Parity or Mediocrity: Who Cares!? It’s the NFL!
Parity or Mediocrity: Who Cares!? It’s the NFL!
Matt Nadel ‘18
As the National Football League moves toward the playoffs, there are definitely some interesting things to note about this season. So far, the 2015-2016 NFL campaign has been one of the weirdest.
The great teams from 2014 are even greater, the mediocre teams have playoff spots and all the other teams are doing horribly.The season isn’t that superficial, though, as there are loads of storylines across the league, both devastating and exceptionally awesome, depending on what team a fan likes.The point is that this season in football will go down as one people will remember for a long time.
The New England Patriots are having one of their best seasons under Bill Belichick. Quarterback Tom Brady is a potential MVP candidate and has led his Pats, so far, to the top of the AFC East. The Cincinnati Bengals are probably the most surprising team in the AFC this season. The team is sitting atop the AFC North and has destroyed the competition with the help of resurging quarterback Andy Dalton and a very formidable defense.
The AFC South, unlike the rest of the conference, is lackluster. The Colts and Texans are in a dogfight for the division crown and the Jaguars and Titans are having subpar seasons, as usual. Meanwhile, in the AFC West, the Broncos are enjoying an excellent defensive season. Denver ranks in the top ten in all defensive categories and are winning games despite an injured Peyton Manning.
Over in the NFC, the East, much like the AFC South, is in shambles. All four teams have sub-.500 records and the Cowboys are without quarterback Tony Romo for the remainder of the season. The upstart Vikings are elated with how they’re doing so far this season, with running back Adrian Peterson leading the league in rushing yards. Don’t count out the Packers, however, who, even without wide receiver Jordy Nelson, are winning ballgames.
In the NFC South sits the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL: the Carolina Panthers. The team from Charlotte along with MVP candidate Cam Newton are dabbing their way to the best season in franchise history. The Buccaneers’ and Falcons’ seasons have also been alright and are in the race for the Wild Card, thanks to the startling play of the Seattle Seahawks. The defending NFC champion Seahawks started out weak and have only somewhat recovered. Instead, it’s the Arizona Cardinals who hold the top spot in the NFC West.
Will there be a change in the playoff picture come January? Anything goes here in this wacky NFL season.
