NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Sunday marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Seattle Seahawks, the Pete Carroll era.

"I couldn't be more excited about it," said Carroll at his first regular-season Wednesday press conference at the team's Renton, Wash. training facilities.

"I think it's going to be really interesting to see where we stand in this division."

The Seahawks won't have to wait long to see where they stand thanks to a Week One matchup at Qwest Field against the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers have steadily improved over the past three seasons. After finishing 5-11 in 2007, San Francisco bettered its record to 7-9 in 2008 and then to 8-8 last year.

Hoping to continue to build on the recent improvement, the team will look to its revamped offensive line to provide quarterback Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore time to move the ball down the field. In April, San Francisco spent two first-round picks in the National Football League Draft on the line with the selections of left guard Mike Iupati and right tackle Anthony Davis.

"They made two big statements by going out and getting a couple [of] young offensive linemen to put that line in order," said Carroll.

With Iupati and Davis installed into the unit, the running back game will become an even more integral part of the 49ers' offense. This means more carries for a punishing runner known also for his ability to turn a routine run up the middle into a game-changing play. In two games against Seattle last season, Frank Gore toted the football 25 times for 232 yards – an average of 9.28 yards per carry – with two runs going for 79 and 80 yards, both of which were touchdowns.

If the Seahawks focus too much on Gore, Alex Smith will make them pay. The sixth-year signal caller from Seattle enters the 2010 season with a luxury he hasn't had since his college days at Utah. Having the same offensive coordinator for consecutive season for the first time in years has helped Smith feel more comfortable leading the 49ers' offense since he doesn't have another new playbook to master.

While Smith doesn't have a new playbook, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck does. With the arrival of his new head coach and Carroll's staff, Hasselbeck has had to learn the intricacies of a new offense for two straight offseasons.

Helping Seattle's quarterback out will be newly named starting running back Justin Forsett, a player that's left Coach Carroll buzzing.

"His constancy of making people miss," said the coach. "He's really, really hard to get a good hit on."

That ability to make people miss is something that vaulted the third-year back out of Cal ahead of a group of notable names at his position last season. Averaging 3.2 yards after contact per attempt in 2009, Forsett outperformed Tennessee's Chris Johnson, Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew and Arizona's Chris "Beanie" Wells.

However, Forsett isn't the only runner in Carroll's stable of running backs. He also has veterans in Julius Jones and first-year Seahawk Leon Washington.

"If a guy gets hot in a game, he's staying," said Carroll.

If Seattle wants to win Sunday against San Francisco, it will need to have more than just a potent ground game to move the chains and put points on the scoreboard.

That's where Mike Williams and Deon Butler come in.

Williams joined the team over the offseason as an unrestricted free agent two years removed from professional football. Brought in on a tryout, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Williams turned heads throughout the offseason and preseason en route to earning playing time with Seattle's first-string unit in the team's exhibitions despite facing tough odds from his head coach.

"He's been impeccably directed," said Carroll. "I was probably tougher on him than anybody."

His efforts on the practice field and in games gave the Seahawks an option they didn't think available when they brought him in to challenge for a roster spot. Just one season into a five-year deal with T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle opted to cut its starting flanker and give the role to Williams.

Williams won't be able to lead the receiving corps by himself. Thankfully, Carroll has somebody else that he says has progressed even more this offseason and preseason than his new starting flanker.

Entering his second season in the NFL, Deon Butler isn't a new face to Carroll – the two faced each other in college when Butler's Penn State team played Carroll's Southern Cal squad – but he's been a surprise nonetheless.

"He's our most improved player," said Carroll.

"He's always been a playmaker," the coach added about Butler, Seattle's starting third receiver for Sunday. "He's been making things happen consistently."

Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. Sunday at Qwest Field.

Can't get enough NFLGridironGab? Follow SeahawksGab Editor Devon Heinen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson — What a year in 2009 for CJ2K!  The Tennessee Titans' speedster running back was a Fantasy Football cash machine as he set an NFL single-season record for yards from scrimmage (2,509). All Johnson did was rush for 2,006 yards on 358 carries with 14 TDs and caught an additional 50 receptions on 71 targets for 503 yards and 2 TDs.  Johnson is now motivated too after a brief holdout was resolved by a “short-term fix”, where his 2010 pay was raised from $550,000 to roughly $2.5 million, so look out.  CJ2K is predicting a run at Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2105 rushing yards.  And I think he has a chance as Johnson can take it to the house from anywhere as he totaled 693 yards on 14 carries of over 30 yards in 2009.

Jacksonville Jaguars RB Maurice Jones Drew – Pocket Hercules proved in 2009 that he was more than worth the new contract he received the year before (four-years, $31 Million contract includes $17.5 million guaranteed).  A scoring machine, Jones-Drew has 56 touchdowns in 63 career games including 40 TDs in his first three seasons — second only to LaDainian Tomlinson’s 61 during that span. My only concern with MJD is that the shorter back will wear down over time.  In 2009, he had over 400 combined touches and his knee was giving him some problems in training camp.  But MJD is assuring everyone that he is ready for another season and on-the-hotseat head coach Jack Del Rio needs him to perform greatly.  2009 FF Numbers: 16 games played, 16 starts, 312 carries for 1,391 rushing yards, 15 TDs, 71 targets, 53 catches for 374 receiving yards and 1 TD

Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson – The NFL's greatest secret may reside in Houston, TX and his name is "Andre Johnson".  Johnson in seven seasons has 587 receptions for 7,948 yards and 42 touchdowns. And his greatest year was probably last season.  In leading the Texans to their first winning season ever, Johnson (29) led the NFL in receiving with 1,569 yards to join Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as the only players since 1970 to lead the league in consecutive seasons.  The star from the "U" also joined former Colts receiver Marvin Harrison (2001-02) as the only players in NFL history to record at least 1,500 receiving yards in consecutive seasons.  With the Texans looking to finally end their playoff drought and quarterback Matt Schaub showing that he is also a star, watch out for receivers Johnson, Jacoby Jones, and Kevin Walter.  Johnson’s 2009 numbers were 16 games players, 171 targets, 101 receptions for 1,569 yards, and 9 TDs.

Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning – No Fantasy Football list would be complete without the NFL's version of Robo-Quarterback.  To no one's surprise, all Manning did in '09 was put up another 12-win season (NFL record 7^th consecutive) and pass for over 4,000 yards in winning his record 4^th MVP Award.  Peyton also led his team to the Super Bowl and extended his NFL record with his tenth 4,000-yard season.  With all of his receivers back in 2010 including Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, you can expect more fireworks at Lucas Oil Stadium.  If healthy –- BTW Manning has never missed a start going back to 1998 – you can already write down 4,000 passing yards and 30 TDs guaranteed.  2009 FF Numbers: 16 games played, 16 starts, 393 of 571 for 4,500 yards, 33 TDs and 16 INTs

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers – Remember back to the 2005 NFL Draft, I know Rodgers does.  The former star from Cal had to endure a very long wait until the Packers rescued him with the 24^th overall selection.  Now there is no doubt that Green Bay couldn't be happier as Rodgers has become one of the top NFL passers.  Last season was magical for the young quarterback as he stepped out of Brett Favre's shadow to finish fourth in the NFL in passing yards, touchdowns and passer rating.  Rodgers led the Packers back to the playoffs and Green Bay became the first team in NFL history with a 4,000-yard passer (QB Aaron Rodgers), 1,200-yard rusher (RB Ryan Grant) and two 1,000-yard receivers (WRs Donald Driver & Greg Jennings) in consecutive seasons.  In 2010, the sky is the limit for Mike McCarthy's offense as the Packers return all of their weapons including Rodgers and emerging TE Jermichael Finley.  In 2009, Rodgers' numbers were 16 games, 350-541 for 4,434 yards, 30 TDs, and 7 INTs with an additional 304 rushing yards and 5 TDs.

Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson – A powerful violent runner who should be a top fantasy points scorer again.  Peterson has worked on his fumbling problems from 2009 — 20 total fumbles in 3 years including 7 in ‘09) — and seems poised to have another solid season.  Even with quarterback Brett Favre back in the fold for the Vikes in 2010, opponents know stopping Peterson is priority one.  Expect the former Rookie of the Year on the field often as former carries stealer Chester Taylor is in Chicago and I am not sure rookie Toby Gerhart is ready to be a consistent back-up. 2009 FF Numbers: 16 games played, 15 starts, 315 carries for 1,389 rushing yards, 18 TDs, 57 targets, 43 catches for 436 receiving yards and 0 TDs

St. Louis Rams RB Steven Jackson – Talk about a one-man show…Jackson in 2009 had his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season despite playing on a 1-win team. The perennial Pro Bowl back has been "Mr. Consistent" over six years in the NFL as he has averaged 1,221 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns a year.  Though Jackson can get nicked up — has played just one 16-game season in his career – who can blame him for getting nagging injuries when defenses know that he is getting the ball.  It will be interesting to see if rookie quarterback Sam Bradford can help take some of the pressure off Jackson – coming off back surgery. In 2009, despite some injuries, S-Jax produced 1,424 rushing yards on 325 carries and 4 TDs plus 314 receiving yards on 50 receptions (74 targets).

New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees – In 2009, it all came together for the formerly hard-luck New Orleans Saints.  The team that once had their fans wearing bags on their heads ascended to the Super Bowl title and Brees was one of the major reasons.  If he can survive the Madden Curse (cover boy of 2011 version), look for Brees to pick right back up where he left off last year.  The former Purdue superstar led the Saints to scoring an amazing 510 points last year and you can expect more fireworks in 2010.  Big fantasy numbers should fly off the board in the Bayou as head coach Sean Payton's offense has a lot of weapons including RB Pierre Thomas, RB/Slot WR Reggie Bush, WR Marques Colston and others.  Though last year Brees didn't break the 5,000-yard passing barrier again – like in 2008 – he did put up some great numbers.  2009 stats: 16 games, 363 of 514, 4388 yards, 34 TDs and 11 INTs plus 2 rushing touchdowns.

Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald – The most dominating receiver in the NFL has to have a spot in the Top 10, despite several FF analysts saying to wait on selecting a receiver.  Fitzgerald was productive in 2009 even though he battled through some nagging injuries to produce numbers of 97 receptions on 153 targets for 1,092 yards, and 13 TDs.  Though he will probably face more double-teams this year due to the trading of his partner Anquan Boldin to Baltimore, look for Fitzgerald to have another productive season.  Of course, the key person to Fitzgerald’s success will be quarterback Derek Anderson, who now takes over as the Cardinals triggerman.  Expect Fitz to catch the ball in the redzone and over the middle as Ken Whisenhunt will still rely on him even though the Cardinals are supposed to become a "run first" team.

Carolina Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams – For the second year in a row, Williams showed that he is a tough player worth a high FF pick.  The former Memphis star is definitely the Panthers lead back in their two-headed backfield.  If they can avoid nagging injuries, Williams and Jonathan Stewart are probably the NFL's best 1-2 punch.  Last year they became the first NFL teammates to each rush for over 1,100 yards in a single season.  In 2010, look for Williams to continue on his productive path as first-year starter QB Matt Moore is still developing and the Panthers huge O-line looks healthy again.  2009 FF Numbers: 13 games played, 13 starts, 216 carries for 1,117 rushing yards, 7 TDs, 41 targets, 29 catches for 252 receiving yards and 0 TD

Best of the Rest

QBs — New England Patriots QB Tom Brady, San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers, Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler, Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo, Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub, Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer and Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre (ankle)

RBs — Indianapolis Colts RB Donald Brown, Falcons RB Michael Turner, San Francisco 49ers RB Frank Gore, Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice, Cincinnati Bengals RB Cedric Benson, Miami Dolphins RB Ricky Williams, Carolina Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart, NY Jets Shonn Greene, Dallas Cowboys RB Felix Jones and San Diego Chargers rookie RB Ryan Matthews

WRs — Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson, Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White, New England Patriots WR Randy Moss, Dallas Cowboys WR Miles Austin, Cincinnati Bengals WR Terrell Owens, Philadelphia Eagles WR DeSean Jackson (neck), Green Bay Packers WR Greg Jennings, Baltimore Ravens WR Anquan Boldin, Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne, Miami Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall (hip), New England Patriots WR Wes Welker (knee), New Orleans Saints Marques Colston, Jacksonville Jaguars WR Mike Sims-Walker and Cincinnati Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco

TEs — San Diego Chargers TE Antonio Gates, Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten, Philadelphia Eagles TE Brent Celek, Chicago Bears TE Greg Olsen,  Indianapolis Colts TE Dallas Clark (leg), SF 49ers TE Vernon Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Kellen Winslow, Green Bay Packers TE Jermichael Finley, NY Jets TE Dustin Keller, Washington Redskins TE Chris Cooley and Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe

Kickers – New England Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski, Oakland Raiders Sebastian Janikowski, Philadelphia Eagles K David Akers, Tennessee Titans K Rob Bironas, San Diego Chargers K  Nate Kaeding, Green Bay Packers K Mason Crosby, Minnesota Vikings K Ryan Longwell, New Orleans Saints K Garrett Hartley and Houston Texans Neil Rackers

Defenses – Baltimore Ravens, NY Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Francisco 49ers

Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and Sports Journey Network , who is also an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

No place like home: NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year CB Charles Woodson signed two-year contract extension  The deal means he’ll finish his career with Packers.  Woodson commented, “Life takes you down some different roads sometimes, roads that you can't explain. And this has turned out to be a great road."

Sports Gab Network Editor Matt Loede previews the NFL Week one matchup between the Broncos at Jaguars Sunday in Jacksonville.

You know this game meant something.  Not your ordinary Week 1 affair. Saints fans take each game seriously.

Tailgaters were setting up shop surrounding the Superdome at dawn, and one pregame cookout even doubled as a wedding. Some government offices, businesses and schools were shut down.  Dedication.

Defense Still Wins Championships.

It was Tracy Porter who put the icing on the cake securing Super Bowl XLIV for the city of New Orleans.  In The NFC title game, the defense forced five turnovers, while battering and bruising #4 seemingly each time he dropped back to throw.  Yet again it was Gregg Williams’ terrorizing troops that made the difference, as they made their presence felt Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings, holding Favre and friends to just 253 yards of total offense in a well-fought 14-9 triumph in front of 70,051 ruckus fans.  The Superdome is not only home to one of the most high-flying aerial shows and best QB’s in the league, but it also features one of the more overlooked and rock-solid defenses to boast and brag about.

You wouldn’t believe it, but the Saints actually trailed 9-7 at halftime.  No worries, right?  The last time that happened, it was February in Miami.  You know the rest of the story.  Drew Brees only needed to engineer two scoring drives, one to start the game, and one to open up the offense on its first possession in the second half.   It was anything fancy, running Pierre Thomas 17 times, controlling the clock for 21:07 of the second half.  Other than that, the defense took care of everything else.  It was simple game plan mixed with plain execution according to head coach Sean Payton:   “Just trying to do a good job of keeping the ball in front of us. We felt like we had a pretty good plan and support. I thought defensively we did a very good job of holding against the run and still taking some of the downfield throws away. I thought our players tackled really well."

The 14 points scored were the fewest by the Saints in a victorious cause since Payton started calling shots in 2006, and the fewest in a win under Payton’s watch since his debut taking down Cleveland 19-14 in the 2006 opener. "We're not used to 14-9 victories, but we're used to winning”, summed up precisely precise by Drew Brees.  No Darren Sharper, no problem, Malcolm Jenkins filled his shoes quite nicely.  Whether it was Jenkins filling in for one of their biggest playmakers on defense or leadership and production from a reliable source like Jonathan Vilma (4 tackles, interception, or contributions (7 tackles, 1 for loss) from a surprise source Jo-Lonn Dunbar (replacing Scott Fujita), they made sure to “beat” the Vikings this time around.

Picking up where they left off.

"Last year we heard a lot about how they lost the game and defensively we kind of took that a little personal. We wanted to come out and make a statement. I think we came out and played the way we wanted to play and held them to nine points. We made a statement. We won the game last year and we won the game today,” from a fired up Will Smith, who was quite adamant about coming to play and he wasn’t about to let the Vikings offense get going.  If this is a sign of things to come, consider the NFC on notice.  This team looks really good, and even when the offense doesn’t play its best, it still wins.

Its when you know you truly have a great team.  The fact that the Saints won a game they are not accustomed to winning says a lot about their focus and poise.  The defense was determined to prove that the offense isn’t the only way to win a game and Smith knows it takes just that kind of effort.  "We know we can't rely on one group. We can't rely on special teams, we can't rely on offense and we can't rely on defense. Somebody's going to make a play when we need to make a play to win the game. I don't think we turned that corner and anybody doubted that we were not going to lose that game."

They said there would be a “Super Bowl Hangover”.  Well, they didn’t cover the point spread of a touchdown.  Whoever said Brees couldn’t even come close continuing at that same rapid pace, was right.  Some said they wouldn’t catch as many breaks.  Garrett Hartley missed two field goals. Now what?  Oh, I also heard that the defense would be suspect without Darren Sharper…Anything else?

Imagine that, doubters.  Nonetheless, make no bones about it, you can hear “When The Saints Go Marching In” and its not only when Brees leads the gang anymore but also when Vilma leads the group on defense that you can hear them marching onto the field.  The Saints are marching in tune of the defense, and the defense of the Lombardi Trophy.

The NFL better take notice “When The Saints Go Marching In” because they are marching in high gear to the tune of a balanced attack.

In what was expected to be an offensive shootout, this game turned out to be all about defense. Two of the top scoring teams in the league last year were held to just 14 and 9 points, something I'm sure no one really expected.

The Saints started the game as usual, marching right down the field with Brees picking up where he left off. He went 12 of 15 for 138 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter! But the offense sort of sputtered after that.

After going a couple of three-and-outs to start their season, the Vikings offense didn't really start getting its act together until the second quarter. That's when they put together a successful 16 play drive for 66 yards that ended with a Ryan Longwell field goal. They were able to control the clock, methodically taking 9:28 off before having to settle for the three points.

Nonetheless, I thought both defenses played well. But I don't think anyone anticipated just how well the Saints defense was going to perform. Brett Favre finished the game with 171 yards, 1 touchdown to TE Visanthe Shiancoe, and 1 interception by Saints LB Jonathan Vilma. But even more shocking was the fact that Adrian Peterson had 19 rushes for only 87 yards, particularly the way he started off running all over the field. Shiancoe had 4 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. Both teams recorded a sack and Remi Ayoedele blocked a PAT for the Saints special teams.

Overall though, the Saints offense did well. Even though they didn't run up the scoreboard the way we're accustomed to seeing them do, they still managed to mount enough offense to salt this one away. After all, they were going up against a very good Minnesota defense. And they weathered it well. Brees was on-target from the start, completing 27 of 36 passes for 237 yards and 1 touchdown to Devery Henderson. He finished the night with a very impressive quarterback rating of 101.3 and an equally impressive 70.5 completion rating. Pierre Thomas got into a groove as well, finishing with 19 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown. Marques Colston had 5 catches for 62 yards.

I think what we saw tonight is a totally different style of defense than the blitz-happy crew of last year. With Sedrick Ellis, (who recorded the Saints' lone sack), back healthy, that allows the Saints to defend the run a whole lot better. It also allows them to pull back in coverage more to defend against giving up so many big plays. Overall, they did a very good job; holding Peterson to under 100 yards was no small feat. As expected, Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter played exceptionally well and I thought Malcolm Jenkins played well also. The biggest concerns for the Saints going forward from here are the two missed field goals by Garrett Hartley and the dropped passes. Even though both teams suffered from missed opportunities, the ones by the Saints proved to be more costly. Besides Hartley's woes, a touchdown was dropped in the endzone by Robert Meachem and a first-down throw was mishandled by Henderson.

As Saints fans, we have to be satisfied with the win. But there is definitely room for improvement and some areas that have to be cleaned up. It's always more impressive when a win comes against a very good team like the Vikings. With this one in the books, the Saints can now look forward to the San Francisco 49ers next week. That one won't be any easier than this one was, but if the Saints play as well as they did tonight and the result is the same, I'd say that one is going to be another thriller.

Just a little note:  the Saints only had 3 penalties for 20 yards.  That is encouraging in itself.

DATE: Sunday, September 12, 2010

SITE: Reliant Stadium

KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. (EDT)/12:00 p.m. (CDT)

CAPACITY: 71,054

SURFACE: Grass

TELEVISION/RADIO: CBS Sports telecasts with Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf. 1070 The Fan/HANK-FM, 97.1 broadcasts with Bob Lamey, Will Wolford and Kevin Lee (field reporter). Westwood One broadcasts nationally with Howard David and Tony Boselli.

Colts-Texans Series Notes:

The Colts and Texans are meeting for the 17th time, with Indianapolis owning a 15-1 series edge. Indianapolis swept the meetings in 2009, winning 20-17 at home on November 8, then posting a 35-27 victory at Reliant Stadium on November 29. In last year's second meeting, Indianapolis extended its franchise record with a 20th consecutive regular-season victory (on the way to a league-record 23 straight wins) a 35-27 come-from-behind triumph. Down 17-0 in the second quarter, Indianapolis responded with a 28-point second half to earn a league-record fifth consecutive fourth-quarter comeback victory. QB-Peyton Manning (27-35-244, 3 TDs/2 ints.) surpassed QB-John Elway (4,123) for 3rd-most completions in NFL history. It was the fifth time Manning directed the club to victory from a 17+-point deficit, the most times by any NFL QB. WR-Reggie Wayne was 3-19, 1 TD, while LB-Clint Session had a 27t interception in a 21-point fourth quarter to help seal the victory.

Indianapolis clinched the AFC South title with the win. In the first meeting of 2009, countering a 17-0 Houston run that erased a 13-point lead, Indianapolis scored midway through the final period to outlast the Texans, 20-17. The victory was not secured until K-Kris Brown's 42-yard field goal attempt drifted wide left at the gun. Indianapolis led from the outset until the first play of the final period, but rallied when it mattered. Manning was 34-50-318, 1 TD/int., earning his 125th starting victory, surpassing Fran Tarkenton for 4th-most wins by an NFL starting QB.

Manning became the first player in NFL history with 40,000+ passing yards in one decade (40,299, 2000-09), and he became the first NFL QB with seven 300+ outings in the first eight games of a season. DE-Dwight Freeney had a sack in a ninth consecutive game. Rookie DB-Jerraud Powers had an interception, while RB-Joseph Addai (14-63, 1 TD; 2t rushing/5-49, 1 TD; 7t receiving) had two scores. TE-Dallas Clark (14-119) tied the club record for single-game receptions and fell one reception shy of the NFL single-game mark for TEs. Wayne (635) passed WR-Raymond Berry (631) for 2nd-most receptions in club history. The Colts swept the series in 2008 (33-27 in Indianapolis 11/16; 31-27 at Houston on 10/5).

In that year's meeting in Lucas Oil Stadium, scoring on its final five full possessions, Indianapolis posted a 33-27 victory. Manning (30-46-320, 2 TDs) directed an attack that produced 474 yards, while Addai (22-105, 1 TD rushing; 7t/4-48, 1 TD receiving; 23t) and WR-Marvin Harrison (9-77, 1 TD; 10t) had touchdown receptions. The club's five final scoring drives covered 66, 81, 80, 73 and 69 yards. Wayne was 7-90 receiving, and Indianapolis rushed 34-154. Houston was 25-177 rushing, led by RB-Steve Slaton (14-156, 1 TD; 71t). Freeney had two sacks, while DB-Melvin Bullitt ended the contest with an interception. K-Adam Vinatieri booted field goals of 40, 39, 32 and 31 yards.

In Reliant Stadium on October 5, scoring 21 points in a 2:10 span of the final quarter, Indianapolis produced a stirring 31-27 victory. Indianapolis scored 10 first-quarter points before seeing Houston tally 27 unanswered points in taking a 17-point lead into the final minutes. Manning (25-34-247, 2 TDs/1 int.) sandwiched 7t and 5t scoring passes to TE-Tom Santi and Wayne (7-97) around LB-Gary Brackett's 68t fumble return as the Colts earned the win. The first scoring pass came with 4:04 remaining, and the final one came with 1:54 to go as Indianapolis became the first NFL team to erase a 17-point deficit in a game's final five minutes to win in regulation. The final touchdown was set up by DE-Robert Mathis' sack-fumble recovery at the Houston 20. Bullitt intercepted a pass at the club's 22 with :42 remaining as the three late takeaways spurred the comeback. Addai was 17-71, 1 TD rushing.

Indianapolis won both 2007 meetings, 30-24 in Houston on September 23 and 38-15 in the RCA Dome on December 23. Fueled by a 21-point second quarter, Indianapolis produced a 38-15 victory in the second meeting in 2007. The Colts scored 35 points in the middle two periods. Manning (28-35-311, 3 TDs) directed an offense that produced 458 net yards. Addai tallied on a 2t rush, then TE-Dallas Clark (6-60, 2 TDs; 6t, 11t) and Wayne (10-143, 1 TD; 7t) helped produce the win. The Colts tallied three interceptions and controlled the ball for 35:45. In that year's game in Houston, overcoming a scoring kickoff return to start a game it would never trail again, the Colts posted a 30-24 win. Down 7-0 after 21 seconds, the Colts scored in every quarter afterwards. Manning (20-29-273, 1 TD) led an offense that gained 362 net yards and produced points off two defensive takeaways. Manning hit Clark (4-58, 1 TD; 2t) on a scoring pass, and Addai (22-72, 2 TDs; 4t, 8t) tallied two rushing scores. Indianapolis pushed a 14-10 halftime lead to 27-10 after three quarters.

The teams split the series in 2006, with each team winning at home. Indianapolis posted a 43-24 win on September 17, while the Texans produced a 27-24 win on December 24 at Reliant Stadium. In 2005's battles the Colts took a 38-20 win at Houston on October 23 and a 31-17 win in the RCA Dome on November 13.

Sports Gab Network Editor Matt Loede previews the NFL Week one matchup between the Packers and Eagels in Philadelphia on Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings +6 @New Orleans Saints: Adrian Peterson, front four, and Percy Harvin out shoot Brees and friends in Superdome.  Minnesota 27 New Orleans 20

Miami Dolphins @Buffalo Bills +3: Spiller sparks in debut, secondary contains Marshall.  Buffalo plays to crowd at Ralph Wilson.  Miami 16 Buffalo 24

Lock of the Week Special: Detroit Lions +6.5 @Chicago Bears: Stafford-Best-Johnson too much for inept Bears defense.  Jahvid and Calvin score one apiece, Stafford throws for three scores.  Detroit 34 Chicago 23

Oakland Raiders +6. @Tennessee Titans: Chris Johnson picks up where he left off last season, but Vince Young is the hero, leading team en route to impressive comeback drive on game-winning touchdown pass to Bo Scaife.  Oakland’s defense keeps it close, covers. Oakland 17 Tennessee 20

Game of the Week Honors: Cincinnati Bengals @New England Patriots -4.5: Tom Brady hooks up with Randy Moss in the end zone twice.  However, underneath passing attack does trick in controlling tempo, clock, and game.   Its the key, keeping defense fresh in hotly contested battle.  Close affair. in what is the most entertaining match-up of Week 1.  Belichick gambles on fourth down with roll of the dice, opts to go for it instead of FG with game 23-21 and just less than two minutes remaining, in doing so, risk results in touchdown, ensuring victory. Cincinnati 21 New England 30

Tick, Tock, Clock, Down to the Wire Frenzy: Carolina Panthers +7 @New York Giants: Carolina visits Big Apple and combines stout, bend but don’t break defense and steady rushing attack to scare Giants enough to make them sweat at the fresh New Meadowlands Stadium.  Carolina 17 New York 19

Guarantee this, Mark it Down, Shellacking: Atlanta Falcons @Pittsburgh Steelers +2.5: No Big Ben, no dilemma, as Pittsburgh Steel Curtain dominates in classic fashion.  Troy Polamalu wins Defensive Player of the Week with his performance, while Mike Wallace shreds Atlanta’s secondary for more than 200 yards.  Hines Ward and Heath Miller make Dennis Dixon comfortable, almost too comfy with two touchdowns.  Cozy, lopsided Steelers triumph to much chagrin and many Falcon fans, NFL experts and analysts dismay.  Atlanta 10 Pittsburgh 31

Cleveland Browns @Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3: Josh Freeman connects with Mike Williams and Kellen Winslow early and often, while defense brings heat and intensity all afternoon long to woeful, inept, and anemic Cleveland offense at Raymond James.  Cleveland 6 Tampa Bay 22

Denver Broncos @Jacksonville Jaguars -3: David Garrard too much for Denver to handle, as their defense is on the field for more than half the time Jacksonville’s defense is.  Tebow sees action, runs for touchdown.  Denver 13 Jacksonville 17

Offensive Fireworks a Plenty: Indianapolis Colts -2.5 @Houston Texans: Peyton slings his way by narrowly in sensational shootout against Schaub.  Dallas Clark proves to be difference.  Addai scores not once, not twice, but thrice.  Freeney/Mathis factor in to win.  Indianapolis 37 Houston 29

Arizona Cardinals -4 @St. Louis Rams: Cards defense overpowering for Jackson, Bradford, and Co.  Arizona produces four turnovers, in sloppy win.  Anderson shaky, doesn’t matter as rushing parlor clicks.  Arizona 22 St. Louis 12

Don’t Look Now Alert, Warning is in Full Effect Mode: Green Bay Packers @Philadelphia Eagles +3: Philly defense, often overlooked by aerial assault, puts together a masterpiece in stunner.  Trent Cole, Darryl Tapp, and Brandon Graham have field day feasting on Rodgers and OL.  Green Bay 21 Philadelphia 26

No Brainer: San Francisco 49ers -3 @Seattle Seahawks:  49ers defense is championship-caliber in this divisional meeting.  Offense is efficient to accompany stifling, disruptive, penetrating 11-man firing squad of Singletary.  Samurai Mike has troops clicking on all cylinders in scintillating shutout.  San Francisco 24 Seattle 0

Not as Close as you would Imagine: Dallas Cowboys -3.5 @Washington Redskins: Early quick-strike offense too potent for Donovan/Shanahan in debut.  Insurmountable deficit cannot be overcome by shoddy aerial display.  America’s Team puts on show, in what becomes a clinic.  DeMarcus Ware records seven sacks, reminiscent of the late, great Kansas City Chief LB Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas.  Dez Bryant gets into end zone, celebrates with flash, in style.  Dallas 35 Washington 17

Baltimore Ravens +2.5 @New York Jets: Nick Folk kicks game-winning FG from 48 yards out, following roughing the QB penalty by Terrell Suggs.  Rex Ryan gets ejected.  John Harbaugh imitates him, does so as well.  Ray Lewis breaks Mark Sanchez’s leg.  Blood is shed on more than one occasion. Baltimore 14 New York 16

Shock City, New Sheriffs in Town: San Diego Chargers @Kansas City Chiefs + 5: Jamaal Charles rushes for more than 200 yards.  Matt Cassel dissects Ron Rivera’s defense for over 300 yards.  Eric Berry picks off Philip Rivers twice.  Chiefs coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel, both attempted to get carried off Arrowhead, both tries fail, to no surprise, unlike final result.  Todd Haley gets Gatorade treatment, as he gets not only bath, but carried off field. San Diego 26 Kansas City 29