For the 10th consecutive season, the NFL will kick off on a Thursday night when New Orleans visits defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay. Here are the best games of the first nine: 5. San Francisco 16, New York Giants 13 (2002) » Less than a week before the first anniversary of Sept. 11, Terrell Owens’ 33-yard catch turned a mistake-filled contest into an exciting one, setting up the second of two fourth-quarter field goals from Jose Cortez that gave the 49ers the victory.
4. Pittsburgh 28, Miami 17 (2006) » Dolphins coach Nick Saban failed to throw a challenge flag in time on Heath Miller’s 87-yard TD catch, and Joey Porter’s 42-yard interception return for a touchdown completed the Steelers’ come-from-behind victory.
3. Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10 (OT) (2009) » Ben Roethlisberger was clutch, and the Steelers were lucky when it mattered, winning the overtime coin toss. Santonio Holmes finished with exactly the same numbers (nine catches, 131 yards, one touchdown) as he had had in Super Bowl XLIII.
2. New England 27, Indianapolis 24 (2004) » The defending Super Bowl champion Patriots won their 16th straight with trademark offense from Tom Brady and timely defense. A Willie McGinest sack of Peyton Manning led to Mike Vanderjagt’s potential game-tying 48-yard field goal going wide right.
1. Washington 16, New York Jets 13 (2003) » It may not have been the most exciting game, but it was the most satisfying for a host of Jets-turned-Redskins, including kicker John Hall, who booted the game-winning 33-yard field goal with five seconds left.
– Craig Stouffer
