Top Matchups: Week 4

By: Matt

3. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Diego Chargers

This rematch of last years AFC Divisional Playoff game features two of the most interesting teams in the AFC. The Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII despite having the toughest schedule in the league. This year’s version of the Steelers seems to lack the clutch that brought last year’s team to the Super Bowl and to victory. Last year the Steelers were a team defined by their ability to make a late, game-winning drive. In two opportunities this year they have fallen short both times. The Steelers have also lost their ability to run the football, the traditional definition of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chargers are also a team lacking their traditional identity. For years the Chargers have been defined as LaDainian Tomlinson’s team, this year he has missed 2 games and was on the bench when his backup scored the go ahead touchdown late in week 1. The Chargers are now Phillip Rivers’ team and have shown that their passing offense is one of the leagues best. The Chargers have been playing good football recently and would clearly like revenge for their loss in last year’s playoffs. The Steelers are desperate for a win and will look to get back to .500 by beating the early season Super Bowl favorites. This game will likely be a shootout and the winner could be decided by whichever defense steps up and makes the big plays.

2. Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers

This will mark the first time that Brett Favre will play against the team with which he spent over a decade. Last week Favre showed that he still has the magic that made him beloved in Green Bay by throwing the go-ahead touchdown with just 2 seconds remaining. Green Bay has been up and down this year, dissembling the division rival Bears before falling to a seemingly weak Cincinnati squad. Aaron Rodgers would love the chance to prove that he is better than Brett Favre in a head-to-head matchup, but this game will revolve around Adrian Peterson. The consensus best running back in football was slowed down in San Francisco and will look to rebound against a Green Bay defense that has been solid, despite having changed to a 3-4 system this off-season. If Peterson is able to run effectively the Vikings should win this game and reach 4-0, if not, this game could again come down to Brett Favre’s being able to lead the Vikings late in the game. This game will likely be decided by the ground game, whichever team can run the football effectively should be able to win.

1. New Orleans Saints vs. New York Jets

The top matchup of week four features a battle between two of the league’s remaining undefeated teams. The Jets fell just short of the playoffs last year but under rookie Head Coach Rex Ryan the team has featured one of the leagues most stifling defenses. The Jets have beaten the Patriots, Titans, and Texans, none of who were under .500 last year and all of whom have offenses that can explode on any given Sunday. Rookie Quarterback Mark Sanchez has been simply amazing, making good decisions and serving as the team’s primary offensive playmaker in 2009. While the Jets feature an elite defense, the New Orleans Saints offense has been unbelievable this year. Quarterback Drew Brees is averaging 3 touchdowns per game and the Saints finally appear to have a running game – power backs Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas have each wowed with former #2 draft pick Reggie Bush providing a spark off the bench. The Saints defense has not been particularly impressive, allowing the Lions to score 28 points in week 1 and giving up over 300 passing yards to Eagles backup signal caller Kevin Kolb. Despite their defensive weakness the Saints appear capable of outscoring any team in the league. This game will likely be decided by whichever of these two elite groups is able to better the other. If the Saints offense is able to continue scoring at will the Jets rookie led offense will never keep up, however, if the Jets are able to stop Drew Brees and the Saints, New Orleans’ defense has yet to prove that they can make game-breaking plays. In the end, nobody can know who will win, we can only hope for 60 minutes of great entertainment.

Top Matchups: Week 3

By: Matt

3. Arizona Cardinals vs. Indianapolis Colts

This primetime matchup features two former playoff teams and two of the most potent offenses in the NFL. After rocky starts in week 1 both the Colts and Cardinals showed fans in week two that there offensive dominance is still present. The Cardinals feature two of the league’s best receivers, Anquan Boldin and playoff phenom Larry Fitzgerald, while the Colts offense is lead by reigning MVP Peyton Manning and a young receiving core. Both of these teams feature high powered passing attacks, but neither team is particularly adept at running the football. In week 2 Arizona showed that sophomore tailback Tim Hightower may be able to carry some of the load, and if the young runner can keep the ball away from Peyton Manning and the Colts that would be a tremendous help to an average Cardinals defense. The Colts will have elite safety Bob Sanders on Sunday Night and when Sanders plays the Colts are a much more successful defensive team. Ultimately, this game will likely be a shootout decided by a big play on defense or an unexpected ability of either of these teams to run the football.

2. Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers

In this game two of the remaining undefeated teams in football will face off. Both of these NFC clubs feature dominant defenses and high-powered running games. Last week both Adrian Peterson, now clearly entrenched as the best running back in football, and Frank Gore, the leading rusher in week 2, showed their dominance and carried their teams to victory. In this game both rushers will face a much greater challenge in trying to get past much stronger defenses. 49ers Middle Linebacker Patrick Willis is one of the best young defenders in football and the Vikings mammoth defensive line always shuts down the running game. This game will likely be decided by the passing attack, something that the Vikings bolstered by signing Brett Favre during this pre-season. After two weeks of managing the game this week could offer fans a chance to see Brett Favre really throw the football for the first time in 2009.

1. New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans

This game features two of the biggest surprise teams of 2009. The Jets, after falling short of the playoffs in 2008 and firing their coach and quarterback in the offseason, have been simply dominant early this year. The Jets dismantled a Texans team with high expectations in week 1 and shocked the Patriots in week 2. Rookie Quarterback Mark Sanchez has looked great and the unconventional methods and stifling defense of Rex Ryan have produced success. The Titans, the team with the best record in the regular season in 2008, are already halfway to their loss total from last year. Despite valiant efforts against both the reigning champion Pittsburgh Steelers and upstart Houston Texans, the Titans are now 0-2 and facing a do-or-die game in the Meadowlands (no team has ever won a Super Bowl after starting a year 0-3). The Titans rushing attack was phenomenal in Houston, but the Jets defense is much stronger and if they can stop the lighting quick Chris Johnson, spellback LenDale White has been almost absent through two weeks of the 2009 season. The Titans defense could be the group to finally make Mark Sanchez look like a rookie, but the young signal caller has made smart decisions thus far and has shown no reason to expect otherwise. Tennessee is clearly better than their record, but this game could be the final test for a Jets team trying to prove that they are legitimate contenders.

The New Big Ben

By: Matt

In 2004 the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted a young quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft. They never expected their young signal caller to start that year, but early injuries to incumbent Tommy Maddox thrust a young Ben Roethlisberger into a starting role. That year Roethlisberger was fantastic, he took the reigns of a team that already had a dominant defense and future Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis. Under Roethlisberger the Steelers were unstoppable and made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game before suffering their first loss. The next year Roethlisberger took his team to a Super Bowl victory. At the time, Roethlisberger was not seen as an elite passer or offensive weapon, he was a young game manager, and not someone who was going to lead the league’s best passing offense. Roethlisberger was not particularly successful in the Super Bowl, in fact, many argue the Steelers won inspite of, and not because of, their young quarterback. Five years later, the public opinion of Roethlisberger has changed, and his story appears to be unfolding again.

In 2008 the Baltimore Ravens were a team attempting to return to prior greatness. In the past they were a team with a dominant running game and elite defense. They were also a team with absolutely no stability at the quarterback position. Since 1999 the Ravens have starter more quarterbacks than seasons, none was particularly successful. That year the Ravens, much like the Steelers in 2004, had drafted a young quarterback in the first round. Joe Flacco was seen as a player with great size and arm strength who was not yet ready to be the team’s starting quarterback. Incumbent, and former first round bust, Kyle Boller was on the injured reserve, but his former backup and college superstar Troy Smith was expected to start on opening day. Unfortunately, Smith fell ill just prior to the start of the season and the lingering effects of a bad flu forced Flacco into the role of opening day starter. Just like Roethlisberger before him, the big young quarterback had tremendous success. Flacco did not throw for an exceptional number of touchdowns, but he made few mistakes and allowed a Ravens team with a strong running game and defensive legend Ray Lewis to win football games (something they had been unable to do the previous year). Like Roethlisberger, Flacco took his team to the AFC Championship game, where they fell, to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers went on to win Super Bowl XLIII and in his second big game Roethlisberger was an offensive playmaker, leading his team on a scoring drive with less than two minutes to come from behind and win.

This season, Big Ben has continued to look like a franchise quarterback, and his even bigger divisional rival has started to throw touchdowns, a lot of touchdowns. Just as Ben Roethlisberger emerged as a true leader in 2005, Joe Flacco appears to be doing the same in 2009. Whether Big Joe will ultimately achieve the same early career success as Big Ben is impossible to predict, but what is obvious is that in the NFL, history can repeat itself and the re-run is always just as sweet.

MLB Where Art Thou?

By: Jake

It's late September and usually the playoff talk in the MLB is heating up and you can feel he excitement in the air, but this year has a totally different feeling. The parity that we see in the NFL is quite different from the lack thereof we see in the MLB. The division races are usually causing fans to get t each others throats and yell some not o nice words at each other, but this year theres nothing to argue about. The divisin races are all all but decided with the AL Central having the closest difference at 3 games. Texas is 8 behind Anaheim, Boston is a full 5 games behind New York, and as I said before Minnesota is 3 games behind Detroit. Where is the entertainment and excitement? We want intensity and at least a few meaningful games in the 9th month of the year.

The NL is no different, if not worse. The Phillies are almost done clinching the division as they stand 8 games above Flordia and Atlanta. The Cardinals have been on a tear since their mid season team change where they changed a full one third of their starting line up and stand a comfortable 10 games above the disappointing Cubs. The ever-silent Dodgers are 5 games ahead of the Rockies in th NL West. MLB, if this isn't a sign that something like the cap system that is implemented in almost every other league, then I don't know what is. Please take this scare of no competition as a warning of what could happen in the future and get working on something to keep the smaller markets like Milwaukee and Kansas City competitve.

Back to my main point, the only thing we see on TV right now that generates any ratings or interest is football, notice a trend? NFL's parity and i'm sure Matt can explain this has made it pass MLB as America's favorite game. If the MLB wants that title back it needs to take a look around.

My Prediction of the Jets season

By: Chris

Originally, before the season started, I had the "incumbent" New England Patriots atop my AFC East preview to win the division. Yet, as the season approached, and as I sat there watching the Jets absolutely dominate the Texans, this team really grew on me. I won't lie, I already had a quasi-man crush on Mark Sanchez, but this further confirmed this notion.

The Jets have a beautiful recipe for success. A stout running game, featuring a smash and dash duo with speedy Leon Washington, and power back Thomas Jones. Sanchez has proved to be extremely poised in the pocket, never putting the ball in danger, and acting as an amazing game manager. Defensively, the Jets are stacked on the line, and their LB core makes me drool. Their secondary is great as well with shutdown corner Darrel Revis (absolutely quieted Randy Moss) and the smack-talking Kerry Rhodes. Yet, the Jets backed it up, and served the Patriots on Sunday. Credit has to go to defensive genius, now head coach, Rex Ryan (who was seemingly dissed by the extremely unclassy Bill Bellichik in post-game hand shakes). Not only did he bring over stud Bart Scott, but he brought some fire for the Jets D, something they had been lacking over previous years. They are for sure one of the best defenses not only in the AFC but the whole league.

Now, you do not have to believe me, but Matt can justify this. My prediction was that the Jets would not only win the game against the Pats but also win the division (yes, going against my previous prediction, but he can vouch for me). Many Pats fans called me delirious, hoping for something that would never happen, and a New York homer. Look what happened.. might as well call me the NFL Nostradamus.

This Jets team is absolutely legit. Great pass rush, amazing talent on all three levels on the defensive side of the field, and a stout offense with a poised young man leading the charge. Look out, AFC, because the Jets are a threat. I am in love with this team, and don't see many things to dislike. I really look for them to break out this year, stun the Patriots, and snag the AFC East crown. Renewed prediction: 12-4 or 11-5

Plaxico Who?

The game this past Sunday night was an absolute show, not only for Giants and Cowboys fans, but NFL fans as a whole. Witnessing the opening of one of our time's most impressive architectural buildings, Cowboys Stadium, was absolutely breath-taking. The average New York Giant hater figured this to be a prime place for the so called "weakness" of the WR core to be exposed. This has widely been the topic of discussion across the league, especially considering the fact that after star WR Plaxico Burress went out last season, QB Eli Manning failed to hook up with any WR for a touchdown in the latter weeks and playoff games last season.

So much for that. USC product Steve Smith and rising star Mario Manningham combined for an impressive 20 catches, 250+ yards, quieting the doubts, and further proving that this team can win without their pass rush or dominant rushing attack. Jacobs and Bradshaw were virtually shut-down, and the Giants failed to sack Romo throughout the whole game. Eli Manning found a way to win the game, no doubt with the help of his WRs. Manningham made a variety of catches throughout the night, including his now signature move in which Eli dishes him the ball right after the snap, giving Super Mario the opportunity to iso the cornerback, usually ending up with at least a 10 yard gain after several missed tackles and jukes. Also, Manning hooked up with Manningham on a beautiful fade route late in the game. Lacking confidence? I don't think so.

Smith looked like a great possession receiver, making nice leaps and throwing a ridiculous move on Scandrick, leaving the Dallas D frozen to put the Giants ahead in the 4th quarter. To start off the game, he made two great catches, continuing the Giants march down field. Throughout the off-season, Eli stressed the confidence he had in his WRs, and although there is no distinct number one, this looks to be a great group of guys, with huge upside. Hixon, who left the game early with an injury, does not have to be the forced #1 at all anymore. If anything, he has dropped in the recent depth chart, which ultimately means nothing with Coughlin. They will continue to throw a mix of the great possession and route running Steve Smith, and the flashy and speedy Mario Manningham.

As a Giants fan, I am very excited to see these young guns develop and further flourish with Eli Manning. Looks like we have found a great QB to WR connection for years to come...

9 Remain, Whos For Real?

By: Jake

There are still 9 teams undefeated going into tonight MNF game (Colts vs. Dolphins) and some are surprises and some were very much expected. Being that it the beginning of a new season with new Head Coaches, new QBs, and new stadiums (Dallas).

New York Jets: This team seems to be a legitimate contender early in the season as Mark Sanchez has been as good as advertised throwing for 2 TDs and only 1 INT through 2 games. This goes along with his 435 passing yards and just above 60% completion percentage. Sanchez hasnt been the only bright spot for the Jets as their Defene has shined allowing only 8 points per game so far even after playing the historic offense that is Tom Brady and Randy Moss. CB Darrelle Revis has been shut down for the Jets at CB and already has 1 INT. LB David Harris is playing lights out at LB and leads the team with 16 tackles. This is definitely a team to look out for come December and later on.

Baltimore Ravens: This is somewhat of a surprise, at least to me. I was one of the few who was unimpressed with Flacco after last year,thinking that he heavily benefited from a stout Defense and strong running game. However, Flaco has proved me wrong so far this year throwing 5 TDs and only 2 INTs with the mediocre WR corps he has. RB Ray Rice has surprise a lot of people with his play so far rushing 27 times and achieving a 5.3 ypc. The defense however has not been its normal self while allowing only 41 yards per game on the ground, they've given up and astounding 290 ypg through the air. Ed Reed can't do it all I guess and Fabian Washington and Dominique Foxworth need to step up come playoff time.

Indianapolis Colts: A close game against a seemingly poor Jaguars team has me worried about the Colts. (I'd love to see them fail though) Anthony Gonzalez's injury will be a huge test for Peyton Manning. He's never not had 2 legitimate HOF receivers at his disposal, not to mention a solid offensive line to protect him. The defense has its problems with the run but that will subside a little once Bob Sanders returns, even though he'll be hurt before long after that. I haven't seen enough to make a snap decision on the Colts yet.

Denver Broncos: Oh Denver, how did this happen? You come up with one of the luckiest plays you'll ever see against one of the worst teams, and then spank the Browns. Are they legitimate? No way, everyone including the Broncos fans are amazed that they've even won 2 games this year. How the Titans are 0-2 and this team is 2-0 is mind boggling. San Diego, if you dont win this division it's gonna be one of the most embarrassing things to happen in a while.

New York Giants: Both NY teams are undefeated and its a tough decision to choose which is better. I'm not a big fan of the Giants WR corps and while they have been productive so far, I'm skeptical to say the least that they can keep up what they've been doing, after all, its Mario Manningham and Steve Smith (not the good one). The defense will keep them alive and at a contender status

Minnesota Vikings: Any team with AD Adrian Peterson is a contender and it only gets better when you look at that Defense with both Williams at DT, Antoine Winfield at CB, and Jared Allen rushing the passer. If you can somehow score against them, rookie Percy Harvin has already made his prescense felt catching 2 TDs. Opposite him is Bernard Berrian who's already a proven commodity. Bret Favre seems to have all the poise he needs to be successful in this system and really a proven QB was really all that was missing from last year. Vikings: Contender, not pretender

Atlanta Falcons: The addition of Tony Gonzalez has done wonders for this team and it gives Matt Ryan a quick option if things break down and players like Roddy White can't get open. The offense also has the weapon that is Michael Turner. Turner is a premier RB in the league who can carry the team on his shoulders if need be. The defense has star DE John Abraham and a few ex Jaguars who have already joined ex Jaguar DC Mike Smith and have made an instant impact. Brian Williams has recorded an INT already and Mike Peterson ahs recovered a fumble

New Orleans Saints: Everyone knew this team would make the playoffs this year. By finishing in last in that division last year, they set themselves up perfectly since ever since the NFC South has existed, the last place team from the year before either won the division the next year or made the playoffs as a wild card. This team can be summed up in two words: Drew Brees. He will carry this team as far as he can anf if they want it to be further than the first round, players like Malcom Jenkins and Will Smith will ahve to stop the opposing offense every once and a while.

San Fransisco 49ers: The 49ers are a surpise but kinda not. Evryone knew about Patrick Willis and Frank Gore, but no one really had faith in the receeiving corps or Shaun Hill. All has ben forgiven by 9ers fans as this 2-0 start could not have gone any better for them. Beating the defending NFC champs in Arizona week 1 and beating division rival eattle in week 2 will go a looooong way in how the playoff seeding will look come december.

Top Matchups: Week 2

By: Matt

3. San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks

These two division rivals both shocked the NFL with week one victories. The 49ers came away with a narrow victory over the Arizona Cardinals, 2008’s surprise Super Bowl contender and decisive NFC West winner. The Cardinals were a team expected to have one of the NFL’s most unstoppable offenses, but instead it was the 49ers defense that dominated the field. Under Head Coach Mike Singletary the Niners are above .500 and have played very solid football. While many people consider the 49ers a dark horse playoff candidate, the Seattle Seahawks were once the dominant force in 2007. Over the last five years no team has been more dominant within their division than the Seatle Seahawks, a team led by elite runner Shaun Alexander and young quarterback Matt Hasslebeck. The Seahawks of today are not quite the tema they used to be: Mike Holmgren, the man who assembled the 2005 NFC Champions, is no longer the head coach and Shaun Alexander has quickly fallen from grace and retired from football. Despite their losses, the Seahawks were considered the best team in their division in 2008. Injuries quickly derailed the team but this year they are healthy and dominated the Saint Louis Rams in week one. This week’s matchup again features a powerful defense and a great offense. One can expect both some big offensive plays from Seattle and even bigger hits from San Francisco’s stingy defense. Whichever team wins this game may come down to a battle between the 49ers offense and Seahawks defense, two of the weaker groups in the league this year. The results of this game could prove decisive in ultimately deciding the winner in one of the NFL’s tightest and now most unpredictable divisions.

2. San Diego Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens

This week 2 matchup features two AFC playoff teams from 2008 that struggled in victories in week 1. San Diego came back in the fourth quarter to defeat division rival Oakland in a Monday Night showdown. The Chargers offense flourished, but former MVP LaDainian Tomlinson sat on the bench while Darren Sproles scored the game-winning touchdown for the Bolts. Tomlinson may not be washed up yet, but it is hard to imagine that he will have much success against a Ravens defense that is one of the best in the league. San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers will need to play his best against the Ravens if his team hopes to win. Against Oakland the Chargers run defense seemed notably porous, something that was particularly chilling to fans of a team that featured the league’s second worst pass defense in 2008. Baltimore, much like San Diego, struggled in week 1, but came away with a victory over the lowly Kansas City Chiefs. Baltimore will likely look to exploit the poor run defense that Oakland exposed on Monday night with the three-headed running monster of Ray Rice, LeRon McClain, and Willis McGahee. While both of these teams made the playoffs last year, week one showed that the NFL may better understand these two one-sided clubs this year. This game could prove important in AFC playoff berths and will also feature some of the league’s biggest playmakers both on offense and defense.

1. Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants

The top matchup of week one is a prime-time matchup between two bitter division rivals. In week one the Dallas Cowboys dominated the Buccaneers in Tampa and quarterback Tony Romo reminded the world that in the spring he is still one of the league’s elite signal callers. This week the Cowboys will show the world their $1 Billion Stadium and 60 yard video monitor that has become the source of much pre-season controversy. Dallas would like to open up their new stadium with a key win over the Giants, but New York’s defense dominated the Redskins in week one and the Giants proved that they could win games without Plaxico Burress. These two teams are two of the NFL’s most talented and either one, along with the Philadelphia Eagles, could easily win this division. IF both of these teams play in week 2 the quality of football they showed in week 1, this Sunday Night Special will easily prove to be the highlight of week 2. Come December this game could be critical in deciding the NFC Playoff Race, for now it is simply a showdown between two of the league’s most hated enemies.

Rebirth by the Bay?

By: Matt

In the history of the NFL, few teams have been as successful as the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. The Raiders, one of the original AFL franchises, has played in a Super Bowl in 4 of the 5 centuries the game has existed, winning 3 and playing in countless historic matchups along the way. During the early part of the current decade it appeared that the Raiders were ready to return to greatness after a lackluster 90’s; young Head Coach Jon Gruden took the team to the playoffs in 2001 and they made it to the Super Bowl the following year. Unfortunately for Oakland, age and poor management caught up the team quickly, plummeting the Raiders into the bottom of the NFL. Recently, the Silver and Black have been known for drafting speedy busts and double-digits in the loss column. Although the Raiders begun this season with a loss, their Monday Night performance against the division rival San Diego Chargers, a Super Bowl favorite in 2009, has many people thinking that one of sports most notorious franchises may be back. New Head Coach Tom Cable is a former offensive lineman determined to craft a team that can run the ball, play solid defense, and play fundamentally sound football. Last night, a Raiders team loaded with talent finally showed flashes of excellence: young running backs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush each ran for over 50 yards, most of which were gained by running directly into the heart of the San Diego defense. The Raiders offensive line created holes all day and Oakland was able to use time and methodically drive the ball. The Raiders defense, often a bright spot for the team, was relatively successful, holding the offensively potent Chargers to 24 total points and only 10 in the first 3 quarters. Oakland is still a young football team, but if last night was any indication, football fans might be seeing a lot more of the Oakland Raiders in the future.

The team that lives just across the bay from the Raiders has also fallen on hard times. In the 80’s and 90’s the San Francisco 49ers were the best team in football. They won 5 Super Bowl’s from 1981 to 1994, were a perennial playoff team, set numerous league records, both team and individual and both regular and post-season. The 49ers appeared to be a team that would never falter, they would simply remain dominant forever. Unfortunately, ownership change and sudden injuries to both Steve Young and Jerry Rice quickly took apart a rock solid franchise. Although Steve Mariucci and Jeff Garcia were able to preserve playoff berths and the West Coast offense, those trademarks of Bill Walsh and the 49ers of the past decades are now gone. In recent years the 49ers have been a team without a quarterback, 1^st overall pick Alex Smith was a tremendous bust and only journeymen such as J.T. O’Sullivan have started in his absences. Last year the team fired their Head Coach and replaced him with a football legend: Mike Singletary. Singletary, a Hall of Fame middle linebacker and former Ravens assistant is one of the best young coaches in the league, he was a linebackers coach to both Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis, and his defense has become one of the NFL’s most talented and well coached. Under Singletary the Niners are 6-4, including a loss in his premiere as an interim coach. The new-look-Niners are a team with a dominant defense lead by Willis and cornerback Nate Clements, a pro-bowl caliber runner in Frank Gore, and a passing game that should be able to pick up the necessary yards. Although the Niners lack the big-name talent of many other teams, they have continued to win games and against strong opponents. In their first game this year the 49ers held Larry Fitzgerald and the high-flying Cardinals to just 16 points, intercepting quarterback Kurt Warner twice and sacking him three times. San Francisco, much like Oakland, plays in a notably weak division, and is a young team that looks ready to make a playoff run. While it is hard to predict the NFL, particularly after only one week, it would appear that these two once proud teams are ready to become prominent once again.

Top Matchups: Week 1

By: Matt

1. Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

This opening week matchup features two teams hated rivals with playoff aspirations. The Bears made, arguably, the biggest offseason move when they traded for Pro-Bowl Quarterback Jay Cutler, clearly the best passer to play for the Bears in over a decade. The Bears defense will likely remain powerful, but Green Bay’s offense is one of the most potent in the NFL. Green Bay Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has lived up to the expectations for the man who replaced Brett Favre and receiver Greg Jennings is one of the best young players in the NFL. Both of these teams are young and talented, and the outcome of this matchup could ultimately have a major impact on who ultimately wins the NFC North division crown (the Minnesota Vikings won last year).

2. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans

This year’s season Thursday Night Opener features the team with the best record in the AFC last season and the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Titans and Steelers are still regarded as playoff caliber teams and this matchup will give an early glimpse as to whether or not they can defend their accomplishments in 2008. Tennessee suffered a major loss when elite Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth left the team in Free Agency and joined the Washington Redskins. Haynesworth was a dominant player and it remains to be seen if the Titans dominant defense will remain effective without its best player. The Steelers will play without last year’s number 3 receivers Nate Washington, now a member of the opposing Titans, and may have to play without starting Linebacker Lawrence Timmons.

3. Carolina Panthers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

This matchup features the two teams that could have easily met in the NFC Championship game and two of the most talented offensive rosters in the NFL. The Eagles, who lost their 4^th NFC Championship in 8 years, added RB LeSean McCoy, WR Jeremy Maclin, FB Leonard Weaver, LT Jason Peters and now have a fully healthy Brian Westbrook. After struggling to run the ball last year the eagles now appear fully capable of hosting a dominant rushing attack, however, the opponent has a two headed rushing attack that features sophomore bruiser Jonathon Stewart and NFL TD leader DeAngelo Williams. Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme struggled mightily in last years NFC Divisional playoff game and his performance in week one could define both his future and the Panthers season: if Delhomme struggles the Panthers will likely struggle and may choose to replace their longtime signal caller. This matchup could likely be an offensive showdown and has the potential to be one of the most exciting games of the first week.