Week 1 Revelations: Caleb Williams Soars, Trevor Lawrence Impresses, Kenneth Walker III Shines

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season was many things, but it certainly wasn't boring. The highest-scoring opening weekend in league history  included a 56-39 offensive bonanza between the Bears and the Panthers and plenty of other eye-popping numbers. The Bills scored 36 points against the Texans , who were expected to have the best defense in the NFL this year, but the Texans put up 31 themselves after a tough finish to 2025 for  C.J. Stroud, which  might have been just as unexpected. The Ravens scored 41 points as Lamar Jackson looked excellent in his new offense, and the Lions held off the Saints by the skin of their teeth despite a 410-yard day from Tyler Shough .

And then Monday night. Oh, baby. The Chiefs might just be back.

Amid all the scoring, drama and winners and losers, we can sift through Week 1 and learn lessons to carry forward. Here's what we learned through the first weekend.

Lesson 1: Kenneth Walker III is the Chiefs' answer to the explosive play problem

Chiefs running backs had exactly one 20-yard rush last year. Kenneth Walker III had two last night alone.

> 149 yards and counting on the ground for Kenneth Walker III DENvsKC on ESPN Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/5feESVSs7Q — NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2026

Yes, it's only been one week, but we might be seeing in real time the third iteration of the Chiefs' offensive attack, and it's, for the first time, dependent on the run game. The play above is, 10 times out of 10, a play where past Chiefs running backs put their heads down and try to get 1 yard on fourth-and-1. Walker III is -- breaking news -- not like past Chiefs running backs.

In the early  years of Patrick Mahomes , the Chiefs' deep passing game blew the doors off defenses. From 2018-20, Kansas City led the NFL in explosive play rate, and only the Buccaneers had more completions of 20+ yards. But eventually defenses adapted, and Tyreek Hill left town. So Mahomes became a game manager in the best sense of the word. Kansas City was 20th in explosive play rate but second in success rate. If he couldn't hit on big plays, Mahomes could at least keep things on schedule and make timely conversions.

And now, finally, the Chiefs are back to being explosive. This time, though, it's on the ground. Walker III was one of the NFL's most explosive backs in Seattle, and now, he is a full-time bell cow in Kansas City, which has long had a good offensive line but no runner who could take full advantage.

It'll be new for Andy Reid, and maybe that's a good thing. Reid has long been one of the most pass-heavy play callers in the league. Monday, the Chiefs ran on 51% of their first-half plays, the fifth-highest rate Kansas City has ever had in a Mahomes start. With the passing offense basically non-existent, the Chiefs still led, 14-7, at the break.

Again, it's Week 1. There's a long way to go. But if Walker III can provide a boost like this, and the passing game slowly gets back to the norm as Mahomes re-acclimates post-ACL tear, Kansas City's offense is very much on its way back to elite status.

Lesson 2: Caleb Williams is taking another leap forward

I wrote Sunday that the Bears could score and allow the most points in the NFL this season , and while the "allow" part is very concerning, the "score" part is a whole lot of fun.

Actually, "fun" isn't the right word. Perhaps "ruthless" is. Caleb Williams last year was fun, with lots of late-game heroics powering the Bears to the NFC North crown. But if Williams plays like he did in Week 1, he can be absolutely ruthless, and so, too, can the offense. Williams' laser beam to Cole Kmet was one of several highlights.

> CALEB TO KMET FOR 6 CHIvsCAR on FOX/FOX One Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/KedXXw4da5 — NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

We, of course, have to account for the fact that Carolina's defense was abysmal, but even on its good plays, Williams was better. According to Next Gen Stats , Williams had a +11.4 completion percentage over expected. Last year, he was at -6.7, the second-worst mark in the league ahead of only Brady Cook .

Williams got spectacular catches from Rome Odunze and Kalif Raymond , which certainly boost that completion percentage over expected number, but there were several pinpoint passes that must have had Ben Johnson ecstatic. This one (posted by Jacob Gibbs, who does excellent work for CBS Sports on the fantasy side) is one such example.

> 2nd and 10 from the 47 0:38 left in the half Great timing route from Luther Burden, perfect read/throw from Caleb Williams. Next play is a 29-yard scramble to the house. pic.twitter.com/mQ6LU5m4UL — Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) September 14, 2026

Look at where Luther Burden's head is pointed when Williams starts his throwing motion!

Many people -- myself included -- predicted regression incoming for the Bears. They can't force as many turnovers or win as many close games as last year, right? That may still be true. But perhaps we underestimated how much Williams could improve in his second year of Johnson's offense. And it's not just Williams, but Burden, Odunze and several offensive linemen. The Bears scored 59 points without Colston Loveland catching a pass.

It's a tiny sample size, of course, but Williams was 3 for 5 on throws 20+ air yards downfield, and only one of those five throws was deemed "off-target" by PFF. Compare that to his first three years.

Caleb Williams -- Throws 20+ yds downfield

2024

2025

Sunday

Comp pct

27.5%

39%

60%

Off-target rate

41.3%

32.9%

20%

The completion percentage will fall, and the off-target rate will rise. But if Williams is making another significant leap as a downfield passer, he -- combined with the running game and his own scrambling -- will be lethal.

Lesson 3: Don't forget about Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars

While everyone was tuning into the offensive explosion in Carolina, they probably weren't paying much attention to the Trevor Lawrence show in Jacksonville. And I get it. Deshaun Watson and the Browns are as close to unwatchable as it gets, though the Titans might challenge them for that designation.

But my goodness, was Lawrence good. All of these are awesome, but the first play of this highlight tape is a jaw dropper.

> Trevor Lawrence was pretty, pretty, pretty good in Week 1 pic.twitter.com/XwF5PyNbtY — Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 14, 2026

Liam Coen has unleashed the beast. It took a while, but Lawrence began playing at an elite level over the second half of last year and was even better in Week 1. His 16.2 completion percentage over expected (expected to complete 62.1% of his throws, actually completed 78.3%) is ridiculous.

Only Josh Allen averaged a higher air yards to the sticks than Lawrence's 2.1; his ability to push the ball downfield is outstanding and finally on display. This is what we thought Lawrence could be coming out of college. It just took far too long due to awful coaching, surroundings and/or his own stunted development, in part due to the environment around him.

The Jaguars had a quiet offseason. They likely weren't going to generate a ton of headlines regardless, and playing the Browns in Week 1 didn't help. But ignore this team and this quarterback at your own peril.

Trevor Lawrence since Week 11, 2025

NFL rank

Pass TD

23

1st

Explosive passing rate

11.8%

1st

Expected points added per dropback

0.24

2nd

Net yards per attempt

8.1

3rd

Completions of 20+ yards

36

3rd

Lesson 4: New systems and play callers take time

The Broncos ' struggles on both sides of the ball Monday night were shocking. At least offensively, though, there's a plausible explanation: It was Davis Webb's first game as play caller. Sean Payton gave up play-calling duties this offseason, and after one game, he might be regretting that decision. But it's important to remember that these changes can and do take time.

Here's how some notable new coordinators fared in Week 1:

- Broncos offense: 10 points, 3.7 yards per play (32nd in NFL) under Davis Webb - Cowboys defense: -0.29 EPA per play, 39.7% success rate (both 31st in NFL) under Christian Parker - Eagles offense: 32.1% passing success rate (32nd in NFL) under Sean Mannion - Commanders offense: 4.8 yards per pass attempt (30th in NFL) under David Blough - Chargers offense: 14 points, 268 yards (24th in NFL) under Mike McDaniel - Bills defense: 31 points allowed, 13.7% explosive play rate (25th in NFL) under Jim Leonhard

Of course, some hires look great off the bat. The Raheem Morris-coordinated 49ers defense looked great against the Rams . Daronte Jones impressed in his first game as the Commanders' defensive coordinator. Declan Doyle had the Ravens' offense dominating all day against the Colts . The Giants' offense thrived with Matt Nagy. It's a mixed bag. But just because some teams were bad in Week 1 doesn't mean they're guaranteed to be bad all season (though that will be the case for some).

Lesson 5: The Steelers are the definition of insanity ... and I'm starting to feel insane writing about it

The Steelers beat the Falcons 20-13 in Week 1, and I wish I could tell you I was excited about quite literally any of it. But I am sad to report I am not. Say it with me: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results."

Yet that is exactly what the Steelers are doing ... again! The Falcons are doing the same, but it's far more damning for the Steelers, because they had the chance to break from this cycle. But instead, Aaron Rodgers got his old coach, Mike McCarthy, back and rounded up the gang for one last year.

And what's it all for? In Week 1, the Steelers snuck by the Falcons, who started third-string quarterback Cooper Rush (who was dealing with back spasms), thanks to a T.J. Watt pick six. Facing a team without its two best pass rushers, Rodgers was predictably underwhelming; his 5.2 net yards per attempt was 25th out of 30 quarterbacks entering "Monday Night Football." His -0.38 EPA per play was 28th. The Steelers were 2-for-13 on third down and failed both of their fourth-down attempts.

Every once in a while, Rodgers will fire a ball with excellent placement in a glimpse of what he once was. But it's such a slot watching Pittsburgh's offense. While the Ravens spent the offseason overhauling their offense and defense and the Bengals upgraded their defensive talent in a major way, the Steelers remained stuck in their own ways. In fact, they're more than stuck; they're purposely dug in and delusional.

"The standard is to try to compete to win a championship every year," Rooney said Wednesday, one day after Mike Tomlin resigned.

If that's so, how and why do they keep following a formula that hasn't even resulted in a single playoff win since 2017? Somehow, you still shouldn't expect anything to change.

Lesson 6: Silly unforced mistakes are killers

The Commanders and Cowboys both made crucial and, frankly, dumb errors on what were otherwise very good plays. In Philadelphia, Stefon Diggs scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to cut Washington's deficit to 17-15, then jumped onto the goalpost stanchion for a 15-yard penalty. Instead of going for two, Washington had to kick a 48-yard extra point (which it made). The two teams exchanged touchdowns later on, but the Commanders, forced to go for two now, failed to convert. Diggs potentially cost Washington two points in a two-point loss.

I was also not impressed by the Commanders' lack of awareness/urgency on their final touchdown drive. They took over with 5:57 remaining, but proceeded to leisurely move down the field and called a timeout with 2:04 left. As such, when they failed on the two-point conversion, their only chance to get the ball back was via an onside kick (which failed). There has to be more alacrity there.

Similarly, Javonte Williams  received a taunting penalty on a touchdown in the fourth quarter, cutting the Giants ' lead to 28-20. Brandon Aubrey missed the backed-up extra p

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/six-lessons-learned-from-nfl-week-1/)._