NFL Picks Week 1: Upsets to Expect in Opening Weekend

The NFL season has officially begun, but most of the Week 1 action for the league will take place on Sunday.

As is the norm in the NFL, Week 1 should prove to be a sloppy week of play for most squads, and that leaves the door open for some upsets.

Let's take a look at some teams that will have their 2012 debut party spoiled.

Denver Broncos (W) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (L)

In 2012, there is no more Tim Tebow in Denver, and now the Broncos will be led by all-time great quarterback, Peyton Manning.

Manning put up solid numbers during the preseason and looks primed to have another great season in the NFL as long as he stays healthy. It's been awhile since Manning has gotten on the field, and he'll no doubt be looking to make up for lost time.

Can he truly take a big hit? The Steelers punishing defense will test that.

Catching the Steelers off guard, Manning should be able to get the Broncos offense going through the air and will have a nice mix of run to go with it thanks to Willis McGahee. That should be enough to keep Pittsburgh's defense off balance. If Denver can beat the Steelers with Tebow at the helm of a predictable offense, then this year's version should give the same Steeler team fits.

The Steelers have had their own personnel issues. Ben Roethlisberger isn't 100 percent, as usual, and will have to survive the attack of a great Broncos pass rush. The Steelers' best receiver, Mike Wallace, just got his offseason started after ending a long holdout and might not be a factor in this one, and that will hurt the Steelers offense.

Arizona Cardinals (W) vs. Seattle Seahawks (L)

The Seahawks have a new look to their offense thanks to the addition of Russell Wilson at quarterback, but having a rookie in control makes this team's Week 1 game against the Cardinals an unpredictable one.

We know that the Seahawks are going to bring the defense with them, but the biggest question will be if Wilson can handle the heat the Cards are ready to bring. Look for Arizona to put some pressure on Wilson early and often, forcing the Seahawks' rookie signal-caller to rush his passes—a dangerous prospect for the youngster.

If the Cards can get some penetration and make Wilson force the issue, they could capitalize on some mistakes in Wilson's first game in the NFL. The opportunities will be there, the Cards just have to take advantage of them.

On the flip side, John Skelton has some more experience under his belt and finished the 2011 campaign with a winning record. That will be a huge positive going into this season, and that fact also gives the Cards an edge at the most important position on the field.

Arizona will look to make Wilson's debut a nightmare, and if they can do that, the Seahawks offense will be one-dimensional and much easier to stop.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (W) vs. Carolina Panthers (L)

Cam Newton is embarking on his sophomore season in the NFL, and while he will look to build off a wildy successful 2011 season, the dreaded sophomore jinx could rear its ugly head as soon as the first week of the season.

Tampa Bay has new additions to their offense such as Vincent Jackson, Dallas Clark, and Doug Martin, who will give the Bucs a solid two-headed rushing attack when combined with LeGarrette Blount.

Quarterback Josh Freeman took a hit last season by regressing from a successful 2010 campaign, but that figures to change now that he has a ton more weapons to work with than he did in 2011. The Bucs will look vastly different on offense and should be increasingly explosive.

The jury is still out on the Panthers defense. The addition of Luke Kuechly should help solidify their linebacker corps slightly, but that will be in due time, as the rookie will need a few weeks to get his feet under him in a new league.

The Bucs' revamped offense has a great opportunity to light up the scoreboard on the Panthers and while this might not be much of an upset, a blowout at the expense of the Panthers would certainly qualify as an upset.