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Week 1

New Orleans Saints (2010: 11-5, 2nd NFC South)


@

Green Bay Packers (2010: 10-6, 2nd NFC North, Super Bowl XLV Champions)



Where:



When:
Date: Thursday, September 8th, 2011
Time: 7:30PM CST

On The Call:
NBC: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michelle Tafoya
Packers Radio Network: Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren
Westwood One: Kevin Harlan, Boomer Esiason

Line:
Green Bay by 4.5

Previous History:
All-time regular season: 14-7-0
All-time, home: 8-2-0
Streaks: The Saints have won three of the last four meetings.
Last meeting, regular season: Nov. 24, 2008, at Louisiana Superdome; Saints won, 51-29
Last meeting, regular season, in Green Bay: Sept. 17, 2006; Saints won, 34-27

2010 Stategery:
Offenses
New Orleans finished 11th on Offense (24.0ppg), 3rd in Passing (277.6ypg), 28th in Rushing (94.9ypg)
Green Bay finished 10th on Offense (24.3ppg), 5th in Passing, (257.8ypg), 24th in Rushing (100.4ypg)
Defenses
New Orleans finished 7th on Defense (19.2ppg), 4th in Passing (193.9ypg), 16th in Rushing (112.3ypg)
Green Bay finished 2nd on Defense (15.0ppg), 5th in Passing, (194.2ypg), 18th in Rushing (114.9ypg)

2010 Playoff Recap:
New Orleans
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKVEttPqvmE&feature=related[/youtube]

Green Bay
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu1Ny-HHn70[/youtube]

Key Offseason Acquisitions:
Green Bay: The healthy returns of Jermichael Finley, Ryan Grant, Morgan Burnett, and others served to replenish a roster set back by injuries throughout 2010.
New Orleans: Mark Ingram, Korey Hall (just kidding), Aubrayo Franklin

Key Offseason Departures:
Green Bay: Cullen Jenkins, Nick Barnett, Daryn Colledge
New Orleans: Reggie Bush and a few other backs.

Notes:
1. Green Bay kicks off its 93rd season in team history with the third Thursday night game in Lambeau Field history, and the first Thursday night home opener in Packers history.
2. The game will be a matchup of the last two Super Bowl winners, the first time since 2000 and the seventh time ever that the two most recent world champions will meet in Week 1.
3. Green Bay is 5-0 all-time in prime-time season openers (four on Monday night, one on Sunday night).
4. The Saints will be making only their fourth trip to Lambeau Field in franchise history, with the most recent visit coming in 2006. This will be the fourth time overall in the past seven seasons that the teams have met.
5. Green Bay and New Orleans are the only two teams in the league to finish in the top 10 in total offense each of the past five seasons.
6. Thursday’s game is also a matchup of the two most successful teams in the NFC since 2006. Including the postseason, the Packers rank No. 2 in the conference in winning percentage at .609 (53-34), trailing only New Orleans (.616, 53-33) over that span.

(Thanks to Packers.com for that information. More info can be found here.)

Welcome Back:


Let's Dominate:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymdwQCGeovg[/youtube]

I haven't looked forward to this game at all.

I have had the feeling since the preseason started that we were going to lose this game. I have no idea why.

That's probably a good thing for us though, since I predicted us to lose every post season game we played in last year besides the Bears game.

Great GT. As much as I've missed football I've also been enjoying basking in the glow of Super Bowl victory because I know how hard it will be to repeat. That 6 game run to end the season last year was incredible. And now everyone is 0-0 again.

YOTTO

begins...

Finley? I just hope he doesn't get hurt...




Again.

DocHoliday wrote:YOTTO

begins...

#YOTTOdos (According to the man himself)

Need to bust a long run off tackle early. I'm thinking a 3 WR bunch on the left side and run off right tackle. If Grant or Stark can get the edge either should be able to stiff arm their DBs Lynch style.

Some series trivia:

The Saints were founded on November 1, 1966 (All Saints Day) as an expansion team. After winning Super Bowl I, the Green Bay Packers would be forced to depart with their "Thunder and Lightning" backfield, as Paul Hornung was drafted to the Saints during the 1967 Expansion Draft, while Jim Taylor was signed by New Orleans to a huge contact. Hornung would be forced to retire before ever playing a down for New Orleans, while Taylor played just one season in his home state before retiring in September 1968

You're GD right:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... =Jason+Gay

Sure, the American economy is dragging; unemployment hovers at 9.1%; consumer confidence is crumpled. But whoa, whoa, whoa —don't get in the way of the Packers, Mr. President!

Cant believe the season is actually starting

Pro thread starter. Good work

MM:

"The Packer Way, you win a championship, and you're part of the history. And you don't make a big deal about it. You line up and try to get ready for the next one. They don't put pictures on the wall for second place."

MickeyDavis wrote:MM:

"The Packer Way, you win a championship, and you're part of the history. And you don't make a big deal about it. You line up and try to get ready for the next one. They don't put pictures on the wall for second place."

Word.

Can't wait for this game! Ahhh I can't believe football season is back...the Rodgers Dynasty continues!

I heard somewhere that since the Thursday games to start the season began, the team that lost didn't make it to the playoffs that year. And I believe the home team won most, if not all of those games. Not that I really look that insightfully into that stat, but thought I'd share.

Oh, and great thread!

Go Packers!

Well considering the home team since the introduction of this format is the defending Super Bowl champion it would seem likely that they had a good chance of both winning at home and returning to the playoffs.