Very few contenders in the NFC
It’s almost as if the NFL is emulating U.S. college football heading into the 2021 season. Yes, the Buccaneers are the defending champions and the Packers have title aspirations.
The rest of the NFC, well, it looks more like Conference USA in comparison to the AFC, the professional version of the SEC. It is that lopsided.
Consider the likes of the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Titans, Colts, Dolphins, Patriots and Chargers. All have their supporters as Super Bowl contenders.
On the other side, it’s difficult to take anyone seriously in the NFC East or North, aside from Green Bay. While the NFC West will be tightly contested, all four members — Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals — have major questions.
“You want the road to the Super Bowl, the road to where we want to get to, to be as hard as possible,” Titans safety Kevin Byard said. “I think that’s something we can be proud of, and it also keeps us on our toes to let us know, ‘Hey there’s a lot of competition out there for the AFC championship (to get to) the Super Bowl. We have to go out here every single day and work as hard as we can and not take any days for granted … It’s a crowded race.”
The continuing COVID-19 pandemic likely will be a competitive factor as the NFL plays a 17-game regular season for the first time. Vaccinated players have a distinct freedom advantage in how they can conduct their lives compared to the unvaccinated. More than 93 per cent of players have gotten the vaccine, but it doesn’t take much to cause an outbreak, as the Titans and Cowboys witnessed during the pre-season.
Injuries, of course, will also be a key factor; they always are. One of the most damaging last season was the severe ankle injury for Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. He has been hampered by shoulder issues this summer, so the spotlight Thursday night will be firmly on him as the Cowboys kick off the schedule at Tampa Bay.
Oh, that 44-year-old guy behind centre for the Buccaneers — Tom Brady — might grab some attention, too.
Seven head coaches debut, with Urban Meyer in Jacksonville the headliner following his success — and wanderlust — in the college game. Meyer’s excitement about the upcoming opener is palpable.
“This is right near the top because I don’t remember ever coming out of the chute where the talent is equated across the board and you have a young quarterback,” he said. “So, yeah, it is a lot going on but I like where we are at.”
The league plans to return to London for games a year after moving those back to U.S. home stadiums. Those matches have the Jets against the Falcons and the Dolphins meeting the Jaguars in October.
One more very noticeable scheduling item: The Super Bowl in Los Angeles will be played later than ever, Feb. 13. That’s smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.