Back To The Gridiron
Connor Strange
Co-Editor-In-Chief
As the summer heat subsides and autumn approaches, stadiums will fill once again with the raucous screams of football fans. The superstars of tackling, passing and running will return to the field in the first game of the season this Thursday.
With the new season in store, the tables may turn right around in terms of the strongest teams. However, that hasn’t stopped projections from being made based off of the limited knowledge spectators have of the 2014 season.
The most ominous defense on the horizon is that of Seattle, returning Super Bowl champions. Their defensive team was dubbed the “Legion of Boom” for its dynamic and practically unbeatable playstyle last year that led them to a victory in the big dance. The Legion looks to continue their trend this fall.
On the other side of the coin, the prospective first place offense goes to Denver.
Despite their lackluster performance in the last Super Bowl, the Denver Broncos are one of the teams with the most offensive potential. They had the best offense of 2013 under quarterback Peyton Manning’s leadership, and some of their new talent could make the team even more deadly.
Regardless of Manning’s cannon arm and the overwhelming tide of Denver’s ballhandling skill, last year’s Super Bowl wasn’t exactly a slugfest - more like one team using the other as a punching bag as Seattle won 43-8 over Denver.
With any luck, the upcoming months of professional football will be competitive and action-packed throughout. The previous season’s final dance didn’t leave a satisfying finish to every spectator.
One team to look out for to spice things up might be the Cincinatti Bengals, who weren’t the most formidable team in previous seasons. They have a lot of talent with quarterback Andy Dalton, and may prove themselves a contender this fall.
The 2014 season officially kicks off on Thursday with a bout between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks, last year’s Super Bowl champions. The match will certainly be intense, with 2012’s “Fail Mary” (a controversial call in a Packers - Seahawks matchup resulting in Seattle’s victory) in recent memory of Green Bay players and fans.
An exciting season opener is in store later this week, and hopefully a similarly bombastic year to follow.
