The start of the NFL season is just days away, plenty of anticipation is building. So many great story-lines heading into the new season. Here are some to keep an eye on.
The young quarterbacks
Andrew Luck, RG3, and Russell Wilson all had great rookie seasons; all of them lead their respective teams to the playoffs. But, will they raise their games or suffer a sophomore slump? The rest of the NFL has had an entire offseason to break down these quarterbacks and figure out how to stop them, now Luck, RG3, and Wilson will have to make the adjustments. Cam Newton is still a young quarterback, but Panthers’ fans feel like it’s time for Newton to make that jump and make the playoffs. Panthers are in a tough division which features the Saints and Falcons, it will be a difficult task, but not an impossible one for Newton. Jets seem ready to give rookie quarterback Geno Smith the starting job. As if there isn’t enough pressure on a rookie quarterback trying to prove himself; Geno will have plenty of added pressure from the New York media and fans. Colin Kaepernick took over as the starting quarterback of the 49ers last year and got them all the way to the SuperBowl, where they lost to the Ravens. A lot of people are picking the 49ers as one of the favorites to win the SuperBowl this season, that means a lot of pressure on Kaepernick. He was outstanding for the 49ers last season, but can Kaepernick be as productive for an entire season?
Who will win the super competitive NFC East?
The NFC East is the most competitive division in the NFL. Realistically, all four teams can win it, which makes it something to pay close attention to. Three out of the four starting quarterbacks in this division are established veterans; Eli Manning, Michael Vick, and Tony Romo. While the Redskins have a talented second year man in Robert Griffin III. It’s hard to handicap who wins this division, but if they can stay healthy, I give the slight edge to the Giants.
Can the Ravens repeat as SuperBowl Champs?
It is extremely hard to repeat as SuperBowl Champions; it hasn’t been done since Patriots did it in 2004 and 2005. Ravens lost key guys like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Anquan Boldin, that they will have to make up for. They still have Joe Flacco under center and Ray Rice running the ball which is a huge positive. The AFC North is no cake of a division. The Ravens have to play the Steelers, Bengals, and Browns each twice, it will take a lot out of them. There are so many good teams this season; 49ers, Broncos, Seahawks, Packers, Giants, Bears, Falcons, Saints, that it would be a lot to expect the Ravens to repeat.
How many yards will Adrian Peterson rush for?
Peterson returned last year to the Vikings after suffering a serious injury and all he did was rush for over 2,000 yards. Is it really possible for him to do it again? I doubt Adrian Peterson will come close to 2,000 yards this season, but I’m sure a bunch of his fantasy owners are hoping he does. I think Peterson finishes around 1,600 yards, which is still a pretty darn good season. Paying attention to Peterson’s rushing yards total is definitely something to pay attention to this season.
Will Rex Ryan last the full season as coach of the Jets?
It’s hard to imagine the Jets winning more than six games this season, and if that’s the case, does Rex Ryan actually last the entire season? I think most Jets’ fans want to see Rex Ryan go along with Mark Sanchez. Rex Ryan did great with the Jets’ his first few years, getting them into the playoffs, but ever since then, it has been an absolute mess. Rex Ryan has to be one of the favorites in terms of first coach to be fired this season. Geno Smith will likely start for the Jets, and unless the rookie quarterback can work some magic, it will be a long season for the Jets and perhaps a short one for Rex Ryan.