The bulk of the NFL’s Week 1 schedule will take place on Sunday, with 13 games providing the main course after the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos delivered a delicious appetizer on Thursday night.
Denver’s season-opening win included one of the more unlikely scores, as Broncos fullback Andy Janovich rumbled 28 yards for a touchdown on his first NFL career carry in the first half.
Janovich won’t be the only Week 1 shocker. Here is a potential surprise star for all 13 games on Sunday:
Green Bay at Jacksonville: Packers RB Eddie Lacy
A game to be played in the sweltering Florida heat could make life difficult for both teams, but there’ll be nothing fun about trying to tackle a slimmer—but still large and hungry—Lacy for 60 minutes. The Packers could wear the Jaguars out by pounding No. 27 over and over again.
Buffalo at Baltimore: Bills OLB Jerry Hughes
Gone is Mario Williams, who never fit Rex Ryan’s defensive front. Hughes is now in the pass-rushing spotlight, so expect Ryan to give him all kinds of opportunities to get after stationary quarterback Joe Flacco. He could make Week 1 very difficult for Ravens right tackle Ricky Wagner.
Chicago at Houston: Texans WR Braxton Miller
The Bears will need to commit a majority of defensive resources in the secondary to receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, who can get down the field and cause huge problems. That should leave Miller with a real opportunity to carve up the Chicago defense underneath. The Bears are razor thin at cornerback.
Cleveland at Philadelphia: Browns WR Terrelle Pryor
It might not always be pretty when the Browns have the ball, but at least it’ll be entertaining. Pryor and new Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III hooked up for a handful of deep completions during the preseason, which should give new head coach Hue Jackson confidence in giving the pair more chances to start the regular season. The guess here is that Pryor (6’4″) wins one or more of the deep balls, especially with rookie Jalen Mills (6’0) representing the Eagles’ tallest cornerback.
Tampa Bay at Atlanta: Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate
The Falcons defense struggled on third down and in the red zone last season. Both areas are exploitable by the tight end position, where quarterback Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers have an under-the-radar target in Brate. The former Harvard tight end has won over Winston and the Tampa Bay coaching staff with his reliability and consistency. Expect the Bucs to give him chances in the important areas on Sunday.
Minnesota at Tennessee: Vikings RB Jerick McKinnon
Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Vikings are going to run plenty against the Titans. While rushing champion Adrian Peterson will see the bulk of the carries, don’t sleep on McKinnon—an ideal change-of-pace back who can create big plays as a runner and receiver. The Vikings need to find ways of getting him the ball in space, especially against a defense that will eventually get sick of tackling Peterson.
Cincinnati at New York: Bengals WR Tyler Boyd
Cincinnati’s rookie receiver showed during the preseason that he’s ready to fill the holes left by departed free agents Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu. The Bengals will also be without tight end Tyler Eifert, leaving Boyd to pick up most of the slack behind A.J. Green in the passing game. If Green is at all slowed by Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, Andy Dalton will have no other choice but to lean on his young receiver.
Oakland at New Orleans: Saints TE Coby Fleener
While Fleener has dealt with some issues integrating himself into the Saints offense this offseason, the big tight end still figures to be a major target for quarterback Drew Brees. He could make a splash in Week 1, especially with Brees likely to need a security blanket against Khalil Mack and Oakland’s unrelenting pass-rush. If the Raiders have a soft spot on defense, it might be in the middle of the field.
San Diego at Kansas City: Chargers OLB Melvin Ingram
Stopping the run and forcing Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith into uncomfortable third downs will be the name of the game for the Chargers defense. Ingram figures to play a major part in that gameplan. If San Diego can keep Kansas City off track on early downs, Ingram could feast off the edge. He’s on the verge of stardom after a 10.5-sack season in 2015.
Miami at Seattle: Seahawks RB Christine Michael
Few teams have a more difficult task in Week 1 than Miami, who will travel across country to play one of the NFL’s most talented teams in the one of the most disruptive NFL stadiums. Upsetting the Seahawks will become impossible if the Dolphins can’t stop the run. Expect Seattle to pound the football on the ground, with Michael—who had an “awakening” this offseason—leading the charge.
Detroit at Indianapolis: Lions WR Marvin Jones
The Colts are beat up at cornerback, and it’s hard to look at Indy’s pass-rushing options and envision Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford being under constant pressure. That’s good news for Jones, who will play his first game for Detroit in the massive shadow of retired All-Pro Calvin Johnson. Lions fans will come around quick if Jones is able to shred a questionable Colts secondary in Week 1.
New York at Dallas: Giants S Landon Collins
The Cowboys likely want to run the ball and give rookie quarterback Dak Prescott easy throws. The game plan figures to put plenty of pressure on Collins to play well. He’ll be asked to come down in the box to stop the run and help cover tight end Jason Witten, who was a favorite target for Prescott this preseason. Collins having a standout game in both areas could force Prescott into all the situations the Cowboys want to avoid in his first NFL start.
New England at Arizona: Cardinals LB Deone Bucannon
The Arizona defense is loaded with stars, but don’t forget about Bucannon. The Patriots are heading west without Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, which means New England will likely have to lean on its running game and intermediate passing game. Bucannon and his heat-seeking abilities could really complicate things during Jimmy Garoppolo’s first ever start.
