| Thursday, Sep. 10, 2009 | ||
| Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers | ||
 26 | The last time these teams met, Titans QB Kerry Collins threw for 215 yards and a touchdown. Ben Roethlisberger threw two interceptions and also fumbled four times. Tennessee clinched the No. 1 seed in AFC. The Titans will test the Steelers' defense with Chris Johnson and LenDale White. Roethlisberger must limit his mistakes and the Steelers will have to run the football effectively. Result: Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Tennessee Titans 10 | |
 20 | ||
| Sunday, Sep. 13, 2009 | ||
| Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | ||
 24 | Last year, Tony Romo passed for 3,448 yards and 26 touchdowns and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach as the only Dallas quarterbacks to post consecutive seasons with at least 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. Byron Leftwich, who was drafted No. 7 overall by Jacksonville in 2003. He is entering his seventh NFL season and first with the Buccaneers after being a member of the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cowboys' running backs are the strength of the team and this should be the edge to winning the game. Result: Dallas Cowboys 34, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21 | |
 23 | ||
| Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints | ||
 27 | Rookie QB Matthew Stafford, who was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, will face the Saints defense. The Lions gave up a total of 52 sacks in 2008, which could be the key to the Saints' success in this game. Saints QB Drew Brees became the second player in NFL history to reach the 5,000-yard mark when he passed for a league-high 5,069 yards last year (Dan Marino 5,084). The Saints offense could find success against a Lions' defense ranked No. 32 in total defense. Result: New Orleans Saints 45, Detroit Lions 27 | |
 17 | ||
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts | ||
 31 | David Garrard Shed nearly 20 pounds this offseason in the hopes to be more elusive and mobile in the pocket. Injuries crippled the offensive line last year, so that should improve this season. The defense needs to get more pressure on the quarterback, so players like defensive end Derrick Harvey will have to step up. Jim Caldwell moves up from quarterbacks coach to replace Tony Dungy. The Colts drafted Donald Brown to improve the running game, which led to early exit in the playoffs last year. The Colts also focused on improving the size on the defensive line to stop the run, which will be a key factor in winning this game. Result: Indianapolis Colts 14, Jacksonville Jaguars 12 | |
 21 | ||
| NY Jets at Houston Texans | ||
 27 | Mark Sanchez, who went fifth overall in the 2009 NFL draft, will be the starter against Houston. The Jets' defense will be lead by former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. Expectations for the Texans have been building since training camp. Matt Schaub led the NFL’s third-ranked offense in 2008 and passed for a career-high 3,043 passing yards. Schaub will look to utilize WR Andre Johnson, especially on quick passes to avoid the blitz. Result: Houston Texans 7, NY Jets 24 | |
 24 | ||
| Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns | ||
 28 | After all of the waffling, Brett Favre became a Viking and will make his first career start for Minnesota on Sunday, which will be his 270th consecutive start, believed to be tied for the longest starting streak in NFL history with Jim Marshall (Marshall started 270 games in a row for Minnesota from 1961-79). As long as Favre doesn't go back to his gunslinger ways and try to force the ball into coverage, the Vikings should be able to run the ball and control the clock. Browns first-year head coach Eric Mangini still hasn't announced who the starting QB will be, but most people feel the Browns have a better chance to win game with Brady Quinn. The Browns will have to rely upon special teams and turnovers to keep this one close. Result: Minnesota Vikings 34, Cleveland Browns 20 | |
 26 | ||
| Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals | ||
 24 | Kyle Orton, who was acquired by the Broncos from the Bears, is looking to build on what he accomplished in Chicago. Orton set career-highs with 272 completions, 2,972 yards and 18 touchdowns with Chicago in 2008. Bengals QB Carson Palmer only played four games in 2008 due to a right elbow injury, but he appears ready to start the season. Palmer, who tossed a career and franchise-high 4,131 passing yards in 2007, aims to reach 4,000 passing yards for the third time in the past four seasons. Result: Cincinnati Bengals 7, Denver Broncos 12 | |
 23 | ||
| Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers | ||
 28 | The Eagles finished last season with a 9-6-1 record and advanced to NFC Championship Game for fifth time in ten seasons under head coach Andy Reid. Donovan McNabb set single-season franchise records last year in attempts (571), completions (345) and yards (3,916). Since the team added offensive weapons such as LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick, the expectations are high. The Panthers won the NFC South last season with a 12-4 record. Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart has an Achilles injury and is listed as questionable for this game. If the ground game struggles, it could be bad news for Jake Delhomme against the Eagles' aggressive defense. Result: Philadelphia Eagles 38, Carolina Panthers 10 | |
 27 | ||
| Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens | ||
 26 | The Chiefs are coming off a bad season with a record of 2-14. The Chiefs could get off to a slow start behind new head coach Todd Haley and Matt Cassel, who won't have the same weapons or offensive line he had in New England. The Ravens will rely on their defense to create turnovers and put the offense in position to score. Ravens S Ed Reed recorded nine interceptions last season. Result: Baltimore Ravens 38, Kansas City Chiefs 24 | |
 14 | ||
| Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons | ||
 27 | The Dolphins and Falcons are coming off 11 and 5 seasons, where both teams made it into the playoffs. Miami's success was centered around the Wild Cat formation. Falcons' QB Matt Ryan threw for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, but he also threw 11 interceptions. The Falcons hope that tight end Tony Gonzalez, who was acquired from Kansas City, can give Atlanta the edge as Ryan's new redzone target. Result: Atlanta Falcons 19, Miami Dolphins 7 | |
 23 | ||
| St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks | ||
 23 | The Steve Spagnuolo era starts with cutting the likes of Orlando Pace, Torry Holt, Trent Green and Corey Chavous. The Rams must improve on defense after ranking No. 19 against the pass last season, which is misleading, since many opponents were able to resort to running out the clock early in the game. The Seahawks believe they are better served having Edgerrin James back up Julius Jones, and want to run the ball to create balance offensively. The Seahawks will test the Rams' rush defense and spread the ball around off play-action. Result: Seattle Seahawks 28, St. Louis Rams 0 | |
 14 | ||
| Washington Redskins at NY Giants | ||
 21 | The Redskins signed former Giants quarterback Andre Woodson and by the reaction from the Giants, it's clear that Woodson has information about the opening game. Now, the Giants are forced to make changes in case Woodson shared their calls, checks and ideas with his new team. The Giants still have the upper hand in this matchup though because of the quarterback. Eli Manning passed for 3,238 yards and 21 touchdowns last year to earn his first career Pro Bowl berth. Redskins QB Jason Campbell still has a long way to go, but he had a career year last season, completing 315 of 506 passes (62.3 percent) for 3,245 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. Result: NY Giants 23, Washington Redskins 17 | |
 13 | ||
| San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals | ||
 28 | Quarterback Shaun Hill will make his 11th career start and first on Kickoff Weekend. Hill is a good decision-maker with an accurate arm in the short-passing game. However, there are legitimate concerns about his ability to hit the big play down the field. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner led the franchise to its first Super Bowl last year. Anquan Boldin has a hamstring injury, but should be able to play in the opener. The Cardinals will have to focus on shutting down 49ers RB Frank Gore and dare Hill to beat them. Result: Arizona Cardinals 16, San Francisco 49ers 20 | |
 21 | ||
| Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers | ||
 26 | Last year, the Packers struggled to close games despite Aaron Rodgers becoming only the second quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards (4,038) in the first season that he started a game (Kurt Warner, 1999). The Packers have weapons at every level of the offense, but the defense will be the key to this game. The secondary is anchored by a couple of physical corners, who garner their share of interference and illegal contact penalties, but will do everything they can to disrupt Jay Cutler's timing with his new receivers. The Bears traded for the Pro Bowl quarterback during the offseason and will be counting on him to lead them back to the playoffs. The only problem is that Chicago doesn't have the offenses weapons like Cutler had in Denver. Result: Green Bay Packers 21, Chicago Bears 15 | |
 24 | ||
| Monday, Sep. 14, 2009 | ||
| Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots | ||
 24 | In 2008, Trent Edwards ranked second in the AFC with a 106.3 fourth quarter passer rating. He hopes to build on that with new target Terrell Owens. Patriots QB Tom Brady appears to be fully recovered from a knee injury that sidelined him for 15 games last season and he's determined to regain his 2007 form when he set a league record with 50 touchdown passes in a single-season. With Alex Van Pelt as the new offensive coordinator, the Bills are expected to be more aggressive by throwing more down the field, which could lead to more turnovers. Result: New England Patriots 25, Buffalo Bills 24 | |
 10 | ||
| San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders | ||
 28 | Philip Rivers totaled a career-high 4,009 passing yards last season and hopes to become the first Chargers QB to record 4,000-plus yards in back-to-back seasons since Dan Fouts (4,715 in 1980; 4,802 in 1981). The Raiders need to hope former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell turns into a special player to have a playoff chance. The Chargers have the offense to run and pass and if Shawne Merriman can stay on the field, the defense can be dominant. The Raiders have problems stopping the run, which is why they made the trade for Richard Seymour, who has yet to report to the team. Result: San Diego Chargers 24, Oakland Raiders 20 | |
 20 | ||
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