Chris Thompson   Chris Thompson on the internet

Last weekend proved to be an entertaining start to the 2009 NFL season, and already there have been a lot of surprises.

Most incredibly, in my opinion, was this game-winning catch by Brandon Stokley. Mostly because the Broncos were supposed to be utterly dreadful this year. They were down 7-6 with the whole field in front of them, and only 28 seconds on the clock, the Denver Broncos – who many suspected to be an absolute disaster this year – threw an 80 yard pass to win the game. The magic of it: it was not intended for Stokley at all … he was just in the right place at the right time, and plucked the ball from the air, before taking it all the way for the score.

Of course, the excitement continued past the weekend. Because on Monday night, in the first of a double-header on the nationally televises Monday Night Football, the Patriots played the Bills in a match that at first looked set to be a blowout. For years, the Patriots have been the team to beat in the NFL, and the Bills haven’t made the playoffs in something like 10 years. But it was an epic confrontation – indeed, the Bills could have, and should have won it. Regardless, it provided tension and excitement right to the final whistle, which is a lot more than anyone was expecting.

On top of all that, there were quite a few rookies who put in good showings, which is quite rare to see. Mark Sanchez, in particular, had a good game; and Percy Harvin showed flashes of the explosiveness that is going to make him one to watch as the season progresses.

The defending champions looked stagnant at times, and struggled for much of their game, and the second place Cardinals lost their opener – in true NFL fashion, the season is up in the air, and it looks set to be a good one.