The first quarter of the NFL season is in the books, which means it’s time to really see who are the contenders and pretenders moving forward. As we prepare for the first week of the second quarter, take a look at the must see games this weekend.

Seahawks at Bengals (1:00 EST) – After starting off 0-2, the reigning two-time NFC champions appear to be back on proper footing. However, Seattle is set to visit the unbeaten Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati leads the NFL in offensive touchdowns, which will present a major challenge for Seattle’s prideful defensive unit. As of right now, Seattle are the underdogs heading into Sunday and safety Earl Thomas isn’t too fond of that.

“We’re the underdog?” Thomas stressed. “I don’t know. Who said we were the underdog?”

The matchup between A.J. Green and Richard Sherman will go a long way in telling which team comes out victorious.

Bills at Titans (1:00 EST) – Rex Ryan’s defense is built to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortbale, so you could only imagine how badly this unit is itching to get into the head of rookie Marcus Mariota. 

“I don’t think the kid is going to have his way with us,” Ryan stated. “I don’t think that is going to happen.”

Fortunately for Tennessee, they’ve had two weeks to prepare for this stout defense.

Saints at Eagles (1:00 EST) – Typically a contest between two 1-3 teams wouldn’t be labeled as ‘intriguing’, but this is a rare case. New Orleans didn’t enter the season with huge expectations, but you can never fully count out a Drew Brees led team.

“He is one of the all-time great quarterbacks to play in this league,” Chip Kelly stated.

On the flip side, for Philadelphia to be in this position so early is a huge disappointment. The loser of this game can kiss their dismal playoff aspirations goodbye.

Patriots at Cowboys (4:25 EST) – When the NFL schedule was released, this was one of the games football fans saved in their smart phones. Unfortunately, with Tony Romo and Dez Bryant out this game lost a lot of its luster…. or did it?

Cowboys pass rusher Greg Hardy is fresh off his 4-game suspension and he’s already back in the headlines. 

“I love seeing Tom Brady, he’s cool as crap,” Hardy explained. “Have you seen his wife? I hope she comes to the game. I hope her sister comes to the game, all her friends come to the game. One of my favorite games of the year, guys.”

I’m sure Brady doesn’t need any added motivation, but Hardy may have just given it to him.

Broncos at Raiders (4:25 EST) – There’s always bad blood when these two meet, but this time around feels different because Oakland finally appears to be a formidable opponent.

Having said that, the undefeated Broncos are coming into this matchup with tons of swagger on the defensive side of the ball. If Oakland wants any chance of pulling off the upset, Derek Carr will have to figure out how to defeat Denver’s super talented secondary.

“They have good players, they have a lot of depth, and they just rotate them in and out,” Carr said when speaking on the Broncos secondary.  “They just keep them fresh, they keep them coming that way. They’ve done a great job up until this point and I’m sure they’ll continue to.”

It’ll be interesting to see if Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are able to shake free.

Steelers at Chargers (8:30 EST) – After their heartbreaking defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers are itching to rebound, but in order for that to happen, Pittsburgh must figure out a way to slow down Philip Rivers.

It won’t be easy, however, as the Chargers are always a tough team to beat at home.

Rivers is off to another great start with a quarterback rating of 105.3.