At 9:00PM tonight, the great wait is over. Football officially starts its 2005 season. In a mere ten hours, the Raiders and the Pats kick it off. Base10 can't wait. Things to watch for in tonight's game:

1. How will Lamont Jordan handle being an every-down back? Base10's guess is that since he is built like a Ticonderoga Class destroyer, he will do fine. Especially given that the Pats will not be able to stack the box with Randy Moss in the game.

2. How will Kerry Collins handle life with Randy Moss? Does Collins still have the arm to make Moss a credible threat so defenses bite?

3. What will the Pats offense look like? During the preseason, they used a play-calling-by-committee approach. Other sources indicate Tom Brady will be calling a lot of his own plays. How this will shake out during actual games is another story.

4. How will the Pats weather key losses? Now face facts, the Pats have been great the last few years and rightfully been termed a modern dynasty. But no team can suffer such key losses and still remain unchanged. Losing both coordinators and a veteran linebacker all at once make you wonder. While I don't think the Pats will suddenly become the Bengals, I also don't think they'll be as strong as last year.

In any event, enjoy the game!

- posted by Base10 @ 11:32 AM