NFL Week 1
Sep 9, 2026 – Sep 14, 2026. 14 games with takes, all final; 41 takes.
Standings
Everyone’s takes on this week’s games, most correct first; graded takes count as games finish. Click a column to sort.
 Bill Simmons | 12 | 10 | 1 | .545 | 4.7 | +530 |
 Joe House | 5 | 2 | 0 | .714 | 4.4 | +211 |
 Cousin Sal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 5.0 | +99 |
 Danny Heifetz | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 4.5 | +50 |
 Craig Horlbeck | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 6.8 | 0 |
Games
Wednesday, Sep 9 · 1 game
NFLFinal
New England Patriots10
Seattle Seahawks13Bill Simmons 4–1 6 takes · 5 graded →
Thursday, Sep 10 · 1 game
NFLFinal
San Francisco 49ers27
Los Angeles Rams7Bill Simmons 1–0 Danny Heifetz 1–0 3 takes · all graded →
Sunday, Sep 13 · 11 games
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Atlanta Falcons13
Pittsburgh Steelers20Bill Simmons 3–1 Joe House 1–0 6 takes · all graded →
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Chicago Bears59
Carolina Panthers37Cousin Sal 1–0 Bill Simmons 0–1 2 takes · all graded →
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Buffalo Bills36
Houston Texans31Cousin Sal 1–0 Bill Simmons 1–1 Joe House 0–1 6 takes · all graded →
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Cleveland Browns10
Jacksonville Jaguars34Bill Simmons 1–0 Joe House 1–0 2 takes · all graded →
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New Orleans Saints30
Detroit Lions31Joe House 1–0 Bill Simmons 0–1 2 takes · all graded →
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers27
Cincinnati Bengals33Bill Simmons 0–2 2 takes · all graded →
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New York Jets23
Tennessee Titans10Bill Simmons 2–0 Joe House 1–0 4 takes · all graded →
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Baltimore Ravens41
Indianapolis Colts23Joe House 1–0 Bill Simmons 1–0 2 takes · all graded →
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Washington Commanders22
Philadelphia Eagles24Joe House 1–0 1 take · all graded →
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Arizona Cardinals26
Los Angeles Chargers14Bill Simmons 0–1 1 take · all graded →
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Dallas Cowboys20
New York Giants28Bill Simmons 0–1 Joe House 0–1 Craig Horlbeck 0–1 4 takes · all graded →
Monday, Sep 14 · 1 game
NFLFinal
Denver Broncos10
Kansas City Chiefs31Bill Simmons 0–2 3 takes · all graded →
Episodes 7
Where this week’s takes were made, newest first, with how many of each episode’s takes are about this week’s games.
1 take in Week 1The Smashmouth Giants, Bumbling Chargers, Stumbling Packers, Week 1 Overreactions, and Guess the Lines
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Sep 13, 2026
- 19 takes in Week 1
The 49ers Crush the Jet-Lag Bowl, Rams Overreactions, Bills-Texans, and Week 1 NFL Picks
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Sep 10, 2026
- 5 takes in Week 1
An Absolutely Horrific Patriots Loss, the Rams-49ers Travel Bowl, and Hottest Takes
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Sep 9, 2026
- 4 takes in Week 1
Mahomes or Allen (Again???) and a Clippers-Heavy Mailbag
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Sep 8, 2026
- 8 takes in Week 1
Guess the Lines Week 1, Plus Favorite NFL Futures
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Sep 6, 2026
- 3 takes in Week 1
The Annual AFC Over/Unders
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Aug 30, 2026
- 1 take in Week 1
The Annual NFC Over/Unders
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Aug 27, 2026
Every take on this week’s games
- A 6-point teaser of Falcons +4.5 and Panthers +7.5 could middle the game.
Teaser idea: tease both sides to try to middle it.
“You could have the Falcons plus four and a half and the Panthers plus seven and a half and just try to middle it.”
- 1ATL +4.5ATL13@PIT20· Final❌
- 2CAR +7.5CHI59@CAR37· Final❌
Leg 1 of 2 missed: Lost by 7
- 1ATL +4.5
- The Chargers probably beat the Cardinals.
“I think the Chargers are going to be pulling it out, Dirk Degger style.”
Lost by 12
- The Ravens–Colts game goes over 47.5.
“I mean, I like that over quite a bit also.”
64 total points
- The Broncos-Chiefs game is probably decided by one score.
“i don't understand how this isn't a one score game one way or the other”
Chiefs beat the Broncos 31-10 on Sept 14, 2026, a 21-point margin, so it was not a one-score game.
- Source: ESPN ↗ Chiefs 31-10 Broncos (Sep 14, 2026) Final Score - ESPN · Sep 14, 2026
- The Eagles beat Washington
“Philadelphia Eagles at home beating Washington on the money line.”
Won by 2
- The Steelers beat the Falcons
“Pittsburgh Steelers at home beating the Atlanta Falcons at home.”
Won by 7
- The Steelers cover −4.5 against the Falcons.
Ringer 107, Week 1 pick.
“So I'm going to hold my nose and I'm going to do Steelers minus four and a half against a Falcons team.”
Won by 7
- The Steelers probably beat the Falcons.
A moneyline lean on top of his Steelers −4.5 Ringer 107 pick.
“but I, I like that Steelers money line was something else”
Won by 7
- The Cowboys cover −2.5 against the Giants.
Ringer 107, Week 1 pick.
“This is a piggyback.”
Lost by 8
- The Cowboys cover −2.5 against the Giants.
Ringer 107, Week 1 pick.
“Cowboys Sunday night minus two and a half against the Giants.”
Lost by 8
- The Jets cover against the Titans.
Ringer 107, Week 1 pick.
“And it is the New York Jets at the Tennessee Titans.”
Won by 13
- The Buccaneers cover +3.5 against the Bengals.
Ringer 107, Week 1 pick.
“But for the purposes of our contest, I would go Bucs plus three and a half.”
Lost by 6
- The Buccaneers could beat the Bengals outright.
A moneyline lean on top of his Bucs +3.5 pick (Bucs +168).
“I like the money line, too, in this game house.”
Lost by 6
- 6-point teaser: Jaguars −2.5 against the Browns and Lions −0.5 against the Saints.
Ringer 107, Week 1, his 6-point teaser.
“So Lions winning outright at home against the New Orleans Saints as a teaser leg.”
- 1JAX −2.5CLE10@JAX34· Final✅
- 2DET −0.5NO30@DET31· Final/OT✅
All 2 legs came true
- 1JAX −2.5
- 6-point teaser: Texans +7.5 against the Bills and Jaguars −2.5 against the Browns.
Ringer 107, Week 1, his 6-point teaser.
“So my teaser is Texans plus seven and a half Jaguars minus two and a half.”
- 1HOU +7.5BUF36@HOU31· Final✅
- 2JAX −2.5CLE10@JAX34· Final✅
All 2 legs came true
- 1HOU +7.5
- The Texans cover +1.5 against the Bills.
Ringer 107, Week 1 pick.
“the first pick here is the houston texans at home catching points from the buffalo Bills”
Lost by 5
- The Giants lose to the Cowboys on Sunday night
“Their Giants are going to lose.”
Won by 8
- The Giants get beaten badly by the Cowboys.
“The Giants are going to get their ass kicked.”
Lost by 8
- The 49ers cover +3.5 against the Rams.
“Just take the points.”
Won by 20
- The 49ers beat the Rams in Australia
“It's going to lead to a win tomorrow would be my bet.”
Won by 20
- The Patriots cover +4.5 against the Seahawks.
Same-game parlay leg, pitched during a FanDuel read.
“But Pats plus four and a half”
Lost by 3
- Patriots–Seahawks goes under 51.5.
Same-game parlay leg, pitched during a FanDuel read.
“the under 51 and a half because I think the defenses will be further ahead of the offenses”
23 total points
- A.J. Brown probably scores a touchdown against the Seahawks.
Same-game parlay leg, pitched during a FanDuel read.
“aj brown he's got to score a touchdown the first game”
A.J. Brown: 0 receiving touchdowns
- The underdog Patriots stay competitive with the Seahawks in the opener.
Responding to Kevin Wilds' take that the Pats beat up on the Seahawks.
“They're a live dog tomorrow night.”
Seattle won 13-10 on Sept 9, 2026, after trailing 10-0. The Patriots led most of the way and lost by only 3, so they stayed competitive.
- Source: ESPN ↗ Seahawks 13-10 Patriots (Sep 9, 2026) Final Score - ESPN · Sep 9, 2026
- The Broncos cover +2.5 at Kansas City.
Monday night, Chiefs −2.5 at home.
“I just don't see how the Chiefs are favored like this.”
Lost by 21
- The Jets cover +2.5 at Tennessee.
The line was Titans −2.5; Bill had guessed Jets −1.5.
“I'm going to bet on myself on this one.”
Won by 13
- The Bears cover −2.5 at Carolina.
“I'll tell you, I'm going to go with the Bears here.”
Won by 22
- The Lions might blow out the Saints.
Lions −6.5 at home; he calls them a flashing neon sign for a teaser.
“This feels blowout -y to me.”
Won by 1
- The Ravens probably beat the Colts.
“My guess is I would probably take the Ravens money line and put that with something because the hook scares me.”
Won by 18
- The Bills get a small edge facing Houston's defense before it finds a rhythm.
Sal guessed Bills −1.5 at Houston and it matched the line.
“I think it's a little bit of a break for Buffalo getting this defense before they get in a rhythm.”
Won by 5
- The Patriots are a live underdog at Seattle.
Week 1 kickoff game in Seattle, Seahawks −3.5.
“I think the Pats are a live dog in this one.”
Lost by 3
- A.J. Brown goes over his receiving touchdown prop.
“I'd probably do the touchdowns for A.J. Brown.”
- The Jets probably beat the Titans in Week 1.
About the Week 1 Titans–Jets opener.
“I actually think they'll probably beat the”
Won by 13
- The Texans beat the Bills in Week 1.
“So four days later after Houston kicks the shit out of them.”
Lost by 5
- The Steelers probably beat the Falcons in Week 1.
“I'm betting the Steelers now.”
Pittsburgh beat Atlanta 20-13 on Sept 13, 2026 at Acrisure Stadium, with a late T.J. Watt pick-six deciding it. Simmons's pick on the Steelers was correct.
- Source: ESPN ↗ Steelers 20-13 Falcons (Sep 13, 2026) Final Score - ESPN · Sep 13, 2026
