PACKERS & SAINTS KICK OFF SEASON ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 - Ingles

It’s time to get “Back to Football!”

The 2011 season begins with the NFL’s annual Thursday primetime kickoff game. The opener on September 8 on NBC (8:30 PM ET) will feature the past two Super Bowl winners when the defending-champion Green Bay Packers welcome the New Orleans Saints to Lambeau Field.
Last season, the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV to claim Green Bay’s NFL-best 13th championship. The Saints capped the 2009 season by knocking off the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV as New Orleans won its first Super Bowl title.
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.
Prior to kickoff, fans will be able to witness an on-field celebration at Lambeau Field to honor the World Champion Packers as the NFL gets back to football. NBC begins its coverage of the moment along with a musical performance at 8:00 PM ET.

A rundown of NFL Thursday night season openers since 2002:

NFL KICKOFF WEEKEND THURSDAY OPENERS

DATE-SITE-RESULT (HOME TEAM IN CAPS)-RECAP

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 TDs.

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 game-winning field goal in overtime as the defending Super Bowl champions defeat Tennessee.

Sept. 9, 2010
Louisiana Superdome
NEW ORLEANS 14, Minnesota 9 New
Orleans quarterback Drew Brees throws for 237 yards and a touchdown to lead the Saints past the Vikings in a rematch of the 2009 NFC Championship Game.