In a year where almost all sports have had to adjust their season start dates and even play fewer games than usual, there has been one professional sports league that has been able to conduct business as usual: the NFL. Aside from not having a preseason this year and some teams not allowing fans into their stadiums due to the pandemic, including all teams in California, there really hasn’t been much else different. There is one key add on, however. Usually, six teams from each conference, the AFC and the NFC make the postseason, with a total of 12 teams making it past week 17. This year there will be an extra team allowed to reach the playoffs, meaning that there will be seven teams from each conference, and 14 teams cracking the postseason.

The biggest story of the season is easily QB Tom Brady’s first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After spending 20 years with the New England Patriots, and winning a total of six championships, most consider him the greatest NFL player of all time. With the Patriots shockingly losing in the first round in last season’s postseason to the underdog Tennessee Titans, most assumed Brady would retire, as it was starting to become clear that the team’s championship run was coming to a close due to Brady’s age of 43. However, Brady did what many thought would never happen, as he decided to leave the Patriots.  He signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have performed very well so far with a record of 6-3. Another addition to the Buccaneers this season is former star wide receiver Antonio Brown, who is looking to avoid any more off the field controversies.

The Los Angeles Rams, a team that many students at YLHS are fans of, are tied for 2nd place with the Arizona Cardinals. Some of the star players for the team this year include DT Aaron Donald, CB Jalen Ramsey, and QB Jared Goff. The San Francisco 49ers, the defending Super Bowl runner-ups, and another team lots of students at our school are fans of have been struggling a bit this season. With a record of 4-5, they sit in the last place in the NFC West. This is mostly due to major injuries suffered by two of the Niner’s best players, QB Jimmy Garoppolo and TE George Kittle. 

In the AFC, the front-runners for the Super Bowl trophy are the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs, who are defending champions, are led by superstar QB Patrick Mahomes and TE Travis Kelce, and look to be showing no signs of a “championship hangover.” Pittsburgh, a team who didn’t make the playoffs last season, and who many expected to be mediocre this season, has stunned the league by being undefeated so far with a record of 8-0. The Ravens, led by last season’s MVP QB Lamar Jackson, are not far behind the Steelers, with a record of 6-2. Lastly, Buffalo leads the AFC East easily with a record of 7-2, ahead of the Dolphins and Brady’s old team, the Patriots. 

Kai Nihira (12) said about the season, “I think the Chiefs will repeat as Super Bowl champions. Their team is just as good as it was last year, and Mahomes is a terrific leader.” The 2020 NFL season is a season like never before, but it is sure to be an exciting one with so many teams in contention, and many star players performing well!