The first weekend of NFL action has given fans a lot to cheer, jeer, and discuss. NFL Opening Weekend 2002 is something that football fans have been waiting almost eight months for. These past four days have given us all more excitement than all of baseball season. Week one will definitely go down as one of the best in recent years. Here is a list of reasons why.
The rivalries: It’s only week one and we are already seeing some of the NFL’s top rivalries. The Jets inched by the Bills in overtime, and a new intrastate rivalry was born when Dallas traveled to Houston.
The debuts: New faces in new places was one of the themes this weekend. Drew Brees debuted as the San Diego Chargers’ quarterback in their rout of the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, Drew Bledsoe didn’t disappoint as the Buffalo Bills fell just short against the New York Jets. Also, Michael Vick stepped into the starting role for the Atlanta Falcons against the Green Bay Packers.
The comebacks: Former Philadelphia Eagles QB Rodney Peete, who hadn’t played in the NFL for almost two years, led the Carolina Panthers to an opening day victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Ericsson Stadium, their first since week one last season.
The Texans: The Houston Texans became the first expansion team since the 1961 Minnesota Vikings to win their opener. They did so by defeating their Texas rivals, the Dallas Cowboys 19-10 in front of a sellout crowd at Reliant Stadium.
The future: Possible playoff matchups took center stage as the Denver Broncos upset the St. Louis Rams, and the New England Patriots officially opened Gillette Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.
The unexpected: The clock had run out on the Kansas City Chiefs. It looked as though the Browns had won, but then Dwayne Rudd decided to buy himself a possible one-way ticket to the waiver wire by throwing his helmet in celebration. The problem was the play had not yet ended. The penalty put the Chiefs in field goal range. The kick by Morton Anderson was good, and Kansas City escaped with a 40-39 victory.
One of the reasons that the NFL is a step above all other professional sports is the competition. In baseball, there are currently five or six teams in contention for a world championship (but we know that the Yankees will win). That number is even less in the NBA.
Who will go to San Diego for Super Bowl XXXVII? Some fans have an idea, but for the most part nobody knows. That’s the great thing about it. That’s what makes football more exciting than other sports. The other reasons might have something to do with the fact that, unlike baseball, the players and owners aren’t at each other’s throats. The only battles happen on the field. The way I see it, the remainder of the baseball season and its postseason might not be able to compete with the NFL.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
