals aren’t the only team in the AFC North that should be receiving a ton of hype. Henry McKenna: It looks like we have most of the surprising team performances covered. So I figure I’ll cover a few of the individual performances that stunned me. And I’m going to focus on a few different ones that I think are not just a mirage — but performances that might set the stage for a season that defies expectations. First, let’s hit on Jalen Coker, who put up impressive production against both Bears cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson. Coker’s dominance was so comprehensive that I found myself wondering if he might end up in a 1A-1B situation with Tetairoa McMillan this year. In that same game, we saw Bears tight end Colston Loveland finish with zero catches on two targets. After watching Loveland in training camp, I felt he was getting too much hype. But I didn’t expect this! It’s not necessarily that he won’t be a good player. But with the Bears set to emphasize the ground game all year long, their pass-catchers (from Loveland to Rome Odunze to Luther Burden) may have unreliable production. It feels like folks have highlighted those performances. But there’s a sneaky one that I want to highlight. It’s Zay Flowers, who finished with five catches, 150 yards and a touchdown — after playing just 25 minutes. Had he not left the game with a hamstring injury (an absence which the team later clarified was precautionary), Flowers might be leading the NFL in receiving yards. (He also had a long catch-and-run where he went down on the 1-yard line and nearly scored another TD.) And as my colleague Ben pointed out, the Ravens offense looks outstanding under the leadership of Doyle, the first apple off Ben Johnson’s coaching tree. Last year was a huge step forward for Flowers. But … could he be even better this year? It looks like it.

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Favorite 'Dogs: Back UNC At Clemson; Jets Over Packers

It wasn't often that Bill Belichick was an underdog during his NFL coaching days. That's not the case now that he's in his second year as UNC's head coach. With that in mind, his Tar Heels have my attention for college football Week 3. And when it comes to underdogs in NFL Week 2, you might be surprised that I'm backing the Jets against the Packers. Let's dive into it. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Bill Belichick 3-0 to start the season? For all the turmoil the Tar Heels endured this offseason — and frankly, since Belichick took over as head coach in December 2024 — UNC has a chance Saturday to notch its third win of the young season. Former general manager Michael Lombardi resigned a couple of weeks ago, and Belichick's son, defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, is on medical leave from the team as rumors swirl about conduct in the building. However, on the field, UNC started the season with an upset victory over TCU, followed by a 35-3 win over East Tennessee St. This week, the Tar Heels draw a Clemson team that has gotten off to an underwhelming start in 2026 and will star backup quarterback Tait Reynolds. Not only is Reynolds a backup, but he is a 19-year-old true freshman. Oddsmakers expect very few points in this one. With an Over/Under set at 43.5, it’s the second-lowest total on the board this week, with only Wyoming and Central Michigan (39.5) lower. In what could be an ugly, low-scoring game, I will defer to the experience and defensive wisdom of Bill Belichick. I expect him to show the young Reynolds things he’s never seen in terms of coverage and blitz packages. Clemson has seen better days as a program, and I think "Chapel Bill" pulls off the upset on Saturday. The last time the Jets started 2-0 (in football, at least) was 2015, when Todd Bowles was the Jets’ head coach and Ryan Fitzpatrick was the quarterback. Over a decade later, the Jets host the Packers in Week 2 with a chance to be the surprise story of the early season. The Packers lost their last five games of the 2025 regular season, lost again in the playoffs after blowing an 18-point lead, and are now 0-1 to start 2026 after coughing up yet another double-digit lead in Week 1 against the Vikings. The Jets throttled the Titans in Week 1, winning 23-10 and holding the Titans to three points and just over 100 yards of total offense, until a garbage-time touchdown in the final minutes. The Jets look much improved from last year, and I’ll take them to upset a Packers team that seems to have a real problem closing out games.

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