The first Sunday of the 2026 NFL season delivered record-setting offense, defensive touchdowns, last-second plays and overtime, the article said. A handful of advanced numbers stood out across several games and offered early context for teams and players heading into the new season.
Caleb Williams finished with two rushing touchdowns and cleared 20 miles per hour twice on those scoring runs, according to Next Gen Stats. Williams has registered seven carries at 20+ mph since the start of last season, while the rest of the league’s quarterbacks have six such plays combined. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards and two passing touchdowns in the Bears’ 59-37 win over the Panthers, the article noted.
The Bills produced an explosive-play rate of 21.2% against the Texans — the highest rate Houston has allowed since DeMeco Ryans became coach, the article reported. Buffalo scored 36 points and generated nine completions of 16 or more yards plus two runs of 12 or more yards, including a 21-yard scramble by Josh Allen for an early touchdown. A 46-yard defensive pass interference penalty also set Buffalo up at the 1-yard line, the article said.
Tight end Dalton Kincaid totaled 130 receiving yards in Week 1, the most by a Bills tight end since 1967, according to the article. Kincaid played 76% of the offensive snaps and was on the field for 40 plays, his most in a game since Week 1 of last season, when he had 41. The article noted Kincaid returned to fuller usage after missing ground in 2024 while recovering from a left-knee PCL injury; he played only 37% of snaps in the 12 games he was active last season, below teammates Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes.
The Texans’ tendency to give up explosive plays provided the broader context for Buffalo’s performance. Houston ranked second in defensive success rate and second in defensive EPA per drive a year ago, but it was 14th in explosive pass rate allowed, the article said — an explanation for how an aggressive unit can still suffer big losses when opponents connect on downfield plays.
