A New Landscape in the NFL?

Is there a new landscape in the NFL? The Seahawks and Colts fall early as Alex Gordon reports.

Rather predictably, most sports run in a series of cycles. You often hear it: the Tottenham Hotspur side that were the first to do the league and cup double in 1960-61, the great Australian cricket team of the 1990s and early 2000s and the dynasty of the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s. These are only a select few examples but sporting impressions and sporting legacies are often built in a particular set of years, by a particular set of people, before they regress and leave their place at the 'top of the mountain' vacant. However, the NFL does not work in these cycles. With the NFL draft and the sheer volume of players on each side, the NFL prides itself on being a league whereby, at the start of each season, any team could capture the SuperBowl. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, the recent Patriots sides are perhaps evidence of this, but by stating that a different organisation has won the last seven SuperBowls, this proves my case. This increased parity was no more evident than in Week 1 of the 2015-2016 NFL season. As expected, the preseason polls heavily indicated that the major players in the NFL would enjoy successful seasons, teams such as the Patriots, the Seahawks, the Colts, the Broncos and the Packers were all popular choices. However, the NFL does not work like that.

Coach Carroll would have anticipated a much kinder opening result.

Seattle Seahawks 31-34 St Louis Rams.

Indianapolis Colts 14-27 Buffalo Bills. 

No this wasn't Madden. The NFL season 2015-2016 has seen a steady increase in the ability of the NFL's supposed 'underachieving' sides. The Bills, for years neglected in the AFC East by the overpowering and dominant Patriots finally have a defense and a coach (Rex Ryan) to boast about. Add playmakers such as LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins to the mix and that is a team to contend with. Equally, the New York Jets have got deeper with the inclusions of Brandon Marshall and Darrelle Revis. The Dolphins acquired defensive superstar Ndamukong Suh. Even unheralded sides such as the Jaguars (Bortles), the Raiders (Carr), the Titans (Mariota) and the Buccaneers (Winston) have new young quarterbacks with plenty of potential. This is perhaps the year of the upset and Week 1 showcased that perfectly.

Second overall draft pick Marcus Mariota threw well on opening weekend.

The St Louis Rams overcame the Seahawks in surprising fashion. With an offense missing running backs Todd Gurley and Tre Mason, the Rams still managed to score 34 points against the much-lauded Seahawks defense and this was, arguably, the achievement of the week. A 37 yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein sealed the victory in overtime when Pete Carroll opted to give Marshawn Lynch the ball (where was that in the SuperBowl?) in a 4 and 1 situation and he was subsequently stopped by the Rams defense. Surprisingly, this game could have been even more one-sided if not for a 18 point rally by the Seahawks in the second half. 

Across the country in Buffalo, things took a different route. The Bills defense smothered MVP candidate Andrew Luck from the outset, not allowing him time to throw or even time to set his feet. Luck finished with two interceptions and close to a 50% pass completion rate. The biggest positive for the Bills was the emergence of Tyrod Taylor as a legitimate quarterback in the NFL. A beautiful 51 yard touchdown pass to Percy Harvin capped a calm and productive performance from Taylor, who was only named starting quarterback after an intense three way quarterback competition in Training Camp in the summer.

Luck was struggling with the Bill's defensive line.

Of course, we all expect the Seahawks and the Colts to come back from these defeats and march up the standings in the weeks to come. But this NFL season will be full of surprises and Week 1 was testament to that.

edited by Aaron Elliott