Aging star RBs ready to turn back time as season kicks off

10 hot topics for Week 1

Each week, the storylines emerge because of matchup, injuries, coaching styles, or a host of other internal forces that shape the week's action. Here are 10 things on my mind for Week 1.

1. Teams on the bad end of streaks

Now that the NFL is a 24/7, 365-day operation, bad streaks don't go away. Fans and the media remember things that were not fixed last year. Those issues need to be put to rest quickly, or those issues will continue to be an issue this season. The Detroit Lions know all too well about bad streaks after becoming the first team to go 0-16. Now, the Lions march into New Orleans riding a 17-game losing streak that dates back to the 2007 season. The Lions, however, are not alone in their misery. The Raiders are 0-11 against their opening weekend opponent, the Chargers. The Bills have not beaten the Patriots in their last 11 meetings. The Rams have lost eight consecutive games to the Seahawks. Additionally, Larry Johnson was the last back to rush for 100-plus yards against the Ravens defense; that took place 35 games ago. Something tells me all of these unsightly streaks will continue after Week 1, but time will tell.

Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press

LaDainian Tomlinson ran for a career-low 1,110 yards last season.

2. Over-30 running backs fight Father Time

The NFL is not a very kind place for running backs that have hit their 30th birthday, but the players don't want to hear about Father Time. This weekend, four very good runners defy the NFL front-office logic that "old men" aren't worth big money. LaDainian Tomlinson has 691 yards and 12 touchdowns in his last six games against the Raiders, but that counts for nothing if he can't do it again. Thomas Jones led the AFC in rushing last year, but he couldn't get a new contract in the offseason and has Leon Washington eager to get more carries. Brian Westbrook is Mr. Everything for the Eagles, but if he struggles early this season, his birthday will be mentioned often with rookie LeSean McCoy in the wings. Jamal Lewis saw his yards-per-carry average and touchdowns fall off last year, and some fans think it's time for rookie James Davis. Tomlinson, Jones, Westbrook and Lewis are going on the field this weekend ready to turn back the hands of time.

3. Great matchups in the trenches

I love to watch the game at the line of scrimmage. It takes discipline to watch the battle in the trenches and this week is no exception. Here are my favorite battles on the schedule: Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas against Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. Allen has averaged 14.5 sacks a season for the last three years. Miami left tackle Jake Long against Atlanta's John Abraham. It will be loud in Atlanta and that makes it twice as tough for Long. Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson against Houston's Mario Williams is one tough assignment with a rookie quarterback to block for in Mark Sanchez. And finally, the Vikings let Matt Birk leave in free agency and replaced him with young and inexperienced John Sullivan, whose first assignment is going up against Shaun Rogers in Cleveland.

4. Big shoes to fill

It's one thing to take over an offense when the coordinator is fired with a built-in excuse that you really didn't have time to install your offense. Three new defensive coordinators on teams with high expectations have big shoes to fill. Sean McDermott takes over the Eagles defense for the deceased Jim Johnson. The Eagles' scheme is a fire-zone pressure package that requires great play-calling. McDermott starts out without his middle linebacker, Stewart Bradley, who called the defense and his veteran safety, Brian Dawkins, who set the coverages. Bill Sheridan heads up the Giants defense now that Steve Spagnuolo takes over as head coach of the Rams. A player has already complained about Sheridan's version of the defense, but for the most part the players are excited to play in this Giants defense. Greg Mattison takes over for Rex Ryan as the Ravens defensive coordinator, and there is a great tradition in Baltimore to live up when it comes to defense. I suspect all three will answer the bell when Sunday comes.

5. Help out the 'Bell Cow' backs

Many teams have gone to a two-back system and spread the touches, which is smart business. But four teams continue to get the ball into the hands of a "bell cow" back between 300 to 400 times a season. I would like to see these guys get more receptions and less carries. The Rams' Steven Jackson will get a lot of work this year, but back in 2006 he had 90 receptions. Since then, he averages closer to 35 receptions. Jackson needs more pass plays in space and less pounding up inside. Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the league right now and should see more screen passes and less runs with Brett Favre under center. Peterson has better hands than some people think and could use the plays in space. Michael Turner and Clinton Portis are the other two who need a few more receptions and a few less carries. I will be very interested to see if the teams involve these bell cow backs more in the pass game.

6. First-time head coaches

Last year, Mike Smith in Atlanta, John Harbaugh in Baltimore and Tony Sparano in Miami took over poor programs and immediately had great success. A number of owners looked at those programs and said, "Why not us?" This year, we have six rookie head coaches and it will be very interesting to see if any of them reach the level of success the 2008 rookie coaches reached. I suspect things will be a lot tougher this year.

7. Generating a much-needed pass rush

It's hard to win football games if you can't get to the quarterback and generate sacks. Troy Aikman said a sack isn't just a physical problem for the quarterback, it is like a penalty, it stops drives. The Chiefs (10), Bengals (17) and Browns (17) were the worst three teams in the league last year when it came to generating sacks, and they won only 10 games between them. I really hope all three have improved in the pass-rush business.

8. These guys took a calculated risk

Decisions made in the offseason will be tested for the first time this week, and we'll see if they were the right decisions. The Giants looked to the draft, and not to free agency or a trade, to resolve their wide receiver situation. The Redskins were rumored to be after a quarterback all spring but never took one and Jason Campbell is under center once again in the tough NFC East. The Vikings probably took the biggest calculated risk by signing 40-year-old-to-be Favre to get them to the Super Bowl. I think the Vikes hope that Favre will be successful with a conservative game plan.

Evan Pinkus / Associated Press

Mark Sanchez's first NFL start will take place in the unfriendly confines of Houston's Reliant Stadium.

9. Rookies on the road

Teams are asking a lot of rookie quarterbacks, but leaving school early and then starting your NFL career on the road may be just too much to ask. Mark Sanchez and Matthew Stafford have very difficult assignments. Jim Schwartz, the Lions coach, told me he isn't a patient man and expects to go into New Orleans and win. If they fall behind, the Lions will not play it close to the vest, but will expect Stafford to get into his two-minute mode. I'm sure Sanchez will be asked to do the same. The question is: Will the fan bases in New York and Detroit be patient through the growing pains?

10. Trying to win without a coordinator

I was disappointed to see three teams fire offensive coordinators before a single regular-season game was played. Isn't it the results in games that count the most? Now it's time to see how the offenses of those three teams (Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Buffalo) perform without the coordinators. As Brian Billick said to me this week, "If they win, then it was the right move. If they lose, well, then it wasn't."

Super Bowl predictions

Are the Steelers destined for a repeat?

Find out as NFL Network's Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk and Steve Mariucci make their picks for which teams will face off in Super Bowl XLIV.
Prediction time

2009 season previews

After a long offseason, a grueling training camp and intriguing preseason, it's finally time to own the moment and kick off the 2009 season.

To properly prepare you for kickoff, NFL.com presents its extensive 2009 season previews, complete with team-by-team fearless forecasts, pivotal games, fantasy tidbits and more.
2009 season previews

NFL.com blogs

Elite eight for 2009
Every year, there are a number of teams that legitimately fit into the Super Bowl conversation. Also, every year one team -- or more -- jumps into the mix, like the Arizona Cardinals did last season.

Jamie Dukes wants to talk about contenders, and presents his list of the NFL's elite eight teams. Agree, disagree? What say you?
More from NFL.com's blog

Matchups to watch

Here are some of the interesting matchups to keep an eye on in Week 1:

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson vs. Browns LB D'Qwell Jackson: Jackson led the NFL in tackles last season with 154. He's somewhat undersized for an inside linebacker -- it's important for nose tackle Shaun Rogers to keep people off Jackson for him to achieve success.

Dolphins LB Channing Crowder vs. Falcons RB Michael Turner: Crowder made 113 tackles in the Dolphins' 10th-ranked defense and is very good against the run from his inside linebacker spot in the 3-4 scheme.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson vs. Saints CB Tracy Porter: Porter is a second-year pro who looked very good while starting five games in 2008 before missing the rest of the season with an injury.

Bears QB Jay Cutler vs. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers: Cutler has everything you're looking for in a quarterback -- mobility, arm strength, accuracy, good recognition. Rodgers is a very mature quarterback with outstanding skills. I'd expect to see Packers fans try to disrupt Cutler, who has a reputation of being a hothead.
More matchups to watch

Start 'Em & Sit 'Em

Start of the week: Aaron Rodgers -- Rodgers has a chance to become a superstar in fantasy circles, and he'll start that acsention Sunday night against Chicago. The Bears finished last season ranked 30th in pass defense.

QB to start: Matt Schaub -- Barring a setback with his ankle, Schaub is a solid option against a Jets defense that was among the league's worst against the pass in 2008.

QB to sit: Matt Cassel -- Cassel is dealing with an injured knee and could be limited against the Ravens, whose defense ranked second overall in pass defense and allowed an average of just 149.2 passing yards per game at home last season.
More Start 'Em & Sit 'Em

Injury Report

Bob Sanders, S, Colts: Knee, did not practice

Shawn Andrews, OT, Eagles: Back, did not practice

Kevin Walter, WR, Texans: Hamstring, did not practice

Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints: Knee, did not practice

Chris Henry, WR, Bengals: Thigh, did not practice

Deion Branch, WR, Seahawks: Hamstring, did not practice

B.J. Raji, DT, Packers: Ankle, limited in practice
More Injuries

Photos

Feeling photogenic?

Not all the action takes place within the white line. Check out the fun, hilarious and sometimes strange NFL mascots from the past and present.
More galleries

Week 1 games (all times ET)

Thursday, Sept. 10
Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10 (OT)
Sunday, Sept. 13
Miami at Atlanta, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Kansas City at Baltimore, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Philadelphia at Carolina, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Denver at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Minnesota at Cleveland, 1 p.m. (FOX)
N.Y. Jets at Houston, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Detroit at New Orleans, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Dallas at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. (FOX)
San Francisco at Arizona, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Washington at N.Y. Giants, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
St. Louis at Seattle, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Chicago at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Monday, Sept. 14
Buffalo at New England, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
San Diego at Oakland, 10:15 p.m. (ESPN)

» Complete schedule