Every team has high hopes in the opening week of the season, but the expectations will be especially grand Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Philadelphia Eagles host the Green Bay Packers in a matchup of 2009 playoff teams and aspiring Super Bowl contenders.
Both teams are looking to build on last season's regular-season success after they finished 11-5 a year ago, but both bowed out on the road in the first round of the playoffs. The Eagles were blown out 34-14 by division rival Dallas, and the Packers lost a 51-45 overtime shootout to Kurt Warner and Arizona.
The Eagles are adapting to life without Donovan McNabb, as Kevin Kolb takes the reins to Andy Reid's pass-heavy offense.
Kolb played in five games and made two starts last season, completing 64.6 percent of his passes for 741 yards and four touchdowns while throwing three interceptions. He was 1-1 as a starter.
Kolb has a talented young receiving corps to work with, led by third-year player DeSean Jackson, who made his first Pro Bowl last year after catching 63 passes for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Eagles hope Jeremy Maclin makes similar strides in his second year as a pro after the first-round pick out of Missouri caught 55 passes for 762 yards and four touchdowns a year ago. Tight end Brent Celek gives Kolb a good check-down option. Celek enjoyed a breakout season last year, catching 76 passes for 971 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Packers went through a similar quarterback transition two seasons ago, handing over the offense to Aaron Rodgers after the former Cal star backed up Brett Favre for three seasons. Rodgers rewarded the Packers' faith in him last season, passing for 4.434 yards and 30 touchdowns while throwing seven interceptions.
With top receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings back, along with tight end Jermichael Finley, Rodgers should be poised for another strong season. Driver caught 70 passes for 1,061 yards and six touchdowns last year, Jennings added 68 catches for 1,113 yards and four scores, and Finley had a breakout season with 55 catches for 676 yards and five touchdowns.
In addition to all the key components of their passing game, the Packers return running back Ryan Grant, who has topped 1,200 yards rushing each of the past two seasons. Last year, Grant ran for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Philadelphia also has undergone a changing of the guard in the backfield, where LeSean McCoy takes over as the full-time starter with longtime star Brian Westbrook gone to San Francisco. McCoy had a solid rookie season in 2009, rushing for 637 yards and four touchdowns and adding 40 receptions for 308 yards.
McCoy might have a tough time finding running room against a Packers defense that ranked first in the league against the run last season, allowing only 83.3 yards per game. That puts more pressure on Kolb, who will face a dinged-up Green Bay secondary, as safety Atari Bigby and cornerback Al Harris are on the physically unable to perform list and will miss the first six weeks.