NFL Week 1: The Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action

Are you ready for some football?

With Thursday Night Football done with and the Seattle Seahawks looking like they have no intentions of relinquishing their Super Bowl championship, the rest of the league gets to make its opening statement on the first Sunday of meaningful football since February. 

It's been a journey. 

We've found ourselves in the doldrums of post-Super Bowl winter, toughened out the endless banter of pre-draft mania, navigated the choppy waters of never-ending free agency and slogged through the endless mire that is an NFL summer. 

If training camp and preseason were a taste of what's to come, get ready for the all-you-can-eat buffet that is the first NFL Sunday!

To get you ready, here is everything you need to know heading into the first slate of games.

Biggest Questions

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Can anyone slow down the Philadelphia Eagles?

Head coach Chip Kelly's offense isn't about outthinking opponents with flash and sizzle, it's about outworking them with a few key plays based on core matchups sniffed out in film study.

Against Jacksonville, it may seem like a cakewalk, but the Jaguars are better defensively than their press clipping might indicate and had as much success as anyone last season against MVP Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos (save the Seattle Seahawks, of course). 

Most importantly, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is an X's and O's junkie in his own right and won't be easily dazzled by Kelly's tempo. How the Jaguars counter the Eagles' opening salvos will decide this game. 

How will New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady start 2014?

The Miami Dolphins defense wasn't the team's biggest problem last year, but things certainly didn't click as much as fans may have hoped (ranked 21st in total defensive yardage). The pass rush faltered—especially on the interior of the line—and coverage wasn't much better. 

If we're talking about failing to reach expectations, though, Brady and the Patriots sit first and foremost on that ignominious perch. Starting with the arrest of tight end Aaron Hernandez, the injury to tight end Rob Gronkowski and the waves goodbye to wide receiver Wes Welker, Brady went through a perfect storm of turmoil. He wasn't the biggest issue, but he hardly managed the storm well.

We expect Brady and Co. to come in and drop a huge number on the Dolphins defense, but if he continues to struggle adapting to the younger talent around him, it won't be long before the media is asking if this is the beginning of the end.  

Who steps up in the absence of Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker?

Speaking of Welker and unfortunate absences...

Welker was suspended for the first four weeks of the season after testing positive for an amphetamine. I touched on many of the issues surrounding Welker's suspension here. For the Broncos, though, life must go on. The rest of the league will not be kind to them just because they're missing one of their top players. 

A cursory glance at their roster reveals they more than have the personnel to field a competent offense, but that's not always how football works. Welker is a high-volume, security-blanket type of receiver who eats up yardage almost like a running back with extended handoffs. 

It's a weapon that Manning loves to have in his arsenal. 

Even money goes to rookie receiver Cody Latimer, who has the tools to succeed in such a role, but a lot of what makes Welker, well...Welker, is a veteran savvy and an ability to have almost psychic rapport with his quarterback. Latimer won't have that, at least not yet. 

The Colts aren't going to roll over and play dead while Manning and the offense get their sea legs under them. They'll have to have plenty of Plans B, C, etc., depending on what Colts head coach Chuck Pagano throws at them. 

Can the San Francisco 49ers weather a storm of their own design?

A month ago, the 49ers were considered an almost equal foil to the Seahawks. Now, it's almost as if they've led the charge to roll out the red carpet for the Seahawks' second straight Super Bowl. A lot can change in a month, and almost all of it has been negative for head coach Jim Harbaugh's crew. 

Offensively, things just didn't get rolling in the preseason. Yes, I know it's "only the preseason," but while scores and wins/losses don't matter, evaluating starting units against one another is still an important part of season preparation. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick looks as if things are moving a little too fast for him at the moment, and the offense sputters and stops like a Yugo (ask your parents). 

On the other side of the ball—where the 49ers are supposed to be among the best in the league—linebackers Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman are both out, while defensive lineman Ray McDonald is dealing with potential domestic violence charges, though he will play Sunday, according to CSN's Matt Maiocco.

The 49ers have the depth to deal with a couple of these issues, but the waves have crashed fast and heavy. Getting through this will take more than just youth and talent. 

Odds and Ends

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• To find out which games are available in your area, check out these NFL Coverage Maps, via 506 Sports.
• Who's calling your game of choice Sunday? Here are announcer pairings for CBS (via Ken Fang) and Fox (via BFlo 360).
• Football Zebras provides a look at which referees are working each game, so you can tailor your insults accordingly.
• Can't make it to a TV? SiriusXM covers every single game. Here's the lineup.
• Don't have satellite radio? Check to see if Westwood One has a game playing in your area.
• Whether you can watch your favorite team or not, make sure you have the B/R Team Stream app for the latest in news, fantasy and highlights.

Game of the Day

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Who: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos

When: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: NBC 

What: Last year's AFC champions, the Broncos, and their MVP quarterback, Peyton Manning, face off with his former team and heir apparent, the Colts and Andrew Luck. 

You like intrigue? 

This game has it all. 

Luck—the guy who was handed the reins of the Colts after years of Manning's dominance there—has to walk into Manning's home turf in the first meaningful football action the Broncos have seen since being embarrassed by the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. 

How will the Colts' questionable offensive line perform against a Broncos defense that has spent all offseason bolstering the pass defense? Linebacker Von Miller, defensive end DeMarcus Ware and cornerback Aqib Talib are all top-flight players who aren't going to wilt because football's next big thing rides into town. 

For the Broncos offense, things may take a series or two to get rolling with the absence of wide receiver Wes Welker. Don't count out Manning in any way, but Welker has been a reliable high-volume target, and one doesn't replace that over night. 

It's the last game Sunday night, but it should give us the best football of the week.

The Rest of the Slate (Fox)

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New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (1 p.m.)

Jump on the Saints' Super Bowl wagon now or lose out on a seat.

Heading to the Falcons' dome won't feature nearly as hospitable crowds as found in the Big Easy, but look for quarterback Drew Brees to shine bright under the indoor lights and the Saints defense to batter Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan like they're fixin' to put him in a po' boy.  

Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams (1 p.m.)

The Shaun Hill era starts with a whimper at home against running back Adrian Peterson and the Vikings. The Vikings have more weapons than the Rams, but neither team has a passer worth putting much faith behind. (My money's on Hill outplaying Matt Cassel, but we're not talking the house payment here.)

The Rams defense is the best unit here behind defensive ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn, so I'll take them in a low-scoring affair. 

Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears (1 p.m.)

There are two ways of looking at this game for Bills quarterback EJ Manuel. First, it's an advantageous matchup because this is not Lovie Smith's Bears defense anymore. Manuel has struggled this preseason, and the Bears give him a chance to get right.

Then again, the Jay Cutler-led offense featuring twin towers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery at wide receiver are going to press Manuel to play catchup. I'll take the latter group to score in bunches—even against a Bills defense that looks to be improved. 

Washington at Houston Texans (1 p.m.)

Defensive pass rushing should abound in this game as the Texans' J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney look to put their stamp on the league as the game's best pass-rushing tandem. Meanwhile, Washington's Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan could bust out the boom boxes and blare "Don't You Forget About Me" right back at them. 

The key to this game, though, is whether Robert Griffin III finally starts to shake off some of the cobwebs in the West Coast offense. If he does—especially against a tough Texans D—it could be a clarion call that the NFC East isn't just the Eagles and a bunch of also-rans. 

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4:25 p.m.)

This entire game will be won and lost in the trenches, but more on that in a couple of slides (foreshadowing!).

Lovie Smith's defense already looks head and shoulders better than last year's Buccaneers group, even with relatively little done to the roster. Yes, there were some big additions, but this is largely last year's group shaken up to fit the Tampa 2, and it works. If the Buccaneers excel this season, handing Coach of the Year to anyone but Lovie Smith would be foolish. 

They have to get through the Panthers first, and this is more than just playing for second place in the NFC South. Quarterback Cam Newton gets an excellent chance to show that he's more than capable of putting this team on his back and leading them to the playoffs once again.

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys (4:25 p.m.)

We've discussed some of the 49ers' issues, but Dallas is going through much of the same. 

It's possible to make the case that the Cowboys couldn't have possibly known they'd deal with big injuries (linebacker Sean Lee) and suspensions (cornerback Orlando Scandrick). But add in all the players the Cowboys thought they would have, and one still finds a pretty lackluster defense. The offense, though, has a chance to put up a bunch of points. 

Look for quarterback Tony Romo to produce and the game to be decided on whether the turnovers rack up just as fast. 

The Rest of the Slate (CBS)

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Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m.)

I won't say his name...I won't do it...This game's not about him...

*Deep Breaths*

Don't listen to the narratives about Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer looking over his shoulder. He better be looking straight ahead at Dick LeBeau's defense if he knows what's good for him.

The Browns have very little in terms of a passing game, and if running back Ben Tate doesn't set some sort of record on the ground, Hoyer will need to eventually pass the ball against that blitz. 

I'm taking the blitz. 

Jacksonville Jaguars at Philadelphia Eagles (1 p.m.)

Since I didn't talk about a rookie quarterback above, allow me to do so here. 

I'm excited about Jaguars rookie Blake Bortles. I want to see what he can do in the NFL. I'm not waiting to jump on his back and bash him if he does poorly. I just think he deserves a shot. He's earned it. I hope he gets it. 

The Jaguars want to go with Chad Henne, and that's their prerogative. Frankly, I don't think either quarterback is beating the Eagles, and maybe that's part of the point.

Still, I can't get excited about an offense featuring Henne and running back Toby Gerhart—though, honestly, I think both are fine players...just not the potential cornerstone that Bortles can be. 

Oakland Raiders at New York Jets (1 p.m.)

Texans pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney will be making his opening statement for Rookie of the Year honors over on Fox, so CBS is all over Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack's rebuttal. Raiders head coach Dennis Allen helped turn Von Miller into what he's become, and Mack has a similar skill set.

If the Raiders have any hope of winning in New York, Mack and the rest of the Raiders defense need to do more than just jell—something they've failed to do for much of the preseason. They need to embarrass quarterback Geno Smith and the Jets offense.

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m.)

The Gary Kubiak offense is about to be unveiled, for real, in Baltimore, and it's happening without running back Ray Rice. Any life from that side of the ball will be an improvement from last year, and quarterback Joe Flacco should have a better year without constantly sitting back to be harassed by the opponent's blitz. 

When the Bengals have the ball, quarterback Andy Dalton will need to manage the crushing weight of all those dollar dollar bills (ya'll) in his pockets (editor's note: football pants don't have pockets), but he's got plenty of help around him. The real question, though, is if the offensive line in front of him will continue to be the dominating unit it was last season. 

Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs (1 p.m.)

This is a perfect Week 1 game. Both teams need to make the case that this isn't the type of matchup fans are sleeping through midseason. 

Honestly, what sort of positives can we say—definitively—about the Titans offense (especially against the Chiefs defense) that doesn't start and end around the modifying clause, "Well, if Jake Locker plays well..." The line run blocks really well, but I'm not even sure we can say that against Chiefs lineman Dontari Poe. 

Alex Smith and the Chiefs offense is similarly potentially snooze-worthy, but Smith is hoping to prove to fans that he's more than just a game manager after getting paid right before the season (four years, $68 million extension). He won't have wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (suspension), though, so that's easier said than done. 

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (1 p.m.)

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has a big first hurdle to clear this season as the Patriots have restocked the defensive cupboard well this offseason. Highlighted by newcomers like cornerback Darrelle Revis and old standbys like Vince Wilfork, the Patriots may have the best defense they've had since their Super Bowl years.

That's an issue for a Dolphins offensive line that has far more talent than the end of last year but still needs time to find its way. It's also a problem for Tannehill, who was good last year but not good enough to lift the team out of the High School Musical-level of drama they imposed upon themselves.

Key Matchups

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Houston Texans pass rush vs. RGIII

I've highlighted Texans pass-rushers Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt, and I've mentioned the pressure that Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III needs to feel to not only physically elude those men, but also to score points against them. 

The world is watching how the Texans move Clowney and Watt around. Surely, there is more to the equation than what we saw in the preseason—simply starting on opposite sides of the front and moving to the same side for pass-rushing downs—but defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel isn't exactly known for ingenuity. 

Griffin isn't going to win this matchup with his athleticism. He needs to win this with pre-snap reads, an understanding of the offense he has not previously showcased and lightning-quick passing. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers OL vs. Carolina Panthers DL

One could easily pick the Buccaneers DL and the Panthers' rebuilding OL, but the more flashy matchup is the Panthers' pass rush and run-stuffing against a Buccaneers offensive line that radiated between terrible and "only slightly offensive" in the preseason. 

We can worry about all the things the Panthers lost this offseason, but the fact remains: The thing the Panthers do best is still really scary. 

If the Buccaneers front can't handle the elite players Carolina is ready to throw at them—tackle Star Lotulelei and end Charles Johnson among them—the rest of the offense hardly stands a chance. 

The rookie QB vs. the blitz-happy former defensive coordinator

Welcome to the NFL, Derek Carr. 

The Oakland Raiders quarterback gets the nod not because he played well (though, he did), but more because Matt Schaub played not-so-well thanks to a combination of tendonitis and not being a good quarterback. Whether Carr is full-on Wally Pipp-ing Schaub, though, remains to be seen. 

Enter Rex Ryan. 

Ryan projects the image of a lovable jokester whose biggest offense is sticking his foot in his mouth a little too often. For Carr, Ryan will haunt his very dreams both waking and sleeping. Ryan will send blitzes at him that Carr has heard about only in hushed tones and assumed were only legend. 

If Carr wins, frankly, hand him the keys to the franchise and check him for Kryptonian DNA. 

Jake Matthews vs. Cameron Jordan

Some matchups you aim to win. 

Others, you just want to hold on for dear life and not throw up. 

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan might be the best pass-rusher who isn't quite yet a household name in the NFL, and Matthews is a rookie left tackle who was supposed to be a rookie right tackle and doesn't look quite ready for prime time. 

If Matthews can't at least look competent against Jordan, the real matchup here will be quarterback Matt Ryan against the medical crew. 

Reggie Wayne vs. Denver Broncos secondary

You know, Reggie, for a guy who could've ridden out into the proverbial sunset when Peyton Manning left town, this is starting to look more like a glutton for punishment routine.

In his first game back from last season's injury—that thing that really hurt the Colts offense while everyone was talking about Andrew Luck over and over—Wayne gets to face cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Chris Harris and safeties T.J. Ward and Rahim Moore. 

Wayne can win big out on the perimeter, especially against Harris, but the Colts offense is at its best when he's also winning over the middle. With Wayne, this offense can look a lot better than it did in offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton's first year, but this is a big first challenge. 

For an X's and O's look at more top matchups of Week 1, take a seat in Matt Bowen's film study. 

Injury Report

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Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington (questionable)

Ellington is more than likely "out" for our purposes, and the clerical work will come later. His foot injury could keep him out even longer, reports Fox Sports 910 Phoenix's Mike Jurecki. Without Ellington, the Cardinals have some capable rushers (Jonathan Dwyer, Stepfan Taylor), but no one who brings the same level of dynamic play. 

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins (probable)

Watkins is practicing, but a rib injury is always a tricky situation. Watch this one less in terms of if he plays and more how he plays. Watkins hasn't been the dominant force during the preseason that he was at Clemson, and a lingering soreness like this isn't going to help. 

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (questionable)

Newton will also almost assuredly play with his rib injury, but how will he fare after a big hit by Buccaneers tackle Gerald McCoy? You know it's coming. Newton knows it's coming.  

Kansas City Chiefs returner De'Anthony Thomas (doubtful)

Even if Thomas plays, the hamstring is pretty important not only for speed but also for his caliber of explosiveness. A couple of big runs from this special teams dynamo could help any team, but it's likely that the Chiefs will have to do without him in Week 1. 

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (questionable)

The man they call Gronk is still limited in practice, but he'll likely suit up Sunday. The Patriots may do well not to lean on him as much in the offense and limit his role, though, as they'll need him at 100 percent moving forward.

For up-to-the-minute injury notifications sent right to your phone or tablet, make sure to have Bleacher Report's TeamStream App. 

Bleacher Report Expert Predictions

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Every week, we'll take a look at some of the Bleacher Report experts' picks and predictions, as well as how those turned out from the week before. With an entire season ahead of us, here's a look at some longer-range prognostications. 

Preseason Awards

Preseason All-Pro Team

Preseason All-Rookie

Week 1 Expert Consensus Picks

NFL Predictions Week 1: Expert Consensus Predictions

To follow how the B/R writers stack up against writers from across the web, check out Pickwatch.com.

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.