Opening Day!

Its finally here, Opening Day of the 2007 NFL season. Yeah, I’m not counting that Thursday night debacle, which was more like watching a Division-I powerhouse like Michigan playing a D-IAA team like Appalachian State. No, wait…

Todays matchups are headlined by a rematch of last year’s Wild Card Game between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets in East Rutherford. The Miami Dolphins travel to Washington to take on the Redskins, while the Buffalo Bills host the Denver Broncos in Orchard Park.

In New York, the Patriots and Jets will not only battle each other, they will also be battling the weather. With temperatures expected to be in the mid-80s and humidity hovering around the 135% mark, the conditioning of both teams will play a major role. Will the Patriots DLine and Secondary, which are already without starters Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison, be able to overcome the elements to play a complete game? Will the Jets’ new star Running Back, Thomas Jones, be able to carry the ball 20-25 times, or will backup Leon Washington see significant playing time? The backups will play a big role in today’s matchup.

Another thing to keep an eye on today is when the Patriots have ball. How will the new WRs and QB Tom Brady work together? Will newcomers Randy Moss, Donte’ Stallworth and Wes Welker be able to get on the same page as Brady, especially in the face of the Jets blitz-happy defense? I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Pats’ leading receiver today is Jabar Gaffney, given his familiarity with the Pats’ offense. On the other side of the ball, will the Jets D continue to give the Pats fits with their blitzes and coverage schemes? Keep an eye on rookie CB Darrelle Revis for the Jets, too. The rookie from Pitt could see a lot of playing time today, especially if the Patriots go with 3, 4 and maybe even 5 WR sets. If the rookie can step up and show he is worthy of the #15 draft pick he could help the Jets defense make a huge statement in the season’s opening weekend.

The Miami Dolphins head to Washington today to face the Redskins. Miami should feel right at home in our nation’s capital as the weather will feel more like Miami than Washington. QB Trent Green will look to turn around a Dolphins offense that has struggled in recent years. Green will look to break the string of forgettable QBs since the retirement of Dan Marino. If the veteran QB is able to recapture his form from previous seasons the Phins could surpass the experts’ opinions and challenge for a playoff spot. Jason Taylor and the Phins defense should continue to be one of the NFL’s best units. Going up against a weak Redskins offense should give the Phins D a lot of confidence going into the season. Don’t expect a lot of scoring today in Washington as both defenses will make it tough to put points on the board.

The Broncos rumble into Buffalo this afternoon for a matchup with the Bills. The main story in Buffalo is the defense, namely whether the loss of Nate Clements and London Fletcher-Baker-Howard-Fine-Howard will be overcome by the addition of rookie LB Paul Posluszny and the emergence of Safety Donte Whitner. Posluszny has been mentioned as a front runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he will face a very serious challenge today against a Broncos offense that loves to run, run, run, run and run some more. On the offensive side (and the past few seasons, offensive was certainly an apt description) another rookie could be the key to how the season goes. RB Marshawn Lynch will try to replace former city of Buffalo spokesman Willis McGahee in the Bills backfield. Running behind a revamped OLine could be tough early on, so the offense will need to lean on QB J.P. Losman and up-and-coming WR Lee Evans early. Evans will look to cement his status as one of the top WRs in the Division, while Losman will look to show that he was worth of a first round selection. Its a tall order, but don’t be surprised if this Bills team is able to pull and upset today by stopping the Broncos ground attack and forcing QB Jay Cutler to put the ball in the air.

It should be a fun opening day in the AFC East, and we will know a lot more about this division once the games wrap up around 4:30 this afternoon. The snack bowls are full, the beer is chilled and the anticipation meter is off the charts. Happy New Year!