Roll The Tape: 5 Potential Title-Tilting Developments To Watch In Week 1

The 2026 NFL season is here, and I cannot wait to see how some of the trends that emerged in the spring and summer manifest on the field this fall and winter. 

Each week, I'll be diving into the All-22 coaches' film before offering five insights to watch. My first set of takeaways covers potential Super Bowl-shifting developments from the offseason.

In 2025, the Los Angeles Rams’ success with their 13 personnel package (1 RB, 3 TE, and 1 WR) captivated offensive coordinators looking for a creative way to combat two-high shells and light boxes that limit explosive plays in the passing game. By using heavy personnel typically associated with the running game, offensive playcallers are forcing defensive coordinators to run their base package or short-yardage/goal-line personnel in normal down-and-distance situations from anywhere on the field.  

The clever package features three "bigs" on the perimeter with the versatility to block effectively at the point, while also flashing the route-running ability to run vertical routes down the seam or crossers at intermediate range. The individual and collective talent of the Rams’ tight ends (Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen) enabled head coach Sean McVay to dictate the terms to the defense, while creating more big-play chances for Matthew Stafford by using max protection and play-action passes to attack down the field. As a result, the league MVP completed almost 70% of his passes and produced 20 touchdowns out of the grouping last year, per ESPN. 

With the Rams also using an assortment of bunch and clustered formations to create an unbalanced offensive line with extra gaps to defend in the running game, and "snug" alignments to test the discipline and communication skills of linebackers and safeties who are not accustomed to dealing with the switch calls needed to handle pick and rub routes, McVay discovered a cheat code that helped his offense light up scoreboards around the league. 

Given the Rams’ success as the league’s trendsetter in 13 personnel deployment, teams spent the offseason studying the package and made roster decisions with run-heavy packages in mind. A whopping 22 tight ends were taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, including nine in the top 100 overall. Five teams (the Broncos, Browns, Dolphins, Jaguars, Ravens) picked multiple tight ends to give them the flexibility to dabble with "13" personnel this season. Jacksonville, which took Nate Boerkircher in the second round and Tanner Koziol in the fifth, is coached by McVay disciple Liam Coen.

As more teams tap into multiple tight-end sets to create and exploit mismatches on the ground and through the air, the increased use of 13 personnel across the league is the No. 1 trend to watch early this season. 

The reunion between former Titans A.J. Brown and Mike Vrabel should produce fireworks in New England. The acquisition of an All-Pro with six 1,000-yard seasons, including a pair of seasons with 1,400-plus yards, gives the Patriots a legitimate No. 1 receiver to build the passing game around. Brown’s size, strength, and physicality make him a natural fit at "X," where he can overpower defenders bold enough to press him at the line of scrimmage. 

As one of only four players in NFL history to average 75-plus receiving yards per game and 15-plus yards per reception, per Next Gen Stats, Brown consistently whips bump-and-run coverage on the perimeter. Last season, he earned a 34.7% target rate against press coverage and a 2.6 yards-per-route average, which was fifth-highest in the league. During his Eagles career (2022-2025), he led the league with a 3.4 yards-per-route average against press, the most of any receiver with 100 such routes during that span. 

Interestingly, Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels likened the veteran Brown to vaunted tight end Rob Gronkowski over the summer because of his superior physical dimensions and dominant playmaking ability on the perimeter. If that is any indication of how he will use Brown, we will likely see the big-bodied wideout on the backside of various 3x1 and empty formations, in turn forcing opponents to declare their coverage and telegraph possible double teams on his side.  

With the isolation alignment also allowing the Patriots to create and exploit potential mismatches, the presence of the three-time Pro Bowler should help third-year QB Drake Maye take his game up a notch with easier throws available on the perimeter. Considering he led the league in completion percentage and passer rating without a true WR1 at his disposal in 2025, the addition of Brown should add a dimension to an offense that sputtered in the NFL’s championship rounds (AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LX).  

McDaniels will enhance big-play potential by moving the veteran around within the formation to prevent teams from using simplistic schemes to minimize his impact. By putting Brown inside at slot receiver, the Pats can take advantage of his speed and quickness against nickel backs and linebackers in the passing game, while also utilizing his blocking skills to create room for runners on the edges. 

Given that New England's passing game also features various hot routes and sight adjustments that instruct the receiver to alter his route based on coverage, Brown becomes a valuable chess piece who can counter the aggressive pressure tactics some opponents use to disrupt the quarterback's rhythm.

His route-running skills and scheme mastery will be tested, though, in Wednesday's season opener against a Seattle Seahawks defense that will challenge the outside receivers with aggressive bump-and-run tactics.

A defensive player has not won the NFL’s MVP award since Lawrence Taylor took home the hardware in 1986 after a spectacular campaign in which he totaled 20.5 sacks while leading the New York Giants to a 14-2 record and eventual Super Bowl XXI win. 

This year, all-world edge defender Myles Garrett is well-positioned to make a run at the illustrious honor as the Rams’ new "face of the franchise" on defense. Despite the return of fellow future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, the football world is paying closer attention to how the two-time Defensive Player of the Year makes his mark on a team with "Super Bowl-or-bust" aspirations. 

Over the past three years with the Cleveland Browns, former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz moved Garrett around to prevent opponents from honing in on his whereabouts before the snap. The five-time All-Pro can win with basic maneuvers out of a three-point stance or get into his bag with a collection of NBA-like moves that showcase his athleticism and agility. While most teams send a second and sometimes third blocker in his direction, Garrett is playing with a group of blue-chip pass-rushers who will punish opponents for overcommitting to the NFL's all-time single-season sack holder. 

Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Donald are all capable of registering double-digit sacks with their respective array of one-on-one moves that will expose a blocker who lacks the talent and/or technique to win at the point of attack without help. The trio’s individual and collective dominance will force opponents to make tough decisions about when and how to double Garrett. 

Moreover, the group’s diverse talent will require defensive coordinator Chris Shula to create a playbook and call sheet that functions like organized chaos, with Garrett allowed to freelance without compromising the defense's overall structure. Given that Los Angeles has played a 3-4 scheme with various iterations of nickel and dime sub-packages as complements, Shula must delicately balance the desire to play to his superstar's strengths while keeping the scheme simple and consistent for the rest of the lineup. 

It's a nice problem to have if you're the Rams, and a potential nightmare if you're the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1.

Kevin O’Connell is regarded as one of the NFL's quarterback whisperers due to his track record of coaxing Pro Bowl-caliber performance from the likes of Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold. And remember, the Vikings even got passable production when Nick Mullens and Josh Dobbs were rotating in and out as emergency subs under center. 

Although the offense sputtered under J.J. McCarthy in 2025, the acquisition of Kyler Murray gives Minnesota an electric QB1 with the potential to light up the scoreboard as a runner and thrower from the pocket. The veteran is the most talented player KOC has worked with in Minnesota and his dynamic skill set will enable the creative play designer to utilize the back pages of the playbook.  

Before the Vikings get to the sexy stuff with their new starter, they might initially simplify their offensive approach to allow the two-time Pro Bowler to play "pitch-and-catch" to a talented collection of receivers, including All-Pro Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. By encouraging Murray to string together completions on high-percentage passes, the Vikings are hoping to build out a quick-rhythm offense that overwhelms opponents with execution and efficiency. 

While skeptics question whether Murray can play within a highly structured offense after spending most of his time in Arizona freelancing and big-play hunting, a basic approach better suits his skills as a pinpoint passer with outstanding accuracy and range. With Murray expected to target the entire field with an assortment of rhythm throws that would stretch the defense from sideline-to-sideline and end line to end line, defensive coordinators must decide whether to play soft, umbrella coverage with defenders paying close attention to Jefferson and Addison while leaving cracks and creases available to Murray and the running backs on scrambles and designed runs. 

If defensive coordinators opt to load the box or ratchet up the pressure to attack Murray, the veteran’s explosiveness as a runner and range as a passer could make it a big-play bonanza for the Vikings. In a league where explosive plays routinely decide games, Murray’s big-play potential in a carefully crafted offense could be the storyline to watch this weekend as Minnesota hosts Green Bay. 

If you have not been paying attention to "America’s Team" this summer, the Cowboys are quietly emerging as title contenders behind an explosive offense and retooled defense that could surprise opponents this fall. Under the direction of first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker, a Vic Fangio disciple who spent the past two seasons with the Eagles, the Cowboys have assembled a unit that is perfectly suited to throttle opponents forced to chase points against a high-powered offense. 

The 34-year-old defensive playcaller not only has a talented collection of pass-rushers with Pro Bowl experience (see: Von Miller, Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary), he has ball-hawking, high-IQ defenders in the secondary. That combination of rush and coverage should challenge the patience and discipline of passers lacking the patience to "dink-and-dunk" against a defensive backfield that will be committed to taking away deep throws and explosive plays. 

Additionally, the Cowboys want to stuff the run from two-high structures and light boxes that make it difficult for opponents to know where the extra defenders are coming from to plug their designated run gaps. By showing an umbrella structure before moving into airtight zones with single-high, weak-side rotations, the Cowboys want to frustrate opponents with a disciplined approach that condenses the field with a group of players who are playing fast and free in the back end. 

If the ultra-talented pass rush plays to its talent and potential with a mix of newcomers and veterans making key contributions, the Cowboys’ defense could grow into a suffocating unit that wins with simplicity and structure from a young coach who understands how to build a system that allows players to thrive as "see ball, get ball" defenders.