Welcome to a new season on the NFL Talkboard. Many of you will know the drill by now, but for those that don't, this is a dedicated space on the Guardian's sportblog where people can talk about American football. Every week I will choose the games for our Pick Six predictions competition and invite you to submit your own picks below the line. The blog will then stay open over the weekend, allowing everyone – myself included – to keep chatting about the games as they happen and indeed once they're done.
As mentioned in the full NFL season preview yesterday, we will also be providing weekly live blogs this season - starting this Sunday with Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens from 1pm ET, 6pm BST. Here's hoping you'll join me for that one, even if only to tell me how wrong all my picks were.
Recap: New Orleans Saints 34 @ Green Bay Packers 42
After all the lockout anxiety over the summer, this was exactly the game the NFL wanted to get things going again. The last two Super Bowl winners, going at it hard over a relentless four quarters of football. A combined 76 points, 10 touchdowns and 731 passing yards – and even a suitably tense climax as the Saints drove all the way to inside the one-yard line before Mark Ingram was stopped short of the endzone on the game's final play. We even had one punt and one kick-off returned for touchdowns – the latter a 108-yard, NFL record-equalling effort, from Packers rookie Randall Cobb.
What did we learn? That the Packers, seeking to become the first team to record back-to-back Super Bowl wins since the New England Patriots in 2004, will take some stopping; that the Saints too look in pretty good shape after adding Darren Sproles to their already impressive offensive arsenal; and also that decision to move kick-offs forwards to the 35-yard line is going to mean a lot more touchbacks – there were eight yesterday compared with two in the entire previous season at Lambeau Field. Fortunately, with players like Cobb and Sproles around, it looks like we can still enjoy a few big returns too.
Some further thoughts from Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press Gazzette here: suggesting that Aaron Rodgers proved that offseason workouts aren't all they're cracked up to be; and here's ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith, arguing that Sean Payton lost his nerve with that final play call.
Peyton Manning update
It has been known for a little while that the Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was likely to miss the start of the season with problems relating to his back and neck, but after further neck surgery yesterday it looks very possible that he will miss a lot more than that. The Colts have not yet put the player on injured reserve, but the fact that they raised that possibility in their own statement suggests there is a very serious chance that he could be out for the whole season. Some commentators have even suggested it could be the end of Manning's career. That is probably premature, but certainly there is no doubting that the injury is a very serious concern. For the Colts it is a huge blow, but of course the greater concern is for the long-term health of a player who had never previously missed a game in his career, and who has been arguably the greatest quarterback of his generation.
Anyway, on that rather downbeat note, here are the games for this season's first Pick Six:
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens
An instant opportunity for one team to assert its superiority in the AFC North, and recent history would suggest that should be the Steelers. Joe Flacco is, after all, their bunny – the Baltimore signal caller having never beaten Pittsburgh when Ben Roethlisberger is playing. To end that run he will need help from a defence that struggled to rush the passer last year and which will be relying heavily on inexperienced cornerbacks. Or perhaps – given that all but one of his losses to the Steelers have been by a single score – he just finally needs to catch a break. Ravens to win
Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Two upwardly mobile teams, each with young quarterbacks with a point to prove. The Lions' Matthew Stafford has had quite the pre-season, but must contend with a young and hungry Tampa Bay defensive line. Likewise, the Buccaneers' Josh Freeman will not be looking forwards to a potential encounter with Detroit man-child Ndamukong Suh. Of the two teams, though, the Bucs look better placed to run the ball with LeGarrette Blount. That, allied to a desire to avenge the defeat late last season that eventually cost them the play-offs, might just be the difference. Buccaneers to win
Atlanta Falcons @ Chicago Bears
A road game against the NFC North champions is nobody's preferred way to start the season – and especially not for an Atlanta team who have lost here on each of their last five visits. But with a the pass rush upgraded by the addition of Ray Edwards and the Bears' offensive line set to feature four players in new positions, there is every reason to believe things could work out better this time around. Falcons to win
Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars ditched their starting quarterback, David Garrard, on Tuesday. The Titans barely had a starting quarterback in the first place. This one should be all about the running backs: Chris Johnson v Maurice Jones-Drew, but with both teams left to pack the box with defenders on every down, it may come down to which of Luke McCown or Matt Hasselbeck can make the most plays around the fringes. I like Hasselbeck to come out on top. Titans to win
New York Giants @ Washington Redskins
Eli Manning believes he is in the same class of quarterback as Tom Brady. I don't, but I do believe he is of a higher order than Washington's Rex Grossman. Giants to win>
Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers
Better to win this game, or lose and get an early head-start in the race for next year's No1 pick? Two bad teams with not a lot to choose between them, but with Seattle likely to be without two of their most important offseason additions – the offensive guard Robert Gallery and wide receiver Sidney Rice – the 49ers' defence could be in for a good day. 49ers to win
One more thing …
Many of you will have already spotted it, but if not then UK readers may be interested to know that tickets for this year's game at Wembley – in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Chicago Bears – go on general sale on Sunday at 7.30pm on Ticketmaster. Pre-sale has already opened for those who got their names on the registry of interest, but I would imagine there will still be some good tickets going for what looks on paper like a pretty tasty game. Also coming up later this month for UK fans is Britbowl XXV – the championship weekend for the British American Football Association. Running across the weekend of 24-25 September in Crystal Palace, it features nine different finals from the country's various amateur categories (a mix of flag and kitted, youth and senior). The NFL it certainly ain't, but speaking from experience I can say it's certainly a lot of fun. Tickets for that one, also available on Ticketmaster.
