NFL Sunday Night Football for Week 1 of the NFL 2016 regular season will see the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals come together at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The game has a scheduled start time of 8.30 p.m. ET and can be watched on TV on the NBC network. The game can also be watched online through live stream via the link below.

Obviously the big news ahead of this clash is that Tom Brady is suspended for the opening four games of the season, and that means third year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo steps in to lead the team out for their season opener.

Garoppolo has been waiting patiently from the sidelines for an opportunity to make an impact and the Patriots, and he will finally make his first career NFL start on Sunday night on prime time. How he copes with the pressures that come with the game remains to be seen.

The 24-year-old has only thrown 31 regular season passes since he was selected in the second round in 2014, and he is very much being thrown into the deep end today against a team expected to be in the mix for the Playoffs.

Garoppolo has said ahead of the game: "There's so much going on right now. Mentally, I'm straight on Arizona, but it is a phenomenal opportunity. This is why you play the game. You play to be in the game and play; you don't want to be the backup. The opportunity is here. I've just got to go take advantage of it."

Earlier this week, on NFL Thursday Night Football, the season opener took place between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. The re-match of last season's Super Bowl was a hard-fought affair, but ultimately the result came out the same as Super Bowl 50, with the Broncos taking the win.

However, Thursday's game was a much closer match up than last season's showcase game, and by the end Denver only won the game by a single point in a 21-20 victory.

Early-on in the game especially, fans could feel the intensity that Carolina entered the re-match with, and if there was any doubt that the Panthers were out for revenge, that was confirmed right away as the Carolina defense began super aggressively, successfully disrupting Trevor Siemian. By half time the Broncos quarterback had only completed 8 of 12 passes for 92 yards, throwing one interception in the process.

The impressive Panthers went in at half time with a healthy 17-7 lead, however, things it proved to be a game of two halves, and the Broncos emerged vastly improved for the second half. In particular, the Broncos' defense showed signs of the form that took them all the way to Super Bowl glory last season.

Although Cam Newton had a strong first half, he was hit hard in the third quarter by DeMarcus Ware as he suffered his first sack of the season. Newton went down injured, and although he returned to the action, he looked a different player after that incident.

The Broncos went on to sack Newton three times in the second half as the Panthers' offense was put under intense and repeated pressure. The Carolina offense was so effectively shut down that they only managed to score three points through the entire second half.

Denver turned the screw in the fourth quarter and went into the final minutes with a 21-20 lead. The Panthers managed one final dramatic sustained drive, but a 50-yard field goal attempt went wide at the death to hand the Broncos an opening day win, and leave the Panthers to ponder what more they must do to defeat Denver.

Fans were left breathless by the final whistle, and many commented that this was the dramatic game they wish they had in last season's Super Bowl.

NFL Sunday Night Football takes place tonight with the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals facing off from 8.30 p.m. ET. The game can be watched on TV on the NBC network or online through live stream by clicking here.