The Opening Weekend in the NFL

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
http://highheatnetwork.com/?p=500


It’s now back. The week every football fan has been waiting for. After a summer of doubt, and a short preseason of excitement, the 2011 NFL regular season is ONE day away! The season will feature an array of different storylines, such as whether stars Peyton Manning and Arian Foster can overcome injuries to lead their respective AFC teams. 2011 will also feature different questions. Will the Packers, behind Aaron Rodgers, repeat and bring the Lombardi trophy back to Green Bay? Can Rex Ryan and his determined Jets, finally back up their prediction of a Superbowl? Is it time for the up and coming Chiefs and Texans, to take the place of the steady and consistent Steelers and Ravens? And last but not least, is the self proclaimed, “Dream Team,” (Philadelphia Eagles), nothing but a dream? One thing is for certain; all questions and storylines will start to be addressed in Week 1. Here are some matchups that you need to keep an eye on.

It All Begins Again
2011 will start out tomorrow night with the former champs taking on the champs. The New Orleans Saints will head to Green Bay to take on Aaron Rodger’s Packers. The Packers finished off last season with the title belt, and will go for it once again. Drew Brees, after a “weird season for him”, type season, will try to bring his Saints back to where they belong. Even though the gloves will be on for a shootout in this one, the defensive side of the ball will be the deciding factor. Green Bay comes in with one of the top defenses in the league, while the Saints have been improving there year after year. Will Brees and his high powered offense steamroll the champs and bring them back to earth? Or will Aaron Rodgers continue his dominance over the dominant? This may be the best opening game ever in NFL history, get the chips and salsa ready.

1:00’s new school and old school
How about starting off your Sunday with the old school smash mouth matchup of Baltimore against Pittsburgh? The Steelers come into this season as the AFC Champions, and an interesting offseason debacle. Big Ben was not in the spotlight, but his main target and top defender were. Linebacker James Harrison called out his teammates after a terrible showing in the title game. He put the blame on everyone but himself it seemed. Hines Ward was charged with a DUI, and was in the papers for a long time. It is now time to see if all is forgotten, or if the legacy of team ball is finally crushed. Ray Lewis and his boys are ready and suited up for another season, as the Ravens were quiet in the offseason. The major news was that Ricky Williams joined the club, while Willis McGahee was sent packing. After years of solid play, and little to show for it recently, Baltimore is running out of time for a title due to age on the defensive end. With all of this going on, still expect these rival teams to play physically when the whistle is blown in Baltimore at one o’clock.

How could we forget about the new school? After years of disappointment the Detroit Lions may have found the puzzle pieces to compete in one of the most dangerous divisions in the NFL. The Lions finally seem set of defense after years of tarnish, while the offense will be reliant of the health of young Matt Stafford. If Stafford stays healthy, then you may see Calvin Johnson set records, not to mention the emergence of young Running back Javid Best. Their opponent isn’t too shabby themselves. Tampa Bay made an amazing effort last season, just to come up short in a division filled with talent. The team is led by vocal and young leader Josh Freeman, who was the first to bring his team together during the lockout. Starving for greatness, Freeman will try and lead a Bucs squad back to playoff country. With a strong Tight End in Kellen Winslow, and a cocky steamroller in LaGarrette Blount, the Bucs have a shot. This matchup will feature two of the best young talents under center, a must see on the flat screen TV.


The Night Trio
The Sunday night game followed by the double header on Monday will be nothing short of interesting. The first Sunday night football game of the year will feature two Eastern division hopefuls, looking for a way to the championship. The Dallas Cowboys will visit the New York Jets for the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The Cowboys enter the year as one of the many battling the Eagles for the top spot, while the Jets are starting their quest back to the AFC Championship game. Dallas will finally have Quarterback Tony Romo back under center, after getting injured early last season. New York will return with mostly familiar faces, but a new and improved receiving core for leader Mark Sanchez. The additions of Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason could be what bring the Jets all the way, but Dallas with Dez Bryant and Miles Austin is something to write home about. Get ready for fireworks Sunday night.

Fireworks on Sunday will be followed by a duet explosion Monday night. The first AFC East matchup of the year features the elite New England Patriots, taking on the concerned-filled Miami Dolphins. New England comes in with some new faces, but also without some key contributors. Chad Ochocinco will fill the void of that, “known number one receiver talent,” in the depth chart, and will welcome troubled Albert Haynesworth to an already stacked defensive line. These same Patriots though will be without the likes of return man Brandon Tate, pro bowl safety Branden Meriweather, and sack leader from last season Tully Banta-Cain. Even without these guys, New England fans know that in Tom Brady, they will have another strong season. On the other side of the ball, Miami has concerns in all aspects of their team. The major notables are the most important pieces of the offense, Quarterback and Running back. Chad Henne will likely be the guy and not happily by any means. Untrustworthy and erratic are the first words that come to mind. In the backfield, Miami said goodbye to long time Dolphin Ronnie Brown, and said hello to Reggie Bush. Bush, who is injury prone to say the least, will have to return to USC form for Miami to have any sort of success. Expect your first blow out of the year in this one folks.

Oakland and Denver will also be on display Monday night. The main storylines here are what Oakland will do after a success last year, and how long will it be till Denver realizes Kyle Orton is for real. All offseason and preseason the buzz around Denver is Tim Tebow. Tebow was never starting the regular season as the number one QB, but it was also unknown that he could be the number three. Kyle Orton has secured his spot as the top QB in Denver, but whether Brady Quinn or Tebow will be his backup. Pretty pathetic that the battle for backup is the top news coming out of Elwayville. Oakland’s top news was losing their feature defensive player, and gaining a troubled QB, Tyrelle Pryor, in the supplemental draft. This game will be of interest for some, but the real news will come in a few weeks.