NFL Season Opener. Tonight. NBC. Super Bowl Champ Ravens @ Broncos rematch

7:30pm central

expected to be one of the best games of the 2013 season. last time the two met, January 12, 2013, it was epic, with the 10-6 Ravens upsetting the 13-3 Broncos in route to the Super Bowl

 

per Forbes, this game features 3 of the 8 highest-paid athletes in the NFL for 2013:

#4 Joe Flacco
Total earnings: $36.8 million
Salary: $35.9 million
Endorsements: $850,000

#5 Peyton Manning
Total earnings: $30 million
Salary: $18 million
Endorsements: $12 million

#8 Ray Rice
Total earnings: $25.8 million
Salary: $24.2 million
Endorsements: $1.6 million

 

a look at the Broncos' offense:

QB #18 Peyton Manning -- 12-time Pro Bowl

WR #83 Wes Welker (listed as probable with an ankle injury). 5-time Pro Bowl

WR #88 Demaryius Thomas -- 2012 Pro Bowl

WR #87 Eric Decker -- caught for 1,064 yards and 13 TDs last season

WR/KR #11 Trindon Holliday -- the greatest to ever play the game -- in the last Broncos v Ravens game in the playoffs, Holliday returned two kicks for TDs ... a 90-yard punt return for a TD and a 104-yard kickoff return for a TD

WR #12 Andre Caldwell -- Univ of Florida career record holder for most receptions

LT #78 Ryan Clady -- (listed as probable with a shoulder injury). 3-time Pro Bowl (2009, 2011, 2012), 3-time All-Pro (2008, 2009, 2012). College team (Boise State) is also called the Broncos and wears Blue and Orange

OG #68 Zane Beadles -- 2012 Pro Bowl

OG #73 Chris Kuper -- (listed as doubtful with an ankle injury). 2012 Pro Bowl (declined invitation bc had surgery). Born and raised in Alaska.

RB #28 Montee Ball -- 2012 Doak Walker Award winner, was the 3rd RB selected in the 2013 Draft (#58 overall) behind Le'Veon Bell (#48 overall) and Giovani Bernard (#37 overall), and selected ahead of Eddie Lacy (#61 overall)

RB #27 Knowshon Moreno -- finished second in 2008 Doak Walker award voting his last year at Georgia


will not play due to injury:

TE #81 Joel Dreessen -- fan favorite, went to both high school and college in Colorado. Caught for 356 yards and 5 TDs last season -- in the last Broncos v Ravens game in the playoffs, he was the #2 receiver for the Ravens with 46 yards on 6 catches

 

a look at the Raven's defense:

DE #96 Marcus Spears -- the greatest to ever play the game

NT #92 Haloti Ngata -- 5-time All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowl

OLB #55 Terrell Suggs -- 5-time Pro Bowl

OLB #58 Elvis Dumervil -- 3-time Pro Bowl

CB #24 Corey Graham -- Pro Bowl (2011)

FS #29 Michael Huff -- All-Pro (2010)

S #26 Matt Elam -- the Ravens' 1st Round pick out of Florida in the 2013 Draft

 

a look at the Raven's offense:

QB Joe Flacco

FB #44 Vonta Leach -- 3-time Pro Bowl (2010, 2011, 2012), 3-time All-Pro (2010, 2011, 2012)

RB #27 Ray Rice -- 3-time Pro Bowl (2009, 2011, 2012), 2-time All-Pro (2009, 2011)

RB #30 Bernard Pierce -- SI's Chris Burke ranks the Ravens backfield as one of his six Tier 1 backfields in the NFL, writing: "Pierce could start for at least a quarter of the teams in the league"

TE #87 Dallas Clark -- Pro Bowl (2009), All-Pro (2009)

OG #73 Marshal Yanda -- 2-time Pro Bowl (2011, 2012), 2-time All-Pro (2011, 2012)

RT #74 Michael Oher -- 1st Round pick out of Ole Miss

 

a look at the Bronco's defense:

DT #92 Sylvester Williams of UNC -- the Bronco's 1st Round pick in the 2013 draft

CB #25 Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie -- 2009 Pro Bowl


will not play due to injury or suspension:

OLB Von Miller -- 2-time Pro Bowl (2011, 2012)

CB Champ Bailey of Georgia -- 12-time Pro Bowl

 

the Broncos offense has three starters from Texas Tech -- WR Wes Welker, C #66 Manny Ramirez and OG #65 Louis Vasquez. the latter two are both hispanic and proud of it:

"We take great pride in being Hispanic, showing the younger Hispanic generation that it is possible to play in the NFL," said Vasquez, 26. "We're just showing them that the door is open, regardless of what the outside world says. We're living proof that we can (make it)."

The "we" is he and Manny. This is one of the craziest what-are-the-odds stories in the NFL. Vasquez was a high school recruit visiting Texas Tech when he met Ramirez, then a Red Raiders offensive lineman. Vasquez said it "opened my eyes" that there were Hispanics playing at a high level of college ball. The two quickly bonded. Later they roomed together at Tech.

"And since we were the only two ones there, they called us brothers," he said. "And we both took it to heart."

Ramirez said: "I have pride for the simple fact that not many Hispanics play at this level. There's only a handful now, and to have two on the same offensive line? I don't think there's ever been two Hispanics on the same team. It's going to be an amazing experience."

 

2 of the 3 starting Broncos LBs are from the Univ. of Kentucky -- #59 Danny Trevathan and #52 Wesley Woodyard (both were All-SEC)


Danny Trevathan


Wesley Woodyard


#59 Danny Trevathan and #52 Wesley Woodyard

 

fun fact: game was supposed to be in Baltimore to honor the champs but the Orioles wouldn't move their game up to the afternoon. that's why Ravens came out of tunnel last when that's normally what the home team does