Predicting the NFL's Biggest Week 1 Storylines

With opening kickoff of the 2012 NFL season in sight, there's certainly going to be some compelling topics early next week.

Obviously, all of that remains to be seen, pending the outcomes and performances; however, based on what's expected, we can predict some popular stories for Monday.

Tim Tebow and the New York Jets are quite polarizing because Mark Sanchez hasn't entirely lived up to being the No. 5 overall selection in 2009. So, any time the Jets don't play well—regardless of the result—Sanchez will take some heat.

And Week 1 certainly has added potential with Gang Green hosting the Buffalo Bills.

Along with that, though, there are other NFL games being played. Therefore, let's look ahead and see what's in store at the start of another pro football season.

Jets Lose, Tebow Becomes Topic Again

It's quite a long shot for the New York Jets to beat the Buffalo Bills.

Oddsmakers aside, this game won't be pretty for the Big Apple.

Throughout the preseason, the Jets scored just one measly touchdown in four games. Mark Sanchez didn't play incredibly awfully, although he wasn't impressive either.

Tim Tebow, on the other hand, played even worse, and it was not surprising to see Gang Green lose each exhibition matchup.

Buffalo, however, enters with confidence thanks to a newfound prowess on defense.

Mario Williams and Mark Anderson will be wreaking havoc all day in the backfield, and rookie cornerback Stephon Gilmore will reap the benefits of having Aaron Williams in the secondary. The Jets don't have a receiver good enough to draw double coverage, and the running game will suffer as Buffalo's front seven is loaded.

In short: Sanchez won't play well enough to get a win, and Tebowmania will be revived in New York.

Lest we forget, Tebow did play rather terribly in the 2011 preseason and somehow led the Denver Broncos during the real games. Now, that is unlikely to happen with the Jets, but the opportunity will present itself if/when Sanchez flops.

Peyton Is Back, but Not Entirely

Peyton Manning hasn't played a regular season game in so long that we can't get overhyped.

His preseason wasn't all bad, although it wasn't awe-inspiring either.

Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, Denver can't totally rely on Manning to get the win. Pittsburgh's linebackers and coverage is still too disciplined and it's not like the Broncos offer top-notch receivers.

Sure, Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas have potential, but each still has much to prove at drawing double coverage and consistently dominating against man coverage. So, Denver must redirect toward beating Pittsburgh between the tackles.

The Steelers were more vulnerable than usual against the run in 2011 and Manning needs an effective ground game to keep Pittsburgh honest. With Willis McGahee in the backfield, play-action can get set up, which is when Manning then takes flight.

Also, Denver winning the time of possession battle is key. With the improved defense capable of crushing the Steelers' offensive line, limiting Ben Roethlisberger's possessions only helps Von Miller and Co. do more work.

Ryan Tannehill the Odd Rookie Out?

Ryan Tannehill is the unluckiest of all the starting rookie quarterbacks.

Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson and even Brandon Weeden will outperform him in Week 1.

This is solely because Tannehill's first opposing NFL defense are the Houston Texans. This unit will blitz him early and often and have success, as Miami's offensive line allowed 52 sacks last season and 2012 won't be any better.

Plus, the Dolphins don't provide a stellar rushing attack and Houston is elite when it comes to defending the run and pass. Not to mention Tannehill's fellow rookies get more favorable matchups by comparison.

Luck faces a Chicago Bears' defense that was susceptible against the pass in 2011, and RG3 is up against the New Orleans Saints who were awful in every defensive aspect last season.

Elsewhere, Wilson gets the Arizona Cardinals who have yet to start strong and play with consistency. As for Weeden, the man can rely on Trent Richardson all day because the Philadelphia Eagles must prove they can stop the run.

In addition, Weeden's receivers get a lot of man coverage despite Philly presenting an excellent secondary.

Unexpected Teams That Look Like Real Contenders

Surprises happen every season, so we're preparing for the unexpected right now.

To that end, we look at a few teams who establish themselves as legit postseason contenders along with the expected contenders.

Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson has already proven to be the real deal and the Seahawks are a complete team. The defense is among the best around and we know Marshawn Lynch will hit beast-mode as the year progresses.

Other than San Francisco, the NFC West doesn't pose much of a threat, and Seattle will be in the mix down the stretch.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Yes, believe it. Blaine Gabbert developed nicely in the preseason and his confidence significantly increases after Week 1. Mel Tucker's defense is scary good and Jacksonville presents a solid two-back tandem in Rashad Jennings and Maurice Jones-Drew.

Much like Seattle in the NFC West, the Jags don't have a loaded division in the AFC South. So, fending off Tennessee and Indianapolis will keep them behind Houston.

Oakland Raiders

Regardless of who is under center, everything in Oakland comes down to Darren McFadden. Without him in 2011, the Raiders still almost won the AFC West and they'll easily compete as long as Run DMC stays healthy.

The Silver and Black also have an underrated defense despite last season's shortcomings. With their ground game limiting opponent's possessions, Tyvon Branch and Co. are capable of getting nice quarterback pressure and stuffing any opponent's rushing attack.

Washington Redskins

Don't expect the Washington Redskins to win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 on the road, although it wouldn't be surprising either.

This offense has much more explosiveness than given credit for and the defense's pass rush is as effective as anyone else's. Everything will come down to RG3's development in a rather strong division, although, there is decent talent around him to make some noise in December.

Who's Panicking After Week 1?

No one can afford to overlook Week 1 and think a loss won't matter toward the regular season's end.

Every game counts and the odds of making the postseason significantly reduce if losing happens in September.

Even a victory can sometimes expose a team and make us realize its true identity, because not performing well against an inferior team is costly.

So, we look at those who enter panic mode for 2012.

New York Giants

The secondary is weak once again and potentially worse off than 2011. Corey Webster is the best defensive back and he got exploited against the Dallas Cowboys. We also saw how much the defense missed Chris Canty and Aaron Ross (who's in Jacksonville).

Offensively, the running game didn't provide much and the absence of Mario Manningham (in San Francisco) takes away from Eli Manning's ability to spread the field. Also give credit to the Dallas defense, because it is much improved from last season.

Pittsburgh Steelers

No consistent pass protection is the ultimate deal-breaker for the Steelers. It makes success in the running game scarce and the play-action pass irrelevant, which hurts the overall passing attack.

Ben Roethlisberger's elusiveness won't be a factor without at least two seconds to survey a defense, and opponents will be blitzing him often. As for Dick LeBeau's defense, it struggled to defend the run in 2011 and that remains an issue for 2012, especially in the AFC North.

Detroit Lions

Yes, the Lions get a home win over the St. Louis Rams in Week 1 but it's not going to be impressive. Detroit lacks a ground game and a proven defense just like 2011, whereas the Rams did improve their secondary and offense.

Cortland Finnegan has talented depth with him in the secondary, so Detroit's passing game won't burn the stat sheet and St. Louis' running game with Steven Jackson and rookie Isaiah Pead controls the clock. In a tough NFC North where the Chicago Bears are a more complete team, the Lions need to establish something other than a passing attack.

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