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As in Big. As in Brawn. As in Bulk. As in Beefy. We're talking a scale-busting 600 pounds at the outset Thursday night with offensive tackles Eric Fisher of Central Michigan and Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M. The first seven picks were all linemen: four on offense, three on defense. "That's a lot of love for the big boys up front, which we usually don't get," Fisher said.
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Peyton vs. younger brother Eli in another Manning Bowl. Andy Reid returning to Philadelphia: Let the booing begin now? The NFL schedule is filled with return visits and intriguing matchups, beginning with a road game for the defending Super Bowl champions. And Peyton Manning will be part of that, too, as the Baltimore Ravens travel to Denver for the now-traditional Thursday night opener on Sept. 5. The Orioles are home that night and Major League Baseball could not move their game. So $121 million quarterback Joe Flacco and his fellow champions were sent to Denver -- to face Manning and the team they beat in double overtime on their way to the Super Bowl.
When the game resumed 34 minutes later, the San Francisco 49ers were the ones playing lights out. Instead of a blowout, the blackout turned the big game into a shootout. The Ravens survived the frenzied comeback by the 49ers for a thrilling 34-31 win at the Superdome on Sunday night and their second NFL championship in 11 years. "How could it be any other way? It's never pretty. It's never perfect. But it's us," coach John Harbaugh said after winning the sibling showdown with younger brother Jim. "It was us today." Barely.
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Professional 
Short on glam, slim on glitter and no sign of
Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens were turning the Super Bowl into a rout when, without even a flicker of warning, the power went off.




