So I’m sitting here, on my couch, waiting breathlessly for the season to begin. 
I usually perform several “rituals” for each season, and in turn, each game. There is no trace of OCD in my family and I don’t believe my rituals are of a classifiable nature but rather similar to those athletes have. The referee for the evening is Scott Green who officiated out 2nd Superbowl win. Tonight is also a “throwback” night and the teams are wearing the old jerseys, which I love.
In terms of the game tonight I’m looking for several things.
- Will our defensive backfield gel? – We’ve got quite a few younger players and some vets who’ve never played an NFL down together. Having the right mix of players, talent and attitude will all the offense to blossom into more than Brady/Welker, Brady/Welker, Brady Moss, Touchdown. Of course, a TD is a TD and a win is a win but I like balance.
- What is our offensive backfield going to look like? All of our backs play a different style and I’m curious to see who our offensive line works best with. We’ll always have theFaulk draws and screens but a back should emerge to give us some N/S yardage. It’s Maroney‘s time and I expect we’ll know by the end of the 2nd game if he’s going to emerge.
- How does the loss of Seymour affect the chemistry of the front line. Will the flirtation with a 4-3 in the preseason become a defining trend for this team? Seeing as Sey was a pass rusher and sat out most most run schemes the loss of impact shouldn’t be as visible as the loss of leadership.
- Was keeping Joey Galloway a smart move? There were younger and more active players in training camp and I wasn’t impressed by him when he was on the field.
- I also want to see a swagger. I like when my players play confidently…and this group could be as good as 2 years ago
I don’t expect much from the Bills due to the fact that, well…they’re the Bills. The media-whore receiver who shall remain nameless could be mildly entertaining as he competes with the “real 81” all night. Looking to the rest of the schedule I’m thrilled to see some great contests but I don’t believe tonight will be one of them.
My pick: Patriots 31 Bills 17