CBS Sports puts five NFL favourites on upset alert for Week 1
Travel, defensive match-ups and quarterback concerns could make the Rams, Bills, Bears, Titans and Chiefs vulnerable in their season openers, according to CBS Sports.
Five teams regarded as 2026 NFL Week 1 favourites have been placed on upset alert by CBS Sports, which identifies the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs as vulnerable in their opening games.
The Rams face the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, with the teams taking sharply different approaches to the 17-hour time difference. San Francisco plans to arrive a week early, while Los Angeles is due to arrive about 24 hours before kick-off. CBS Sports also points to the possible returns of Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and George Kittle after season-ending injuries in 2025.
The Bills visit Houston, where Josh Allen has an 0-4 road record against the Texans, according to CBS Sports. Houston retained most of its top-ranked defence from last season and added safety Reed Blankenship and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. The Texans could also test Buffalo’s run defence, which allowed 136.2 rushing yards per game in 2025.
Chicago faces Carolina, with the Panthers’ home record as an underdog offering another potential warning sign. Carolina is reported to have won eight of its past 12 games in that situation and added edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd. Their pass rush could be used to pressure Caleb Williams, who had the NFL’s lowest completion rate among qualified starters last season.
The New York Jets are another possible threat to Tennessee, particularly if rookie quarterback Cam Ward struggles in his first game. The Jets have replaced Justin Fields with Geno Smith and added veterans Demario Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick, while Ward’s pre-season performances were described by CBS Sports as uneven.
Kansas City closes the week against Denver, whose defence recorded an NFL-best 131 sacks over the past two seasons. Patrick Mahomes is returning from an ACL and LCL tear, and concerns over Kansas City’s offensive line could increase the pressure on the quarterback. CBS Sports presents the match-ups as potential upsets, rather than predictions that any of the five favourites will lose.
