FIRST AND GOAL

When the velvet curtain parts, the Steel Curtain will slam shut.

The Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers hope that happens, at least, when they open the 2009 NFL season tonight against the visiting Tennessee Titans (5 p.m., Ch. 4).

After a summer of headlines concerning Brett Favre, Michael Vick, Terrell Owens, and the Dallas Cowboys’ video board, the football world is ready for some, well, actual football.

Is the wildcat here to stay?

Can Tony Romo finally win a playoff game?

Will a quarterback make all the difference in Chicago?

Will a quarterback make any difference in Minnesota?

And which team, if any, is this year’s answer to the up-from-the-ashes Miami Dolphins?

Those answers will come, and it all begins tonight.

For now, a look at some other things to watch this season:

With every season (churn, churn, churn. . . )

What some call parity, the NFL likes to refer to as “competitive balance.” Whichever you prefer, there’s no denying the constant rotation at the top of the league.

The 2008 postseason field included seven teams that didn’t make the playoffs the previous year. What’s more, when Arizona reached the Super Bowl, it was the eighth consecutive season a different NFC team made it that far.

Postseason teams not in previous season’s playoffs:

2008 (7) -- Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, Philadelphia.

2007 (6) -- Green Bay, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington.

2006 (7) -- Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, New Orleans, New York Jets, Philadelphia, San Diego.

2005 (7) -- Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Washington.

2004 (5) -- Atlanta, Minnesota, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Diego.

2003 (8) -- Baltimore, Carolina, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, New England, St. Louis, Seattle.

2002 (5) -- Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New York Giants, Tennessee.

2001 (6) -- Chicago, Green Bay, New England, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Francisco.

2000 (6) -- Baltimore, Denver, New Orleans, New York Giants, Oakland, Philadelphia.

1999 (7) -- Detroit, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington.

1998 (5) -- Arizona, Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas, New York Jets.

1997 (5) -- Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, New York Giants, Tampa Bay.

1996 (5) -- Carolina, Denver, Jacksonville, Minnesota, New England.

Trading places

Most NFL fans know quarterback Jay Cutler has gone from Denver to Chicago, former Tom Brady understudy Matt Cassel is in Kansas City, and flamboyant receiver Terrell Owens has left Dallas for Buffalo. But there are a lot of familiar names in new places this season. Here are a few:

Position Player (New team/old team)

C Matt Birk (Baltimore/Minnesota) -- A six-time Pro Bowl center (and Harvard man) now anchors an otherwise young Ravens line.

LB Keith Brooking (Dallas/Atlanta) -- The Cowboys parted ways with Zach Thomas and brought in another famous transplant at inside backer.

WR Laveranues Coles (Cincinnati/N.Y. Jets) -- Coles was signed to fill the role vacated by T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

S Brian Dawkins (Denver/Philadelphia) -- This all-time Eagles favorite sat out the Broncos’ first two exhibition games because of a broken hand.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Seattle/Cincinnati) -- With Bobby Engram gone, Matt Hasselbeck has a new favorite target.

T Orlando Pace (Chicago/St. Louis) -- Once among the league’s best left tackles, does Pace have the necessary tread left?

LB Bart Scott (N.Y. Jets/Baltimore) -- A standout for the Ravens, Scott followed coordinator-turned-head coach to Gotham.

DE Richard Seymour (Oakland/New England) -- Was the 29-year-old Pro Bowler worth a first-round draft pick?

S Darren Sharper (New Orleans/Minnesota) -- Saints now have NFL’s active leader in career interceptions.

RB Fred Taylor (New England/Jacksonville) -- Corey Dillon, Rodney Harrison and Junior Seau found new life in New England, why not Taylor?

LB Mike Vrabel (Kansas City/New England) -- Bonus in the Cassel trade is also a locker room leader for a young defense.

RB Derrick Ward (Tampa Bay/N.Y. Giants) -- The Buccaneers will lean on their ground game, and Ward fits the running back rotation well.

On the verge

Winning a Super Bowl is every team’s goal, but a lot of players are also on a collision course with the record books. Among those who could make history this season:

Peyton Manning -- With one more 4,000-yard passing season, the Indianapolis star will become the first quarterback with 10 to his name. He has thrown for at least 3,000 yards in each of his 11 seasons.

Terrell Owens -- Buffalo receiver needs 11 touchdown catches to join former San Francisco teammate Jerry Rice as the only players with 150 for their career. New England’s Randy Moss is 15 away from 150. Rice finished with 197.

Isaac Bruce -- San Francisco receiver needs only 56 yards to join Rice as the second player in the 15,000-yard receiving club. Rice finished with 22,895.

Tony Gonzalez -- No tight end has caught 1,000 passes in his career. Gonzalez, now playing for Atlanta, is 84 receptions away.

Ray Lewis -- The Baltimore linebacker needs 1 1/2 sacks and two interceptions to become the first NFL player with 35 sacks and 30 interceptions.

Devin Hester -- In his three-year career, the Chicago speedster has 11 combined kick-return touchdowns (seven punt, four kickoff.) He needs three more to pass Brian Mitchell for the most. Dante Hall and Eric Metcalf each have 12.

Don’t repeat this

Will the Steelers hoist the Lombardi Trophy again this season? That’s a very tall order.

History has shown that winning consecutive Super Bowls is no easy task. Seven teams have done it: Miami, Pittsburgh (twice), San Francisco, Dallas, Denver and New England. Going back to back is especially difficult in the era of free agency.

A look at how the previous 10 Super Bowl winners finished the next season:

XXXIII, Denver -- Started 0-4 and finished 6-10, missing the playoffs.

XXXIV, St. Louis -- Went 10-6 despite losing four of last six. Lost a wild-card game to New Orleans.

XXXV, Baltimore -- Finished second in AFC Central at 10-6. Won playoff game at Miami before losing at Pittsburgh.

XXXVI, New England -- Lost four in a row at one point, finishing 9-7 and missing the playoffs.

XXXVII, Tampa Bay -- Beginning of a long slide for Buccaneers, who finished third in the NFC South at 7-9.

XXXVIII, New England -- Patriots went 14-2 to set up their postseason run of victories over Colts, Steelers and Eagles.

XXXIX, New England -- Won the AFC East at 10-6, beat Jacksonville in a wild-card game before losing at Denver.

XL, Pittsburgh -- Lost six of first eight before finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs.

XLI, Indianapolis -- Won the AFC South at 13-3, then lost to San Diego in a divisional game.

XLII, New York Giants -- Despite losing four of last five, won the NFC East at 12-4. Lost to the Eagles in a divisional game.

It’s the law

Every season, the NFL tweaks its rule book a bit. This year’s changes:

Bunch formations -- Teams kicking off must have at least three players outside each hash mark, one of which must be outside the yard-line number.

Wedge blocks -- On a kickoff return, teams can no longer form a wedge of more than two players to block for the returner. This doesn’t apply when the kicking team lines up in an obvious onside-kick formation.

Blind-side blocks -- Blind-side blocks to the head or neck area will result in a 15-yard penalty.

Unnecessary roughness -- A hit to the head or neck area of a defenseless receiver is a 15-yard penalty.

Timing rule -- If a fumble or backward pass goes out of bounds, the clock starts on the referee’s signal.

Instant replay -- More situations can now be reviewed. Call this the “Ed Hochuli Rule.” Officials can now review a quarterback pass/fumble when the ruling on the field is an incomplete pass, or when a loose ball has been ruled to have hit the sideline.

Illegal onside kick -- An automatic re-kick after an illegal onside kick has been eliminated. The ball is immediately awarded to the receiving team.

Cowboys video board -- If a ball in play strikes a video board, guide wire, sky cam or any other object, the ball will be dead immediately, and the down will be replayed at the previous spot.

In that event, the clock will be reset, and all penalties will be disregarded except for personal fouls.

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sam.farmer@latimes.com

twitter.com/LATimesfarmer

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Schedule strength

Teams’ strength of schedule based on opponents’ 2008 record:

*--* Team Pct. 1. Miami .594 2. Carolina 592 3. New England 590 4. Atlanta 588 5. Tampa Bay 580 6. Buffalo 570 7. New York Jets 568 8. New Orleans 557 9. Philadelphia 535 10. New York Giants 527 11. Dallas 516 11. Jacksonville 516 13. Indianapolis 512 14. Tennessee 508 15. Houston 506 16. Washington 492 *--*

*--* Team Pct. 17. Kansas City 484 17. San Diego 484 19. Denver 480 19. Oakland 480 21. Detroit 467 22. Cincinnati 465 22. St. Louis 465 24. Seattle 457 25. Cleveland 449 26. San Francisco 443 27. Arizona 441 28. Baltimore 438 29. Pittsburgh 434 30. Green Bay 428 31. Minnesota 420 32. Chicago 414 *--*