A strong start to the season can set NFL teams on the right foot toward a long, deliberate march toward the playoffs – or provide a full-on illusion.
Figuring out what to make of a good early impression can be difficult, with any given team's long-term viability often not coming into focus until far deeper into the fall. Still, there's no questioning that coaches covet building an initial advantage in the standings rather than falling into a hole. With fortuitous schedules and the components to click in the opening weeks, several organizations are on track to pull ahead of their competition in the first month or two.
Here are five NFL teams that could be poised to start the new season strong with an early-season run:
Detroit Lions
Last season's crash landing
to the bottom of the NFC North standings was a particularly painful outcome for a franchise that had already begun to question how long its competitive window would remain ajar. It did, however, confer one major benefit: a schedule that some might view as the league's softest setup.
If Detroit can emerge unblemished after its Week 2 prime-time showdown with the Bills, there's a solid chance for the organization to secure just its second 5-0 start in the Super Bowl era. Prior to the Week 6 bye, that contest in Buffalo will be the lone one against a team that had a winning record last season.
With a new offensive coordinator in Drew Petzing and a reshuffled offensive line counting on several young starters to step up in short order, the Lions might seem like an odd candidate to find their footing right away. But last year's offense, which finished fourth in scoring, proved that it still has plenty of firepower even when it lacks the consistency Petzing was hired to weave into the attack. The more troublesome vulnerability might be in a secondary that figures to be without safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph for a while, but few teams on the early schedule beyond the Bills look capable of exploiting that weakness.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Embracing change isn't exactly a strong suit for a franchise that has been the NFL's foremost example of staying the course. Yet even with a new day thrust upon it by Mike Tomlin's resignation, Pittsburgh looks positioned to weather any turbulence brought about by the transition to new coach Mike McCarthy.
A bespoke offense figures to keep Aaron Rodgers well within his comfort zone, regardless of how much of a limitation that configuration later proves to be. So long as extension negotiations with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. don't reach a boiling point, the league's highest-paid defense could be invigorated by defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's new scheme, which figures to be far more dynamic than the long static approach that bordered on becoming stale. And while the staying power of a roster that ranked as the NFL's oldest after cutdown day could become a concern down the stretch, the Steelers should stand to benefit out of the gate from an experience advantage.
The real boon, however, is the schedule configuration. Prior to its Week 9 bye, Pittsburgh will have just one major test in a Week 2 showdown with the Patriots. Beyond that, the first half of the season doesn't feature any games against teams that had a winning record last year.
Dallas Cowboys
A year ago, Dallas was navigating a good deal of uncertainty as it began its inaugural season under first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Now, the Cowboys have all the vital pieces back in place for one of the league's most electric offenses, which still has room to level up thanks to the continuity that could be unlocked in Year 2 of the system.
The obvious area of concern, however, is last year's dilapidated defense, which might remain a grab bag after undergoing a massive offseason overhaul under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. But the Vic Fangio protege figures to significantly enhance the diversity of coverage looks, which will no doubt aid a secondary defined by its frequent short-circuiting. Between the expected Fangio-esque boost in the schematic safeguards against deep passes and clearer communication on the back end, there's a clear path to significant improvement for the defense – even if that only leads to somewhere near the middle of the pack at first.
Dallas also stands to benefit from a September schedule that will bring matchups against three teams sorting out significant shifts: the Giants, Commanders and Ravens. The loss of three-time Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith for several weeks is a notable hit to the team's stability quotient, but his absence might not be much of an impediment until contests with the Texans and Buccaneers in Weeks 4-5. Still, this is a rare start to build some confidence in the early going for a franchise that has had just one 3-0 start (2019) since 2009.
San Francisco 49ers
For a franchise that has almost annually been without peer in its injury misfortune, the 49ers largely seem to be trending in the right direction with their most critical contributors. Defensive end Nick Bosa is set to play in the season opener in Australia against the Rams, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said. And just eight months removed from tearing his Achilles, tight end George Kittle appears likely to follow suit.
That's not to say that San Francisco won't be operating at a significant personnel deficit against its loaded rival. The outlook at receiver is still tenuous, as is the depth at defensive end with Mykel Williams remaining on the physically unable to perform list to open the season. Still, no one understands how to push forward while shorthanded quite like Kyle Shanahan does. His deeply rooted system and singular play-calling acumen should enable the offense to get up to speed far faster than competitors who are at much closer to full strength.
After the opener down under, the 49ers could be primed to go on a run. A three-game home stand follows, with meetings against the Dolphins and Cardinals likely serving as mere tune-ups. The stretch entering midseason is also highly manageable. Tilts against the Commanders and Falcons await before the Week 8 bye, and the Raiders await coming out of it.
Baltimore Ravens
There's a good amount of upheaval afoot for Baltimore, which ended John Harbaugh's 18-year run to embrace the unknown with first-time head coach Jesse Minter. Yet even if the Ravens might be more unpredictable than others on this list in establishing an early trajectory, their blemishes could be covered by a forgiving first-half slate.
Through the first seven weeks, the Ravens won't square off against a team that had a winning record in 2025. That stretch also turns up three opponents that finished in last place in their respective divisions. And Baltimore will have to leave home just once in the opening four weeks.
How fast, then, can the team get up to speed given the radical changes on both sides of the ball? If his previous work with the Chargers serves as any indication of what's to come, Minter's defense might not take long to coalesce, thanks in large part to his knack for creating buy-in from players to a detail-focused approach. First-time offensive coordinator Declan Doyle might require a lengthier timeline to find his way as a play-caller, but his expected scheme should suit Lamar Jackson well by catering to his underutilized strength of working the middle of the field.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Five NFL teams that could race to strong starts in 2026 season
