As we begin the second week of the most popular sport in the country, there are a few things to look out for as the season plays out.
1. How Kaepernick’s recent silent protest is affecting other players
Ever since the 49ers player decided to take a knee for the National Anthem, a silent protest against racial inequality and police brutality, controversial discussions have sparked surrounding patriotism. Initially, Kaepernick was alone and unnoticed in his protest. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, he also sat during the first two preseason games, but wasn’t in uniform and didn’t play during those games.
Since making headlines after the 49ers third preseason game, he’s continued on with his protest while being joined by several other players from around the NFL such as: 49ers safety Eric Reid, Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane, Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, Dolphins players — running back Arian Foster, safety Michael Thomas, wide receiver Kenny Stills and linebacker Jelani Jenkins. In addition, high school athletes across the country seem to be repeating gestures to kneel for the National Anthem. Places such as Lincoln Southeast, Nebraska, Waggener High in Louisville, Maury High in Virginia, Auburn High in Illinois, and Watkins Hills High in Maryland are seeing similar breaks from tradition. It will be undoubtedly interesting to see how the rest of the season will unravel.
2. How Jimmy will handle the throne while TB12 is out
Just fine, it looks like. Taking the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night without Brady, tight end (Gronkowski), defensive end (Ninkovich), and two starters on the offensive line, Garoppolo held it together pretty well, leading the Patriots to a 23-21 victory.
Brady being out was a golden opportunity for the rest of the AFC East to get one over on the Patriots, but they’ve already blown it, as evident in the game-winning 13-play drive that ended with a Gostkowski 32-yard field goal. It was a fourth-quarter comeback that erased everyone’s worries about the Brady-less game. Garoppolo isn’t taking this opportunity for granted, and there is nothing but excitement and nerves to see how he handles the upcoming games.
3. How Teddy Bridgewater’s season-ending injury will affect the Vikings
The unfortunate ACL tear immediately placed Bridgewater out of the 2016 NFL season, with doubts of returning in 2017. In the hopes of finding a proxy, Vikings acquired Sam Bradford from the Philadelphia Eagles for this season, although decided to start opening day with Shaun Hill, who guided the Vikings to a 25-16 win over the Titans.
Teddy Bridgewater, despite being the most heavily pressured quarterback in the NFL last year, was also the league’s most accurate passer, having completed 80.2 percent of his passes. With star running back Adrian Peterson, he became the soul of the Vikings and we can’t help but wonder if the Vikings still have a chance at winning the NFC North with his injury keeping him out.
However, the Green Bay Packers come to town next week, September 18th, in the opening of the U.S. Bank Stadium and the more pressing question is: Will it be Hill or Bradford?
4. What to expect from the reigning Super Bowl champions
On Thursday night, we watched the Broncos open the season facing the Panthers, and coming out victorious, the same way they ended the previous season. With many roster changes during the offseason, what are some things we can expect from the Manning-less team? For one, the odds of them making it to the Super Bowl again are predicted to be slim. In 2015, their defense was the best in the NFL and the biggest reason why they won it all. They are presently missing two very important pieces of that unit, defensive end Malik Jackson and linebacker Danny Trevathan. In addition, their biggest loss was their future Hall of Fame quarterback. Even though his last season was statistically his worst, we can’t deny the impact his leadership had on the team.
With roster issues and all eyes on the new Broncos QB, it will be a compelling season as the defending Super Bowl champions are also looking to win a sixth straight AFC west title.
NFL fans, football is back.
