NFL 2014-2015 Season Makes a Dynamic Entrance, Accompanied by Off-Season Domestic Violence Sandal
The NFL season has returned. It started off with a (Legion of) Boom as the defending Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks manhandled the Green Bay Packers last Thursday. Then came the main event, Sunday. Over half of the thirteen games on the schedule ended with less than an eight point score difference. Monday night’s two games were polar opposites. The Detroit Lions came out on top with a triumphant 35-14 during their game against The New York Giants. In the later game, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Diego Chargers 18-17 on a touchdown pass in the final three minutes.Before this week’s recap, even bigger news, perhaps the biggest of the offseason, erupted across the media: the Ray Rice domestic abuse scandal. First off, there is no excuse. Domestic abuse should never be tolerated, which is why NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision to hand Rice a measly two-game suspension enraged many sports fans. This was “before” the NFL or the Baltimore Ravens (Rice’s team at the time) had seen the footage leaked by TMZ this Monday. Taken at Atlantic City casino. this video shows Rice spitting on his fiancee, now wife, before entering the elevator with her and hitting her not once, but twice. The second left hook left her unconscious for nearly a minute. After this tape leaked, the Ravens terminated Rice’s contract and the NFL suspended him indefinitely. By the time the NFL made their move, damage was already done to what was a spotty public image beforehand. It will certainly be a storyline to follow for the rest of the season as the NFL may have yet another domestic abuse case with San Francisco 49er Ray McDonald.Now that the off-the-field news is over, time for what actually happened on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday. To start, the Seahawks should be everyone’s Super Bowl favorite. They beat the Packers at home by twenty points, and if they are going to be knocked off in the playoffs, it will most likely be at home. They have lost only one home, including playoffs, since the 2012 season.Onto another contender, the New England Patriots. To say the least, they disappointed in their first opener loss since 2003. This is also the first time future Hall of Famer Tom Brady has ever been in last place in his career. For a team picked by many to win the AFC, twenty-three unanswered second half points are inexcusable. Miami dominated New England in the trenches, leading to the post-halftime demise. The Pats rushed for twenty eight yards in the third and fourth quarters, and Brady was sacked four times. If the Patriots want to even make it as far as the AFC title game, they will need to fix those issues.Quicker, relevant notes. The Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East favorites) bounced back from a scoreless first half to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-17. The New Orleans Saints visited division rival Atlanta Falcons with the home team coming out on top thanks to kicker Matt Bryant’s field goals as time expired and in overtime. The Denver Broncos beat the Indianapolis Colts with tight end Julius Thomas hauling in three touchdown passes.Welcome back NFL (excluding Goodell).