Well my friend, it’s that time of year again – NFL 17 Game Season! I am beyond pumped for this – it’s that time of year we all start dreaming of a championship run for ‘our’ team, and the debates and rivalries resume again.
The sheer intensity of this time of year is palpable – you can almost feel it in the air when you are around a TV discussing matchups and placing bets on week 1 with some buddies. I’m sure no two years are the same while simultaneously feeling like every year has deja vu moments.
As the season progresses, things become more and more unpredictable as teams find their respective form and others sink in disarray. I always feel enthralled as each week surprises us with unexpected outcomes. For instance, a weaker team edging out a stronger one, late comebacks to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and opportunities to prove all your opponents wrong.
The NFL’s 17 game season is full of anxious moments and goosebump-inducing moments, no matter how many years you have been watching the league play out. In the end, it all culminates in a behemoth showdown of unbeatable proportions – the Super Bowl. I’m trying to imagine how it’ll all play out this year, who will stand tall after the final whistle of the last game?
The draft is always serious business, and a huge point of focus for all 32 teams in the league. The teams specifically groom names of potential acquisitions to target in preparation for the draft in the oddest of formats, often including coded language as part of the jargon. I’m a firm believer that when the best acquisitions you made over the off-season finally require a jersey to wear, you know you got it right.
As for the players themselves, it’s a near-constant chorus of who stayed and who left. I’m always intrigued by the stories behind each individual’s motivations and how the team feels about them parting ways. It’s safe to say some relationships always get severed if a particular team is not willing it meet the need of the player or vice versa, and whether it’s disgruntledness or opportunity, the salaried players are out to take advantage of any situation.
Let’s also not forget the drama that comes with a protest or a show of support from the NFL and its teams with what message they choose to put on their helmets or apparel during week 1. Political opinions are always highlighted due to a team’s personal stance on a matter, though it’s often the case that much of the conversation is left up to interpretation and no definitive answers arise.
As the AFL is under the exact same umbrella as the NFL, the extent of the competitive nature is at an all-time high. With constantly changing regulations designed to maintain safety, infusing the game with a bit of flair and invention, the AFL game will never get stagnant as it keeps being developed anew almost each year.
The respective conferences carry the same ever-evolving dynamic as well, and you will see big-name teams moving around from one descending and ascending within the rankings. Everyone’s both an underdog and favorite at certain points throughout the season, and it just adds another layer of fun and suspense that keeps you on your toes watching game-by-game who moves up or down and how teams adjust to the ever-shifting tide of rivalries.
There’s plenty of debate behind who has the best offensive line and which team has the best defense as well as who should have been drafted by who and how essential this player or that player is to the team. These conversations can sometimes be embarrassing considering a lot of NFL fanatics that strongly believe in their team of choice. It’s often a sight to behold as the two sides debate over a certain victory or particular play.
The plays and the strategies that have the fans responding with shock and awe often feel superhuman, as if some of the players are just superhuman athletes doing things as if by magic. Players of all skill levels come together to pull off incredible catches and runs beyond imagination to give the fans the highest of highs and most disastrous of lows.
Of course the stats from each team at the end of the year tell a completely different story. Who is the very best in terms of defense or offense? Are any of the matchups particularly lopsided? It’s difficult to identify these until the end of the season when the overall performances during the year can be compared altogether.
It’s a mixed bag of emotions while feeling the great anticipation during the weeks before the playoffs. Every team is trying to make a statement and VALIDATE their overall performance as they push headlong into week 17. It’s a nailbiting finish as the NFL Season 17 Game inevitably comes to an end, and hopefully die-hard NFL fans can agree that there was stunning performances all around.
It’s always a surprise who meets each other in the playoffs and who will be the ones showing grittiness in those last moments of the regular season in order to make it in and become one of the best of the best. No doubt, rivalry brings out the best professional play out there and ups the ante in terms of what it means to compete in the NFL.
It’s always an interesting experience to see a young LEADER arise and take a team of men and help carry them throughout the season. It’s rarely seen nowadays that someone enters the league and commands respect from the veterans, as now more than ever rookies are thrown into the fire during the heat of battle.
We can also say the same about the overall coaching situation. When push comes to shove, will the coach win the respect he needs to maneuver the team individually and as one cohesive unit? Or will the team skillset fall short? It’s great to think about when you are on the cusp of the playoffs, and that’s why the NFL 17 Game Season is always exciting.