[bigboydan]

thursday september 7th the world champion pitt steelers will be playing the miami dolphins.

[Dark Horse]

Great!

Some opening weekend matchups:

The NFL announced its 2006 Kickoff Weekend nationally televised schedule -- including a Monday night doubleheader -- and its Thanksgiving Day national TV tripleheader.

In a tradition instituted in 2004, the Super Bowl champion annually hosts the NFL Thursday night season kickoff the following year. This Sept. 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET, the Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh Steelers will oppose the Miami Dolphins as NBC rejoins the NFL's TV family for the first time since 1997. The game will feature a quarterback matchup of Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and the Dolphins' Daunte Culpepper, acquired recently from Minnesota in a trade.

Fans won't have to wait long to see the anticipated 'Manning Bowl'.
On Sunday, Sept. 10, the FOX national doubleheader game at 4:15 p.m. ET will feature the Dallas Cowboys at the Jacksonville Jaguars, who finished 12-4 and earned a playoff spot last season

The Sunday night primetime game (8:15 p.m. ET) on NBC can be called the "Manning Bowl" and it will be a history-maker. The AFC South champion Indianapolis Colts will visit the NFC East titlist New York Giants. It will be a matchup of quarterback brothers -- the Colts' 30-year-old Peyton Manning against his sibling, 25-year-old Eli Manning of the Giants. It will be the first time in NFL history that brothers will start at quarterback against each other.

Monday night, Sept. 11, will feature the first regularly scheduled Monday Night Football game on ESPN, and the first regularly scheduled Monday Night Football doubleheader. The first game (7 p.m. ET) will pit the Minnesota Vikings, under new head coach Brad Childress, at the Washington Redskins, an '05 Divisional Playoff team. The Monday night "nightcap" (10:15 p.m. ET) will be an AFC West meeting of the San Diego Chargers, directed by new starting quarterback Philip Rivers, at the Oakland Raiders, also led by a new coach, Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Shell.

On Sunday, Sept. 10, CBS, which has U.S. Open tennis in the late afternoon slot, will carry a lineup of early regional NFL games. CBS will televise the NFL national doubleheader late game in Week 2.

The rest of the 2006 regular-season schedule will be finalized and announced in April.

Kickoff Weekend
Date Day Opponents Network Time (ET)
Sept. 7 Thu. Miami at Pittsburgh NBC 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 10 Sun. Dallas at Jacksonville FOX 4:15 p.m.
Sept. 10 Sun. Indianapolis at N.Y. Giants NBC 8:15 p.m.
Sept. 11 Mon. Minnesota at Washington ESPN 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 Mon. San Diego at Oakland ESPN 10:15 p.m.

[Illusion]

I personally can't wait for the Manning brothers meeting. That's gonna be a fun game to watch.

[bigboydan]

tom brady is better TGO. he has 3 superbowl rings that proves that.

[Dark Horse]

Peyton Manning is the greatest quarterback in NFL history and that is fact.

Please, do not bring up some moron that played in the 60's and compare him to Peyton. Peyton is the man.

Here's hoping you get that 60's show out of your system soon.

[clonecat]

I personally can't wait for the Manning brothers meeting. That's gonna be a fun game to watch.

I saw an interesting prop bet at Pinnacle.

# of Times Archie Manning's mug will be shown during Sunday Night Opener.

Over 10.5 -1.45
Under 10.5 +1.30

[slacker00]

Nice analysis, The Great One.

I'm a Colts fan and I agree that the Colts were just not up for that Pittsburgh game. There's no way Peyton can be blamed for any of their playoff losses. But, the Colts as a team have definitely not measured up to expectations, especially this last year. I hope Peyton can win at least one ring, because nobody wants to live life like Dan Marino. I think Marino spends every second of his life wondering "what if". Brady's choke against Denver was one of the biggest ever, especially considering his supposed tools and abilities. If Brady wasn't Mr. Everything, there would have been much more said about the Brady choke in Denver.

[Illusion]

No, Joe Montana was the best ever. Peyton has been one of the best over the last couple of years.

[imgv94]

So, I take it, everyone on this board agrees with what The Great One says?

Peyton Manning is in fact the greatest quarterback ever to play the position.

No Ryan Leaf was!!

[Illusion]

No Ryan Leaf was!!

How can you forget about Cade McNown, lol.

[imgv94]

How can you forget about Cade McNown, lol.

I never thought he was that good with UCLA
either. I didn't think he was going to be drafted.
I knew he sucked! He played for your Bears right?

[Illusion]

I never thought he was that good with UCLA
either. I didn't think he was going to be drafted.
I knew he sucked! He played for your Bears right?

Yes he did. He was like the 6th qb drafted that year. It was the same year McNabb came out.

[imgv94]

Illusion? Is your PM box full?

[Illusion]

No, I haven't checked them all day.

[Dark Horse]

Peyton Manning = Dan Marino. Their names even have similar letters.

Both have 'NO', not again. And 'MAN', another lost year.

[slacker00]

Peyton Manning = Dan Marino. Their names even have similar letters.

Both have 'NO', not again. And 'MAN', another lost year.

As a Colts fan, this is my worst fear. Great stats, lots of woulda coulda, but in the end, no title. I still think they have a great shot this year, but last year was maybe that once in a lifetime chance. Same thing for Denver, though. Can Denver count on an AFC Championship in Denver next year? How about the Pats. If not for the Brady choke, they'd have been hosting the AFC Championship and maybe hung yet another title. Steelers played spoiler to a lot of teams on their run to the title.

The worst thing I saw in the Steelers playoff loss is that the Colts were putting the game on the arm of Manning. Even Elway didn't win it all until he starting handing it off more than passing it. I really wish they would have stuck to the run more. I just don't get it why they were running the ball well, but kept going back to the heavy passing game.