Remember, this was supposed to be last year’s epic showdown to decide who was going to the Super Bowl; only that the no 1 seed Titans, who entered the playoffs with an imposing 13-3 record, botched things badly on the road to Tampa Fla, losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional playoff game in Nashville, when Matt Stover floated a 43-yard field goal through the uprights with less than a minute remaining, to give the Ravens a stunning 13-10 win over their hated conference rivals.
So the slug-fest everyone anticipated is finally here; it only took a few more months than expected.
As we prepare for the curtain-raiser at 8: 30 p.m (ET) in a stadium that will undoubtedly be spilling over with “Terrible Towel’’ waving fans, here are some historic NFL facts and records to whet your appetite.
• Of the 442 teams which have won season openers–233 went to the playoffs, while 136 won division titles. Of the 442 teams which lost opener’s—103 went to the playoffs—58 won division titles.
• In 2008, eight of the 12 playoff teams won the first game of the season
• The Pittsburgh Steeler's have won six consecutive season opener’s, the third longest streak in the NFL
• The Chicago Bears, hold the record with the most season opener wins with 50, followed by the Green Bay Packers with 49, and the New York Giants with 47
• The Dallas Cowboys have racked up a .688 winning percentage during the first game of the season, with a 33-15-1 record; and have won 17 consecutive openers from 1965-81.
• On September 16, 1973—Buffalo’s O.J. Simpson rushed for 250 yards against New England, an NFL rushing record for a season opener.
• Norm Van Brocklin led the L.A Rams to a 54-14 thumping of the New Yanks on September 28, 1951, when “the Dutchman’’ threw for a record 554 yards and five touchdown passes, surpassing Johnny Lujack's single-game record of 468 yards.
• 62 years ago, on September 28, 1947, The Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles opened the season with a record 87 points combined, which included 12 touchdowns, six for each team, as the Eagles, playing on their home field, narrowly beat the Redskins, 45-42.
• In 2009, all NFL teams will wear a pink ribbon decal on their helmets in celebration of Cancer Awareness Month in October
• This season, the distance traveled by all NFL teams will total 578,912 miles, 18,128 less than last year
• The New England Patriot’s Tom Brady holds the league record with a 87-24 win/loss ratio, a .784 winning percentage, followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers’s Ben Roethlisberger with 51-20 wins, a .718 winning percentage
• The Minnesota Viking’s field-general, Joe Kapp, threw seven touchdown passes against the Baltimore Colts on September 28, 1969, a record for an NFL game.
• On December 7, 2005, Clinton Portis of the Denver Broncos stormed in for five rushing touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs , a record that remains intact.
• According to the NFL Team Shop, Jay Cutler’s jersey of the Chicago Bears is the top selling item
• A Harris Poll showed professional football ranked as the favorite sport by 31 percent of those surveyed, ahead of baseball, college football, auto racing, and men’s pro basketball
• 225 million watched NFL games in 2008
• President Obama has made no secret he’s a devoted follower of the Chicago Bears; while Jon Bon Jovi prefers the New York Giants, George Clooney roots for the Cincinnati Bengal’s, Tina Fey for the Philadelphia Eagles, Ray Ramono-The New York Jets, Tiger Woods—The Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and former Sec of State Condoleezza Rice-The Cleveland Browns
• In 2009, the NFL marks its 90th season
• 75 years ago, the NFL televised its first Thanksgiving Day game, when the Chicago Bears beat the Detroit Lions, 19-16; and NBC radio also made history, broadcasting the game on 94 stations across the country.
• 50 years ago, the American Football League was formed
• 15 years ago, the two-point conversion was adopted
• 10 years ago, instant replay was implemented
• Patriot’s head coach Bill Belichick with 153 wins, needs nine more wins to pass Marv Levy, Mike Shanahan, and Bill Cowher for 14th place for all-time career victories
• Super Bowl XLIV will be played in South Florida (Dolphin Stadium) on February 27, 2010
Source: NFL
-Bill Lucey
WPLucey@gmail.com
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