The New York Giants visited the Washington Redskins on September 11 , 2011 , the first Sunday of the regular season , to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks in which Washington , D.C. and New York City were both targeted , as well as the first such anniversary since the killing of Osama bin Laden . Due to the proximity of Baltimore with Washington as well as the proximity of Pittsburgh with the site where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed , the Pittsburgh Steelers visited the archrival Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore . It marked the first time the two teams played in a season-opening game since 2003 , as their heated rivalry usually prompts their games to be scheduled later in the season . There had been some speculation that the Giants and their same-city rival , the New York Jets , could have played each other that day since the two were scheduled to play each other in 2011 ; the Jets were the designated home team at MetLife Stadium in the matchup which had been predetermined due to the NFL 's scheduling formula . However , the Jets instead hosted the Dallas Cowboys
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
2011 NFL season