COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF (1 DAY)

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San Antonio.- With the 2012 NFL season opener almost here, let's take a look back at some of the NFL season kickoffs to date. Thanks to the NFL and Terence Malangone, La Prensa San Antonio has just the right info - like the clubs with active outstanding kickoff streaks and the "2012 strength of schedule." Click the headline for all the info.

Posted by Angela Covo, angela.covo@gmail.com 

Some clubs have excelled in openers. Here is a sampling of notable active NFL Kickoff streaks:

• The Super Bowl XLVI champion NEW YORK GIANTS, who host Dallas in the spotlight Kickoff 2012 game on Wednesday night, have 49 wins in openers, the third-most in NFL history, and 49 victories in home openers, tied with Detroit and Green Bay for the second-most in league annals. The Giants, who travel to Carolina in Week 3, have 48 wins in road openers, the second-most in NFL history, and New York’s 48-34-5 (.585) mark in road openers is the third-best in the league.

• The DALLAS COWBOYS own a 34-17-1 (.663) record on Kickoff Weekend, the top mark in the NFL, including wins in a record 17 consecutive openers from 1965-81. The Cowboys, who open the season at the New York Giants in the first game of the 2012 season, have the league’s best record in road openers at 32-20 (.615).

• The GREEN BAY PACKERS, who host San Francisco in Week 1, have 52 wins on Kickoff Weekend, tied with Chicago for the most in league history. Green Bay has won its first regular-season game in each of the past five seasons, the second-longest active streak in the league. The Packers have 49 wins in home openers, tied with Detroit and the New York Giants for the second-most in NFL annals. Green Bay’s five consecutive wins in home openers tie Washington for the longest such active streak in the NFC. Green Bay travels to Seattle in Week 3 and has 53 wins in road openers, the most in league history. The Packers are 53-36-2 (.596) in road openers, the second-best mark in the NFL, and have won six consecutive road openers, the longest active streak in the league.

• The CHICAGO BEARS, who host Indianapolis on Kickoff Weekend, have 63 wins in home openers, the most in NFL history. The Bears boast a .716 winning percentage (63-25-4) in home openers, thetop mark among NFC teams. Chicago has 52 wins on Kickoff Weekend, tied with Green Bay for the most in league history. The Bears, who visit Green Bay in Week 2, have 43 wins in road openers, the third-most in NFL annals.

• The PITTSBURGH STEELERS, who travel to Denver on Sunday Night Football to kick off the season, have won 40 openers, the most among AFC teams. The Steelers have won eight of their past nine openers. Pittsburgh, which hosts the New York Jets in Week 2, has won nine consecutive home openers, the second-longest active streak in the league.  
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• The DENVER BRONCOS, who host Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football to begin the season, own a .625 winning percentage (32-19-1) on Kickoff Weekend, the third-best mark in the NFL. Denver is 38-13-1 (.745) all-time in home openers, the best such winning percentage in the NFL. 

• The NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS have won 15 of their past 17 home openers and boast a perfect 10-0 record at Gillette Stadium, the longest active winning streak in home openers. The Patriots host Arizona in Week 2 and aim for their 11th consecutive win in a home opener. New England opens the season at Tennessee and the Patriots have won eight consecutive games on Kickoff Weekend, the longest active streak.  

• The JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, who begin the season at Minnesota, are 11-6 (.647) on Kickoff Weekend, the second-best mark in the NFL. 

• The BALTIMORE RAVENS, who host Cincinnati onMonday Night Football to start the year, have won six consecutive home openers, the third-longest active streak in the NFL. Baltimore has won four consecutive games on Kickoff Weekend, the third-longest active streak in the league.  

• The INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, who open the 2012 campaign at Chicago, have 34 victories on Kickoff Weekend, the second most in the AFC.

• The OAKLAND RAIDERS, who host San Diego on Monday Night Football on KickoffWeekend, boast a .702 winning percentage (36-15-1) in home openers, which ranks third in the NFL.

• The ARIZONA CARDINALS host Seattle on Kickoff Weekend, just the fifth time in the past 25 years the club has started the year at home. The Cardinals open the season at home in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1986-87.  

• The NEW YORK JETS open the season at home against Buffalo,marking just the15th time in the past 53 openers the Jets have started the year at home. 

• HOME SWEET HOME: The DETROIT LIONS, who host St. Louis on Kickoff Weekend, have 49 wins in home openers, tied for the second-most in NFL history with Green Bay and the New York Giants…the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, who open the season at home against Atlanta, have won 15 of their past 23 home openers…the SAN DIEGO CHARGERS, who host Tennessee in Week 2, have won 12 of their past 19 openers at home…the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, who host Detroit in Week 2, have won 14 of their past 19 home openers… and the SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, who host Dallas in Week 2, have won eight of their past nine home openers.

HEAD COACHES: Washington’s MIKE SHANAHAN is 14-4 (.778) on Kickoff Weekend and his 14 wins are the most among active head coaches…in addition to Shanahan, three coaches –BILL BELICHICK (11-6; .647) of New England, TOM COUGHLIN (10-6; .625) of the New York Giants and JEFF FISHER (10-6; .625) of St. Louis – have won at least 10 Kickoff Weekend games and own an opening weekend winning percentage above .600…brothers JOHN HARBAUGH (4-0) of the Ravens and JIM HARBAUGH (1-0) of the 49ers are the only active coaches with perfect records on Kickoff Weekend…and with five consecutive victories on Kickoff Weekend, Green Bay’s MIKE MC CARTHY owns a .833 winning percentage in openers (5-1) to rank first among active head coaches (minimum five games).  

2012 NFL STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE