Assessing the NFL Season, Team, Players

To say that this season in the NFL has been unpredictable would be an understatement. Teams like the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions have had upsets over powerhouse teams such as the New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers. 

By Nick Nacrelli

Contributor
To say that this season in the NFL has been unpredictable would be an understatement. Teams like the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions have had upsets over powerhouse teams such as the New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers. 
“The NFL is crazy this year, I never know who is going to win,” said Seton Hill University (SHU) freshman Justin Endy.  It seems as though the gap between some of the elite teams and the weaker teams has gotten much smaller this season. 
The first place teams this season are the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks. Many of these teams are tied for first with other division opponents however they have a better divisional record. 
A few standout players this season are Philip Rivers, Arian Foster, Clay Matthews, and Antonio Gates. Rivers is leading the league in passing as well as being the quarterback of the number one offense in the NFL. Foster has come out of nowhere and is second in the league in rushing. Matthews leads the league in sacks with 9.5 and has helped lead the Packers’ defense. Gates has incredible numbers leading the league with nine receiving touchdowns and he is third in yards.  
Although this season is full of upsets, many powerhouse teams are expected to come on strong in the second half of the season. In the next few weeks many players will come back from injuries and suspensions, which will definitely affect the playoff race. This is also the time of year teams that are contenders look to add on to their roster from teams that are looking to shed salary. Endy said, “Some of my favorite players will be coming back and I am excited to see how the season will unfold.”