College football and the NFL are officially back once the Broncos and Ravens kickoff on Thursday night and this season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory.
The Ravens are coming into the season as defending champions and after the Giants missed the playoffs last season after winning the Super Bowl, Baltimore is hoping for a different result. The Broncos are looking for some revenge on Thursday after losing in stunning fashion to the Ravens in the postseason and now Peyton Manning and company will have their chance.
The Broncos have some new names on the roster as well, the most notable being Wes Welker after he signed in the offseason after leaving the Patriots. Welker joins Montee Ball in the offense as a new face and Peyton Manning will be looking to have another MVP like season in 2013. The team opens with the Broncos before travelling to face brother Eli and the Giants in New York and that should be another tough game.
The New England Patriots are travelling to play the Buffalo Bills in week 1, while other games include the Bengals vs. the Bears, Miami visiting the Browns, the Falcons playing the Saints as well as the Bucs visiting the Jets. The Titans and Steelers will play, while the Raiders will travel to play the Colts and the Cardinals will travel to play the Rams.
The New York Giants are the first Sunday night game of the season against the Dallas Cowboys, while on Monday night the Eagles will visit the Redskins in the first game before the Texans play the San Diego Chargers in the late game. The Ravens and Broncos played an epic playoff game last season that saw Baltimore make and improbable comeback and after doing that, they were able to defeat the Patriots to make it to the Super Bowl. After a tense matchup with the 49ers that saw the light s go out, the team emerged victorious and is now champions. Joe Flacco got a huge contract and the team looks very different from the one that won a championship, with names like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Paul Kruger and Anquan Boldin no longer around.
