NFL Picks Week 2: Teams That Will Be in Panic Mode After Second Game

Losing in the first week isn't always a big deal. But when 0-1 turns into 0-2, panic sets in.

This is especially true in places where expectations were high at the beginning of the season. Even in places where expectations weren't high, panic will occur in places where there is some uncertainty at high profile positions.

Whether it's fair or not, the panic level will be high after Week 2. In some cases, that may be true even if the team wins.

Dallas Cowboys

I'll be the first to say that I am picking the 49ers in this one. It's not exactly a pick that I am sure of, but I think the 49ers will beat Dallas in San Francisco.

But I don't think Dallas will win this game in the dominant way that many expect them to.

The Cowboys' issues aren't nearly as great as they're made out to be, but they are an overrated team. Being overrated doesn't always mean that people project better results than you're worthy of though. That's only one part of being overrated.

The other element of being overrated is that when things go wrong, the level of panic is absurdly high.

Dallas will struggle against the 49ers. San Francisco is a good home team with a strong defense. They aren't on the level of the Jets, but they are far too good for Dallas' offense to completely dominate.

Denver Broncos

Unlike Dallas, the expectations weren't terribly high in Denver to start the year. The frustration that they have with Kyle Orton is completely unfair.

He's not Tom Brady, but there are far worse options. John Fox seems pretty committed to Orton. The fan base, however, does not.

I really don't dislike Tim Tebow. Given some time, Tebow can be a strong NFL quarterback and player. But right now, he's at best the third-string quarterback with the Broncos.

A loss to the Bengals will only increase the calls for him. This is a highly undesirable situation for Fox to be in. The Broncos are a struggling team whose fans want to see the third-string quarterback in action.

If Denver loses, the calls for Tebow will only get louder. Unfortunately, the panic level will only increase.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings face a Tampa Bay team in need of a win. Both the Vikings and Buccaneers lost their openers, but everyone else in Tampa Bay's division also lost in Week 1.

The same is not true for Minnesota, who was the NFC North's only Week 1 loser.

Minnesota did not acquire Donovan McNabb for a rebuilding year. They acquired McNabb thinking that they could rekindle some of the magic that they had with Brett Favre in 2010.

With the talent they have, they should be a better team. But another bad performance from McNabb will make the fans in Minnesota very uneasy.

Unfortunately for them, that's a likely scenario.