The 2011 NFL season kicks off proper today. We got a taste of football action on Thursday night when the Green Bay Packers made a last-minute goal line stand and defeated the New Orleans Saints 42-34 in a thriller, but Sunday brings us the first full day of NFL action this season.
The Arizona Cardinals will take on Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers at 1:15 p.m. Pacific Time. Kevin Kolb will take his first snaps as the starter with the Cardinals, and you can be sure that he'll be looking for Larry Fitzgerald on several plays. First-round pick Patrick Peterson will also make his debut today as he begins his NFL career. The game will be broadcast on FOX.
Who else is playing today? Click through to find out.
The Philadelphia Eagles will finally take the field after their big offseason haul. The team certainly has high expectations with quarterback Michael Vick and his studded cast, and the team gets its first chance to make a big statement against Sam Bradford's up-and-coming St. Louis Rams. The Rams, meanwhile, will be looking to build on last year's improvement and gets a shot at the "Dream Team" right off the bat. The game is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on FOX.
The Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets fill up Sunday's night game. Both teams could be Super Bowl contenders this year and their play today could help us measure where exactly both squads stand. The Cowboys had their season derailed last year after losing quarterback Tony Romo, but he is back this season and will lead a talented offense that features Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. The Jets made a few roster changes over the summer and will hope to break through to the Super Bowl this year after falling just one win short in each of the past two seasons. This game could go down to the wire. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. Pacific Time on NBC.
Other interesting Week 1 games include Detroit-Tampa Bay (10:00 a.m. on FOX), Pittsburgh-Baltimore (10:00 a.m. on CBS) and Indianapolis-Houston (10:00 a.m. on CBS).
Football's back! Enjoy.