Special Edition: No punt intended
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Hey, you!
There’s no time to waste: The new NFL season is already underway after the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 13–10 in last night’s season-opening Super Bowl LX rematch. Whether you’re tackling conspiracy theories or drawing up travel plans, consider this your football cheat sheet. Hut, hut, here we go.
- P.S. If you’re looking for even more football content, subscribe to The GIST’s Weekly Blitz, the Tuesday gridiron report that keeps you in the know all season long. No flags on this play.
⚙️ The basics
The NFL’s 32 teams are divided equally into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC), which are further split into four divisions each — North, South, East, and West.
- The regular season will run through January 10th, with teams playing 17 regular-season games over 18 weeks (every squad has one bye week) and squaring off against each division rival twice.
- And these rivalries run deep, especially considering each division winner automatically qualifies for the 14-team postseason, along with the three next best teams in each conference.
The reason for the season is the Super Bowl, of course. And how can you not be romantic about football with Super Bowl LXI (aka 61) slated for Sunday, February 14th? The big game will be hosted at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, home of both the LA Rams and Chargers.
- No, the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday isn’t a universal holiday just yet, so consider this your sign to ask for February 15th off work. Our way-too-early Valentine’s Day gift to you.
🫖 Storylines to watch
With the groundwork laid, it’s time to spill this year’s gridiron tea. Here are the major storylines we’re keeping an eye on.
🐏 Are the Rams in a league of their own?: It sure feels like it. Last year’s NFC finalists only got better this offseason, trading for reigning Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Myles Garrett, luring three-time DPOY Aaron Donald out of retirement (though he isn’t making the trek Down Under), and returning 10 of 11 starters from their 2025 top-ranked offense.
- From reigning MVP quarterback (QB) Matthew Stafford to that star-powered defense, this is one of the most talented rosters in NFL history. No wonder they’re garnering Super Bowl–sized hype.
✈️ The movers and shakers: The defending AFC champion Patriots inked (now-injured) All-Pro wide receiver (WR) A.J. Brown, the perfect pairing for QB Drake Maye’s slingshot arm, while signal caller Kyler Murray’s childhood dream became reality — he’s now QB1 for the Minnesota Vikings.
- As for the coaching carousel, the Baltimore Ravens have a new head coach (HC) in Jesse Minter after 18 years under John Harbaugh (who now helms the NY Giants). Elsewhere, former Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel is now coordinating the Chargers’ offense.
🤔 “This is it” for Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers: Or so he says. The 42-year-old’s capping off his career with a full circle moment after the Steel City hired Rodgers’ former Green Bay Packers HC Mike McCarthy.
❤️🩹 Injury updates: Superstar Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is back under center after tearing his ACL in Week 15 last season. It was the first major surgery of the 30-year-old’s illustrious career — time to turn that setback into a comeback.
- The San Francisco 49ers’ substation injury plotline might have been debunked, but they still have a pair of powerhouses on the injured reserve: tight end (TE) George Kittle and defensive lineman Nick Bosa.
🐣 The rookie class: The Las Vegas Raiders took Indiana sensation Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. And while the networking maestro will start the season at QB2, he’s taken some first-team snaps and seems to be coming for veteran Kirk Cousins’ starting job.
📋 The GIST’s Week 1 Power Rankings
1. LA Rams 🐏
The best team in football on paper. Full stop.
2. Denver Broncos 🧡
A top-three defense and a new deep threat for QB Bo Nix? Scary times at Mile High.
3. Buffalo Bills 🦬
QB Josh Allen’s been knocking on the Super Bowl’s door…it just might open this season.
4. Seattle Seahawks 💚
The defending champs are 1-0, but how long will they be without QB Sam Darnold?
5. Houston Texans ❤️
This juggernaut defense is the stuff of QB nightmares.
⭐ The superstars
🐯 Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: This year’s Bengals roster is a lot like Burrow’s historic 2019 LSU team, including his elite chemistry with partner-in-touchdowns WR Ja'Marr Chase. Perhaps he’ll retire that emotional support water bottle for good.
- Other QBs to watch: Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears), Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Justin Herbert (LA Chargers)
🔴 Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons: In this football economy, teams need RBs who do it all. Enter: all-purpose king Robinson. The 24-year-old’s 2025 résumé included 1,478 rushing yards and 820 receiving yards. Expect him to put a little mustard on it, and pick up right where he left off.
- Other RBs to watch: Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions), Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts), De’Von Achane (Miami Dolphins)
💚 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks: Arguably the best WR in football, JSN is also the NFL’s highest paid receiver, and he’s earned every penny — just ask his league-leading 1,793 yards last season. If you looked up dynamic in the dictionary, Smith-Njigba would be looking back.
- Other WRs to watch: Emeka Egbuka (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Jaylen Waddle (Denver Broncos), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions)
☠️ Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders: The 23-year-old has been the Raiders’ go-to guy, putting up impressive numbers despite their revolving door of QBs. What happened in Vegas last season gave the franchise its cornerstone signal caller — and no one will benefit more than Bowers.
- Other TEs to watch: Trey McBride (Arizona Cardinals), Colston Loveland (Chicago Bears), Tyler Warren (Indianapolis Colts)
🏈 Forgot to play NFL Pick’ems this week? Never have FOMO again: Set a calendar reminder so next week ends in a touchdown — not a fumble. You’re welcome.
🍦 The Inside Scoop 🍦
The Athletic’s Hannah Vanbiber knows a thing or two about football. That’s why we sat down with the sports expert for an NFL edition of The GIST Plus podcast. Here are her hot takes:
The GIST: Who’s your way-too-early Super Bowl pick?
HV: I have to say the Bills because I really want it to be the Bills. It has to be their year sometime. We say this every year. I will say the NFC West is almost certainly there — the 49ers, the Seahawks. Everyone’s picking the Rams. But I’m hopeful that an AFC team can do it this year.
Who do you think is the most underrated player in the NFL right now?
It’s interesting because last year I would say one of the most overrated players was [Jacksonville Jaguars WR] Travis Hunter because he was a two-way player in college. But this year, it’s been kind of quiet. No one’s talking about him. And all signs point to him being really good this year. I can’t wait to see him on the field again and see what we get from him.
What team do you think will surprise everyone — for better or for worse — this season?
I’d say for worse, the [Cleveland] Browns, but can they even surprise us at this point? I don’t think so. I do think the [New Orleans] Saints might surprise us for the better. When they moved to Tyler Shough last year at QB, they won four out of their last five games. If WR Jordyn Tyson can come back halfway through the season, I think they could be really good.
Keep tabs on your team just like Vanbiber with The Athletic’s new Playoff Simulator.
Want to hear the rest of the interview? Become a member of The GIST Plus. No Hail Marys here — just football insights from one of the best in the biz.Today's email was brought to you by Lisa Minutillo. Editing by Molly Potter. Fact-checking and operations by Elisha Gunaratnam. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.