The Smashmouth Giants, Bumbling Chargers, Stumbling Packers, Week 1 Overreactions, and Guess the Lines With Cousin Sal

September 14, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Giants’ offensive line, a unit that looked like a potential disaster zone heading into Week 1, spent Sunday night turning the Cowboys’ vaunted defensive front into a non-factor. They ran the same swing pass to Devin Singletary over and over, and Dallas could not stop it. The Cowboys committed nine penalties for 90 yards, their secondary was a mess without DaRon Bland, and their offense looked flat. Dak Prescott threw a late interception, Brandon Aubrey missed an extra point, and what was supposed to be a statement season opener for a loaded Dallas roster became a 28-20 loss to a Giants team both Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal had been shorting all summer. “I can't remember the last fun Cowboys Giants game,” Simmons said afterward, adding that the Giants “remade their team” and “looked like a professional football team.” The question, as always with this Giants style of football, is whether it holds up over four months. “I feel like the Giants play battery ram football,” Sal said. “Look great tonight. Wish we were playing them in week four.”

The Chargers, the Packers, and the Week That Wasn’t Supposed to Happen

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What you'll learn

1 (02:12) **Cowboys-Giants Postmortem** - Bill and Sal break down the shocking Giants win over the Cowboys, focusing on Dallas's total unpreparedness and New York's physical play.
2 (10:20) **Week 1 Emotional Toll & Early Slate Chaos** - The guys discuss the mental whiplash of the opening Sunday, from controversial calls to fantasy heartbreaks.
3 (24:15) **Packers-Vikings: The "Weirdest Game of the Week"** - Analysis of Green Bay's stunning collapse from a 22-10 lead with Carson Wentz at QB for Minnesota.
4 (31:10) **Chargers Disaster & The Nerd King Dethroned** - Justin Herbert's terrible performance against the Cardinals is dissected, officially ending his reign as the "Nerd King."
5 (38:17) **Regrettable Futures Draft** - Sal and Bill go through their worst season-long bets from their futures draft, treating them like a yard sale.
6 (46:04) **Derrick Henry's Immortality** - A discussion on Henry's historic performance (144 yards, 3 TDs) and his place among the greatest older athletes.
7 (49:10) **NFC North Arms Race & Lions' Concerns** - The guys analyze the explosive Bears offense and the Lions' shaky win over the Saints.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Bill Simmons Cousin Sal

Show Notes

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal react to Week 1 of the NFL season before looking at some of the futures they already regret. Then, they Guess the Lines for Week 2 before ending with Parent Corner.

(0:00) Intro

(1:08) Week 1 reactions

(01:07:33) GTL Week 2

(01:28:13) Parent Corner

Host: Bill Simmons

Guest: Cousin Sal

Producers: Chia Hao Tat, Jessie Lopez, Chris Wohlers, and Trevor Rabone

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