No lockout. Just football.

The NFL regular season will kick off tonight when the New Orleans Saints battle the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Green Bay Packers. If you're looking for teams that combine a nice fix of high-powered offense with some defense, then this one is bound to be a fun game to watch. We'll also get to see former Brown Shaun Rogers playing defensive tackle for the Saints.

This is a tough game to predict, but the one thing that stands out is the uncertainty of each team's running game. The Packers ran the ball well in the postseason last year, but not the regular season. They don't have a true "starter" at this point. Neither do the Saints in my book, who, even after trading away Reggie Bush, still have to find a way to mix in several guys at the right time. Right now, I'm leaning toward picking the defending champs to come out victorious due to the home field advantage.

VS.

Game: New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers
Date/Time: Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. EST
Announcers: Al Michaels & Cris Collinsworth on NBC

Use this open thread to discuss Thursday's game as it is taking place!