SI whips ESPN Mag
The NFL season kicks off this week. As you finally pull the trigger on that 50-inch TV and ponder the beer run, you also might consider grabbing a few football magazines and studying up.
No matter what preview you grab off the newsstand, brace yourself for another year of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick flirting with retirement, the Cowboys trying to reclaim their lost glory and Odell Beckham Jr. being, well, Odell.
Both Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine have crafted their current issues to get you up to speed in time for Thursday night’s kickoff between the Falcons and Eagles. But SI’s NFL preview is the only one you need to be the most informed fan at your watch party.
The 71-page Sports Illustrated preview delivers every morsel of information you could ask for leading into the 2018-19 season.
Looking for an analysis of every team’s roster and Super Bowl chances? Check.
How about a feature on Eagles QB Carson Wentz and his banged-up teammates, who are rehabbing from a slew of seasonending injuries that made them miss their team’s incredible Super Bowl run last year ? That, too.
Wondering how the Los Ange- les Rams’ head coach, 32-yearold wunderkind Sean McVay, is handling the pressure as his team gets picked as a favorite to win the championship? The magazine sent Greg Bishop to find out.
ESPN’s offerings look meager by comparison. The Time Inc. title appears to have ceded the granular coverage of the league to its rival, leaving many fans stranded with lengthy features about players on teams they don’t care about.
Yes, Seth Wickersham delivers an excellent profile of Giants superstar Odell Beckham Jr. — who, armed with a new $95 million contract, is poised to generate plenty of fireworks despite the team’s iffy prospects. But there’s not much else for the fan who isn’t interested in a deep dive on a specific player.
The most ESPN does is a twopage spread projecting this year’s standings. Spoiler alert: The Giants and Jets are each forecast to finish last in their divisions, at 7-9 and 6-10, respectively.
Both mags play it safe with their Super Bowl picks. ESPN’s Football Power Index opts for the New England Patriots, while SI predicts that the 2017 Super Bowl runner-up Atlanta Falcons will win it all.