New Beginnings: What Have We Missed

Now, this is my first post not only as a blogger but also as an unofficial sports writer. Over the past year, I’ve constantly imagined myself as a big time sports writer or broadcaster for some prestigious national sports station but for now I’m just a naive twenty year-old with a laptop. I even had to ask my own sister to help me create a blog just so I could share my opinions on sports to people who may come across this page. That being said, again, this is my first post and would appreciate support as I continue to learn and grow as a sports writer. This first article will solely be about the NFL and what has happened thus far this seaon.

This past year in the NFL has been as good as any year that we have watched. With great seasons  come our typical ups and downs every year. We have experienced a roller coaster of emotions through out  this year. The downs may include: Peyton Manning looking as vulnerable as he has ever been in his entire career, some teams looking absolutely terrible this year after appearing to have a promising off-season (Philadelphia, Dallas, Miami, Baltimore, Indianapolis), a long list of season ending injuries, to name a few: Bell,  Foster, Charles, Smith Sr., Allen, Forsett, Flacco, Dunbar, Lewis. The list can go on and on and it has truly seemed unbearable. Most of us are already counting down the days to the 2016-17 NFL season, I know I am. Rooting for the Eagles in Cowboy and Bronco country can be tough most seasons and with Chip leading the way, all I can do now is bury my head in the sand and wait.

Enough with the negativity of this year, I’m sure you guys would rather hear the positives of this season. There have been plenty of teams this season exceeding expectations some of whom are the 10-0 Panthers, the 8-2 Cardinals, the 7-3 Vikings, and the 8-2 Bengals. I was reluctant to not leave off the Cardinals and Bengals off of this as they were just as good in years past but the performances that they have been displaying this year have been borderline elite. Teams such as the Patriots, Packers, and Broncos were excluded because we expect nothing short of elite talent from those teams.

What has made those teams listed above so much better than what they had been before? Well there is many reasons. In the spotlight for this article I will focus on the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, who before the season started were without star wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, have really turned the corner this year after finishing last year with a division title at 7-8. So if they didn’t have their star receiver, why are they so good? Here’s how: Quarterback Cam Newton has stepped up this season. Newton who was at the bottom of the totem pole of expectations this year as well has had one of his best seasons yet. Posting 20 passing touchdowns, 6 rushing touchdowns and 2,283 passing yards this season, he  is on route to shatter his previous season record in touchdowns (24) and  come close to breaking his season yards record (3,869). They are 10-0, they are dangerous, and they will be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. It’s hard to write knowing that potentially a lot of people could read this. Also, it’s kind of inspiring knowing that thousands of people who have it made as a sports writer or broadcaster started out the same way I did. Hopefully one day I can look back on this post and think this is how I got my start. Feel free to leave a comment, opinion, or question at the bottom of the page.