2026 NFL Preview: Rams Lead FPI, Australia Debuts Thursday — SkimNews
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- ESPN's Football Power Index pegs the Los Angeles Rams as 2026 Super Bowl favorites at 84.9% playoff odds and 11.3 projected wins, with reigning MVP QB Matthew Stafford returning after a career-high 46 passing touchdowns alongside receivers Davante Adams (14 receiving TDs) and Puka Nacua (129 catches).
- The NFL's first-ever regular-season game in Australia is set for Thursday when the Los Angeles Rams face the San Francisco 49ers (8:35 p.m. ET on Netflix), part of an opening slate that begins Wednesday with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots on NBC.
- Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen already holds the NFL record for most combined passing and rushing touchdowns (299) through a player's first eight seasons, 40 more than Patrick Mahomes, with ESPN's FPI giving the Bills a 67.1% chance to win the AFC East in 2026.
- The Seattle Seahawks enter as defending champions but hold just 68.0% playoff odds and 26.3% division odds per FPI after losing three starters from a defense that allowed the fewest points in the NFL last season, with QB Sam Darnold seeking a third straight 14-win season.
- Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson's health is the team's defining variable — in four seasons where he played more than 13 games, Baltimore has three AFC North titles and two No. 1 seeds; in four seasons of 13 or fewer games, they've missed the playoffs twice.
- The Los Angeles Rams face an offensive tackle depth crisis with starting LT Alaric Jackson under NFL investigation for an alleged domestic violence incident (case assigned for diversion, no criminal prosecution), while third-round backup Keagen Trost exited the preseason opener with a hamstring injury.
Why it matters: The Rams' FPI-best 11.3-win projection depends on keeping Matthew Stafford upright behind a shaky offensive tackle group, with starting LT Alaric Jackson under investigation and top backup Keagen Trost injured. The Australia game breaks new ground as the league's first-ever regular-season contest there, while Lamar Jackson's injury history remains the single biggest swing factor separating the Ravens from also-ran or contender.
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