CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NFL season begins Thursday with the New England Patriots facing the Kansas City Chiefs. It is the start of the Patriots' quest to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champion since they won in 2004 and 2005.
The game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and will be televised by NBC (Channel 3 in Cleveland).
The Patriots will have to play the season without wide receiver Julian Edelman, the Kent State product who tore his ACL during the preseason. How the team compensates without Tom Brady's favorite target could determine another Super Bowl title or an earlier exit.