Sunday truly is one of the best sporting days of the entire year.
Yeah, the Super Bowl champion Saints officially opened the 2010 season by beating the Vikings on Thursday night. But Sunday is the real opening day of the National Football League. Thirteen football games. A couch. Something to eat. Something to drink.
What more could one ask for on a Sunday afternoon?
There is something to look forward to on each of the 17 regular-season Sundays — whether it's a big game, fantasy football matchups or just a reason to unwind and relax after a long work week.
But there's just something special about the first Sunday of the season. We get to see how teams have changed since the end of last season. Did they improve themselves in free agency or the draft? Or in mini-camps, training camp and the preseason?
Will the big free-agent signees be difference makers? Which of the high-priced rookies will make an impact? Will any of the coaches in new places immediately improve their teams?
The long offseason provides plenty of time for questions like these to formulate. There are specific questions burning through my mind about the 2010 season, and finally, they'll start being answered Sunday.
Are the Lions the best breakout team candidate in 2010? Just two seasons after being the first team to go 0-16 in league history, Detroit appears to have made a quick turnaround. The Lions have their quarterback of the future (Matthew Stafford), running back of the future (Jahvid Best), one of the top wideouts in the league (Calvin Johnson) and a potential force on defense (Ndamukong Suh). Detroit isn't going to win the Super Bowl, but it will make some strides.
Are the Broncos the new Raiders? In the last two offseasons, Denver has traded Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall and drafted project quarterback Tim Tebow in the first round. The Broncos also traded a 2010 first-round pick in 2009 to move up in the draft and pick cornerback Alphonso Smith in the second round. What a disaster. They traded him to the Lions for backup tight end Dan Gronkowski last week in a move that served as a confession that taking Smith was a mistake.
Are the Chargers too stubborn? They didn't cave to the contract demands of receiver Vincent Jackson and lineman Marcus McNeil. That's great, but they'll also be without two starters on offense. We'll see how much it hurts San Diego's explosive offense.
Which team got the better of the Donovan McNabb trade? The Eagles obviously have no fear of their former quarterback, trading him to a division rival that they'll play twice this season. Philadelphia put its faith in Kevin Kolb after McNabb couldn't get it a Super Bowl win. In the short-term, the deal looks better for the Redskins.
Can the Saints repeat? It's not impossible, but it is highly unlikely. It's only been done twice since the salary cap was implemented 16 years ago. The Saints will get everyone's best shot this season, and they'll have to stay healthy and focused to have a chance.
Will the Bengals implode? Receiver Chad Ochocinco was joined in the offseason by Terrell Owens and Pacman Jones. Owens has been a team cancer at most of his stops and Jones has a rap sheet that is both long and troubling. Cincinnati's locker room can stay harmonious if the players have put their troubles behind them.
How will the Jets be affected by Darrelle Revis' holdout? OK, so we have to wait until Monday to find out if Revis' 36-day holdout will hurt the self-proclaimed Super Bowl favorites. It won't be easy for Revis to pick up where he left off last season, when he shut down every receiver he faced. If he's rusty, the Jets' defense will be vulnerable.
e-mail: aaragon@desnews.com