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NFL Week 1: What you should watch for

By Matt Verderame

Nov 16, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; A general view of footballs with a salute to service logo prior to the game between the St. Louis Rams and the Denver Broncos at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; A general view of footballs with a salute to service logo prior to the game between the St. Louis Rams and the Denver Broncos at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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On Thursday night, the National Football League’s regular season kicks off with the New England Patriots hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. It will be a celebration and frustration for many NFL fans, who will be happy to see real football back, but very unhappy to be celebrating Tom Brady and the Deflategate boys.

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Following that contest, there will be 13 games played on Sunday and another pair on Monday night, with the doubleheader to go off with the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Atlanta Falcons, followed by the Minnesota Vikings at the San Francisco 49ers.

Throughout Week 1, here are five things you should be watching:

1. Can Pittsburgh stop anybody?

The Steelers were brutal all preseason on defense. They continually got torched under new defensive coordinator Keith Butler in their Cover 2 scheme, leading to huge plays all over the field. Can this remade group show up or is this about to be a long year in the Steel City?

2. Can the Eagles continue their point-a-minute offense?

Philadelphia has been otherworldly in the preseason, scoring almost every time it has had the ball. Sam Bradford has looked nothing short of Joe Montana, and the defense has been stout. The Eagles should beat the Falcons on the road. The question is how impressive do they look?

3. How does Peyton Manning look?

The Broncos have an entirely different offense with head coach Gary Kubiak running the show. Peyton Manning thought about retirement in the offseason but came back and has struggled throughout the preseason. Can the future first-ballot Hall of Famer get rolling early on?

4. The Tyrod Taylor Experience

The Buffalo Bills have high hopes this season, and much of that rests on Tyrod Taylor. Taylor is getting his first shot at being the starting quarterback after beating out EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel. On Sunday, he faces Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. Can he pull off the upset?

5. Legion of Boom?

The Seahawks are looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the third straight year, but might have a different look in the secondary. Byron Maxwell is now with the Eagles and strong safety Kam Chancellor is holding out, hoping to get his contract torn up and replaced by gold. Can the Seahawks still be dominant in the back end?

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