Top 5 Passing Matchups
Kansas City vs. Indianapolis
Patrick Mahomes II and the Chiefs offense weren't at their sheer best in the opener, which is actually an encouraging sign. Less than a year removed from reconstructive knee surgery, Mahomes looked as mobile and big-play-focused as ever. His efficiency (15-of-27, 184 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) will likely sharpen as the season and his knee recovery wear on. In the meantime, it's comforting to know the Kansas City offense looks like business as usual. Mahomes kept a tight circle of targets, feeding Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce and his backs a steady diet while the game was still in question. Rice found the end zone, while Kelce contributed a 59-yard catch-and-run. It may be a while before we see the deep ball return, but this remains a predictably high-upside offense from week to week. Rice, in particular, is a threat to scorch the Colts' defense with his lightning-quick underneath routes. He'll be moved around the formation just as Baltimore did with Zay Flowers, who put up 5 catches, 150 yards and a touchdown, last week.
The Colts allowed the Ravens 41 points and 526 yards in a disastrous season opener, and 324 of those yards came through the air, where Indianapolis was simply overmatched by a good-not-great Baltimore attack. That's a tough thing to stomach with Patrick Mahomes II next on the docket. Lamar Jackson had no trouble creating chunk plays, including big strikes of 54, 53, and 49 yards. That likely wasn't what the Colts had in mind when they paired Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward, two elite cover men, on the outside. Instead, the Ravens schemed Zay Flowers into space against Justin Walley and the linebackers whenever possible, and shoddy tackling made much of the difference. After Flowers left the game hurt, Chris Moore beat Ward for a deep ball of his own. Overall, this group likely isn't as bad as it looked in the opener, but it's certainly not as good as the two lead cornerbacks would suggest. If last week was no aberration, and Ward and/or Gardner have indeed taken a step back, this could turn into one of 2026's juiciest matchups from week to week.
Buffalo vs. Detroit