"nf*L*"- Ayush Chakroborty

We are currently living through history. No, I don’t mean a global pandemic, I mean an unprecedented NFL season! Even before the pandemic, this season was predicted to be special. During the offseason, NFL fans witnessed unbelievable trades, like the Cardinals-Texans trade that sent David Johnson, an aging running back, to the Texans in exchange for DeAndre Hopkins, a top-three receiver in the league right now. This offseason also gave almost every team something to cheer for (and yes this includes Cleveland). But what many were waiting for the most was the opportunity to see Tom Brady suit up for a team that wasn’t the Patriots for the first time this millennia and to finally see the demise of the Patriots dynasty. 

With all these factors brewing, every fan base was chomping at the bit for some football. But then, 2020 threw a wrench in the NFL’s plans in the form of SARS-CoV-2. Training camps had been shut down, the NFL Draft went virtual, and many questioned if there would even be a season at all. Luckily enough, the NFL was able to learn from MLB’s season (and their mistakes), when they resumed their season in July. Commissioner Goodell, along with the 23 NFL team owners, believed that it would be best to cancel the preseason, put into play a very strict coronavirus-screening process, and conduct the season as scheduled. This left many players scrambling to prepare themselves for what was to come.

Following the decision to conduct the season, many players rushed to prepare their bodies for the physical toll that awaited them. Due to the pandemic, many of their gyms had been shut down, causing their conditioning to suffer. They entered training camp, poorly prepared, and highly restricted by NFL protocol. The already truncated training period became even less physical, causing many athletes to be ill-prepared for the regular season. This lack of preparedness has made itself known in this early season.

The season has already had a tremendous amount of injuries, far more than any other season in recent memory. Major stars, like Michael Thomas, Saquon Barkely, and Christian McCaffrey, have been sidelined by significant injuries. Other premier stars, like Davante Adams and Julio Jones, have been forced off of the field because of lower-body injuries caused by insufficient conditioning. To make matters worse, it seems that the entire 49ers team is injured, including premier players like Nick Bosa, Richard Sherman, and Jimmy Garoppolo, demoting the team to the 39ers. Coronavirus has also had its impact, as the New England Patriots and the Tennessee Titans have had significant outbreaks, causing delays to scheduled games. 

Despite these shortcomings, there is one bright side to this season: the Packers are asserting their dominance as if it is business as usual. Even with a significant injury to Kenny Clark, our premier nose tackle that plugs up the middle, our defense has been solid. Even better, our offense is lighting up the scoreboard on a consistent basis. Through the first three games, the Packers have scored an unimaginable 122 points. Even as we speak, I am witnessing the Packers completely annihilate the Falcons’ defense, scoring a touchdown within the first five minutes of playtime. Our team has also had tremendous individual success with Aaron Jones being second in the league in rushing and Aaron Rodgers having one of the best starts to his Hall of Fame Career. And, as the cherry on top, we hold an unblemished 3-0 record (about to be 4-0 after we crush the Falcons tonight). Don’t be surprised when you see Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur hoisting up the Lombardi Trophy on February 7th, 2021. #GoPackGo