WHO DAT? at LAMBEAU.....2011 NFL KICKOFF.....the Defending Super Bowl CHAMPS meeting what many see as their Top NFC Contender to the THRONE.

You would have thought that this day had a real good chance of not arriving on time. Don't look now it's here.....the 2011 NFL Kickoff GAME pitting the New ORLEANS SAINTS visiting LAMBEAU and the Green Bay PACKERS Thursday NIGHT on NBC 830ET.

Let's cut to the chase....2 of the last 3 SUPER BOWL Champions will meet THURSDAY and the way the NFC stacks up for the 2011 Season there is no reason why these 2 won't be meeting late in JANUARY.

Should be a lot of Katy PERRY going off as these OFFENSES are DYNAMIC and led by two of the best NFL Signal Callers in the BIZ....SAINTS QB Drew BREES and the PACK's QB Aaron RODGERS. Will there be pressure...YES......can these two deal with it at its highest level which will be THURSDAY?.....YES.....2 Super Bowl winning QBs I would think so.

The DEFENSES aren't as even as the Offenses. Green BAY Defensive Coordinator DOM CAPERS and that 3-4 Scheme led by OLB Clay MATTHEWS III and CB Charles WOODSON are an ELITE Group. On the other hand the SAINTS have retooled a little and led by MLB Jonathan VILMA and one of the best SAFETY Tandems on SUNDAY in SS Roman HARPER of 'BAMA and FS Malcolm JENKINS of the OHIO STATE University.

Both Defenses no matter how they stack up statistically will have their work cut out THURSDAY. Most NFL Observers including the BLUEDUDE (LOL).....think the 2 best teams in the NFC and 2 of the TOP 5 in the NFL are facing off Thursday.

Let's go to the TALE of the TAPE:

WHO DAT? Offense

QB Drew BREES: as good as they get in the NFL...and Head Coach and NAPERVILLE Illinois CENTRAL HS Grad has the SAINTS Offense looking even better than they were when they won the SUPER BOWL. BREES will have to face a Tough 3-4 set-up that has MATTHEWS III coming off the edge and always a BLITZING Corner....very unpredictable. Also watch Corner Tramon WILLIAMS and Safety Nick COLLINS.......underrated to an extent but the SAINTS know them well.

RBs Chris IVORY, Pierre THOMAS, and Mark INGRAM: pick your poison. They are the reason for the cause of concern in PACKERLAND. If the SAINTS can run the ball effectively and keep the PACK out of those BLITZING Situations.....PAYTON and company should be winning on the scoreboard. IVORY is a GAMEBREAKER and THOMAS and INGRAM are Between the TACKLE Loads.

WRs Robert MEACHEM, Marquis COLSTON, Devery HENDERSON, and Lance MOORE: You could easily argue that this group is one of the more talented if not the most talented group of WIDE OUTS in the league. WHO DAT? extended MOORE in the Off Season and COLSTON is a Rich Man's PLAX.....with MOORE , MEACHEM, and HENDERSON having the ability to take the TOP off of the DEFENSE......yeah not 1 but 3 that stretch the field like the PLASTIC MAN is out there stretching it. If BREES gets time LOOKOUT.

TEs: Jimmy GRAHAM....you say who?.....OK played for the CORAL GABLES HURRICANES both Basketball and Football. Is he Tony GONZALEZ......didn't say that. Is he talented and learning and wanting to be the best TE in the BIZ.....why certaintly. This guy will be a STUD when he gets more FOOTBALL Knowlegde under him. But on THURSDAY he will have to take a backseat...I would think to the PACKS #1 TE.

SIANTS O-LINE: Led by 2 of the BEST G's on SUNDAY....Jahri EVANS and Carl NICKS. These 2 will be responsible for opening holes in the RUNNING GAME and keeping BREES upright. If they do this collectively with their Teammates....SAINTS will get a W.

SAINTS Defense: Led by the aforementioned VILMA, JENKINS, and HARPER.....this group is retooled and a fire lit under them by Defensive Coordinator Gregg WILLIAMS. HJe reportedly showed the SAINTS D the Seahawks RB Marshawn LYNCH ( from EAST BAY played at CAL BERKELEY) run when he took on 9 of the SAINTS Defenders and PAY DIRT.......NOT GOOD. They will be ready and focused but the SIGHT of PACK QB Aaron RODGERS has to be demoralizing.....we will see.

Lambeau Leap.....PACKERS

QB Aaron RODGERS: He just made plays on my STEELERS in SUPER BOWL 45 when he had to and he is almost impossible to get to and when he breaks the pocket he is fast and nimble. A ROCKET-LIKE cannon...he is in a GOOD Place and he might be better than those other 2 QBs. Just think after all the FAVRE DRAMA...the SUPER BOWL HYPE to RODGERS was nothing. The SAINTS have to get to him and slowing down the run means nothing to the PACK and Coach McCARTHY......NOTHING.

RBs Ryan GRANT and James STARKS: Above average and the PACK is better with STARKS in there in my GUESTIMATION. Bigger and might be faster. They have the luxury of running against 6-7 man fronts because of RODGERS. The SAINTS must not let the PACK and these back get off....if they do.....the PACK will put up a HALF a HUNDO on you in LAMBEAU.

WRs Donald DRIVER, Jordy NELSON, Greg JENNINGS, James JONES, and 2011 1st rounder and UK CAT WR Randall COBB: Outside of the SIANTS...this group is the best hands down. I know for a fact 3 of these guys can get deep and the rookie COBB is a BURNER as well. the SIANTS need to pressure RODGERS and keep all this speed and precise route running in front of them......or it will be a long night. Watch Jordy NELSON who lit the STEELERS up in SB 45......he has some Ex-ORANGE CRUSH WR ED McCAFFERY in him.....and faster.

TEs Jeremichael FINLEY: Jimmy GRAHAM pull up a chair or get off the bench and get to the sideline CHALK to watch the 2nd best NFL TE go to work. Just an amazing TALENT and if FINDAWG can stay out of the TRAINING ROOM for the wrong reasons....there is no reason why he can't be just as effective as any of the PACKERS Wide Outs. Look for RODGERS and the PACK to get FINDAWG Isolated on LBs and NICKEL Corners to do damage.

PACKERS O-LINE: Veteran Chad CLIFTON and Scott WELLS along with 2nd Year IOWA Stud RT Bryan BULAGA lead the CHARGE on this unit. They dealt with the STEELERS Elite Defensive Unit and this time they will go against WILLIAMS' 4-3 with excellent a pretty good D-LINE. If the PACKs Big BOYS keep RODGERS upright all night......WORLD CHAMPS 1-0 to start the 2011 Season.

PACKERS Defense: you know this group. Throw in Dom CAPERS 3-4 Blitz Scheme.....complicated to go up against. BREES and company will have to do a YEOMANS Job especially in 3rd DOWN territory with OLB Clay MATTHEWS Jr coming at you like he is the STAR in TRUE BLOOD. Then when BREES throws it you have a Ballhawking Safety in COLLINS and 2 corners that sniff out the BALL like CRIME DOG McGriff sniffs out the crime scene in WILLIAMS n WOODSON. PACKERS have the edge here.

OUTLOOK: It will come down to both teams executing their game plans and who can minimize TURNOVERS and who makes the KEY PLAYS at the KEY Junctures of the CONTEST.

WINNER: PACKERS....hard to go against RODGERS and COMPANY and until I see different.......The PACK is the BEST in the NFC.

NOTE: the BLUEDUDE still has SUPER BOWL 45 Hangover when the CONFETTI started to come down I thought they had changed the Score because it was BLACK and YELLOW.....then after further review the CONFETTI was GREEN and YELLOW......I want the SAINTS to WIN.....just being a HATER of sort......Man we missed #7......DAWG GONE IT STEELERS.