An offseason that the NFL would rather forget will come to a close shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday.
Fond football memories are all that are left of Derrick Thomas, Eric Turner and Fred Lane, while Ray Lewis, Corey Dillon, Sebastian Janikowski, Bryant Westbrook, Charles Woodson, Marco Rivera and Andre Rison will be happy to see their names listed in the game stats again rather than on police reports.
Nine early games on the schedule will (or will not, depending on how you look at it) send the NFL into a new millenium, while seven contests feature divisional matchups. But the final two games are the true highlights of the opening weekend.
Bruce DeHaven will be home in the Bay Area in his easy chair by the time the Bills and Titans tee it up Sunday night in Buffalo. The 49ers special teams coach was unceremoniously dismissed from the Bills following the team's "Music City Miracle" wild-card loss to the Titans on Jan. 6 in Nashville. DeHaven's 13 productive years in Buffalo weren't enough to overcome one lucky play that cost the Bills a playoff victory. Expect Buffalo fans to give Frank Wycheck and Kevin Dyson especially exuberant -- and likely single-finger -- greetings at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The opening weekend will be capped off by a Monday night battle in St. Louis between the Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII champion Broncos and the Super Bowl XXXIV champion Rams. St. Louis' offense looks ready to again test the numerical limits of stadium scoreboards around the league. And isn't it strange that the Rams aren't getting talked about very much as possible repeat winner? Surely new head coach Mike Martz and his team are content to let everyone talk about how improved Washington, Tampa Bay and Carolina are. The Rams, after all, are champions until someone knocks them off in January.
| Week 1 NFL Preview |
| Bears (0-0) at Vikings (0-0), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
|
2,813: Combined receiving yards in 1999 by Chicago's Marcus Robinson (1,400) and Minnesota's Randy Moss (1,413). Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Bears passing attack against Vikings secondary that was second-worst in the league last season with an average of 248.8 passing yards allowed. |
| Player to Watch |
|
Daunte Culpepper: Minnesota's raw second-year quarterback will face early baptism by improved Bears defense, featuring offseason acquisitions Phillip Daniels , Brad Culpepper and Shawn Wooden . |
| |
| Lions (0-0) at Saints (0-0), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
|
39: Sacks by Detroit defensive end Robert Porcher over the past three seasons, the highest total in the league over that span.
Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Rejuvenated Lions running game, featuring free-agent signee James Stewart , against solid Saints defensive line. |
| Player to Watch |
|
Ricky Williams: The Saints are counting on their second-year running back to improve on 3.5-yard-per-carry average from last season.
|
| |
| Colts (0-0) at Chiefs (0-0), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 7,874: Passing yards for Peyton Manning in 1998 and 1999, the most ever by a quarterback in his first two seasons.
Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Colts' high-octane trio of Peyton Manning , Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison against a Chiefs defensive unit that is missing steady safety Reggie Tongue and spiritual leader Derrick Thomas from last season. |
| Player to Watch |
| Elvis Grbac: Kansas City's running game will depend on whether its starting quarterback can improve on his 6.8 yards per attempt from 1999. |
| |
| Cardinals (0-0) at Giants (0-0), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| .607: Opening-game winning percentage for the Giants (43-27-5), the fifth best in the league behind Jacksonville (4-1), Dallas (30-9-1), Denver (25-14-1) and Chicago. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Grind-it-out running game of the Giants (featuring top draft pick Ron Dayne ) against Cardinals front seven that is missing free-agent defection Eric Swann and holdout All-Pro defensive end Simeon Rice . |
| Player to Watch |
| Jake Plummer: The Snake threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions in two wins over the Giants last season, but tossed only six TDs with 24 picks in going 2-8 in his other 10 starts. |
| |
| Jaguars (0-0) at Browns (0-0), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| .647: Career winning percentage of Jacksonville's Mark Brunell (44-24), the best among AFC starting quarterbacks. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Jacksonville's banged-up offensive line against Cleveland's improved young defense. Despite finishing last in the league with 6,046 yards allowed last season, the Browns have improved on defense and could give the hobbled Jaguars trouble up front. |
| Player to Watch |
| Zach Wiegert: The injury to Pro Bowl right tackle Leon Searcy has forced the sixth-year offensive tackle into the starting lineup, and he will be matched up against the Browns' prized young defensive end, No. 1 draft pick Courtney Brown . |
| |
| Ravens (0-0) at Steelers (0-0), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 949: Difference in career catches between Ravens tight ends Shannon Sharpe (552) and Ben Coates (490), and Steelers tight ends Mark Bruener (93) and Jerame Tuman (0). Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Steelers defense against Ravens running game. Pittsburgh was the sixth-worst rushing defense in the league last season with 122.4 yards allowed, while Baltimore running back Priest Holmes averaged 5.7 yards per carry, second in the league behind Pittsburgh's Richard Huntley . |
| Player to Watch |
| Qadry Ismail: Coming off a 68-catch, 1,105-yard season, during which he torched the Steelers for 10 catches for 311 yards and four touchdowns in their two meetings. |
| |
| 49ers (0-0) at Falcons (0-0), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 2,728: Yards needed by Jerry Rice (19,075) to catch career leader Walter Payton (21,803) in total career yards. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Falcons passing game against weak 49ers secondary. San Francisco allowed a league-worst 254.3 passing yards per game, while Atlanta threw for 209.1 yards per game. |
| Player to Watch |
| Jamal Anderson: Atlanta's franchise running back average only 1.9 yards per carry in the preseason, and still hasn't regained the burst and power that helped him gain 1,846 yards in 1998.
|
| |
| Buccaneers (0-0) at Patriots (0-0), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 8-3: Patriots' record against NFC teams in their last 11 games at Foxboro Stadium. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Struggling Patriots offense against Buccaneers defense that gave up only 265.9 yards per game last season. |
| Player to Watch |
| Jamie Duncan: The third-year linebacker is being asked to replace steady veteran Hardy Nickerson in the middle. |
| |
| Panthers (0-0) at Redskins (0-0), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
|
53: Touchdown passes by Carolina's Steve Beuerlein in the past two seasons, tying Green Bay's Brett Favre for tops in the NFL over that span. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Washington's loaded offense against Carolina's beefed-up defense. The Redskins finished second in the league with 5,965 yards, while the Panthers allowed 5,503 yards, the sixth-worst total in the league. |
| Player to Watch |
| Chris Samuels: Rarely is the focus on a rookie left tackle, but the No. 3 pick in the draft will be facing the Panthers' upgraded defensive line of Reggie White , Eric Swann , Sean Gilbert and Chuck Smith . |
| |
| Eagles (0-0) at Cowboys (0-0), 4:05 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 37: Yards needed by Dallas running back Emmitt Smith to become the third player to surpass 14,000 career rushing yards. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Cowboys passing attack, with offseason trade acquisition Joey Galloway , against Eagles Pro Bowl free safety Brian Dawkins . |
| Player to Watch |
| Donovan McNabb: The second overall pick in the 1999 draft had an impressive preseason, completing 39-of-63 passes for 345 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. |
| |
| Chargers (0-0) at Raiders (0-0), 4:15 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 8: Games the Raiders lost by a touchdown or less in 1999. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Chargers special teams against Raiders special teams. San Diego has consistent veteran John Carney (115 points in 1999), while Oakland is relying on top draft pick Sebastian Janikowski to improve on its league-worst 63.2 percent field-goal conversion rate over the last three seasons. |
| Player to Watch |
| Ryan Leaf: Second overall pick in the 1998 draft will be making his first start since the 1998 season, and trying to improve on the awful 39.0 quarterback rating he had in 10 games in his rookie season. |
| |
| Jets (0-0) at Packers (0-0), 4:15 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 0: Career coaching wins for Al Groh and Mike Sherman , as both will be making their head-coaching debuts in this game. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Jets offense against porous Packers defense that allowed a league-worst 414.2 yards per game in the preseason. |
| Player to Watch |
| Curtis Martin: The Jets' workhorse ran for a club-record 1,464 yards last season, but without Keyshawn Johnson in the Big Apple, Martin may not have as much room to run in the secondary. |
| |
| Seahawks (0-0) at Dolphins (0-0), 4:15 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| .743: Dolphins' winning percentage (26-9) in September over the last 10 seasons. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Seahawks running backs Ricky Watters and Shaun Alexander against Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas , Robert Jones and Derrick Rodgers . |
| Player to Watch |
| Jon Kitna: Seahawks' potential-filled quarterback faded badly in the second half last season, throwing 10 interceptions and seven touchdowns in the last six games, after starting off with 16 scoring strikes and only six picks in the opening 10 games. |
| |
| Titans (0-0) at Bills (0-0), 8:35 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 3,997: Rushing yards by Eddie George over the last three seasons, the most in the NFL over that span. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Titans kick return team against Bills kick coverage unit. You don't think the Titans might try it again on the opening kickoff, do you? |
| Player to Watch |
| Jevon Kearse: Set the all-time rookie sack record last season with 14.5, then followed that up with two sacks and a forced fumble in the Titans' playoff win over the Bills. |
| |
| Broncos (0-0) at Rams (0-0), 9 p.m. Monday |
| Key Stat |
| 4,669: Total yards from scrimmage over the past two seasons for St. Louis' Marshall Faulk , who set a league record with 2,429 yards in 1999. Stats matchup |
| Key Matchup |
| Multi-faceted Rams offense against Broncos defense that is missing veterans Neil Smith , Dale Carter , Tyrone Braxton and Alfred Williams from last season. |
| Player to Watch |
| Terrell Davis: Broncos running back was averaging a disappointing 3.1 yards per carry before going down with a knee injury in Week 4, but Mike Shanahan is counting on his star runner to put up a fifth career 1,000-yard season in 2000. |
