Well that was wild.
An eventful Week 1 to the NFL season − rife with upsets, scoring records
and notable injuries − now gives way to a second helping of 2026 football, albeit one seemingly with less sizzle. However, that's not true for Thursday night, when the Buffalo Bills open their intimate but upgraded new Highmark Stadium against the Detroit Lions in what could be quite the shootout months before lake effect weather takes hold.Sans any Wednesday night games or league sojourns to Australia, Sunday will feature a full 14-game lineup. The highlights seem to include Bengals-Texans, Steelers-Patriots, Jaguars-Broncos and the Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield facing Deshaun Watson and the Browns for the first time since the disgraced former Pro Bowler
was acquired in 2022, effectively replacing Mayfield in Cleveland and initiating his winding journey to Tampa. The Sunday night game between the Colts and Chiefs ain't exactly Cowboys-Giants.
Week 2 wraps Monday night, when the Los Angeles Rams, who will be sporting new throwback jerseys and might even get old friend Aaron Donald back, attempt to get their highly anticipated 2026 campaign back on track against the New York Giants, who most certainly got off on the right foot under new Harbaugh management.
Here's how USA TODAY Sports' panel of NFL experts forecasts the outcomes:
(Odds provided by BetMGM)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 2 picks straight up and against spread: Do Lions spoil Bills' stadium opener?
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