After several seasons on hiatus, 17 Weeks is back. There are 18 weeks with 17 games in the NFL season. So here we go for 17 Weeks and a bye. This is an intriguing year with a lot of questions. Teams are adjusting for the long haul of a 17-game season. The pre-season was shortened. Many starters were held out and got their reps in camp.
Tampa Bay comes in as the reigning champ behind Tom Baker who has proven he can win without Bill Belichick. They are the team to beat and the champs until further notice. But there are NFC teams looking for the challenge. Drew Brees is gone and New Orleans is rebuilding. Jamis will prove he can eliminate turnovers for them to be competitive. Carolina will fall off. The Falcons loss Julio Jones but gains the rookie sensation TE Kyle Pitts.
In the North, the Packers want a do-over for the NFC Championship game and with a better defense and focused Aaron Rodgers will make another run at it. The Bears are retooled at QB with the rookie Justin Fields but the red-head Andy Dalton will start and go as long as his play keeps him on the field. Minnesota looks like they will regress further. Detroit under QB Jared Goff might be better than expected.
In the West, there are the Seahawks, Niners, and Rams. The Rams with Matthew Stafford at the helm will be much improved with their great defense. Another year for Russel Wilson and DK Metcalf to connect for big production. The Niners will have to figure out how to get their rookie star QB Trey Lance on the field. The Cardinals will be improved with additional offensive weapons. The West is stacked and probably the strong NFC division.
The least are in the East. The Washington Football Team will need free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick to play out of his pattern of starting fast and finishing flat. But with their defense they will compete and be in every game. The Cowboys maybe limited by the injury issues with Dan Prescott. The Giants rise and fall with Daniel Jones, who has to eliminate his turnovers for the team to realize its potential. The Eagles has a new coach, new starting quarterback, new receives. They need to figure out how to win games as they go through the learning curve.
In the AFC, the Chiefs are coming off a disappointing Super Bowl but they have something to prove. But there are teams looking to knock them off the top. The Browns, Bills, Ravens, Titans, Pittsburg and Colts, in that order, are inline for the conference crown.
In the South, the Titans will be challenged by the Colts, only if they can keep Wentz on the field. The Texans and Jaguars are rebuilding. But Trevor Lawrence should be fun to watch grow and give his team opportunities to win games.
In the East, the Bills are the beast. They look like Champs. The Patriots feel good about their rookie Matt Jones. But if he falters early, letting Cam go may comeback to bit them. Miami is questioning their QB, but their defense will give him opportunities to make them believers. The Jets are rebuilding around a promising rookie QB.
In the North, the Browns are the best. The Steelers have an aging quarterback and they fell apart in the second half of last season. The Ravens have suffered tough injuries on offense in pre-season. The Bengals hope their young QB can resurrect them from the bottom.
In the West, KC hopes to stay the best. The Chargers have promise. The Raiders may have money issues. The Broncos should be steady with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm and should found some success.
