nfl playbook The NFL opened with a scoring binge and defenses getting ‘faces kicked in’ — why it’s not just a fluke By Ryan Dunleavy Published Sep. 18, 2026, 12:00 p.m. ET Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs into the end zone during the Bears' 59-point outburst against the Panthers on Sept. 13, 2026. AP Photo/Erik Verduzco It is difficult to pinpoint whether the offensive outburst that defined Week 1 of the NFL season is a waypoint or the endpoint on the road back from years of decreased scoring.
Not to fingerpoint, but it was Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio who sparked this offensive progression when he first appointed a matchup zone with two safeties over the top as the defensive scheme to copy for taking away big plays.
If you think you just read a lot of compound words including “point,” consider that teams tied the Super Bowl-era record in Week 1 (set in 2012) with 791 combined points scored, which averages out to 49.4 per game and 24.7 per team. Now that’s a lot of points.
But was it a fluke? Or are more scoreboard lightbulbs going to be tested again in Week 2 (which opened with 72 total points from the Bills and Lions)?
