For the first time in more than six decades, the NFL season kicks off on a Wednesday. It couldn’t come any sooner for fans of the NFL, who’ve been chomping at the bit to see how their favorite pro football squads will compete. Last season gave us a litany of teams whose Super Bowl hopes were dashed by early injuries, most obviously the Houston Texans. The reigning Super Bowl Champion New York Giants turned in a regular season record of just 9 – 7 before bringing home the trophy. It was a wild year, and fans are as eager as ever for that first kickoff of the 2012 NFL regular season.
Tonight’s kickoff game between reigning champs the Giants and the Dallas Cowboys is not just a rivalry game, it is the very first NFL game of the year. Catch the Cowboys versus the New York Giants at 8:30 PM Eastern Standard Time on NBC. If you prefer to listen to the game, catch it on Sirius XM radio or your local NBC radio sports affiliate.
What will the 2012 NFL season hold? Will the Giants repeat as champions? Eli Manning comes in looking like a first-ballot All Star thanks to his command of the G-Men all the way to the league championship. Will likely-MVP be able to lead his Packers back to the Lombardi trophy? Will dark horse Houston be able to keep its team healthy enough to finally get a shot at NFL glory? Too many storylines exist at the beginning of the NFL season . . . one thing’s for sure, we’re excited to have pro football back on TV.
Those of us that have spent the last few weeks preparing our fantasy teams will finally get a chance to see how our draft picks perform under pressure. The clash between the Giants and Cowboys tonight on NBC is the first of many games in the first week of the season, as no teams are in a bye week and everyone is playing a game. Will we see another perfect season attempt by the always-dangerous New England Patriots? Will there be a big rookie QB breakout as in seasons past, or will this season’s most valuable first-year player be one of the big name running backs entering their rookie season? It’s finally time to get answers to all the questions NFL fans have been asking themselves over the past few months, waiting patiently for the first game’s kickoff.
The NFL is changing before our eyes; a new emphasis on player safety means more changes to the game’s rules this year, so football fans are right to be a little bit nervous about their favorite pastime. With any luck, the 2012 National Football League schedule will be as unpredictable and enjoyable as last year, when a team that barely broke the .500 mark ended up being crowned the league’s champion. We can only hope to see at least as good a playoff series as we saw in 2011. NFL fans, tonight is your night.