NFL Predictions Week 1: Defenses Sure to Be Exposed on Sunday

The first week of NFL action could very well be a sloppy display of teams getting their feet under them, and that means it's a certainty that some defenses will be exposed.

Let's take a look at some NFL teams who won't be too happy with their defensive performance.

Carolina Panthers

Carolina didn't do much to improve their defense in the offseason, and playing a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is normally a welcomed proposition from a defensive standpoint.

But in 2012, the Bucs have made some major improvements to their offense.

Quarterback Josh Freeman will have a slew of new options to go to this season. Freeman will still have LeGarrette Blount to hand the ball to. Blount ran for over 1,000 yards in 2010 and is more than capable of being a top back in the NFL.

On top of the usual suspects, Freeman will enjoy the additions of wide receiver Vincent Jackson, tight end Dallas Clark and rookie running back Doug Martin.

With so many weapons, the Bucs offense should be much more explosive, and that's sure to give an unproven defense like the Panthers' fits. Whether through the air or on the ground, Carolina doesn't have the tools necessary to hold off Tampa Bay.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers saw their 2011 campaign end at the hands of the Tim Tebow-led Denver Broncos in the playoffs. If Pittsburgh thought it to be difficult to stop a one-dimensional offense like Denver's 2011 version, they will have a much harder time this season.

Peyton Manning is the new quarterback for the Broncos and brings a whole new side to this team. Now Denver doesn't have to rely solely on a great defense and a rushing attack for them to win. Instead, Manning adds the element of a true passing attack.

Denver found itself with plenty of new weapons last year in the form of Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas, both at the wide receiver position. However, both weren't fully utilized because of Tebow's inability to make accurate throws.

Manning won't have that same problem as long as he's healthy. Considering it's been a full season since Manning has been on a football field, he'll be looking to make up for lost time.

There's no doubt the Steelers are a great team defensively, year in and year out. But it's Week 1 of a new season, and that means you can throw a normal thought like that out the window. The Broncos are hungry. With a much more complete offense than the one that dropped 29 points on the Steelers in the playoffs last season, Denver is primed to put up some serious points on the board.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers enjoyed one of the best defenses in the NFL last season, but sadly for Jim Harbaugh's team, they have to square off with the best quarterback in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers.

Rodgers was last year's MVP and put up astounding numbers. The Pack's signal-caller threw for 4,643 yards with 45 touchdowns and only six picks. Rodgers is the last guy an NFL defense wants to see in Week 1 when they are still getting situated.

Green Bay's running back James Starks won't be on the field in this game, and that leaves Cedric Benson with the duty of carrying the load. Benson is not your average backup, and in fact, he's broken the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last three seasons.

With a receiving corps consisting of talented players like Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and tight end Jermichael Finley, the Pack will be looking to throw the ball downfield while utilizing their rushing attack to keep San Fran off balance.

The 49ers might have a solid secondary, but they will need to be more than solid to stop Rodgers and the Packers' offensive attack. I just don't see that happening in Week 1.