Through the darkness of future’s past, the entire world longs to see. 32 crowds chant for their teams…football, walk with me!
The 2017 NFL season has begun and we have already quickly forgotten about the first overtime Super Bowl and the insane choke job that will live in infamy. Those of good moral character have moved on from New England somehow stealing another Lombardi trophy. Even Saints fans have moved on from reveling in the misery of the hated Atlanta Falcons. The reset button has been hit putting all of that in the past. We look onto the future and what could be in this year of professional football.
I understand why everyone is calling the Patriots a heavy favorite this season; “those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it” and all. But I think opening night in the NFL was a good reminder to all of those people who have been so traumatized that they can only envision another New England championship, that the NFL stands for a lot of things, but most of all it stands for NOT FOR LONG. New England’s time will come and it may be now considering last night’s historic home loss to Kansas City. Considering history, the future trends, and just plain old unabashed bias; it is now time for me to tell you how I envision this NFL season playing out.
I see incredibly close divisional races for some and easily won divisions for most. The NFC West, NFC North, AFC North, AFC East, and even the AFC South all appear wrapped up already when you consider how easy Seattle, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, New England, and Houston have it when it comes to divisional opponents. The NFC East and South are both four team races with a case to be made top to bottom in both divisions. The AFC West will be a dog fight as well. Division titles do not mean Super Bowls though. It is all about who gets hot at the right time, right?
Very few teams possess speed on their roster like Atlanta and that is why they are built to do what they did last season again, but I can’t see a group of people overcoming the psychological damage they received in Super Bowl 51 this quickly. So the door is open and my gut tells me that the NFC has a handful of teams with that type of firepower to roll late in the year. The Giants and Saints are two teams people are not putting in the conversation at this point, but my gut tells me that these two will finally get speed on defense to compliment the offensive firepower they have always had. I see the Giants and Saints as two teams who can shock the world.
I see the AFC as more cut and dry. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So why wouldn’t you pick the team that has won more Super Bowls than all of the other teams? The Steelers roster is as strong as it has been in nearly a decade and they have the required speed on defense. New England may have an edge tactically, but no team has the roster talent the Steelers have. If these two superpowers destroy each other, it could be one of the teams in the AFC West standing midst the rubble. I don’t see that type of carnage though. I see the Steelers reclaiming their spot at the top of the AFC. I see the New York Giants stealing the thunder from Seattle and Green Bay and sneaking into the Super Bowl once again. I see a stairway to a seventh Super Bowl for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But what do I know? I am not a psychic. I am a bias football fan like you. And I know that teams with great quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers can carry teams to championships. I know that defenses like Denver and Seattle can be all a team needs to win it all. I know that this is the NFL and that literally every team has a legitimate shot at winning the Super Bowl…except the Browns.