Back to school means back to tests, papers, and no social life. Back to school also means back to the NFL!
Every Sunday we have our weekly reprieve, filled with hard hits, big plays, and tons of drama.
There have been plenty of big transactions and developing story lines during the off season this year.
These storylines, trades, and transactions, have led to a lot of questions that won’t be answered until the season starts.
The top story covered by the media this off season was the Aaron Hernandez situation. A rising star for the New England Patriots, who are known for their all American, squeaky clean image, was charged with murder and immediately released from the team.
The Patriots who are notorious for staying out of the media’s crosshairs will be unable to avoid the press. With the Hernandez situation, and the signing of Tim Tebow, it will be interesting to see how the team deals with all the media publicity.
Another story worth following is the four rookie quarterbacks of last season, who all made the playoffs.
Never in NFL history, have there been four ‘rookie’ quarterbacks who led their teams to the playoffs in their first seasons. Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson, Robert Griffin, and Andrew Luck have all done this.
All eyes will be on these young quarterbacks, to see if last season was a fluke, or if these guys are actually the real deal.
The Detroit Lions kept their name relevant as a potential Super Bowl contender as well.
The Lions signed quarterback Matt Stafford to a three year contract extension, which solidifies Stafford as their quarterback for years to come.
The Lions also received much needed help in the running game by signing free agent running back Reggie Bush.
Bush is a 1,000 yard running back who can also catch the ball, make big plays, and open up more of the field for Calvin Johnson.
The Defending Super Bowl champions cleaned house after winning their Super Bowl. It is hard to pull of back to back super bowl championships, and the Baltimore Ravens made it even harder on themselves.
Baltimore lost the heart and soul of their team, and Ray Lewis, to retirement. The Ravens also lost Lewis’s side- kick, Ed Reed.
Both Reed and Lewis were the backbone of the Baltimore Defense for over a decade. The two of them alone built an identity in Baltimore as a tough defensive team.
New bloods in Baltimore have learned so much from Reed and Lewis and they may or may not be able to keep that hard-nosed defensive philosophy alive.
There are plenty of other smaller moves that could help teams get over the hump and possibly into the playoffs.
With week one closely approaching, make sure you find your healthy balance of football and studying on those lazy Sundays.
