Five Matchups to Watch:

 

Tom Brady vs. Kansas City's pass rush - The Brady foot injury could turn out to be an ongoing storyline throughout the season. What is being classified as a deep bone bruise may alter New England’s offensive success. When the Giants harassed Brady in the Super Bowl, it was by in large with front four pressure. Kansas City’s front line is missing last season’s NFL leader in sacks, Jared Allen., who fled for Minnesota. Rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey is ready to roll but will find tough sledding against an experienced Patriots line. Two other things to monitor in this one include how Brady moves around and if the Patriots abandon a bit of the high flying mentality approach of last season. That will mean more touches for Laurence Maroney and the running game. Brady’s status makes estimation on his performance a bit sketchy. However, he’s a gamer and should be a thorn in Kansas City’s side on game day.

 

Braylon Edwards and Donte' Stallworth vs. Dallas' secondary - Dallas’ greatest weakness on defense remains a secondary that has a penchant for giving up long passing plays downfield. During the offseason, they brought in Pacman Jones to help in the secondary. Also, the Dallas braintrust plans to move oft-burned safety Roy Williams closer to the line of scrimmage and keep out of obvious passing situations. Edwards, who nabbed 16 touchdown receptions last season, can burn this Cowboys secondary deep. He’ll need help from Stallworth to take pressure off of him as well. Two key figureheads in this matchup will be Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman, who is nursing a slight groin tear, and Browns quarterback Derek Anderson. In his second season as a starter, Anderson suffered a concussion during a preseason game against the Giants on August 18 and has not played since. Edwards and Stallworth should find openings in the Cowboys secondary but Anderson will need to get rid of the ball quickly against a fierce Dallas pass rush.

 

Marshawn Lynch vs. Seattle's rush defense - The NFL schedule makers did Lynch and the Bills a favor this time around with an easier slate of games than in ’07. However, Seattle is far from a pushover. Their defense is a stingy group for Lynch to deal with on opening day. While Seattle ranked 12^th against the run, they allowed 16 rushing touchdowns a year ago, which was near the bottom of the league. Lynch is not likely to have a field day against one of the NFC’s top defenses, but he should be able to scratch out a score.

 

Adrian Peterson vs. Green Bay's rush defense - Three words to all of those Adrian Peterson owners: eight-man fronts. Green Bay is likely to mix things up in order to jar Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson (assuming he’s ready to go with a sprained MCL), but it’s hard to believe they aren’t going to focus the brunt of their attention on Peterson. In his first go-round against the Pack's defense last season, Peterson ran 12 times for 112 yards, but he only netted 45 yards on 11 attempts in the second meeting. As Minnesota still sorts out the mess that is their passing game, don’t be surprised if Peterson is slow out of the gate against Green Bay.

 

Drew Brees vs. Tampa Bay's secondary - At the open of the 2007 season, the Saints' passing offense severely struggled. Brees mustered one touchdown pass against nine interceptions through the season’s first four games. Tampa’s defense held the Saints attack to just 14 points in one of those early season games, as Brees only connected on one touchdown pass in the Week 2 loss. During their two games last season, Brees labored against Tampa’s fast secondary that includes Ronde Barber and Philip Buchanon at the corners. He combined for three scores in two games but could not move the ball through the air consistently. Tampa’s pass defense ranked first in 2007 and their aggressive style may give the Saints' air attack problems in Week 1.