NFL Mid Season Report

As week nine just got underway last Thursday with the Falcons avenging their week one loss to the Buccaneers, we just passed the mid point of the season. To this point, the NFL season has been remarkable, filled with ups and downs.

At the beginning of the season, all the talk surrounded the San Francisco 49ers and their backup quarterback Colin Kapernick. His protest of the national anthem was the headline on every media outlet. After the 49ers offensive struggles, Head Coach Chip Kelly, benched then starter Blaine Gabbert and made Kapernick the starter. The 49ers are left still scratching their heads trying to figure out their issues.

The following weeks were filled with dominating performances by rookies. Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz, and Ezekiel Elliott are just some of the names that stood out. All across the league rookie players have been playing phenomenal.

We can’t forget about Deflategate. The ongoing NFL issue finally came to an end this season. Tom Brady’s much anticipated return has been anything but a disappointment. Through 5 games, Brady has thrown 12 touchdown passes, zero interceptions and is in question for MVP talk. The big debate is does he deserve the MVP after missing four games. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out.

The biggest surprise of the season may have been the Minnesota Vikings hot start. Just prior to the season starting franchise Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went down with a knee injury.

The Vikings then traded for Sam Bradford who has been plagued with injury problems since being a top draft pick. After sitting week 1 to learn the offense, Bradford led the team to a 5-0 start, which was the best in the NFL. Recently the Vikings have struggled and are looking to get back on track.

What may have come as a shock to many, was the mid season retirement of some household names. Two former stand out Houston Texan players hung up the cleats this season. Andre Johnson and Arian Foster, both decided it was time to walk away from the game. Congrats to them on their fantastic careers.

Another great surprise was the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders have built themselves an identity this year, getting of to a 6-2 start. Their young Quarterback, Derek Carr has been outstanding and much of that credit has to be given to the fantastic receivers they have. They have built up their defense and it looks like Raider Nation is back. The only question is, are they moving to Vegas?

The 2016-17 NFL season has been incredible so far. We have seen amazing games, incredible plays, questionable actions, multiple retirements and some hideous uniforms. As the season goes on and moves closer towards the playoffs, excitement will continue to grow.

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