Starting 11 – The NFL kicks off its 103rd season this week

The encore included all four division playoff games decided on the final game. And both conference championships as well as the Super Bowl each decide by three points.

It’s good for football. See you on September 8 at 7 p.m. ET. #Kick-off2022 pic.twitter.com/DtsBn5PE3p

– NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2022

This week marks the beginning of a new story. After an action-packed offseason, the journey to State Farm Stadium and Super Bowl LVII in Arizona begins Thursday as the NFL begins its 103rd year of competition.

The 11 initials that enter Week 1 …

1. BILLS, RAMS TO CHRISTEN SEASON 2022:

   buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN returns to its native state when the BUFFALO BILLS begins the season against the reigning Super Bowl champion LOS ANGELES RAMS Thursday (8:20 PM ET, NBC). Allen, who has led the Bills to consecutive AFC East titles, is 3-1 against teams from NFC West, including a California win over the 49ers in 2020. Meanwhile, the Rams SEAN MCVAY won each of his five season opener games as head coach (2017-21). The last coach to win his first six opening games of the season was MIKE SHANAHAN (1988-89, 1995-98). Incidentally, Shanahan hired McVay, then 24, as an assistant tight end coach in 2010 with Washington.

2. NUMBER OF THE WEEK – 25:

   Twelve teams are expected to open their seasons with a starting quarterback aged 25 or younger. Two of the three youngest quarterbacks in the NFL are expected to start in week 1. The 49ers’ TREY LAUNCHES22 and the Bears JUSTIN CAMPI, 23, meeting at Soldier Field on Sunday (1pm ET, FOX). Meanwhile, when New England plays in Miami on Sunday (1pm ET, CBS), MAC JONES23, meets ADVICE BACK24. Each of the last four Super Bowls began with a starting quarterback under 26.

3. MVP ROAD TOUR:

   All five active players with at least one Associated Press MVP open 2022 away from home.

• TOM BRADY (Tampa Bay to Dallas, 8:20 pm ET, NBC) led the NFL in passing yards (5,316) and passing touchdowns (43) in 2021. He is expected to make his 20th career start in week 1, outlasting DREW BREES (19) for the ultimate from an all-time quarterback.
• LAMAR JACKSON (Baltimore to the NY Jets, 1pm ET, CBS) has nine touchdown passes without interceptions and a score of 150.2 across three career starts on kickoff weekend. Since 2019, the Ravens have outpaced opponents 124-49 (+75) in these three races.
• PATRICK MAHOMES (Kansas City, Ariz., 4:25 PM ET, CBS) is 4-0 as a starting quarterback in Kickoff Weekend with 13 touchdown passes, no interceptions, and a score of 133.7. He led the NFL with 22 away touchdown passes last season.
• AARON RODGERS (Green Bay, Minnesota, 4:25 PM ET, FOX), the reigning NFL MVP, led all qualified passers-by with a score of 109.7 away in 2021.
• MATT RYAN (Indianapolis to Houston, 1 p.m. ET, CBS) makes his Colts debut and needs 265 yards to pass to become the second fastest player ever (223 games) to reach 60,000, leading only DREW BREES (215 games).

4. SPOTLIGHT – INDIVIDUAL MATCHUP:

   According to Next Gen Stats, the defensive end of Las Vegas MAXX CROSBY led the NFL with 82 quarterback pressures in 2021. Sunday at SoFi Stadium (4:25 pm ET, CBS) he will line up on an offensive line with the Chargers tackle RASHAWN SLATERwho earned the Pro Bowl and the second team Associated Press All-Pro honors as 2021 rookie. Slater’s quarterback, RIGHT HERBERThe was put under pressure on just 4.2% of his dropbacks last season, fourth in the league behind TOM BRADY (2.9), JOSH ALLEN (3.6) and PATRICK MAHOMES (3.8). Herbert’s 9,350-yard pass and 69 touchdown passes are both the most a player has ever achieved in his first two seasons.

5. SPOTLIGHT – TEAM MATCH:

   BAY OF TAMPA to FROM THE On Sunday night football (8:20 PM ET, NBC) is the NFL’s first instance since the 1970 merger where the top two league offenses from the previous season (Dallas 407.0 yards per game in 2021, Tampa Bay 405.9) will meet in the week 1.

• In 2021, the Buccaneers led the NFL in touchdown passes (43) while the Cowboys defense led the league in interceptions (26), including 11 from cornerbacks TREVON DIGSmost by an NFL player from 1981.
• The two clubs met in last season’s annual kickoff game, with Tampa Bay defeating Dallas, 31-29. TOM BRADY (32 completions) e DAK PRESCOTT (42 completions, most in a week 1 game) combined to complete 74 passes, the most in a single game in NFL history.

6. STREAK SPEAKS:

   The HEADS OF THE CITY OF KANSAS have opened each of the last seven seasons (2015-21) with a win, the NFL’s longest active week 1 winning streak.

• With a Sunday win in Arizona (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Kansas City draws Pittsburgh (eight, 2003-10) for the fourth-streak opening winning streak of the longest season since 1981, when the Cowboys set the NFL record. of 17 consecutive wins in week 1 (1965-81).
• ARIZONAmeanwhile, he has won four consecutive home games against the manager ANDY REID (wins in the regular season in 2005, 2012 and 2014, as well as in the 2008 NFC championship).
• In Miami on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), head coach of the Dolphins MIKE MCDANIELE makes his NFL debut at age 39, the same age as BILL BELICHICK at the time of his first game as NFL manager in 1991. The Dolphins have three straight wins over New England and with one win would have had their longest winning streak against the Patriots from a five-game spell from 1999 to 2001.

7. DID YOU KNOW?:

   Teams with quarterbacks TOM BRADY have won seven Super Bowls, and in four of those seven seasons (New England in 2001, 2003, and 2014; Tampa Bay in 2020), Brady’s teams lost Week 1 games.

8. HISTORY UNDER THE RADAR:

   quarterback of Houston DAVIS MULINI was in fourth grade at Mason Elementary School in Duluth, Georgia when MATT RYAN made his NFL debut with the Falcons in 2008. On Sunday, Mills and the Houston Texans will meet Ryan and his new team, the Indianapolis Colts (1pm ET, CBS).

• Last season, Mills ranked second among qualified rookie passers by rating (88.8), touchdown pass (16) and completion rate (66.8) and third in passing yards (2,664). On October 10 against New England, Mills became the first rookie quarterback to record at least 300 passing yards, three touchdown passes and a score of 140 or higher in a single game in NFL history.

9. TREND TIME:

   For the first time since 2014, when SHAUN HILL, JOSH MCCOWN and Pro Football Hall of Fame PEYTON MANNING opened that season under the center, three quarterbacks are expected to start week 1 games against former teams.

• RUSSELL WILSON and the Denver Broncos wrap up their week 1 schedule when they meet the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field Monday night of football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN / ABC). Nine-time Pro Bowler for the Seahawks, Wilson set a 104-53-1 starter record and led Seattle to a couple of Super Bowl appearances, including a Super Bowl XLVIII win over Denver to wrap up the 2013 season.
• FIELD OF STRENGTH FURNITURE and the Carolina Panthers will host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday (1pm ET, CBS). The number 1 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield led the Browns to the 2020 playoffs.
• JOE FLACCO should begin when the Jets host the Ravens on Sunday (1pm ET, CBS). Flacco played 11 years in Baltimore, including six playoff appearances and a Super Bowl XLVII title.

10. THIS WEEK IN NFL HISTORY:

    September 12, 1982 (40 years ago) – Rookie running back MARCO ALLa future Pro Football Hall of Famer, logged 180 scrimmage yards (116 running, 64 receiving) and ran for a touchdown on his NFL debut, leading the Los Angeles Raiders to a 23-17 win over the defending champion of the Super Bowl San Francisco 49ers at the Park of the Candlesticks.

11. LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

    Cincinnati wide receiver JA’MARR CHASEwho likes the Pittsburgh general manager OMAR Khan A graduate of Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, La., he begins his second NFL season on Sunday at home against the Steelers (1pm ET, CBS). Chase trained with the Pittsburgh running back NAJEE HARRIS before players’ first round selections in the 2021 NFL Draft and this week they face off for the fourth time in their combined college and NFL career. Chase has a 3-1 lead in those games (1-1 with LSU against Alabama and 2-0 with the Bengals against the Steelers). Harris (1,667) and Chase (1,476) finished first and second respectively among rookies in scrimmage yards last season.

NFL START WEEKEND HOURS
(All Eastern Times)

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