Philadelphia-
NFL Opening Day is one of the most looked forward to days on the calender. From the fresh face paint and jerseys being suited, to the smell of charcoal grills arousing the air of stadium parking lots, the first game of the NFL season is always a spectacle in its own. Teams all with the same dream, same goal, same outlook on the ripe season come through the tunnels and on to the field hungry to make this season one to remember.
As 1 o’clock rolled around a multitude of action was taking place around the league itself. Epic moment after epic moment and play after play, there would be plenty to talk about around the water cooler come Monday morning. One game we watched closely was an opening day match-up between the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith took his first snaps under center as a pro. The game was back and forth early with no clear team having the advantage. After a solid drive form Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman which resulted in a field goal to give his team the lead late in the fourth, Geno Smith strapped his helmet on looked to make something happen. There must have been some of that opening day magic in the air at MetLife Stadium because on a play where Geno Smith was flushed from the pocket and forced to run out of the playing field, he took a late hit from a Buccaneers defender causing the refs to assess a 15 yard penalty putting his Jets in prime field goal range. As time ticked below five seconds the Jets drilled a 45 yard plus field goal to win the game in which they almost lost.
Another game that caught the eye of the national stage was a match up that on paper for the most part seemed a little one-sided. The Teneessee Titans went into Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game started out truly bizarre as on the opening kick off the Titans received a safety for catching the ball outside of the end zone and then running back into the end zone to down the ball. With 3 seconds only off the clock the Steelers already had a two point lead as well as the ball back. The Titans did not lose focus at all on what they came to do today. The defense was relentless against the Steelers offensive line and lead by newly acquired defensive back Bernard Pollard , were in Big Ben’s face all afternoon. Mid way through the second quarter the Titans defense had managed four sacks on the day and the offense looked to capitalize on the momentum that the defense was feeding off. Led by quarterback Jake Locker , the Titans made all the right moves and throws making the Steelers defense look silly at times. Former Steeler wide out Nate Washington , now with the Titans looked solid against his old team. He finished with four catches for 46 yards and a few key blocks to open up running lanes for Chris Johnson. The Steelers offensively never really got in to sync. The game left a lot of people asking themselves, “Are the Titans this good, Or are the Steelers this horrible?’ The Steelers only had two pints until late in the fourth quarter when Ben Roethlisberger hit Jerricho Cotchery on a four yard touchdown throw. Steelers would still fall in a rare upset to the Titans of a final score of 16-9
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