5 most important storylines from Week 1

With a busy NFL Week 1 ahead, there are a few storylines which will dominate. Here are five you have to be watching.

5. Are the Browns ready to be contenders?

Thins is going to be overblown by the national media regardless of the outcome, but it’s undoubtedly a storyline coming out of the weekend. If the Cleveland Browns can go into Arrowhead Stadium and beat the Kansas City Chiefs — or even hang in a really close game — we’ll here plenty of takes about how Cleveland is ready to challenge for a Super Bowl. Of course, a nasty loss and suddenly there will be questions about Baker Mayfield and the new-fangled defense.

4. Who’s second-best in the AFC East?

While most agree the Buffalo Bills are the favorites to win the AFC East (for a second straight year), the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins have minds split on who is the prime contender for second place. Luckily, the two teams square off in Foxboro on Sunday afternoon, with quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones battling it out after being teammates at Alabama. Whoever wins gets a quick jump on its main competition.

3. How good do the Rams look with Matthew Stafford?

Just about everybody seems think the Los Angeles Rams are going to blow out the Chicago Bears on Sunday night at SoFi Stadium. Los Angeles has a terrific defense led by corner Jalen Ramsey and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, while the offense has added veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford spent more than a decade with the Detroit Lions and hasn’t won a playoff game or division. Will that change in L.A.? We get out first look.

2. What do we see from the rookie quarterbacks?

We already mentioned Jones getting the start in New England, but there are two other rookie signal-callers making their NFL debuts. In Houston,  the Jacksonville Jaguars have Trevor Lawrence leading them against the Texans, while the New York Jets are rolling with Zach Wilson against the man he’s replacing in Sam Darnold and the Carolina Panthers. Which guy looks most up to the task out of the three, and which appears like he could use some more time?

1. Dak Prescott looks back to full health

We already saw the Dallas Cowboys, who lost on a last-second field goal to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Dallas lost, the main takeaway from the game was how good quarterback Dak Prescott looked after recurring and dislocating his ankle in Week 5 of last season. After throwing for 403 yards and almost upsetting the defending champs, Prescott is back in name and deed.