The moment we’ve all been waiting for is almost here. It has been 206 days since the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, and now we’re just six days away from the start of the 2026 season.

Everyone is excited about Week 1, and not just because it’s the start of the season, but because the slate is absolutely loaded. There are so many great games next week, which means there will be quite a few top teams that start the season with a loss.

I went through the Week 1 schedule and identified what I believe are the five best games of Week 1.

5. Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

Spread: MIN -1.5

There were a few contenders for the last spot on this list, but ultimately, I decided to give the No. 5 spot to the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.

The NFC North is going to be one of the more competitive divisions in football this season, and there’s absolutely a chance that both of these teams could win it (even though I have them finishing third and fourth; that just goes to show how close it is). Getting a win in Week 1 would be massive for both squads.

The Packers have been the 7-seed in the NFC for each of the past three seasons, but I feel like their team got worse this offseason. They didn’t do much in free agency or the draft; Micah Parsons is still out, and Josh Jacobs is on the commissioner’s exempt list. They’re going to be undermanned this week, opening the door for Minnesota.

The Vikings have one of the best defenses in football and have two great receivers in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The only thing that held them back last year was their quarterback play, but they’re hoping Kyler Murray can at least give them average play under center.

This game is going to tell us a lot about how each of these teams’ seasons will go, so it’s definitely one to watch on Sunday.

4. Los Angeles Rams vs San Francisco 49ers

Spread: LAR -3.5

This game could very well have been No. 1 on my list, but the fact that it’s being played in Australia drops it down a few spots. International games are notoriously ugly, so I can’t even imagine how these teams will perform in Week 1 while jet-lagged. But outside of that, it should be a great matchup.

We all know about the Los Angeles Rams, who have assembled a super team this offseason. Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett, and Trent McDuffie are all former First-Team All-Pros, and there are still plenty of other super talented players on their roster. Nobody in football has a roster as well-rounded as the Rams.

If one team is close, though, it’s the San Francisco 49ers, and Week 1 is the perfect time for them to play the Rams. San Fran always loses players to injury. It su-ks, but it’s the truth. Last year they lost Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, among others, but in Week 1, basically everyone should be available.

If the Niners are going to beat the Rams this year, it’s going to be this game, but I still think the Rams win by 3+.

3. Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

Spread: KC -3

These final three games really could go in any order, but in third place, I decided to put the Monday Night Football showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos.

The Broncos are coming off a 2025 season where they earned the 1-seed in the AFC, made the AFC Championship game, and likely would’ve been in the Super Bowl had Bo Nix not gotten hurt. They also boasted one of the best defenses in the league with one of the most efficient pass rushes we’ve ever seen.

On the other side, the Chiefs are coming off an incredibly disappointing season, going 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL late in the year, but he’s expected to be back for Week 1 test, and many believe this is a team that can compete for a championship. However, the battle will not be easy for them given their last year’s status.

I personally think the Broncos will win this game – I’m not really sure why KC is favored – but it’s in Arrowhead and should be a fun end to the first week of the season.

2. New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks

Spread: SEA -3.5

In the two-slot, I have the Super Bowl rematch we’ve all been waiting for ever since the NFL schedule was announced back in May.

The Seahawks rolled the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, but they lost some key pieces this offseason. Kenneth Walker, Tariq Woolen, Boye Mafe, and Coby Bryant all walked in free agency, and I don’t think the Seahawks did a great job replacing any of them outside of Walker.

Meanwhile, the Patriots lost some pieces too, but the addition of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs should take this offense to new heights with MVP runner-up Drake Maye still under center.

This is going to be a fascinating matchup on opening night, but I do think the 12th Man helps Seattle push past the Patriots to start 1-0.

1. Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans

Spread: BUF -1.5

It’s not often that you get to see a matchup between the future 1 and 2-seeds in the AFC in Week 1. In my preseason predictions, the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills were my top two seeds in the AFC, so of course this was going to be my top matchup for Week 1.

The Bills return a lot of key pieces from last year’s team that nearly took down the Broncos in Denver in the AFC Divisional Round, while adding guys like Bradley Chubb and D.J. Moore to the mix. They’re also going to have a new identity with Joe Brady taking over as head coach, so I have a lot of faith in Buffalo.

I also have a lot of faith in the Texans because of their defense. They were the best unit in the league last season, returned pretty much everybody, and added some pieces such as Kayden McDonald and Reed Blankenship. If their offensive line and run game are actually improved – which they should be – they’ll be a dangerous team.

This is going to be the best game of Week 1. I just wish it was a primetime matchup.