The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans did not waste any time in showing what kind of teams they are and what kind of season it is going to be in the NFL this year. Today it is up to everybody else to prove they are ready to compete with them.
The Steelers, the defending Super Bowl champions, battled the team with the best regular-season record last year to a 10-10 tie after four quarters on Thursday night before driving the length of the field in overtime to win a bruising contest 13-10.
The victory came at a cost for Pittsburgh, who lost their All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu to a knee injury for at least three weeks.
The defeat was also a statement from the Titans that they have not forgotten they were 13-3 last year and still believe they are the team that should have gone to the Super Bowl instead of the Steelers.
The other 30 teams begin their season today and tomorrow knowing they must show the same kind of intensity if they are to succeed.
The Atlanta Falcons host the Miami Dolphins in a meeting between two surprise teams to make the play-offs last season. The question for Miami is whether their gimmicky "wildcat" offence will still surprise their rivals.
The Falcons have the league's most impressive young quarterback in Matt Ryan, who will try to build on a spectacular rookie season that transformed Atlanta into the league's sixth-best attack.
Philadelphia Eagles visit Carolina Panthers in a match between two play-off calibre NFC teams who both have questions as well as answers. How will the Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb react to having Michael Vick as his back-up? Will he feel pressured to do too much or remain Philadelphia's foundation?
The Panthers will try to use an old formula, the running from DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and a rock-hard defence, to power them to a home win.
The marquee match-up of the opening round sees two goliaths of the National Conference (NFC) East collide as the New York Giants face Washington Redskins.
The Giants are favoured by many experts to get to the Super Bowl because their defence is so stingy, with a pass rush that is arguably the best in the NFL.
Add to that a two-pronged running game with powerful Brandon Jacobs and quick-footed Ahmad Bradshaw and the Giants should be a legitimate threat to win it all.
Both teams have quarterbacks in the spotlight.
New York's Eli Manning slumped badly last season after the loss of imprisoned wide receiver Plaxico Burress, while Jason Campbell, who Washington unsuccessfully tried to replace during the off-season, continues to make youthful indiscretions with the football.
Another big inter-division match is in the NFC North as Green Bay Pakcers take on Chicago Bears.
The new Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, acquired in a stunning off-season trade with Denver Broncos, has a lot of pressure on him with expectations high in Chicago.
But the Packers are adjusting to a new 3-4 defence and quarterback Aaron Rodgers has to do the same behind an offensive line with three new starters, meaning this will be a test for both young passers.
Arizona Cardinals may be the defending NFC champions and Super Bowl runners-up but they must prove last season was not a fluke. Their passing offence is explosive but the rest of the team remains suspect.At least they have the luxury of starting at home to the San Francisco 49ers, a team in the process of rebuilding
Brett Favre gets his Minnesota Vikings career underway against the Cleveland Browns, and while the Vikings are still adjusting to the veteran quarterback, they have one of the best defences and the game's leading rusher in Adrian Petersen to ease the transition.
Houston Texans are the darkhorse contenders for Super Bowl despite never having a winning record in any season. They are at home to the New York Jets, who will start first round draft choice Mark Sanchez at quarterback.
Indianapolis Colts may not be as explosive as they used to be but if the Colts protect quarterback Peyton Manning then he and wide receiver Reggie Wayne should enjoy their outing against Jacksonville.
The new quarterback Matt Cassel is about to learn it was a lot easier backing up Tom Brady in New England than playing in Kansas City. The Chiefs have a running back and not much else.
Which is bad news for them as the Baltimore Ravens, who they play today, have one of the most dominating and physical defences.
Elsewhere, Dallas Cowboys still have problems but they are unlikely to show up at Tampa Bay. And the New Orleans Saints will go marching in and all over the Detroit Lions, who lost all 16 games last season. Tomorrow, Brady will start for the first time since the opening day of last season, as New England host the Buffalo Bills.
San Diego Chargers, the only elite team in the AFC West, can expect their 12th consecutive victory against the Oakland Raiders.
rborges@thenational.ae
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
