Major League Baseball - 2026 Postseason Preview & Predictions

The 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs begin today with the Wild Card rounds in both the American League and National League. And this MLB postseason could be more wide open than in recent years, even with the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers once again in the mix. 

The Dodgers won 100 games and are the number two seed in the senior circuit, behind the Milwaukee Brewers, who won a franchise record 103 games this year and are the favorites to win it all. In the American League, the two teams getting the bye will be the top seeded Tampa Bay Rays and also the Cleveland Guardians, who won the A.L. Central division by one game over the Chicago White Sox, the surprise team of the 2026 baseball season. Just two years ago, the White Sox set the record for worst ever single season record with 121 losses and now here they are in the post season after three consecutive 100-loss seasons. 

There are always surprises once the playoffs begin and just three years ago, two of the lowest ever seeded teams faced off in the 2023 World Series with the Texas Rangers beating the Arizona Diamondbacks. So, the bottom line is, when it comes to sports, especially baseball, the unexpected can and likely will happen in October. 

The New York Yankees will take on the Boston Red Sox in The Bronx and the Houston Astros, winners of the American League West division with an 81-81 record, will host the White Sox. The National League wild card series will feature the Chicago Cubs against the host San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves, winners of the N.L. East division, hosting the Philadelphia Phillies. 

There are many questions once again this year, including teams having injured players who may or may not play once the action gets started, but taking into account where things are right now with the 12 teams involved, Heftyinfo will attempt to figure it out and take a guess at what happens.  

Over the years, the picks here haven't always been accurate when it comes to October baseball and the eventual Fall Classic, but here it goes anyhow with picks for what could unfold in the next month. 

Play Ball !  

AMERICAN LEAGUE 

Wild Card Round - Chicago White Sox over Houston (2-1); Boston over New York Yankees (2-1)

ALDS - Tampa Bay over Boston (3-1); Cleveland over Chicago White Sox (3-1) 

ALCS - Cleveland over Tampa Bay (4-3) 

NATIONAL LEAGUE 

Wild Card Round - San Diego over Chicago Cubs (2-1); Philadelphia over Atlanta (2-1) 

NLDS - San Diego over Milwaukee (3-1); Los Angeles Dodgers over Philadelphia (3-1)

NLCS - San Diego over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2)   

 

 

                                                                WORLD SERIES 

 

                                      San Diego Padres over Cleveland Guardians (in  six games)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Three Recap

Newsflash  . . . The Dallas Cowboys defense is still terrible. 

The Baltimore Ravens won in the most improbable way in Rio de Janeiro when Tyler Loop (number 33 pictured left)  kicked a 56-yard field goal as time expired for a 34-31 win over the Cowboys. The Ravens (2-1) were able to get set up for the game winner when quarterback Lamar Jackson (186 passing yards, two touchdowns) completed a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers and called timeout with one second remaining. 

The Cowboys (1-2) settled for a  game tying 23-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey with seven seconds left in regulation after having the ball with first-and-goal on the Ravens 2-yard line following a pass interference penalty against Baltimore with 20 seconds left. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott had 276 passing yards and one touchdown pass in defeat while Ravens running back Derrick Henry had two rushing touchdowns to help lead the winning effort. 

The Minnesota Vikings improved to 3-0 this season with a 23-16 road win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) as Myles Price took a punt back 86 yards for a touchdown and QB Kyler Murray threw his first scoring pass of the season with a 41-yard effort to wide receiver Jordan Addison for a 17-10 halftime lead. The Vikings defense picked off two passes and knocked Buccaneers starting QB Baker Mayfield (217 passing yards, one TD, one INT) out of the game with a dislocated thumb injury late in the fourth quarter. 

In New Orleans, the unbeaten Las Vegas Raiders scored 19 unanswered points in the second half and won, 35-27 over the Saints (1-2) as QB Kirk Cousins had three TD passes along with 248 passing yards while running back Mike Washington, Jr. had a 36-yard scoring run to lead the offense. Saints QB Tyler Shough had four scoring passes (and one interception) and 255 yards passing in the loss. 

Even with five turnovers (two interceptions, three lost fumbles) the Buffalo Bills also improved to 3-0 in this young season as they held on for a 24-16 home victory against the winless Los Angeles Chargers, who were limited to just two field goals after leading 10-0 after the first quarter. Bills QB Josh Allen scored two rushing touchdowns and RB James Cook had a three-yard TD run and 154 yards on 24 carries. Chargers QB Justin Herbert (226 passing yards) threw for one score and also one interception in defeat. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) blasted the visiting New England Patriots, 35-6 with QB Trevor Lawrence passing for three scores as the Jags used balanced offense (137 rushing yards, 178 passing) to build a 28-3 lead entering the fourth quarter. Patriots QB Drake Maye was intercepted twice and also lost a fumble as New England (1-2) had three turnovers in the loss. 

In a back and forth game in Pittsburgh, the Steelers (2-1) knocked the Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) from the ranks of the undefeated teams with a 30-27 win. Pittsburgh QB Aaron Rodgers had three scoring passes and 292 passing yards while the defense recovered two fumbles to help offset three touchdown passes from Bengals QB Joe Burrow, who passed for 282 yards in defeat. Steelers kicker Chris Boswell made three field goals, including the game winner from 33 yards with 2:15 remaining in the game. 

The Cleveland Browns made it unanimous in the AFC North division as every team is now 2-1 this season as they bested the visiting Carolina Panthers, 21-18. Browns QB Deshaun Watson threw his second TD pass in the game to tight end Harold Fannin, Jr. (from 14 yards) with 1:48 left to play. The Panthers managed four field goals and a TD pass from quarterback Bryce Young, who had 291 passing yards and one interceptions as well in the losing effort, which dropped the Panthers to 1-2 for the season. 

 

Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White celebrates a touchdown. 

How about the host Washington Commanders (1-2), playing without starting QB Jayden Daniels (elbow injury) knocking off the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, 33-31 behind three TD passes from QB Marcus Mariota and a 50-yard  "pick six" interception touchdown by linebacker Kain Medrano? Seattle (2-1) out gained the Commanders by 437-258 in total yards and QB Sam Darnold had four TD passes and two interceptions with 379 passing yards, but the Seahawks fell short in this one. 

The New York Giants improved to 2-1 this season with a 12-7 home win in a rain storm against the winless Tennessee Titans as kicker Dominic Zvada made four field goals for a 12-0 lead before Titans QB Cam Ward threw a four-yard scoring pass to Wan'Dale Robinson late in the fourth quarter. 

In Detroit, the Lions (2-1) won a nail biter against the New York Jets, 31-24 with running back Jahmyr Gibbs (20 carries for 99 yards) scoring three times, including a receiving touchdown to lead the way. Lions QB Jared Goff had two TD passes along with 269 passing yards and the Lions defense had five sacks and a fumble recovery. Jets QB Geno Smith passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, which dropped the Jets to 1-2 this season.

The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-0 as they won, 24-10 over the host Miami Dolphins (0-3) with QB Patrick Mahomes (246 passing yards) throwing for two scores, including an 11-yard effort to tight end Travis Kelce to seal the game. Kansas City running back Kenneth Walker III had a rushing and receiving touchdown as well. Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon had a rushing touchdown in the loss and starting running back De'Von Achane left the game with a knee injury and it was reported he will be out for the rest of the season. 

Last Thursday night in Green Bay, the Packers (1-2) were throttled by the Atlanta Falcons in a 35-14 defeat as the Falcons (1-2) piled up 498 total yards, including 194 rushing yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns by RB Bijan Robinson. Falcons QB Michael Penix, Jr. had 256 passing yards and one TD pass and one interception as well. Green Bay took an early 7-0 lead when QB Jordan Love (312 passing yards, two TD, one INT) connected with WR Christian Watson on a four-yard scoring pass. After that, it was all Falcons and their defense limited the Packers to just 17 rushing yards in the game. 

The San Francisco 49ers (3-0) topped the visiting Arizona Cardinals, 36-30 with QB Brock Purdy throwing four touchdown passes along with 297 passing yards in the win. The Cardinals (1-2) fell behind 23-6 in the third quarter before QB Jacoby Brissett (280 passing yards) threw for two scores and ran for another to make it close. Big plays were the difference as the 49ers used an 80-yard TD on a lateral play to Deebo Samuel and two scoring passes to tight end George Kittle to hold off the Cardinals, who had the ball for nearly 39 minutes in the loss. 

The Indianapolis Colts (1-2) won at home, 19-17 against the Houston Texans, who dropped to 0-3 for the second straight year. The Texans defense forced three turnovers (one interception, two fumbles) but the offense gained only 223 yards as quarterback C.J. Stroud had a scoring pass and Woody Marks had a touchdown run. Colts kicker Spencer Shrader made four field goals, including a 53-yard kick with 16 seconds left to win it. 

The Sunday night game in Denver saw the Broncos win, 30-26 as QB Bo Nix (186 passing yards, two TD, one INT) scored on a one-yard run  following a penalty called against the Los Angeles Rams defense in the end zone on third down to set up first-and-goal in the final minute of the game. Nonetheless, Denver overcame a 16-0 halftime deficit to improve to 2-1 this season. The Rams (1-2) had taken a 26-23 lead when QB Matthew Stafford (390 passing yards with two TD and two interceptions) threw a 48-yard scoring pass to Konata Mumpfield with 3:38 remaining in the fourth quarter. 

Earlier in the final quarter, Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (two interceptions) took his first interception back 66 yards for a touchdown that gave Denver a 23-19 lead with 4:49 left in the game. This one was back and forth in the second half with Denver tying the game at 16-16 with two scoring passes and two successful two-point conversions in the third quarter. The Rams totaled 482 yards to just 257 for the Broncos, but the two turnovers and four sacks by the Denver defense helped provide the final outcome. 

The Chicago Bears (2-1) dominated the visiting Philadelphia Eagles, 27-7 on Monday Night Football with veteran backup QB Case Keenum turning back the hands of time leading the offense with two touchdown passes and 247 passing yards and he also scored on a one-yard touchdown plunge midway through the final quarter to ice the game. The Eagles (2-1) had closed to within 10-7 at halftime when QB Jalen Hurts scored on a one-yard run as time ran out, but the second half was all Bears in this game. 

 

 WEEK THREE RESULTS 

Atlanta 35, Green Bay 14  

Jacksonville 35, New England 6 

N.Y. Giants 12, Tennessee 7 

Kansas City 24, Miami 10 

Detroit 31, N.Y. Jets 24 

Buffalo 24, L.A. Chargers 16 

Cleveland 21, Carolina 18  

Indianapolis 19, Houston 17 

Washington 33, Seattle 31

Pittsburgh 30, Cincinnati 27

Minnesota 23, Tampa Bay 16

San Francisco 36, Arizona 30 

Las Vegas 35, New Orleans 27

Baltimore 34, Dallas 31

Denver 30, L.A. Rams 26  

Chicago 27, Philadelphia 7  

 

NFL - Week Three Preview

 

 

When it comes to the NFL, expect the unexpected.

That seems to be the case every season and could very well hold true as this season goes along. This weekend could prove that as there are some games that feature very desperate teams going against what looks to be a prohibitive favorite. 

The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-2 and face the unbeaten Buffalo Bills on the road. The Bills have looked like world beaters so far with quarterback Josh Allen scoring at will it seems with 582 passing yards and five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has scored four rushing touchdowns in the first two games. The Chargers have looked listless in their two home losses to Arizona and the Las Vegas Raiders, committing numerous turnovers and averaging only 14 points per game. 

That sounds like a genuine recipe for a Buffalo Bills rout this Sunday afternoon. However, the way teams play these days in pro sports, in particular the NFL, anything is possible. The longer the underdog hangs around in the game, the better their chances are to win. The Bills should win this one, but it could be much closer than people would think. 

Some other games of interest include the Dallas Cowboys taking on the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. Dallas bested the Washington Commanders last Sunday while the Ravens blew a 14-3 lead and lost at home to the upstart New Orleans Saints. Once again, a team (Saints) that was allowed to hang around eventually won the game. This one should be a battle for sure as Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and company want to atone for the embarrassment they suffered last week. The Cowboys defense hasn't lived up to the off-season hype with the new faces in place, so this one could be a higher scoring game. 

On Sunday night in Denver, the Broncos face the Los Angeles Rams in what should be another exciting game. The Rams crushed the New York Giants on Monday Night Football with QB Matthew Stafford throwing four touchdown passes while the Broncos woke up and beat the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars with the defense limiting the highly powered Jags offense in check in the second half. Look for a defensive struggle here as both teams have solid defenses. This game will most likely go down to the final minutes. 

Another game featuring two desperate teams will be played in Indianapolis between the Colts and Houston Texans and both teams are off to 0-2 starts this season. The loser of this game will be staring at longer odds of making the AFC playoffs, but at least they're not too far gone as they play in the AFC South, which features three 0-2 teams and Jacksonville (1-1) in first place. Once again, anything is possible in this one.  

Another interesting game looks to be in Pittsburgh where the Steelers (1-1) take on the unbeaten Cincinnati Bengals and their new look defense that has been beating up on the opposition. Cincinnati has allowed just 33 points through two games while scoring 53 points with Joe Burrow and the offense doing their part so far. The defense dominated against the Houston Texans last week in a 20-6 road win and could do the same in this one against a Steelers team that was manhandled by the New England Patriots last Sunday in a 20-3 defeat.

 Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers is really looking his age (42 years old) in the early part of the season and if the offensive line doesn't give him protection against a rugged Bengals defense, this one could get ugly. This is an AFC North tilt, so these teams do know each other well and that could make for a close game. The Bengals rate the edge, but if Pittsburgh's defense can rattle Burrow with pressure, they could win this one. 

The Monday night game in Chicago should be a good game as well with the 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles looking to topple the Bears (1-1) who could be starting Case Keenum, their third string quarterback in this game due to injuries to Caleb Williams (hamstring) and Tyson Bagent (concussion). Philadelphia survived in Tennessee last Sunday for a 24-20 win while the Bears lost, 9-3 in a rain storm against Minnesota with Williams going down with the hamstring injury late in the game. 

Philly will be looking to exact some revenge from the beating the Bears gave them last season the day after Thanksgiving in an easy road win that helped pave the way for the Bears to eventually make the playoffs. This game is definitely in the toss up category. 

The rest of the NFL action for Week Three is presented in the capsule style format and the Heftyinfo picks for all the games follows. 

Atlanta (0-2) at Green Bay (1-1) - The Thursday night game in Lambeau Field. Packers rate the edge here as Falcons QB Michael Penix, Jr. makes his first start this season. 

Carolina (1-1) at Cleveland (1-1) - Two teams coming off impressive wins go at it in this game. Can the Panthers defense stymie Deshaun Watson and the Browns? Will the Browns defense be able to contain Panthers QB Bryce Young? Stay tuned this Sunday. 

N.Y. Jets (1-1) at Detroit (1-1) - The Lions will look to get back in the win column against a Jets team that let one slip away late against Green Bay last week. 

New England (1-1) at Jacksonville (1-1) - The Jaguars bounce back at home for a win in this one, but the Patriots will not be an easy opponent. 

Kansas City (2-0) at Miami (0-2) - The Chiefs have been rolling so far this season with QB Patrick Mahomes looking good. The Dolphins are huge underdogs at home in this one. 

Tennessee (0-2) at N.Y. Giants (1-1) - The Giants lost starting QB Jaxson Dart for the season (knee injury) and face a Titans team that took the Philadelphia Eagles to the wire last week. Beware! 

Seattle (2-0) at Washington (0-2) - The host Commanders will be without starting QB Jayden Daniels (elbow injury) and face a rugged Seattle defense. Take the Seahawks, but the game will be closer than one might think. 

Arizona (1-1) at San Francisco (2-0) - The 49ers have looked impressive so far, but the Cardinals are a divisional foe and this one could be a tight one. 

Minnesota (2-0) at Tampa Bay (0-2) - The Buccaneers need a win in the worst way, but the Vikings defense is legitimate and will look to keep things rolling in this road contest. 

Las Vegas (2-0) at New Orleans (1-1) - The Saints should burst the Raiders bubble in The Big Easy this Sunday. 

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Three     . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS)  

Green Bay over Atlanta 

Buffalo over L.A. Chargers 

Cleveland over Carolina 

Detroit over N.Y. Jets 

Houston over Indianapolis 

Jacksonville over New England 

KANSAS CITY over Miami 

N.Y. Giants over Tennessee 

Pittsburgh over Cincinnati 

Seattle over Washington 

San Francisco over Arizona 

Tampa Bay over Minnesota 

Dallas over Baltimore  (game played in Rio de Janeiro) 

New Orleans over Las Vegas 

L.A. Rams over Denver 

Philadelphia over Chicago 

Last Week's Record - 10-6 

SEASON RECORD - 22-10 

Lock of the Week Record - 1-1  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Two Recap

The 2026 NFL season took a strange twist in the second week as star quarterbacks were injured and some major upsets occurred throughout the league. 

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (pictured left) suffered a hamstring injury on a scramble run late in the fourth quarter of a 9-3 home loss for the Bears against the Minnesota Vikings in a steady downpour of rain all game long. It was all field goals accounting for the final score in this one, but the Vikings came up with a huge block on Bears kicker Cairo Santos 23-yard attempt with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter and holding a 6-3 lead. Minnesota kicker Will Reichard made his third field goal (from 39 yards) in the game with 1:09 left to help provide the final outcome as the Bears final drive was thwarted on fourth and goal when Bears backup QB Tyson Bagent was sacked on the final play. 

In Dallas, the Cowboys throttled the Washington Commanders, 37-20 as QB Dak Prescott had four touchdown passes, including two of them to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who caught eight passes for 153 yards in the win. Washington QB Jayden Daniels left the game with a severe elbow injury in the second quarter and was replaced by Marcus Mariota, who had one TD pass in the loss. 

The New Orleans Saints stunned the Baltimore Ravens, 24-17 as QB Tyler Shough scored on a one-yard run with 1:28 left to play in the fourth quarter. The Saints outscored Baltimore, 18-3 in the second half and intercepted Ravens QB Lamar Jackson in the red zone with just 20 seconds remaining in the game to seal the victory. The Ravens led 14-3 after Jackson threw a scoring pass to wide receiver Rashod Bateman late in the second quarter. In the decisive fourth quarter, Shough threw a 21-yard TD pass to WR Chris Olave to tie the game at 17-17 and later scored the winning touchdown to stun the Baltimore crowd in the Ravens home opener.

In Los Angeles, the Chargers lost again, this time to the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-14 as they turned the football over three times, including a crucial fumble by RB Omarion Hampton in Raiders territory and the deficit at three points (17-14) with just over three minutes remaining in the game. From there, the Raiders scored on an 11-yard TD pass from QB Kirk Cousins (253 passing yards, three TD, one interception) to Cody White with 2:59 remaining to ice the game. 

The Cleveland Browns beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-19 for a road win that featured a lengthy weather delay which lasted over two hours. Browns QB Deshaun Watson had two scoring passes along with 238 passing yards as they overcame a second half ten-point deficit. Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield had a scoring pass along with one interception in defeat as the Bucs dropped to 0-2 this season. 

How about the Cincinnati Bengals going into Houston and knocking off the Texans, 20-6 behind solid defense, including four sacks and limiting the Texans to just two field goals? Despite being out gained by over 100 yards and getting just 12 first downs, Cincinnati won as QB Joe Burrow twice hooked up with wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase for touchdown passes to make the difference. 

The Green Bay Packers came back from ten points down in the final quarter and eventually won, 20-17 in overtime against the host New York Jets as Trey Smack made a 26-yard field goal to decide the game. Green Bay totaled only 199 yards in offense, but QB Jordan Love had a pair of TD passes. Jets QB Geno Smith had a scoring pass in the loss.   

In Arizona, the Seattle Seahawks dismantled the Cardinals, 31-7 as QB Drew Lock hit WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (nine receptions for 155 yards) for three touchdown passes while the defense held the Cardinals to just 155 yards in total offense and ten first downs. The Seahawks gained 381 yards with a balanced offense that included 162 yards on the ground as they dominated the second half after a 7-7 tie score in the first half. 

The Denver Broncos rallied back from a ten-point second half deficit to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-13 as QB Bo Nix threw for a score and rookie running back Jonah Coleman scored on a three-yard run with 7:39 left to play to provide the final outcome. 

Bills QB Josh Allen had a huge game in win over the Lions. 

 

On Thursday night in Buffalo, the Bills opened their new stadium with a resounding 41-31 win against the Detroit Lions as QB Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns along with 248 passing yards and rushed for two more scores while running back James Cook had a touchdown and 135 rushing yards. The Bills totaled 446 yards with a balanced offense (203 rushing, 223 passing) in the win. Lions QB Jared Goff had four TD passes and 327 passing yards in defeat. 

The Philadelphia Eagles survived the extreme heat in Nashville (reported to be as hot as 150 degrees on the playing surface) as well as the stubborn Tennessee Titans for a 24-20 road win with QB Jalen Hurts (264 passing yards, two TD, two INT) throwing the winning three-yard touchdown pass to WR Darius Cooper with only 14 seconds remaining in the game. Eagles WR DeVonta Smith had ten receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown to contribute to the win. Tennessee took a 20-17 lead with 1:56 left to go when Joey Slye kicked a 33-yard field goal. Titans QB Cam Ward had two scoring runs in the loss. 

The Carolina Panthers went on on the road to Atlanta and punished the Falcons, 34-3 as QB Bryce Young had 287 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Panthers defense forced five turnovers, including a 16-yard  "pick six" touchdown by linebacker Devin Lloyd, who had two interceptions in the rout. 

The New England Patriots beat down the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-3 as the defense had four sacks,  including a scoop and score 19-yard fumble return for touchdown by linebacker Elijah Ponder. Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson rambled 39 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter as the Patriots took a 10-3 halftime lead. 

In San Francisco, the 49ers crushed the Miami Dolphins, 35-13 as running back Christian McCaffrey had two scoring runs and QB Brock Purdy (287 passing yards on 20-for-22 passing accuracy) ran for another score and threw two touchdown passes to pace the rout. The 49ers broke it open with 21 points in the third quarter and coasted the rest of the way. 

In the Sunday night game in Kansas City, the Chiefs won, 33-30 in overtime when Harrison Butker (two field goals in OT) made a 40-yard field goal as time expired. The Colts had tied the game with 3:11 left in OT when Spencer Shrader drilled a 38-yard field goal. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had three TD passes and 382 passing yards as Kansas City gained 523 yards in offense with running back Kenneth Walker III gaining 117 yards on 24 carries and tight end Travis Kelce with nine receptions for 101 yards and one touchdown. Colts QB Daniel Jones had 210 passing yards with one TD pass and one interception while running back Jonathan Taylor had two scoring runs while gaining 92 yards on 24 carries in the loss. 

The Los Angeles Rams squashed the visiting New York Giants, 28-6 on Monday Night Football behind 481 yards in total offense, led by QB Matthew Stafford, who had four touchdown passes (and one interception) along with 327 passing yards. Rams wide receiver Davante Adams had a huge game with eight receptions for 195 yards with two touchdowns. The Giants were limited to just 182 total yards and eleven first downs along with two field goals in the loss. In addition, Giants starting quarterback Jaxson Dart left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter and didn't return. 

 

WEEK TWO RESULTS 

Buffalo 41, Detroit 31  

Minnesota 9, Chicago 3 

Philadelphia 24, Tennessee 20 

Carolina 34, Atlanta 3 

New Orleans 24, Baltimore 17 

New England 20, Pittsburgh 3 

Green Bay 20, N.Y. Jets 17 (OT) 

Cincinnati 20, Houston 6 

Cleveland 23, Tampa Bay 19 

Denver 20, Jacksonville 13  

Las Vegas  26, L.A. Chargers 14

Seattle 31, Arizona 7

San Francisco 35, Miami 13 

Dallas 37, Washington 20 

Kansas City 33, Indianapolis 30 (OT)  

L.A. Rams 28, N.Y. Giants 6  

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Two Preview

After so many high scoring games in the opening week of the 2026 NFL season, will there be more of the same in Week Two around the league? 

The action gets started on Thursday night in Buffalo where the Bills will play their first ever regular season game in their new stadium, taking on the Detroit Lions, who won their opener, 31-30 in overtime last Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The Bills won a 36-31 contest on the road against the Houston Texans to open their season. 

Bills quarterback Josh Allen will look to lead the offense to a big game against the Lions defense, which allowed 30 points after shutting out the Saints in the first half. The Lions feature many weapons on offense, including do everything running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who rushed for 156 yards and scored twice last week and also had five receptions. This game will likely be a high scoring one and could come down to the last possession. One thing for sure, the Bills fans will be jacked up sky high for this one. 

The Chicago Bears put up 59 points (tied for second highest ever) in their season opener and will likely have a harder time doing that against a tough Minnesota defense, which shut down Green Bay in the second half in a 39-22 win last week. The Vikings will probably have to go with Carson Wentz again at quarterback after starter Kyler Murray was knocked out in the opener with a concussion. 

The Bears defense was torched for 37 points by the Carolina Panthers, but it didn't matter because they put up the 59 points on the scoreboard while rushing for close to 300 yards. The Vikings defense got two big turnovers in their comeback win in the final quarter and will need to do more of that against the Bears if they are going to win. The game between these two teams could be high scoring (30-plus points for both teams) but don't be surprised if it isn't. 

The surprising Arizona Cardinals take on the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener on Sunday. The Cards shocked the Chargers in Los Angeles last week, 26-14 as their defense stifled the Chargers offense and forced two turnovers while the special teams also came up big with a blocked punt that led to an easy score (three-yard TD pass) to seal the game early in the fourth quarter.

 The Seahawks put away the stubborn New England Patriots, 13-10 last week, but the offense was lacking as starting QB Sam Darnold was knocked out of the game with a hip injury. Seattle better be ready because the Cardinals looked like a team that was out to prove something to all the doubters with their season opening road win. This game will be close and don't be surprised if the Cardinals win this NFC West tussle. 

The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night and could be 2-0 after this one is over. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes played well in his first game back from the off-season knee surgery and new running back Kenneth Walker III had a huge game, scoring twice and rushing for 173 yards in the 31-10 rout over the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, the Colts were manhandled by the visiting Baltimore Ravens, 41-23 as their defense had no answers for the Ravens offensive attack that piled up 506 total yards in the easy win. Look for the Chiefs to get another win in this game. 

The Monday Night Football game in Los Angeles will feature two teams on opposite ends as the host Rams look to bounce back after their lethargic performance in the opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. The Rams lost 27-7 and the offense was stuffed in a goal line situation that swung the game completely to the 'Niners as they went 99 yards on a touchdown drive for a 24-7 lead following the big stop.

 The New York Giants served notice they will be a team to beat in the NFC East as they knocked off Dallas, 28-20 last Sunday night with QB Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Saktebo leading the way. The Giants defense also came up with big plays to keep the highly touted Cowboys offense in check. This game will be a tight one as the Rams will be without defensive star Myles Garrett (knee injury) for the next four games. A toss up call here is in order, so look for anything to happen when the dust settles in this game. 

The rest of the action for Week Two is featured in the capsule style form and the Heftyinfo picks follow up. 

Carolina (0-1) at Atlanta (0-1) - The entire NFC South division is winless, so something has to give. 

New Orleans (0-1) at Baltimore (1-0) - The Ravens should roll in this one. 

Cincinnati (1-0) at Houston (0-1) - The Bengals will be going against a buzz saw team in this one. The Texans will be looking to right the ship after laying an egg at home in their season opener. 

Pittsburgh (1-0) at New England (0-1) - The Steelers will have a much tougher game this week against a Patriots team that looked unprepared in their opening game loss. 

Green Bay (0-1) at N.Y. Jets (1-0) - The Jets will look to fly high again this week, but the Packers need this one after getting smashed in the opening game. 

Cleveland (0-1) at Tampa Bay (0-1) - Bucs QB Baker Mayfield has a chance to rip his old team in this game. The Browns looked pathetic in their blowout loss last week. 

Philadelphia (1-0) at Tennessee (0-1) - The Eagles soar again this week in this game. 

Jacksonville (1-0) at Denver (0-1) - Can the Broncos bounce back in their home opener against a Jaguars team that looked really good last week? Toss up here. 

Las Vegas (1-0) at L.A. Chargers (0-1) - If the Chargers are really going to contend in the AFC this season, they better win this one convincingly. 

Washington (0-1) at Dallas (0-1) - The Cowboys should win this game at home, but the Commanders will not go down without putting up a fight. 

Miami (0-1) at San Francisco (1-0) - 49ers roll ! 

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Two     . . . . . . . . . . .        (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS) 

Buffalo over Detroit 

Atlanta over Carolina 

Baltimore over New Orleans 

Chicago over Minnesota 

Houston over Cincinnati 

New England over Pittsburgh 

Green Bay over N.Y. Jets 

Tampa Bay over Cleveland 

Philadelphia over Tennessee 

Denver over Jacksonville 

L.A. Chargers over Las Vegas 

Seattle over Arizona 

Dallas over Washington 

SAN FRANCISCO over Miami 

Kansas City over Indianapolis 

L.A. Rams over N.Y. Giants 

Last Week's Record - 12-4 

SEASON RECORD - 12-4 

Lock of the Week Record - 0-1  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week One Recap

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense had a huge day in the season opening win.

High scoring was the order of the day around the NFL and the Chicago Bears routed the host Carolina Panthers, 59-37 to set a  record for most combined points scored in a season opening game. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had 269 passing yards with two passing scores and scored twice on the ground, including a 29-yard touchdown run. Bears running back D'Andre Swift rushed for three touchdowns and piled up 124 yards on 18 carries along with RB Kyle Monangai going for 100 yards on just ten carries and he scored on a 61 yard touchdown run. Panthers QB Bryce Young had three TD passes and one rushing score along with 361 passing yards and one interception thrown in the loss. The Bears and Panthers combined for over 1,000 yards in offense in this game as the Bears gained 552 total yards in offense and Carolina amassed 478 yards.

Jacksonville rolled past the visiting Cleveland Browns, 34-10 as Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence had four touchdown passes and 245 passing yards in the easy win. Browns QB Deshaun Watson was sacked five times in the loss as he had one TD pass and one interception.  

In the season opening game last Wednesday night, the Seattle Seahawks rallied for a 13-10 win over the visiting New England Patriots. The Seattle defense intercepted Pats QB Drake Maye (178 passing yards, one TD) three times in the fourth quarter, including a pick in the end zone in the final seconds to seal the win. Seahawks QB Drew Lock, playing in place of injured starter Sam Darnold, threw a 45-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba that tied the game 10-10 early in the fourth quarter. Seattle kicker Jason Myers 26-yard field goal with 5:50 left to go provided the final score. 

In Minnesota, the Vikings rolled up 22 points in the fourth quarter and toppled the Green Bay Packers, 39-22 behind three TD passes by QB Carson Wentz, who came into the game for Minnesota after starter Kyler Murray left with a concussion. The Packers led 22-10 in the third quarter as QB Jordan Love had two scoring passes (along with one interception and 387 passing yards) and Trey Smack drilled three field goals. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson hauled in two touchdown passes to help lead the way even with the Vikings being out gained by 419 to 239 in total yardage. 

The San Francisco 49ers served notice they also reside in the mighty NFC West division as they crushed the Los Angeles Rams, 27-7 with Brock Purdy throwing three TD passes in the game played in Melbourne, Australia on Friday. The Rams lone score was a five-yard run by RB Kyren Williams. 

Cincinnati held off the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 33-27 as Bengals QB Joe Burrow threw a scoring pass to tight end Mike Gesicki and the defense scored on a 27-yard fumble return by Demetrius Knight, Jr. and RB Chase Brown added a five-yard scoring run to go with four field goals by Evan McPherson. The Bucs linebacker Josiah Trotter had a "pick six" interception touchdown and QB Baker Mayfield and RB Bucky Irving scored rushing touchdowns in the loss. 

 

Ravens RB Derrick Henry scored three times in big win. 

The Baltimore Ravens routed the host Indianapolis Colts, 41-23 behind big games from RB Derrick Henry (144 rushing yards, three TD) and QB Lamar Jackson (324 passing yards and one rushing TD), who connected with wide receiver Zay Flowers (five receptions for 150 yards) for a 54-yard touchdown pass. The Colts were out gained by Baltimore 506-251 in yardage as running back Jonathan Taylor (98 rushing yards) scored twice on the ground in defeat.

The Buffalo Bills went into Houston and punched the Texans and their rugged defense in the mouth en route to a 36-31 win behind a huge game from QB Josh Allen, who had 334 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns along with two scoring passes, including the game winner of 34 yards to WR Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining in the game. The Texans turned the football over twice on fumbles and were penalized for 106 yards in the loss as RB David Montgomery scored three times, including a seven-yard TD pass from C.J. Stroud (274 passing yards), who also threw a 12-yard scoring pass to WR Niko Collins. But a strip sack fumble recovery in the final minute by the Bills defense stopped the Texans drive and clinched the victory. 

The Sunday night game saw the New York Giants knock off the visiting Dallas Cowboys, 28-20 behind a balanced offense (165 rushing yards, 229 passing yards) with RB Cam Skattebo (81 rushing yards) scoring on a three-yard run and QB Jaxson Dart throwing for three touchdowns along with 230 passing yards. The Cowboys offense managed just 244 yards as Dak Prescott had two TD passes and running back Javonte Williams scored twice in defeat.  

The Las Vegas Raiders won at home, 27-13 against the Miami Dolphins with running back Ashton Jeanty scoring twice on receptions and gaining 102 rushing yards. Raiders QB Kirk Cousins had three TD passes to overcome two interceptions to help lead the way as well. The Dolphins also had a pair of turnovers and QB Malik Willis ran for a score and was sacked five times in the loss.  

The Philadelphia Eagles squeaked out a 24-22 home win against the Washington Commanders as they stopped a two-point conversion try after Commanders QB Jayden Daniels threw for his second touchdown in the game with just 1:01 left to play in the game. The Eagles got three scoring passes from QB Jalen Hurts to lead the way to the win. 

The surprise of the day was the Arizona Cardinals beating the host Los Angeles Chargers, 26-14 behind four field goals by Chad Ryland and a blocked punt that led to a three-yard scoring pass from QB Jacoby Brissett (277 passing yards) to tight end Trey McBride early in the fourth quarter for a 23-14 edge. The Chargers had two turnovers on offense and QB Justin Herbert had a TD pass with one interception thrown in defeat. 

The Detroit Lions held on for a 31-30 overtime win at home against the feisty New Orleans Saints. Detroit took a 31-24 lead in the OT session when QB Jared Goff threw his second TD pass to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown with 5:04 remaining. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored twice and had 156 rushing yards on 29 carries and the defense registered five sacks to help out in the win. The Saints came back from a 21-0 deficit behind three scoring passes from QB Tyler Shough, who had 410 passing yards and two interceptions, but the effort fell short in overtime as the Lions thwarted the two-point attempt. 

In Pittsburgh, the Steelers won a yawner, 20-13 against the Atlanta Falcons behind T.J. Watt returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown and one TD pass from QB Aaron Rodgers. Falcons QB Cooper Rush started in place of injured Tua Tagovailoa and was sacked four times along with two interceptions thrown, which offset his one scoring pass in the loss. 

The New York Jets won, 23-10 on the road against the Tennessee Titans as their defense limited the Titans to only 195 yards in total offense and they held the ball for over 38 minutes in the win. Jets running back Breece Hall (102 rushing yards) had a TD run and wide receiver Kenyon Sadiq added a three-yard scoring run. Titans QB Cam Ward threw a TD pass in the loss. 

In the Monday Night Football game, the Kansas City Chiefs crushed the visiting Denver Broncos, 31-10 behind two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown by QB Patrick Mahomes, who had 184 passing yards with two TD and one interception. In addition, Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III had a receiving and rushing touchdown (60 yard scoring run) while piling up 173 yards on 23 carries. The Kansas City defense had four QB sacks and held the Broncos to 176 yards in total offense. The only Broncos touchdown came on a 19-yard scoring pass from quarterback Bo Nix to tight end Evan Engram. 

 

WEEK ONE RESULTS 

Seattle 13, New England 10

San Francisco 27, L.A. Rams 7  

Chicago 59, Carolina 37 

Jacksonville 34, Cleveland 10 

N.Y. Jets 23, Tennessee 10 

Buffalo 36, Houston 31

Detroit 31, New Orleans 30 (OT) 

Cincinnati 33, Tampa Bay 27

Pittsburgh 20, Atlanta 13

Baltimore 41, Indianapolis 23 

Arizona 26, L.A. Chargers 14 

Las Vegas 27, Miami 13 

Philadelphia 24, Washington 22

Minnesota 39, Green Bay 22  

N.Y. Giants 28, Dallas 20  

Kansas City 31, Denver 10 

 

 

 

25 Years Ago