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Key NFL Week 1 stats on Bears, Bills, Texans, Bucs, Cardinals - ESPN
We found six of the coolest advanced stats to come out of Sunday's games, from the Bears' electric day on offense to Baker Mayfield's struggles pushing the ball downfield.
✨ Key Highlights
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The 2026 NFL season opened with a high-scoring Week 1, and analyst Ben Solak highlighted standout advanced stats from Sunday's games in his "Next Ben Stats" feature.
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Bears quarterback Caleb Williams dominated the Panthers with two rushing touchdowns while clearing 20 mph twice as a ball carrier; his fastest scoring run hit 20.8 mph. He has topped 20 mph seven times as a runner since the start of last season, more than every other NFL quarterback combined.
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Williams was also efficient as a passer, going 21-for-29 for 269 yards and two touchdowns in Chicago's 59-37 rout of Carolina, a strong start to his second season pairing with coach Ben Johnson.
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Williams' 20.35 mph speed on a 9-yard scramble touchdown ranked as the third-fastest by a quarterback since last season's start, with Williams also owning the two fastest such marks.
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The Bills posted a 21.2% explosive play rate against the Texans, the highest ever allowed by a DeMeco Ryans-coached Houston defense, torching a unit that had generated significant offseason optimism.
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Despite the offseason hype, the Texans surrendered 36 points in their season-opening loss to Buffalo, with explosive plays serving as the main issue as the Bills recorded nine completions of notable length.