NFL Update
This is where the fun is. At long, long last.
The preseason games are over, the rosters are set and the NFL season opens on Thursday night with the Kansas City Chiefs visiting the defending champions, the New England Patriots.
The Patriots will raise a fifth banner at Gillette Stadium, bringing to mind their ridiculous comeback from a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in the first overtime Super Bowl.
Let’s not forget the Patriots started that 14-2 season without quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games, due to his suspension for Deflategate.
Kansas City is a worthy opponent for the opener. The Chiefs were the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs but fell 18-16 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round of the playoffs. They won five of their last six to finish 12-4 and steal the AFC West away from the Oakland Raiders.
The Patriots are favored to head to the Super Bowl again, and why not? They’ve won the AFC East 13 of the last 14 years and their divisional foes all have fatal flaws.
The Buffalo Bills, for example, couldn’t find the playoffs with a GPS. Haven’t been since 1999. Not going this year. The New York Jets have no quarterback and almost no roster. And the Miami Dolphins have a terrible schedule that begins with three games away from home, their actual opener at Hard Rock Stadium postponed by Hurricane Irma. They also lost quarterback Ryan Tannehill for the season and have turned the offense over to Jay Cutler, who was retired.
The Pats made some aggressive moves in the offseason. They traded for speedy receiver Brandin Cooks, which seemed prescient when they later lost Julian Edelman to a knee injury. And they traded for receiver Phillip Dorsett, a No. 1 pick in 2015 who will grow into their system. Their biggest loss could be versatile defensive standout Rob Ninkovich, who retired shortly after training camp began.
So it begins. At 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night (NBC), the Patriots begin yet another quest. You either love them or you hate them, and those are the best reasons to watch them.
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman
-
Oklahoma and Texas will depart from the college sports conference at the end of the season. The Big 12...
-
Robert Kraft wants to re-sign Brady just long enough that he can retire as a Patriot. Earlier this week,...
-
The skilled third-baseman will be enshrined in Cooperstown. Scott Rolen is one of the most skilled and recognized third-basemen...
-
Brady’s 23rd football season has ended. On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys went head-to-head for...
-
Smith has been fired after one season with the team. Over the weekend, the owners of the Houston Texans...
-
Pelé passed due to complications related to colon cancer. On Thursday night, the sporting world received unfortunate news: Pelé,...
-
His return heralded a victory over the Phoenix Suns. On Sunday, Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas needed to take...
-
Mayfield will be available on waiver to other NFL teams. After an underwhelming performance in his current role as...
-
Mike White led the team to a decisive victory over the Bears over the weekend. On Saturday, the New...
-
The game has been moved out of New York due to an encroaching snowstorm. This weekend, the Buffalo Bills...
-
Negative pushback prompted the team to give the role to someone else. Recently, the Brooklyn Nets have been in...
-
The Bears got Claypool in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick. This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers cut a deal...