NFL Preseason 2015: Week 1 Schedule, Breaking Down Key QB Storylines

The Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off the NFL preseason with the Hall of Fame Game last Sunday. Now it's time for all of the other teams to get involved, as the exhibition slate begins in earnest starting Thursday night.

As always, some of the top storylines over the next month will surround the vitally important quarterback position. While having a reliable starter under center doesn't guarantee anything, it's a major advantage over those teams often stuck on a long, arduous journey to find one.

With that in mind, let's check out the complete slate for the first full week of preseason action. It's followed by a deeper dive into some intriguing quarterback situations worth keeping tabs on.

Week 1 Preseason Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Road	Home
Thursday, Aug. 13	7:30 p.m.	Saints	Ravens
Thursday, Aug. 13	7:30 p.m.	Jets	Lions
Thursday, Aug. 13	7:30 p.m.	Packers	Patriots
Thursday, Aug. 13	8 p.m.	Redskins	Browns
Thursday, Aug. 13	8 p.m.	Dolphins	Bears
Thursday, Aug. 13	10 p.m.	Cowboys	Chargers
Friday, Aug. 14	7 p.m.	Titans	Falcons
Friday, Aug. 14	7 p.m.	Panthers	Bills
Friday, Aug. 14	7:30 p.m.	Giants	Bengals
Friday, Aug. 14	7:30 p.m.	Steelers	Jaguars
Friday, Aug. 14	10 p.m.	Rams	Raiders
Friday, Aug. 14	10 p.m.	Broncos	Seahawks
Saturday, Aug. 15	8 p.m.	Buccaneers	Vikings
Saturday, Aug. 15	8 p.m.	49ers	Texans
Saturday, Aug. 15	9 p.m.	Chiefs	Cardinals
Sunday, Aug. 16	1 p.m.	Colts	Eagles

Quarterback Storylines to Follow

Jimmy Garoppolo Prepares for Possible Starting Role

Unfortunately, the Deflategate saga continues to drag on, as Tom Brady goes through a court appeal with hope of avoiding a four-game suspension. In the meantime, the New England Patriots must prepare in case he's unavailable for the first quarter of the campaign.

Garoppolo, who attempted just 27 passes as Brady's understudy last season, would be asked to fill the void. His up-and-down camp performance leaves questions, and he will now try to answer them in the preseason. He knows there's room for improvement, per Chris Mason of the Boston Herald.

"You're never happy about (the miscues)," Garoppolo said. "But as a quarterback you have to keep it even-keeled. You never want to get too high, never too low, and just ride it like that."

The Patriots are still the class of the AFC East when at full strength. Losing Brady for awhile would significantly decrease their margin for error, though. That's especially true when you consider they face the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys during the suspension time frame.

New England obviously hopes the punishment is overturned. That said, Garoppolo must prepare like he's going to start for the first four games. He must start showcasing steady progress, starting against a Green Bay Packers defense that ranked 10th against the pass last season.

Buffalo Bills' Three-Way Battle

If the Bills receive even average quarterback play, they will end their 15-year playoff drought. The rest of the roster is among the best in football. Alas, the combination of Matt Cassel, Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel could end up being the league's worst.

New head coach Rex Ryan has been waiting for one of them to step up and earn the job. It hasn't happened yet, with all three struggling mightily at times during camp. As a result, Buffalo didn't tip its hand in the initial depth chart, as noted by Mike Rodak of ESPN:

Cassel is slated to start the team's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. He represents the safe choice as a veteran with plenty of NFL experience. If the other options don't stand out, he'll likely win the job by default.

Taylor represents the member of the trio with the most upside. He's flashed his potential with several big plays in practices but has lacked consistency. Hitting those short and intermediate routes with more regularity in the preseason could vault him to the top of the depth chart.

Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota Debut

Winston and Mariota will be forever linked after being the first two picks in the draft. The past two Heisman Trophy winners feature different playing styles, with Winston featuring a big arm he loves to put on display, while Mariota's game is built more on accuracy. Both can also make plays with their legs.

While there's little doubt about their talent, a learning curve still exists. Getting some snaps in these exhibition games is crucial to get used to the increased speed of the game. Benjamin Allbright of Yahoo Sports provided some baseline comparisons to watch for:

Winston opens with a clash against the Vikings, who rated seventh against the pass and already have the Hall of Fame Game under their belt to shake off the rust. It will be intriguing to see how his chemistry is coming along with Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson.

Mariota doesn't have those weapons at his disposal but does get an easier matchup to ease into the preseason in the Atlanta Falcons. They finished last in pass defense and didn't make massive upgrades, giving the Oregon product a chance to get some easy completions under his belt.