Somehow, finish line in sight

THE COVID-19 pandemic was headed toward its earliest and most deadly stages when the NFL went ahead and conducted its college draft in April. Skepticism reigned. The curve our nation was trying to flatten was predicted to be at its most dangerous height in April. Yet the NFL powered on, carried on with its draft with alterations to make it a virtual event without fans and with team executives conducting business from their respective homes.

And it went off without a hitch. Then, after the NBA and NHL finished their respective 2020 seasons in a bubble, the NFL announced its plans to press on with its schedule on time with no bubble. Skepticism reigned. How was the 32-team NFL going to play a full schedule with teams traveling all over the country? How was it going to pull this off without losing some weeks of the schedule with outbreaks of the virus?

There was talk that the league, with outbreaks of the virus, may have to use bye weeks to make up postponed games, or that it may have to use the bye week between the conference title games and the Super Bowl to make up games. There was more talk that there was no way the league would play its entire schedule.

Yet here we are: Playing Week 16 and on schedule to finish the regular season next week before the playoffs begin on time.

Sure, there have been some hiccups. The Titans, Ravens and Raiders were victimized by a number of positive tests. The Steelers were unwitting victims of having to deal with rescheduled games because of the Titans and Ravens breakouts.

The Broncos lost all three quarterbacks on their roster and were forced to play the Saints with a converted receiver who’d played some quarterback in his college career — and lost 31-3.

But these are isolated incidents when you look at the larger picture.

It feels like a minor miracle the NFL has not been more adversely affected. And, like the draft in the spring turned out to be, it has felt like a godsend for starved sports fans.