Seven 2026 NFL matchups set to turn brutal

seven worst – With the NFL’s 2026 schedule out, these seven matchups stand out for the kind of mismatch that can turn games ugly—especially when weather, resting starters, and lopsided teams collide late in the season.

By the time NFL fans start comparing matchups and penciling in holidays, the fun can quickly sour. Not because the league won’t deliver fireworks. but because the calendar also reveals the games most likely to be lopsided. grindy. or shaped by weather—and by coaches deciding when to keep key players fresh.

The 2026 regular-season schedule was released a little more than a week ago. and within it are plenty of dates that look like “hate-watch” territory. Fantasy and betting keep nearly every game relevant. and for bad teams especially. the draft stakes can matter as the season wears on. Still, there are seven contests that look primed to get uncomfortable.

Listed chronologically, here are the matchups shaping up as the worst of the 2026 season.

Aaron Glenn’s Jets vs. Ben Johnson’s Bears

It’s a head-coach reunion between Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson. Glenn coaches the Jets, who were the worst team in the league by the end of the 2025 season. Johnson coaches the Bears, who won the NFC North and finished among the tougher teams in the league.

Glenn and Johnson previously served together as coordinators in Detroit. And Johnson. the piece playing the role of momentum. arrives with a reputation that makes it hard to imagine him slowing down. In this matchup. the storyline feels less like a rivalry and more like a test of whether New York has the talent to survive Johnson’s approach.

Chiefs at Raiders (Week 4)

The Chiefs’ 2025 season ended with a loss in Sin City—a game injured QB Patrick Mahomes missed. It didn’t end the way you’d like to frame a matchup, but it did add a detail that makes the Week 4 meeting feel like a trap.

Mahomes is 6-0 in his career at Allegiant Stadium, including Super Bowl 58. In those defeats of the Raiders, the Chiefs averaged 33 points.

Las Vegas, meanwhile, has kept rebuilding this offseason, including adding No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza. Even with that, a matchup against a contender can turn ugly quickly, especially in the early weeks when a team is still trying to find its rhythm.

Cardinals at Rams (Los Angeles), Week 4

Arizona might not be the only target in this list, but the argument against the Cardinals is straightforward: the team went 0-6 in their division last year.

That matters because the 2025 NFC West stood out for the wrong reasons. It was the only division in NFL history where three teams won at least 12 games apiece, with Arizona as the lone exception. By the time 2026 arrives, the expectation reads like another divisional struggle.

The travel adds another layer. Since Sean McVay became the Rams’ coach in 2017, Los Angeles has been 16-3 against Arizona, including six home wins by double digits. If the Cardinals are once again fighting upstream, this road trip could become a rout.

Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos — Nov. 22

This one carries the ghosts of a Thursday night game last season in Denver. The Broncos outlasted the Raiders 10-7, a low-scoring reminder that even when the matchup isn’t pretty, it can still be punishing.

The setup changes this time, but the concern remains: the Broncos will be coming out of a bye week when they host the Raiders on Nov. 22. Las Vegas, meanwhile, will be on the road for the third time in a four-week span.

And there’s a specific wrinkle fans will watch for—possibly Mendoza in the lineup—paired with the reality that Denver’s defense can be relentless. Even if the numbers don’t promise a blowout, the matchup doesn’t look built for comfort.

Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers — Dec. 20

The Dolphins aren’t being mocked for anything they can’t fix on the field. It’s the geography and timing that makes this one feel rough.

Green Bay hosts Miami on Dec. 20, the day before winter officially starts. It’s a brutal calendar for a team used to Florida’s climate to handle in a late-season swing.

The matchup also points toward familiarity. With a quarterback named Malik Willis, the Packers know him well.

New York Jets at Arizona Cardinals — Dec. 20

If the previous game is about climate and timing, this one reads like a straight-up gap in projected quality—at least on paper.

Both teams are projected to be among the league’s most inept in 2026. With Week 15 slotting, the season’s later stage raises the stakes in a way fans tend to feel in their wallets—draft ramifications.

The game could also feature rookie quarterbacks. The matchup could theoretically include Cade Klubnik being evaluated by the Jets, and it could also involve Carson Beck entering the Cardinals’ lineup.

For those watching only for league implications, it may not matter much for Super Bowl 61. For those watching draft positioning, it may feel like the main event—one that could even be labeled the “Arch Manning Bowl” by the time it kicks off.

Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins — Dec. 27

By Week 16, the Chargers will likely be jockeying for playoff position, while Miami settles into draft position. That difference is where the drama lives: one team playing with urgency, the other playing with distance.

The weather shouldn’t be oppressive for the Chargers, but momentum can still be oppressive. Former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was fired after last season, and the offensive play-caller for Los Angeles will be McDaniel running the offense for the Chargers.

The memory of that offense is already scorched into league lore. Three years after McDaniel’s Dolphins hung 70 points on the Broncos—only the fourth time an NFL team had ever scored that many points in a single game—this matchup arrives as a holiday-season test. The opponent is a rebuilding Dolphins group that will likely be seriously overmatched.

With the Bolts trying to round into postseason form, the date on Dec. 27 comes with an edge that feels less like festive football and more like a measuring stick—one the Chargers likely won’t hesitate to use.

2026 NFL schedule Aaron Glenn Ben Johnson Jets Bears Patrick Mahomes Allegiant Stadium Fernando Mendoza Arizona Cardinals Los Angeles Rams Sean McVay Raiders Denver Broncos Miami Dolphins Green Bay Packers Malik Willis Cade Klubnik Carson Beck Arch Manning Bowl Los Angeles Chargers Mike McDaniel Thanksgiving week