NFL Predictions: Which Quarterbacks Are Under the Most Pressure?

The 2011 NFL season has only had one game, but there are a handful of quarterbacks already feeling the pressure to perform.

Football fans are a fickle bunch, and one bad week might be enough to call for the backup. While some of these players might have job security for now, each one is already feeling the heat. They will need to perform well to silence the critics, both inside their organization and out.

Some quarterbacks on this list have been playing poorly for years, while others simply have a reserve just waiting to take their job.

With a poor performance this week, these players will be looking over their shoulders and hoping they do not get replaced. 

Alex Smith

The San Francisco 49ers have been waiting five seasons for Alex Smith to prove he was worth the first overall draft pick in 2005. In his sixth season his time finally might be running out.

The team drafted quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the second round this offseason, and they believe he will be their quarterback of the future. Although neither quarterback distinguished themselves in the preseason, Smith was named the starter due to his experience.

The 49ers start their season against the Seattle Seahawks, a team that beat them 31-6 in last year's opener. This year, the first game is in San Francisco, but that might work against Smith. If he gets off to a bad start, he might hear enough boos to force Jim Harbaugh to make the switch. 

Luke McCown

When the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Blaine Gabbert in the first round of the 2011 draft, most people knew that David Garrard would not be around for much longer. Few expected him to be released before the start of the season. 

Now the team is left with Luke McCown to start the season. The eight-year veteran has never played more than five games in a season and has only thrown 23 passes in the past three years.

Still, McCown will have to justify the release of an established starter in Garrard and do his best to hold off the rookie Gabbert for as long as possible. The duration may only be a week or two.

Rex Grossman

After taking over for Donovan McNabb at the end of last season, Rex Grossman thought he had the chance to start 2011 as the starter. When McNabb was shipped to Minnesota, Grossman must have thought the job was definitely his.

That was until John Beck ran training camps during the lockout and impressed during the preseason. Grossman was named the starter but not by too significant of a margin.

Fans of the Washington Redskins know that Grossman will most likely be on a short leash. If he struggles against the Giants, he might not make it out of the first half.

Beck will just need to be patient enough to wait for Grossman to make some mistakes. For someone who has as many interceptions as touchdowns in his career, the wait might not be too long.

Eli Manning

As opposed to other players on this list, Eli Manning does not have any real pressure coming from his bench. He is backed up by veterans Sage Rosenfels and David Carr, neither of who pose any real threat for playing time.

Manning's pressure is instead coming from outside the locker room. Despite his Super Bowl win in 2007, Manning has been faced with criticism his entire career. Fans and media members have been ripping him for poor games while usually ignoring the good ones.

Manning fell into the perfect storm of pressure. He is the younger brother of one of the best quarterbacks of all time, he was the first pick in the draft, he plays in New York and he plays in probably the most high-profile position in sports.

No wonder he is considered a failure.

If Manning can get off to a good start with a win over the Redskins, he will take some of the pressure off of himself for a good portion of the season.  

Matt Hasselbeck

After 13 seasons in the NFL, you pretty much know what you are going to get out of Matt Hasselbeck. The question is whether that will be enough for the Tennessee Titans.

He has not had over a 75 quarterback rating since 2007 and he rarely throws over a 60 percent completion rate. Sure, he led the Seattle Seahawks to the playoffs last year, but that was at 7-9 in a terrible division. It is highly unlikely Hasselbeck resurrects his career in Tennessee.

Most people assume that he is simply holding the job for first-round pick Jake Locker. The question is if Hasselbeck can hold him off for the duration of the season.

If he cannot get it done against the terrible secondary of the Jacksonville Jaguars, it might be a very short season for the veteran. 

Donovan McNabb

It has been a steep decline for Donovan McNabb over the past two years. He had a successful year with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 only to be traded to the Washington Redskins last season. In D.C., he could not find his receivers and threw too many interceptions.

Now, he is getting a second fresh start with the Minnesota Vikings, the only place where a 34-year-old quarterback can be a "youth movement" compared to last year.

The Vikings still have a lot of talent based around Adrian Peterson and a strong defense. They need solid quarterback play to be successful, and they should not settle for less.

Not only does the team have Christian Ponder waiting to take over, but Joe Webb also showed some potential at the end of last year. Leslie Frazier will not wait too long if McNabb struggles against the Chargers.