Football is back!
Sure, the NFL officially returned on Thursday when the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks shellacked the Green Bay Packers, but Sunday marks the first full slate of sweet, day-crippling action.
To successfully survive this gloriously jam-packed, full day of pigskin, you'll need to sift through the mud (we're looking at you Minnesota vs. St. Louis) in order to find those nuggets of gold.
Since you only have one set of eyes, we've done the dirty work for you. Here are the three games you need to watch (and where/when you can watch them) on Sunday:
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
1:00 PM EDT, FOX
This game is a potential dream for football fans who love a good old-fashioned shootout.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees, one of the best passers in the game, has plenty of targets, including rookie Brandin Cooks, Marques Colston and a healthy (and wealthy) Jimmy Graham.
Historically, Graham has feasted on Atlanta's defense, racking up seven touchdowns in his last seven games against Falcons, including 145 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns in two games in 2013-14.
Not to be outdone, Falcons pivot Matt Ryan has the ridiculously talented (and finally healthy) tandem of Roddy White and Julio Jones, a dynamic duo that will no doubt live within the nightmares of opposing cornerbacks for the entire season.
The Falcons, amid a putrid 4-12 campaign, dropped two games to the Saints last season, and will need to lean heavily on Jones and White if they have any hope of keeping up with the Saints' potent offensive attack.
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
1:00 PM EDT, CBS
Quarterback Andy Dalton will look to justify his hefty new contract as the Cincinnati Bengals travel to the Charm City to face their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens.
Dalton, and his $115-million arm, has struggled mightily in his three trips to Baltimore, tossing three touchdowns against seven interceptions while being sacked 11 times in a trio of losses.
The Bengals, who finished first in the AFC North but failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the third straight year, lost in overtime during their Week 10 showdown with the Ravens last season.
The Ravens (the 2011 and 2012 AFC North champions), led by quarterback Joe Flacco, finished a disappointing 8-8 in 2013, and will have to play the first two games without suspended running back Ray Rice.
Although it's only the first game of the season, this matchup could go a long way in determining the next AFC North champion.
Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos
8:30 PM EDT, NBC
Any time Peyton Manning is matched up against the team he led for almost a decade and a half, the storylines basically write themselves.
In his return to Indianapolis last season, Manning put up his typical video game-esque numbers, completing 29-of-49 passes for 386 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Unfortunately for Manning, his pigskin tossing counterpart with the Colts didn't shy away from the spotlight, as Andrew Luck threw three touchdowns and ran for one, and the Colts handed the Broncos their first loss of the season.
Don't look for Indianapolis to hang another 39 points on Denver Sunday night. The return of Von Miller, coupled with the signing (and apparent resurgence) of DeMarcus Ware, will make the Broncos a much tougher team to play against.
With both teams likely headed for division titles, this is definitely the must-see game of the week.
