2011 NFL Predictions: Breakout Game for Every Team's Starting QB This Season

Being able to pass the football effectively has become a critical part of the game in the NFL these days, and without a stable signal-caller, your team will likely struggle to win many contests.

The quarterback carousel was once again on the move this season as some big names moved on to new destinations, while some familiar faces stayed put.

The usual suspects like Brady, Brees, Manning, Rivers and Rodgers will likely dominate through the air once again this season, but will there be new quarterbacks ready to step up this season into the NFL's elite?

Here is a look at each team's starting quarterback and when they will have their breakout game this season.  

Kevin Kolb: Week 2 at Washington

For all of the things that Carolina did poorly last season, stopping the pass was not one of them.

Because of that, I don't see Kolb having a huge season opener for the Cards in his first season with the team, but Week 2 should provide a quality opportunity to pass on a poor Redskins secondary that has been further weakened by the departure of Carlos Rogers.

Expect Kolb to put up 300-plus yards and three touchdowns against the Skins secondary as the Cards jump out to a 2-0 start to the 2011 season.

Tarvaris Jackson: Week 3 vs. Arizona

Tarvaris Jackson is by no means a top quarterback in the league, but he is not as bad as many people are trying to make him out to be.

Jackson has the ability to move the chains through the air, and when you couple that with a receiving trio of Mike Williams, Sidney Rice and Zach Miller, you can get see some strong passing days ahead for the Seahawks offense.

Seattle takes to the road for their first two contests, which means I don't like the team's chances or Jackson's, but they return home in Week 3 for their first contest at CenturyLink Field this season.

I expect it to be a good performance from the 'Hawks as Jackson throws for 265 yards and two touchdowns as he helps Seattle net their first win of the season.

Alex Smith: Week 1 vs. Seattle

It's hard to know how much time Smith has left in San Francisco because that question has seemingly been asked for the past couple of seasons, but I'm going to go out on a limb (not much of one) and say he is entering his final months as the Niners starter.

Smith's best passing performance in terms of yards came against...you guessed it, the Philadelphia Eagles.

OK, so maybe you didn't guess that, but I'd be willing to bet that Smith doesn't go for 300-plus yards against the Eagles in Week 4 this season.

Luckily for Smith, he has the Seahawks at home in Week 1, and that should get him off to a good start against a mostly young and inexperienced Seattle secondary.

Expect Smith to put up 275 yards and two touchdowns as the Niners win in Week 1.

Sam Bradford: Week 4 vs. Washington

Bradford had a solid rookie season, but it's going to be tough sledding to start the 2011campaign for the young signal-caller as his Rams face the Eagles, Giants and Ravens out of the gate.

Week 4 offers a much friendlier matchup for Bradford and Co. as the Rams get the Redskins at home in what could be a virtual must-win for St. Louis if they are unable to triumph in those first three weeks.

Bradford completed 62.2 percent of his passes in a Week 3 contest against the Skins last season, and you should expect to see that number potentially go up this year as he throws for 315 yards and three touchdowns against the Washington secondary.

Matt Cassel: Week 2 at Detroit

Cassel and the Chiefs face an extremely difficult schedule this season in their quest to repeat as AFC West champs, but the team added more firepower to its aerial attack during the offseason.

Kansas City now has a formidable trio of receivers with Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jon Baldwin to go along with rookie sensation Tony Moeaki at tight end.

Last season, Cassel put up a great touchdown-to-interception ratio by throwing for 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, but the yards weren't always there.

The Chiefs get Buffalo in Week 1, and Kansas City knows they can run all over the Bills, so Cassel will likely have to wait until Week 2, to get it going.

Kansas City has a below-average Lions pass defense to contend with in their second game, and I expect Cassel to have a big day with 325 yards and three touchdowns.

Kyle Orton: Week 1 vs. Oakland

It appears Orton will reign supreme in the quarterback battle to start the season for the Broncos, and if he starts this year like he did last season, then watch out.

Orton threw for 300 yards or more in four of the Broncos first five games last season, and the only time he didn't was in Week 1 when he threw for 295 yards against the Jags.

This season, Orton and the Broncos open with the Raiders at home on Monday Night Football.

I expect Orton to have a big game against a Raiders secondary that will not be as strong this season despite what some Oakland fans may try to tell you (or surely will say in the comment section below).

Orton will throw for 350 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1 as the Broncos pull off a big opening game upset to the start the season.

Philip Rivers: Week 1 vs. Minnesota

The Vikings had a top 10 passing defense last season, but that won't matter to Philip Rivers and the Chargers as one of the best passing attacks in the league will open the season with a high-scoring win.

Rivers will have Vincent Jackson to start the 2011 season (unlike the 2010 season), and Malcolm Floyd has also rejoined the team, so expect the San Diego offense to be rolling on all cylinders in Week 1.

Rivers will throw for 325 yards and three touchdowns as the Chargers win big in an effort to come out much stronger than they have in previous seasons.

Jason Campbell: Week 1 at Denver

The Raiders don't have many favorable passing matchups early in the season, but one chance for Jason Campbell to exploit an opposing defense will come in Week 1 against the Broncos.

Last season, Campbell didn't have great success against the Broncos, but I expect this game to be a high-scoring shootout to begin the season, and the Raiders passing game should benefit because of it.

While Campbell won't have as big of a game as Orton, he will still find a way to throw for 260 yards and two touchdowns as Jacoby Ford starts the season in a big way.

Aaron Rodgers: Week 4 vs Denver

Rodgers and the defending Super Bowl champs open the regular season on September 8th against the Saints at home in a game that promises to be a good one, but how good will it be for the Packers and their quarterback?

I expect Green Bay to get the win, but it might not be a huge night for Rodgers and the Packers passing offense.

Week 4 offers a great chance for Rodgers to put up big numbers as the Pack take on the Broncos.

Champ Bailey is nearing the end of his career, and the rest of the Denver secondary is young and mostly unproven which means Rodgers should have a big day.

Look for 360 yards and three touchdowns from No. 12 as Rodgers has his biggest game of the year.

Donovan McNabb: Week 5 vs. Arizona

While I don't love the the Vikings move to acquire McNabb, he should be serviceable enough to buy the team some time with first-round pick Christian Ponder.

McNabb's accuracy isn't the greatest, but he can still throw the deep ball and with question marks at safety for the Cardinals, I could see McNabb having a big day through the air in Week 5.

Look for McNabb to put up at least 275 yards passing and two touchdowns against the Cards.

Jay Cutler: Week 14 at Denver

The biggest problem for Cutler this season is going to be his offensive line, which already struggled in the first preseason game yielding nine sacks to the Bills.

All three of the Bears divisional opponents should have very good pass rushes this season, and that doesn't bode well for Cutler and the Chicago passing attack.

Cutler will have his biggest game of the season in Week 14 against his former squad, the Denver Broncos.

Look for Cutler to eclipse the 275-yard mark while throwing for three touchdowns.

Matthew Stafford: Week 6 vs. San Francisco

If Stafford can stay healthy (and that's a big "if" at this point), he should put up pretty good numbers passing the football this season.

Calvin Johnson is one of the NFL's best receivers, and rookie receiver Titus Young should make an impact as well this season.

I'm not as high on the Lions as many people are (I see 8-8 as the best they finish this season), but I believe they are clearly on the right track and a lot of that has to do with Stafford.

Expect a big Week 6 performance from Stafford and Megatron as the Lions signal-caller throws for 325 yards and three scores.

Ben Roethlisberger: Week 2 vs. Seattle

As mentioned early, road games and the Seahawks don't mix.

Neither does a young Seattle secondary and a veteran Steelers offense that should be ready to dominate the Seahawks in Week 2.

The refs won't matter in this one as Big Ben easily puts up 300 yards and three touchdowns in the Steelers big win.

Joe Flacco: Week 8 vs. Arizona

I was tempted to once again pick against the Seahawks secondary, but since that game will be played in Seattle, I instead went with the Ravens Week 8 matchup against the Cards.

Baltimore has continued to improve their receiving corps through the draft and through a trade to acquire Lee Evans this offseason. These moves should make Flacco's life a lot easier this season despite the fact that he lost his quarterback coach, Jim Zorn, who is now with the Chiefs.

Expect Flacco to have his best game of the season against the Cards secondary as he puts up 280 yards and three touchdowns.

Andy Dalton: Week 16 vs. Arizona

Dalton struggled early in the Bengals first preseason game, getting picked off on his first pass attempt, but he finished strong and showed some promise.

It's not going to be an easy first season for the Bengals rookie quarterback, especially since Chad Ochocinco has moved on to greener pastures in New England.

Dalton should be more comfortable by the end of the season and that fact coupled with his Week 16 opponent should provide his best results of the season as he throws for 270 yards and two touchdowns.

Colt McCoy: Week 1 vs. Cincinnati

McCoy did enough last season as a rookie to retain the job as the Browns starting quarterback this year, and now, will be the time for the second-year signal-caller to take the next step.

There's no better time than Week 1 against Cincinnati for McCoy to break out, and I believe he will do just that against a Bengals secondary that will feature Nate Clements as its No. 2 corner.

McCoy will open the 2011 campaign on a strong note, throwing for 270 yards and three touchdowns as the Browns get a big win to start the year.

Tom Brady: Week 14 at Washington

Tom Brady clearly does not need any more "breakout" games to solidify his spot among the game's elite, but he should have little problem putting more big numbers once again this season.

Since Brady does not need to have a breakout game, we will instead go with his biggest game this year.

Brady will have numerous chances to have big games in the Pats passing offense, but his matchup against the Redskins in Week 14 may be his most favorable.

Look for Brady to have a huge game as he throws for 400 yards and five touchdowns, and the Pats clinch yet another playoff berth.

Mark Sanchez: Week 13 at Washington

If you didn't notice, I'm really not a fan of the Redskins secondary.

Sanchez will have another average year numbers-wise, but he will have a big day against the Skins in Week 13, throwing for 310 yards and two touchdowns.

Chad Henne: No Breakout Performance

Why Chad Henne is still the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins I do not know.

Tthe team should have made a bigger push for Kyle Orton or even Matt Hasselbeck would have been an upgrade for a season or two.

Brandon Marshall needs to get the football as often as possible, but I'm not convinced Henne is the right guy to feed him his targets.

Henne will be out of Miami by the end of the season and likely on the bench before all is said and done this year.

Ryan Fitzpatrick: Week 4 at Cincinnati

Don't be surprised if Tyler Thigpen finds his way onto the field in Buffalo this season as he reunites with former his former offensive coordinator in Kansas City, Chan Gailey, and the two look to rekindle some of their magic from their one season together.

For now, however, it will be Fitzpatrick's job to lose, and he should continue to perform decently while given the opportunity.

The Bills second road game of the season should provide a good opportunity for Fitzpatrick to throw the ball around the field as Buffalo visits the Bengals and Fitzpatrick throws for 320 yards and two touchdowns in a win.

Eli Manning: Week 5 vs. Seattle

Eli is looking to lead the Giants to a big season in 2011, and while I think the G-Men will be staying home for the postseason this year, Manning should have a huge day against the Seahawks as Seattle comes East in Week 5.

Look for Eli and Co. to torch the Seahawks secondary to the tune of 365 yards and three touchdowns in a victory nearly as big as their dominant 41-7 win last season over the Hawks.

Michael Vick: Week 12 vs. New England

Vick's play was stellar for most of last season before faltering a bit down the stretch as the Eagles bowed out early in the playoffs.

This season, Philadelphia is nearly everyone's team to beat following their ridiculous run in free agency, and Vick will be a major part of the team's success or failure this year.

Don't expect him to fail when the Pats come to town in Week 12 as he goes against a New England secondary that was third worst in the league against the pass last season.

Vick will throw for 310 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 75 yards and a touchdown on the ground in a big win for the Eagles.

Tony Romo: Week 14 vs. New York Giants

Romo returns this season following a season-ending collarbone injury that cost him most of his 2010 season.

The Cowboys were one of the most disappointing teams in football last year, and a lot of that was due to Romo's absence, so they will be looking to make amends this season.

I believe Romo's biggest game will come against the Giants, not the Redskins, in Week 14 as he throws for 370 yards and four touchdowns in a huge win over Dallas' divisional rivals.  

Rex Grossman: Week 11 vs. Dallas

I don't know why they are even bothering to play the games this season, the Redskins have the NFC East title on lock this season—or so says Rex Grossman.

It's a tight battle between John Beck and Rex Grossman to be the starting quarterback of the Redskins this season, and while Andrew Luck could be at the helm next season, I think Grossman will get the nod this year.

Grossman did put up big yardage numbers against the Cowboys and Giants last season, and I expect more of the same this year as Rex throws for 315 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys in Week 11.

Peyton Manning: Week 10 vs. Jacksonville

Peyton has next to nothing left to prove at this point in his career, but he is nearing the end of his career, and the Colts chances at winning another Super Bowl could also be nearing an end.

I expect Manning to play at a high level once again this season, but I expect the Colts to miss the playoffs as the Texans and their improved defense finally win the division.

Peyton will still put up big numbers this year, especially in the Week 10 game at home against the Jags where he will throw for 405 yards and four touchdowns.

Matt Schaub: Week 17 vs. Tennessee

As I just stated on the last slide, this will finally be the year for Schaub and the Texans to win the AFC South.

The offense has always been there in Houston, but now, the defense appears to be improving as well and the Texans will be a team to be reckoned with.

Schaub should have many big games this season, but none bigger than the Texans Week 17 matchup against the Titans.

Houston will need to win that game to clinch the division, and Andre Johnson will want to take it to Titans corner Cortland Finnegan one more time as Schaub throws for 385 yards and three touchdowns.

Matt Hasselbeck: Week 11 at Atlanta

Many people have taken it to the Titans this offseason over their signing of veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, and I don't agree with that.

Hasselbeck still has something left in the tank, and the Titans offensive line is plenty capable of protecting the 35-year-old for at least one more season.

Jake Locker needs time to refine his game before stepping onto the field for regular season action, and Hasselbeck is the perfect guy to give the Titans some time.

Expect the Titans to go down big to the Falcons in Atlanta, but Hasselbeck will put up big numbers in a high-scoring affair, throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns.

David Garrard: Week 5 vs. Cincinnati

While the Jags made some nice moves in free agency, I believe they are still in for a long season with little support from their dwindling fan base.

Garrard will be the team's starter to open the season but don't be surprised to see rookie Blaine Gabbert at the helm by the end of the year.

In the meantime, Garrard should have a few decent games with the limited options he has, and his biggest game could come in Week 5 against the Bengals in a contest featuring two of the league's worst teams this year.

Garrard will throw for 280 yards and two touchdowns as the Jags manage one of their few wins in 2011.

Matt Ryan: Week 15 vs. Jacksonville

I believe Matt Ryan is going to have a big year for the eventual 2011 Super Bowl champs, and his biggest game could come in Week 15 against the Jaguars secondary.

Look for Ryan to find Roddy White and Julio Jones open often and early against the Jags as he passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns.

And yes, I said it. 2011 Super Bowl champs.

Josh Freeman: Week 2 at Minnesota

Freeman is coming off a big 2010 season that saw him throw 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions for the Bucs offense, but 2011 will be an even bigger challenge for the young signal-caller to conquer.

Tampa Bay's schedule gets tougher this season, and Freeman will need to be up to the task. I believe he will be, and you should expect a strong showing from him, particularly early in the season.

The Vikings secondary shouldn't provide much resistance for Mike Williams and Co. as the Bucs will cruise in the dome, and Freeman nets 325 yards and three touchdowns.

Drew Brees: Week 4 at Jacksonville

Brees showed his terrific leadership abilities once again this offseason during the lockout as he got many of the Saints players together to training despite the work stoppage, and that leadership and work ethic will result in another big year for the former Boilermaker and his teammates.

Brees' and the Saints can gain yards through the air against nearly everyone in the league, but their most favorable matchup this season could come against the Jags in Week 4.

Look for Brees to throw for 365 yards and four touchdowns against what will be a reeling Jacksonville squad.

Jimmy Clausen: Not Going To Happen

Clausen is the starter for now, but that could easily change by Week 1, and even if it doesn't, he's not going to put up big numbers in any of the games he plays in this season.