SAINTS & VIKINGS KICK OFF SEASON ON THURSDAY - Ingles

It all gets going at the Louisiana Superdome on Thursday, September 9!

That night, the NFL will kick off its 2010 season when the Super Bowl XLIV champion NEW ORLEANS SAINTS host the MINNESOTA VIKINGS on NBC at 8:30 PM ET.

This year’s opening game is a rematch of last season’s thrilling NFC Championship Game, won by the Saints 31-28 in overtime. In 2009, the Vikings won the NFC North with a 12-4 record and the Saints captured the NFC South with a franchise-best 13-3
mark en route to the team’s first-ever Super Bowl victory.

“I can’t imagine it being any more charged than the last time we were down there,” says Vikings head coach BRAD CHILDRESS.
“That’s always a great, hostile environment to play in.”

Continuing a tradition that started in 2004, the previous year’s Super Bowl winner hosts the NFL Thursday night season kickoff contest the following September.

On Thursday, September 9 fans will be able to witness a celebration at the Louisiana Superdome preceded by a music and football event in New Orleans.

A rundown of the NFL Thursday night season openers:

NFL KICKOFF WEEKEND THURSDAY OPENERS

Sept. 5, 2002, Giants Stadium
San Francisco 16, NY GIANTS 13
San Francisco kicker Jose Cortez kicks a 36-
yard field goal with six seconds remaining to
lead the 49ers to victory in the NFL’s first
Thursday-night opener since 1949.

Sept. 4, 2003, FedExField
WASHINGTON 16, NY Jets 13
Washington kicker John Hall converts a gamewinning
50-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to lift
the Redskins past his former team.

Sept. 9, 2004, Gillette Stadium
NEW ENGLAND 27, Indianapolis 24
New England quarterback Tom Brady passes
for 335 yards and three touchdowns as the
defending Super Bowl champions defeat the
Colts.

Sept. 8, 2005, Gillette Stadium
NEW ENGLAND 30, Oakland 20
New England quarterback Tom Brady leads
the offense by throwing for 306 yards and two
touchdowns while running back Corey Dillon
adds two scores for the defending Super Bowl
champions.

Sept. 7, 2006, Heinz Field
PITTSBURGH 28, Miami 17
Pittsburgh quarterback Charlie Batch passes
for three touchdowns and running back Willie
Parker adds 115 yards as the defending Super
Bowl champions defeat Miami.

Sept. 6, 2007, RCA Dome
INDIANAPOLIS 41, New Orleans 10
The Super Bowl champion Colts rack up 452
yards of offense as quarterback Peyton
Manning passes for 288 yards and three
touchdowns.

Sept. 4, 2008, Giants Stadium
NY GIANTS 16, Washington 7
Quarterback Eli Manning scores a touchdown
and the Giants’ defense allows just 209 total
yards as the defending Super Bowl champions
defeat division-rival Washington.

Sept. 10, 2009, Heinz Field
PITTSBURGH 13, Tennessee 10 (OT)
Pittsburgh’s Jeff Reed kicks a 33-yard gamewinning
field goal in overtime as the defending
Super Bowl champions defeat Tennessee.