The 2026 NFL season moves into Week 2 with a full slate of 16 games spread across Thursday, Sunday and Monday.
For fans, the second week offers the first opportunity to see how teams respond after their opening games. A strong Week 1 performance can create early momentum, while teams that struggled have an immediate chance to adjust before the season begins to take shape.
Week 2 begins on Thursday, September 17 with the Detroit Lions visiting the Buffalo Bills. Most of the schedule is played on Sunday, September 20, before the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams close the week on Monday night.
Here is the complete NFL Week 2 schedule, along with kickoff times, television information and some of the matchups worth following.
NFL Week 2 Schedule 2026 at a Glance
All kickoff times below are listed in U.S. Eastern Time (ET).
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | U.S. TV/Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Sept. 17 | Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills | 8:15 PM | Prime Video |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Philadelphia Eagles at Tennessee Titans | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Green Bay Packers at New York Jets | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos | 4:05 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers | 4:05 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals | 4:25 PM | FOX |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers | 4:25 PM | FOX |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys | 4:25 PM | FOX |
| Sun, Sept. 20 | Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs | 8:20 PM | NBC |
| Mon, Sept. 21 | New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams | 8:15 PM | ESPN |
Schedules and broadcast arrangements can change. Check the NFL and the relevant broadcaster for the latest information before kickoff.
Thursday Night Football: Lions at Bills
Week 2 begins with the Detroit Lions traveling to Buffalo for an 8:15 PM ET kickoff on Thursday, September 17.
The game is scheduled to be shown nationally in the United States on Prime Video.
It is an interesting early-season matchup because both teams arrive after close Week 1 victories.
Detroit opened its season with a 31-30 win over the New Orleans Saints. Buffalo began with a 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans.
That gives Thursday night’s game a different feel from a matchup involving teams still looking for their first win. Both clubs have already put an early victory on the board and now face a short turnaround.
The game also carries significance for Buffalo because it is scheduled as the Bills’ first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium.
Sunday Early Games — 1:00 PM ET
The busiest portion of Week 2 begins Sunday afternoon with eight games scheduled for 1:00 PM Eastern.
Eagles at Titans
Philadelphia travels to Tennessee for an interconference matchup.
For both teams, Week 2 offers another early opportunity to establish rhythm before the schedule gets deeper into the fall.
Steelers at Patriots
Pittsburgh visits New England in one of Sunday’s early games.
The Steelers began their season with a 20-13 win over Atlanta, while New England entered 2026 after opening against Seattle.
Early-season games do not define an entire campaign, but the first few weeks can reveal how quickly offseason changes are settling into place.
Vikings at Bears
Minnesota travels to Chicago for an NFC North matchup.
Divisional games carry added importance because the teams meet within the same race for playoff positioning.
Chicago’s opening week produced plenty of offense, while Minnesota also began the season with a road victory over Green Bay.
That makes this one of Sunday’s notable divisional matchups.
Panthers at Falcons
Carolina visits Atlanta in an NFC South matchup.
Division games often become especially useful reference points early in a season because the teams know one another well and the result contributes directly to the divisional standings.
Packers at Jets
Green Bay travels to New York to face the Jets.
Both clubs will be looking to build on what they learned in Week 1 as the season moves into its second weekend.
Saints at Ravens
New Orleans travels to Baltimore.
The Saints came within a point of Detroit in their opener, while Baltimore began the season with a 41-23 victory over Indianapolis.
The matchup gives New Orleans a quick opportunity to respond, but doing so on the road presents a different challenge.
Bengals at Texans
Cincinnati travels to Houston after the two teams experienced very different Week 1 results.
The Bengals opened with a 33-27 win over Tampa Bay. Houston lost a competitive 36-31 game against Buffalo.
With both teams capable of producing points, this is one of the early-window games worth keeping an eye on.
Browns at Buccaneers
Cleveland visits Tampa Bay to complete the 1:00 PM ET portion of the schedule.
Both teams are trying to move forward after Week 1 defeats, which adds some early urgency even though the regular season is still in its opening stages.
Sunday Late Afternoon Games
Five games are scheduled in the later Sunday afternoon windows.
Two begin at 4:05 PM ET, followed by three games at 4:25 PM ET.
Jaguars at Broncos — 4:05 PM ET
Jacksonville travels to Denver after beginning the season with a 34-10 victory over Cleveland.
The trip to Denver presents a different environment and provides another early test for Jacksonville.
Raiders at Chargers — 4:05 PM ET
Las Vegas visits the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC West matchup.
Divisional games can become important later when tiebreakers and playoff positioning enter the picture, making these head-to-head results useful even this early in the season.
Seahawks at Cardinals — 4:25 PM ET
Seattle travels to Arizona for an NFC West matchup.
The divisional setting gives the game additional relevance beyond a normal early-season contest.
Dolphins at 49ers — 4:25 PM ET
Miami visits San Francisco in one of Sunday’s interconference games.
San Francisco is coming off a 27-7 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in its opener, while Miami will be looking for a response after beginning the season with a loss in Las Vegas.
Commanders at Cowboys — 4:25 PM ET
Washington travels to Dallas for an NFC East matchup.
Divisional games between these teams tend to draw attention regardless of when they appear on the schedule, and this one arrives early enough to provide both clubs with an immediate test inside the NFC East.
Sunday Night Football: Colts at Chiefs
The Indianapolis Colts visit the Kansas City Chiefs for Sunday Night Football.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 PM ET on NBC.
Indianapolis is trying to respond after a difficult opening game against Baltimore.
Kansas City, meanwhile, enters Week 2 after its Monday night opener.
Because Sunday Night Football is the final game of Sunday’s schedule, it provides a national spotlight before Week 2 moves to its Monday night conclusion.
Monday Night Football: Giants at Rams
Week 2 concludes with the New York Giants visiting the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, September 21.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 PM ET on ESPN.
Both teams enter the matchup after Week 1 defeats.
New York lost 28-20 to Dallas in its opener, while the Rams fell 27-7 against San Francisco.
That makes Monday night an opportunity for one of the two teams to put its first victory of the season on the board.
Week 2 Includes Several Divisional Matchups
One useful way to look at the schedule is to separate divisional games from interconference and non-divisional matchups.
Week 2 includes several games between division rivals, including:
- Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
- Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
- Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
- Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
- Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
These games can carry extra importance because division records may eventually factor into playoff tiebreakers.
It is still September, so no single Week 2 result should be treated as deciding a division. However, head-to-head results collected now remain part of the standings later in the season.
What to Watch in NFL Week 2
Week 2 is often more informative than opening weekend.
During Week 1, teams are playing meaningful football for the first time after preseason preparation. By the second game, coaches have actual regular-season film to review and can begin making adjustments based on what worked and what did not.
That makes several storylines worth following.
How Teams Respond to Week 1
An opening win can create confidence, but it does not guarantee that the same approach will work against a different opponent.
Likewise, losing the first game does not tell us how the rest of a team’s season will unfold.
Week 2 provides the first chance to see which teams can correct problems quickly.
Divisional Games Arrive Early
Several teams are already facing division opponents.
Those matchups can look more significant months later because head-to-head and divisional records can become part of postseason tiebreaker scenarios.
Short Week for Detroit and Buffalo
Thursday football gives Detroit and Buffalo fewer days between games than teams playing on Sunday or Monday.
Preparation, recovery and injury management can therefore look different for the Thursday night matchup.
The Sunday Afternoon Schedule Is Crowded
Fourteen games are scheduled on Sunday, making September 20 the main day of Week 2.
Eight begin at 1:00 PM ET, five are in the late-afternoon windows, and Colts-Chiefs closes Sunday with the 8:20 PM ET game.
For fans following multiple teams, checking the correct local broadcast and kickoff time before Sunday is worthwhile.
How to Watch NFL Week 2 in the United States
NFL games are distributed across several television networks and streaming platforms.
For Week 2, Sunday afternoon games are scheduled across CBS and FOX.
Thursday night’s Lions-Bills game is scheduled on Prime Video.
Sunday Night Football between the Colts and Chiefs is scheduled on NBC.
Monday Night Football between the Giants and Rams is scheduled on ESPN.
Availability can depend on location, local television market, subscription and device. NFL+ also offers NFL viewing options, but the exact live-game access available can depend on the game and device being used.
Fans should check the NFL’s official viewing information and their local provider before kickoff.
Watching NFL Week 2 Outside the United States
International broadcast rights vary by country.
A service carrying an NFL game in the United States may not necessarily hold the rights to show that game in another market.
For that reason, Sportsurge Online does not present one broadcaster as the universal viewing option for every visitor.
Fans outside the United States should check the NFL’s official international viewing information or an authorized broadcaster in their country.
Sportsurge Online provides schedules, viewing information and editorial coverage. It does not host unauthorized live NFL streams.
Understanding the Kickoff Times
The schedule in this guide uses Eastern Time.
That is important for readers outside the Eastern Time Zone.
A game listed at 1:00 PM ET will begin at a different local clock time for viewers in other parts of the United States and around the world.
International readers should also remember that a U.S. evening game can fall after midnight in another country, which may change the local calendar date.
Always convert the confirmed kickoff time for your location before making viewing plans.
Can NFL Week 2 Games Change Time?
NFL schedules should always be treated as time-sensitive information.
Later in the season, the league can use flexible scheduling procedures for certain games. Broadcast arrangements can also be updated.
For Week 2, fans should still confirm the schedule close to game day, particularly if they are making travel plans or arranging a paid viewing service around a specific matchup.
NFL Week 2 2026 FAQ
When does NFL Week 2 begin?
Week 2 begins Thursday, September 17, 2026 with the Detroit Lions visiting the Buffalo Bills.
What time is Lions vs Bills?
The game is scheduled for 8:15 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, September 17.
How many NFL games are scheduled for Sunday, September 20?
Fourteen games are scheduled for Sunday.
Eight begin at 1:00 PM ET, five are scheduled for the late-afternoon windows, and Colts-Chiefs is scheduled for Sunday night.
What is the Sunday Night Football game in Week 2?
The Indianapolis Colts are scheduled to visit the Kansas City Chiefs at 8:20 PM ET.
What is the Monday Night Football game in Week 2?
The New York Giants visit the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, September 21 at 8:15 PM ET.
Where can I watch NFL Week 2?
In the United States, Week 2 games are distributed across Prime Video, CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN. Exact availability can depend on the viewer’s location, provider and subscription.
Are the kickoff times shown in Eastern Time?
Yes. All kickoff times in the schedule table are listed in U.S. Eastern Time.
Does Sportsurge Online provide live NFL streams?
No. Sportsurge Online is an independent sports information and editorial website. It does not host unauthorized live sports streams.
Following NFL Week 2
Week 2 gives football fans a packed schedule from Thursday through Monday.
The Lions and Bills start the week in Buffalo, Sunday provides the largest slate with 14 games, and the Giants and Rams finish the schedule on Monday night.
More importantly, the second week begins giving us additional evidence about teams that looked impressive, disappointing or simply difficult to judge after their opening game.
Schedules, kickoff times and viewing arrangements can change, so check current official information before a game begins.