Football is back! The New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers kick off the 2011 NFL season tonight in Green Bay. The last time we saw the Packers, they were running through the NFL playoffs as the No. 6 seed and hoisting the trophy as Super Bowl champs. The last time we saw the Saints, they were being embarrassed by the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks in a Wild Card playoff game. Both teams are primed to make deep runs this year and should provide an entertaining season opener. The game will air at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time on NBC tonight.
What are the other intriguing match-ups of Week 1? And how're the Cardinals looking this week? Click through to find out.
The Arizona Cardinals open the season this Sunday against the worst team in the NFL last season, the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers mustered up only two wins last year, though one of them came against the Cardinals in Week 15. The Cardinals will look for a different result on Sunday as the Kevin Kolb era officially gets underway. Larry Fitzgerald will play his first regular season game since signing an eight-year deal while rookie cornerback and first-round draft pick Patrick Peterson will be anxious to get his first interception as an NFL pro (against fellow first-round draft pick and number one overall selection Cam Newton, no less). Kickoff is slated for 1:15 p.m. Pacific Time on FOX.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will go at it on Sunday as the two perennial contenders renew their bitter rivalry. The Steelers have ended the Ravens' hopes in two of the last three postseasons (including last year in the Divisional round) and Baltimore will be looking for vengeance with new addition Lee Evans now in the mix. Pittsburgh reached the Super Bowl last season and will look to open its defense as AFC champions with a strong message to a division rival. The game will air at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on CBS.
Other intriguing games in Week 1 of the 2011 NFL season include Philadelphia Eagles- St. Louis Rams, Indianapolis Colts- Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys- New York Jets.