Photo from Google Images
Summer went by way too fast. But as summer ends, the NFL begins! Does anyone else have the NBC NFL tune on repeat in their head all day today? DUN-DUN-DUN-DUM! (Okay, I’m not great with spelling onomatopoeias, but when you hear it, you’ll get it.) The NFL season starts tonight! We pick up the 2021 season where their 2020 season left off, in Raymond James Stadium.
The Thursday night after Labor Day starts the first game of the NFL season. The tradition of the reigning Super Bowl Champs hosting the season opener continues as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Dallas Cowboys.
Some changes this season include the expansion of the regular season to 17 games instead of 16. The regular season will still be completed over 18 weeks including a “bye” week and Super Bowl LVI (56 for those of us who hate Roman numerals) will be played February 13th 2022 in the LA Rams & Chargers new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
For all you couch QB’s out there, the new jersey rule just made it slightly harder for you to tell who is an eligible receiver from a non-eligible receiver. To clarify, here’s your new cheat code:
QB: 1-19
RB: 1-49, 80-89
TE: 1-49, 80-89
WR: 1-49, 80-89
OL: 50-79
DL: 50-79, 90-99
LB: 1-59, 90-99
DB: 1-49
Some players on the Cowboys roster changed their jersey number this week and Tom Brady was not happy about it. “The number rule is crazy. “Literally, guys changed their numbers today. I’m playing two guys who had different numbers in the preseason. So, yeah you’ve got to watch film and know who you’re studying but so do running backs. They’ve got to know who to block. So does the offensive line. So does the receivers who are adjusting their routes based on blitzes… It’s going to be a very challenging thing. It’s a good advantage for the defense, which that’s what it is.”
But in the words of Aaron Rodgers, RELAX! There’s a good chance that players will not be changing their jersey numbers after tonight. If a player does change his number during the 2021 season, he will have to personally buy out all of the remaining stock of their jerseys from the distributors, but that’s not a new rule.
Covid-19
It doesn’t matter what your opinions are of the Covid-19 vaccine. The fact is not being vaccinated will impact you in the NFL as a fan and as a player. As of today, if you plan on attending a Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders or a New Orleans Saints game you will be required to show proof of vaccination or show proof of a negative Covid19 test. Unvaccinated players will be tested daily for the virus and face a five-day quarantine if they are contact traced back to an individual who tests positive. Vaccinated players and staff are exempt from contract tracing and will only have to be tested weekly. If you thought a beer at a stadium was expensive in 2019, it’s not going to be any cheaper in 2021. Someone has to pay for all these Covid19 tests.
Gambling
Now that sports betting is legal in half of the United States, new sportsbooks and gambling companies are popping up daily. Literally, the ads are flooding your social media feeds and on every commercial for every radio, TV and streaming platform with an over the top first-time bet offer. That’s how they hook you in. It’s no surprise that mobile betting accounts for more than 80% of sports betting revenue with most of the transactions happening live/during the actual game. According to the American Gaming Association, five more states could legalize gambling before the Super Bowl. I don’t know if this is a rich get richer and the poor get poor system, however, if you can’t afford to lose to the amount you are betting with, you shouldn’t be betting at all. And if you have bags of money you can afford to lose, you should donate any amount to support my blog https://alisonstclair.com/donate/ . To Rephrase it, bet on me!
WFT
The reigning NFC East champs will host the Chargers on Sunday. FedEx Field has new grass and finally, the dirt field is gone! The emotions of a close loss in the Wild Card Game to Brady and Buccaneers last year should carry over to this season. With head coach Ron Rivera entering his second season, now it’s time to really see how good this team is. Chase Young won the Defensive Rookie of the Year last year and the fans want to see him to become the first ever NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Washington. The D-Line isn’t getting the media hype that they should, but that’s fine. As long as they stay healthy, they will dominate.
While there has been so much QB drama in the NFL this off season, the Washington Football Team is feeling pretty good about having a dual threat system with the veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and fan favorite Taylor Heinicke (pronounced High-Na-KEY). The fanbase is hoping that Fitzmagic can still bring home W’s as he enters his 17th year in the NFL.
Washington opens the season at home on Sunday against the Chargers and four days later host the New York Giants for Thursday Night Football. Get your popcorn ready, the NFL is back!