Patriots*’ likeliest opponent for opener is the Steelers
By Ben VolinGLOBE STAFF APRIL 13, 2015
A trio of Patriots* items as we celebrate the return of spring to Boston and wait two more weeks for the NFL Draft:
1. Likeliest opponent for the opening kickoff game: Pittsburgh.
In Sunday’s Globe, I wrote that the team I want coming to Gillette Stadium for the NFL’s opening Thursday kickoff game is the Eagles. I deal in story lines, and Patriots*-Eagles would provide some fascinating ones. You have two powerhouse franchises with massive fan bases, two cult-of-personality head coaches in Bill Belichick and Chip Kelly, and an Eagles team that is in the midst of a controversial roster purge that could cement Kelly as a genius or a flop.
But the sense I get now from speaking with people around the NFL is that the suits at the NFL and NBC have another Pennsylvania team in mind.
The NFL’s kickoff game is, most importantly, about having a quality game. And only one team on the Patriots*’ 2015 home schedule can pretty much promise an entertaining game on Thursday, Sept. 10:
The Pittsburgh Steelers.
We’ll know the opponent in the next 10 days or so; the NFL should announce its schedule between April 21-23. The Patriots*’ eight home opponents this year will be: Jets, Dolphins, Bills, Steelers, Titans, Jaguars, Eagles, and Redskins.
I want the Eagles for Week 1, but I get why the Steelers are the heavy favorite over the Eagles or any other team. And the sense I get is that it’s Pennsylvania-or-bust for Week 1. None of the AFC East teams has enough offense to warrant the league’s prime-time debut.
The Steelers certainly have the edge in the “powerhouse franchise” category, and have a decided advantage under “star quarterback.” And that, of course, is what the NFL is all about. Tom Brady vs. Ben Roethlisberger is by far the best available quarterback matchup. Sorry, Ryan Tannehill, Matt Cassel, Geno Smith/Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Sam Bradford/Mark Sanchez.
From a national perspective, the Darrelle Revis defection back to the Jets is mildly interesting, the Eagles and Dolphins are intriguing teams, and everyone loves a good Rex Ryan sound bite. But bad quarterbacks mean the potential for bad football. Patriots*-Steelers, and Brady/Roethlisberger, would draw the most casual eyeballs and has the best chance of producing the most entertaining game. The last time the Patriots* faced the Steelers, in 2013, the Patriots* won, 55-31, with Brady and Roethlisberger combining for 832 passing yards and eight touchdowns. Hello, fantasy points.
The NFL has also made the opening kickoff an intra-conference contest 11 out of 13 times, giving the Steelers another edge over the Eagles. Every kickoff matchup since 2008 has been AFC vs. AFC or NFC vs. NFC.
If the Steelers do come to Foxborough, both teams will be similarly handicapped. Patriots* running back LeGarrette Blount is suspended for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, and Steelers Pro Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell is currently appealing a three-game suspension. Both were pulled over with marijuana in their car last August, while Bell was also charged with DUI.
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