The NFL never leaves the headlines, but meaningful box scores have been absent for seven painful months. At long last, Week 1 of the 2015 NFL season has arrived, and there’s no shortage of compelling games on the slate.
From the ever-popular opening night to a Sunday matchup between star rookies to a Monday showdown, football fans can watch plenty of exciting action this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots
Well, duh. As if there wasn’t enough attention on the opening game of any regular season, a federal judge’s decision to eliminate Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s suspension has created even more hoopla. The Steelers will be without star running back Le’Veon Bell as well as speedy receiver Martavis Bryant, while New England must replace physical runner LeGarrette Blount and wideout Brandon LaFell. Nevertheless, it should be a high-scoring affair in Foxboro to kick off 2015.
When and where to watch: Thursday, Sep. 10, 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC
Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos
At this stage of Peyton Manning’s career, we didn’t expect him to leave shotgun. However, Denver fired John Fox and hired Gary Kubiak, who brought a zone-blocking scheme to the Broncos. Manning and Co. will have a greater focus on chipping away on the ground to control the clock, which is exactly what Baltimore excelled at last season when Kubiak was the offensive coordinator. Additionally, the Ravens will enter their first game with former Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman calling the plays. How much have two of 2014’s most efficient offenses changed? That question can only be answered on Sunday.
When and where to watch: Sunday, Sep. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS
Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ordinarily, a battle between highly rated quarterbacks who are drafted by teams in opposing conferences must wait a few years. That’s not the case for Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston, who are already in charge of the Titans and Buccaneers offenses, respectively. The viewership for the both teams’ season-openers likely would’ve been inflated due to the young quarterbacks making their NFL debuts, but since Mariota and Winston will be on the same field, this contest is must-see TV.
When and where to watch: Sunday, Sep. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS
Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons
Chip Kelly’s offseason of roster shuffling has concluded, and it’s time to see the mad scientist’s final product. Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray and Nelson Agholor are the key additions to Philadelphia’s attack, which should have no problem obliterating a shaky Atlanta defense. On the other hand, Falcons receiver Julio Jones is primed for a monstrous season, and the Eagles—who have questions in the secondary—might not be ready for Jones. Georgia Dome maintenance workers might need to replace some scoreboard lightbulbs after this one is over.
When and where to watch: Monday, Sep. 14, 6:55 p.m. ET on ESPN