Welcome to 2014 -- A New Era of the NFL

Tomorrow night the season opens.

And at the same time it opens a new era in the NFL. An era that the league wants to avoid. It could be an era of...defense.

The Seattle Seahawks face off against the Green Bay Packers tomorrow night, in Seattle. As tradition has it, Seattle will probably win the game (with the exception of the 2012 Giants and the 2013 Ravens, every Super Bowl winning team in the last 10 years has won their opener). But if they do, it will begin to usher in a new period of the NFL. A period of equally vocal defense, with a quiet quarterback. Basically the opposite of what the league desires. The league, as they have demonstrated with recent rule and Pro Bowl changes, wants to encourage the high flying offenses, like the one seen in Green Bay. They want high scoring games, rather than a low scoring defensive struggle.

Richard Sherman is their worst nightmare.

He is well spoken, well educated and more than anything, a poster child for this new NFL. The legion of boom. There is nothing the league can do about it, but the whole country will be watching tomorrow. And it isn't to see Aaron Rogers (unless you're from Green Bay). It's to watch the show that is Richard Sherman and the Seattle defense. 

Who Will Protect This House? I Will.

Tonight the defending World Champions Baltimore Ravens open their season against the Denver Broncos...away at Denver. The Ravens were unable to continue the tradition of opening their season at home because of the Orioles' schedule. Yet, though they can't literally defend their house, the Ravens have plenty to defend. The idea of the house here is the championship. The Ravens must prove that they are more than a magical team of destiny, that they can be a dynasty. It is the goal that Harbaugh and Flacco have both vocalized. Can the Ravens make the leap? I believe they can. In many ways, they have improved their defense through adding youth and progressing towards the future. That is the idea of dynasty. Progressing, even if others doubt how the methods and the signings. The new look Ravens are faster and younger, though they must gel quickly to stop Peyton Manning. The Broncos are loaded on offense, but the defense has taken several hits on defense. The game tonight has a high chance of being high scoring, with both defenses reeling to control two explosive offenses. The Broncos have revenge on their mind, but the Ravens still have a chip on their shoulder and are entering a new era -- for the first time Ray Lewis is not the roster. It is Flacco's team now and he has risen to take control. At the Ravens home game, the fans chant "Who will protect this house? I will. I will." The chant will be absent tonight in Denver, but the idea behind it will certainly not be.

Pick: Ravens
Steven's Pick: Ravens

Let's Build a Bridge -- 2012 Season Opener

The Giants will win this game. The last thirteen Super Bowl winners have won their season openers. They are playing the Cowboys. In New York. They will win. Let's briefly state why, no matter what Jerry Jones thinks, the Giants will win this game.
Eli Manning is better than Tony Romo. Besides the obvious reasons of two Super Bowl rings, Eli is clutch. Romo has shown that he can be (see the 49ers game last season), but he has also proven many times that he has a tendency to fall apart (see the Lions game last season). As far as other offense weapons, the Cowboys have a better running back in DeMarco Murray, but the Giants have better receiving options. They also have a stronger offensive line, which will be key in protecting Eli from DeMarcus Ware. Not only do the Giants have an edge on offense, but also on defense.
The Cowboys' scheme is so complex that most of the players couldn't even pick it up successfully last year. A second year in the system will do wonderfully for the players that are returning, but the Cowboys have also added several new pieces, notably Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, to the secondary. These will probably be good moves in the long run, but they both have only had an off season to pick up Ryan's scheme and one is a rookie. Eli may have a field day, but I don't expect him to run all over them. But almost all of New York's defense is returning from that Super Bowl team, which is unusual (many players are normally lost to free agency after winning a Super Bowl). The whole defensive line is intact which has always been the strongest part of this unit. They will take advantage of the Cowboys suspect offensive line and have Tony Romo running all night.

Overall, the Giants are a stronger, more complete team. I'm not saying all of this means they will repeat as Super Bowl champions, but I do believe it means that they will beat the Cowboys tonight. Their slogan for the season is "Build the Bridge." The first brick falls tonight.