The NFL is saluting “the American spirit” during its first full day of regular season play on Sept. 11.
CBS, NBC and Fox will air synchronized pregame tributes on videoboards (and on TVs at home) in each of the stadiums hosting the eight opening games, while coaches, players and local first responders will hold field-length American flags during the national anthem.
Also included in the ceremonies are a video introduction and performances of taps from near the attack sites — Shanksville, Pa., at 1 p.m. games, Arlington National Cemetery at 4:15 p.m. games and Hoboken, NJ, across the Hudson from Ground Zero during prime time — followed by moments of silence.
A handful of the teams playing next Sunday represent areas directly affected by the Sept. 11 attacks a decade ago.
At 1 p.m., the Baltimore Ravens are hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, with each team being located about 80 miles from Shanksville, where Flight 93 crashed.
Meanwhile, the Giants play the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md. — near the site of the Pentagon crash — at 4:15 p.m. and the Jets play the Dallas Cowboys at the Meadowlands, within miles of Ground Zero, during Sunday Night Football.
The prime-time game also includes special pregame and halftime presentations.