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The 2026 NFL schedule is leaking early, revealing a Seahawks-Patriots opener, a stacked Thanksgiving slate, and nine international games. Cade Cunningham's 39 points weren't enough as Cleveland took a 3-2 series lead, Colorado eliminated Minnesota in
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Welcome to The Sports Hangover Daily, I'm Michael Benatar. Today on the show: the NFL schedule is leaking like a broken faucet and we've got openers, Thanksgiving, and international games to break down. Cade Cunningham dropped thirty-nine in Detroit and still lost in overtime. Colorado eliminates Minnesota in the NHL playoffs. And nobody in the NFL wants Tyreek Hill. Let's get into it.
Alright, the two-thousand-twenty-six NFL schedule officially drops tonight at eight PM Eastern, but half the league already spilled the beans. And I gotta say — the opener is perfect. The Seattle Seahawks are gonna defend their Super Bowl title against the team they beat to win it. The New England Patriots. Wednesday night, September ninth, eight twenty PM. That's poetic. The NFL saying, "Hey, remember this? Let's run it back under the lights." Jordan Schultz broke that one, and honestly, I love it. You get the banner raise, you get the rematch, you get the whole building rocking on a Wednesday night. Chef's kiss.
But the leaks don't stop there. Sunday Night Football in Week One is Cowboys at Giants — John Harbaugh's first game running New York under the lights against Dallas. Monday Night Football is Broncos hosting Chiefs. And the big question there is whether Patrick Mahomes is even healthy enough to go. That's a massive Week One if he's not right.
Week Two gives us Bills hosting Lions for the first Thursday Night Football of the year. And get this — it's the first game ever at the new Highmark Stadium in Buffalo. The Bills finally got their new building, and they're breaking it in with one of the best rosters in football walking through the door. That's gonna be a scene.
Thanksgiving is stacked too. Lions host Bears in the early window. Cowboys host Eagles in the afternoon. And Bills host Chiefs on NBC for the nightcap. Three division rivalry games on Turkey Day. That's how you do it.
Oh, and the international slate? Nine games this year. First-ever NFL games in Paris, Melbourne, and Rio de Janeiro. The league is everywhere now. The Germany game is Patriots versus Lions in Munich, which is a fun one — the reigning AFC champs against Detroit's rebuilt roster. And Netflix is airing a Thanksgiving Eve game — Packers at Rams on Wednesday, November twenty-fifth. Netflix also snagged NFL Honors. They're all the way in now.
In the NBA, the Cavaliers survived in Detroit last night. Cavs won one seventeen to one thirteen in overtime to take a three to two series lead. James Harden was the guy. Thirty points, eight boards, six assists, eleven of fourteen from the free throw line. Donovan Mitchell had twenty-one. Max Strus came off the bench and hit six threes for twenty points. But the story in Detroit is Cade Cunningham. Thirty-nine points, nine assists, seven rebounds. He had twenty in the first half. The Pistons led by fifteen in the first half and were up one oh three to ninety-four with about two minutes left. And they still lost. Cleveland ripped off a run, Evan Mobley hit clutch free throws to tie it at one oh three with under a minute left, and the Cavs just took over in overtime. Cade is doing everything he can. But when your second-best scorer is Daniss Jenkins filling in for an injured Duncan Robinson, that's a tough ask. Game Six is Friday in Cleveland. The Pistons need a miracle on the road or this series is done.
In the NHL, Colorado eliminated Minnesota. Avalanche won four to three in overtime on a Brett Kulak goal three fifty-two into the extra period. Colorado takes the series four games to one. The Wild hung around — forced overtime in a closeout game on the road — but the Avs just have too much firepower. Colorado moves on and they look dangerous.
And real quick on Tyreek Hill — nobody wants him. He's thirty-two, coming off a torn ACL and a dislocated knee, and played just four games last year. Twenty-one catches, two sixty-five yards. One GM told Jason La Canfora: "If he can't take the top off a defense anymore, what are you bringing him in for?" That's brutal. There's some buzz about a Kansas City reunion, but right now, the phone isn't ringing. This might be it for Cheetah.
Here's my Hangover Take. Anthony Richardson is gonna end up being one of the biggest "what if" stories in recent NFL draft history. The Colts can't trade him because nobody trusts the eye injury. They're not releasing him because they still owe him five point four million in guaranteed money. So now he's back in Indianapolis competing with Riley Leonard for the BACKUP job. Think about that. A former top-five pick, twenty-two years old, with all the physical talent in the world — and he's fighting to be QB two on a team that doesn't believe in him anymore. Shane Steichen says he's "back in the fold." That's coach-speak for "we're stuck with each other." Some team is eventually gonna take a flier on this kid for cheap and put him in a real system. And Indy might spend the next five years wishing they'd been more patient.
That's your hangover. Go hydrate. I'll see you tomorrow.