Week 1's most underrated games: Why you should watch these three under the radar games

A look at some of the less talked about games you should be watching to kick off the 2026 season

Sep 11, 2026 at 11:17 am ET • 5 min read

The NFL season is finally here, and it's bound to be another year of thrilling games, epic rivalries, wild comebacks, surprises and underdog wins. For the next few months, we get football on our televisions three (sometimes four) days a week, and fans everywhere will clock countless hours yelling, coaching at the screen and nervously pacing.

Most football fans don't just tune into their team's game, and if you're like me, your entire Sunday is spent catching as many plays as possible.

Heading into Week 1, teams have a fresh start with new stars and possibly new coaches, and while everyone starts at the same place, 0-0, expectations for teams are certainly vast. There are some games that most people will have on their "must-watch" list due to these differing expectations. Wednesday night's Super Bowl rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots was an obvious one for obvious reasons.

However, some games will fly under the radar. They may not seem to grab all fans at first, but each week there are always a few underrated games I have circled on my schedule.

Here are some games you may be overlooking and why you should watch:

Dolphins at Raiders

Sunday, Sept. 13 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox

These two teams may very well finish last in their divisions; in fact, CBS Sports predicted they would. But that doesn't mean this game isn't intriguing. Both teams are debuting new head coaches and new quarterbacks. A debut is always something I want to catch, and this game has four big ones. 

The Dolphins now have Jeff Hafley, the previous Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator who has the tall task of improving a defense that struggled last year. This offseason, the 'Fins made significant changes, losing head coach Mike McDaniel, former No. 5 overall pick Tua Tagovailoa, and their top two wide receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. They're now entering their Malik Willis era as the 27-year-old looks for a better fit than he had with the Tennessee Titans and Packers.

With so many changes and so many members of the team needing to prove themselves, including Willis, I am curious how they'll do in their first time playing when it counts. The Raiders are one of the Dolphins' easiest opponents, so now may be the best chance for them to get a W in the win column. 

The Raiders intrigue me as well. They have the obvious interest of having the defending No. 1 overall pick in quarterback Fernando Mendoza, made even more exciting by a quarterback competition. Who doesn't love a little battle for QB1? Veteran Kirk Cousins beat out the first overall pick, but as he enters his 15th season, it's no guarantee that position sticks all year. The Raiders likely wouldn't bench Cousins after one bad game, but how he sets the tone this week could be very telling of what's to come in Sin City.

Browns at Jaguars

Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. ET on Paramount+

The Cleveland Browns offseason has certainly been an eventful one. Quarterback Deshaun Watson, who signed one of the most shocking deals in NFL history at five years, $230 million fully guaranteed, won the quarterback competition, but not without criticism from the fans. Watson, who was booed in Cleveland this preseason, may be happy the Browns are playing on the road.

Watson beat out second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who came into the league as one of the most shocking drops in NFL draft history, going from a possible first-rounder to a fifth-round pick. Regardless of who won the QB1 job, it was guaranteed to be interesting. Both are looking (and needing) to prove themselves — one coming off a suspension and injuries, and one just getting their career started and looking to become more than just Deion Sanders' son.

The first time Watson struggles, Browns fans will be calling for his job. This is his first time on the field since 2024, and I'm interested to see how he handles the pressure and the return. Watson has struggled in his career, but ironically hasn't struggled against the Jacksonville Jaguars, going 7-1 against them all-time. The Browns haven't lost to the Jags since 2017, and despite being the underdogs with not much on their side, history is on their side. 

Cleveland also has a new head coach in Todd Monken and a new offensive coordinator in Travis Switzer. It lost defensive end Myles Garrett and tight end David Njoku. Whether the Browns sink or soar, it will be eventful and could be the start of more major changes as the season goes on.

Over on the Jaguars side, I am interested to watch two-way player Travis Hunter, who was limited to seven games in his rookie season. Jacksonville's 2025 season ended on a high, with the defense giving up the fewest points per game in the NFL in the last eight contests and quarterback Trevor Lawrence also playing well during that stretch. The Jags have a good opportunity to keep that momentum going against a team with a lot of question marks, and I'm curious to see if they step up to the occasion. 

Packers at Vikings

There are only five divisional games this week, and this is the one I'm most interested in. The NFC North has seen some tight races in recent years, and this is another one to watch closely this season.

In 2024, the Lions went 15-2 to win the North, followed by the Vikings at 14-3 and the Packers at 11-6, with all three making the playoffs. The Bears were the only NFC North team left out of the postseason that season, before turning things around in 2025. Last season, the Chicago Bears took the division at 11-6, and the Packers made the playoffs at 9-7-1. The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions both finished this close to a playoff bid at 9-8. 

The Packers haven't won the division since 2021, and the Vikings last won in 2017. The Vikings are CBS Sports' pick to lose the division, as they're the only one of the four teams without a franchise quarterback. Kyler Murray is at the helm after J.J. McCarthy, last season's starter, fell to No. 3 on the depth chart. But they were still predicted to have a winning season.

If there is going to be a surprising or a tight-race division, I think it will be this one, which is why I'll be paying close attention to each team's games. Since this one is a divisional game, it may have implications down the line. I know I'm already thinking about postseason standings and chances during Week 1, but it's never too early for playoff talk.