The monolithic presence that is the NASH-unal FOOT-ball League returns tomorrow night, not to leave us alone until February. That's a lot of Hank Williams Jr. or Carrie Underwood or whoever's doing the Sunday/Monday/Thursday night bumper music to wade through, not to mention several truckloads of over-analysis and over-analysis of the over-analysis.
And don't forget the usual doomsaying when someone who looked like a Super Bowl contender in August starts 0-2.
Thursday it begins with the Chiefs and the Lions on national TV, and I hope for the sake of all long-suffering Lions fans their boys don't Lions it up like usual. Lots of folks in lots of places are jacked up about the Honolulu-blue-and-silver, apparently having forgotten that the chronically "meh" Jared Goff is still their quarterback, and that they were 9-8 and not 11-6 or 12-5 or something like that,
Anyway, here's to 'em. Show America you've got what they say you've got, Kittens.
Some other thoughts:
* Speaking of hype, here's to the Noo Yawk Jets, too. Their delusional fan base, along with plenty of delusional TV poodles, think this could be their year now that 69-year-old Aaron Rodgers is helming the offense. They've got Dalvin Cook and Breece Hall in the backfield! They've got 2022 rookie sensation Garrett Wilson at wideout! They've got Aaron Bleeping Rodgers!
(And OK, he's only 39, not 69. The point -- that he's left a lot of tread on the road in almost 20 years as an NFL quarterback -- pertains.)
Anyway, serious people are seriously considering the Jets as a possible Super Bowl team, forgetting they're still the Jets. They'll lose twice to the Patriots because they always lose to the Patriots. The Bills and Josh Allen are still around, and the Dolphins figure to not be a doormat. And that's just in the division.
And don't even try to convince me that if the Jets do the Jets thing and lose a game or two they shouldn't, Old Man Aaron won't start shouting at clouds again. And the New York media will give him the world's largest bullhorn with which to do so.
I see crushing disappointment ahead for the wearers of the green. But, of course, they're Jets fans, so they're used to that.
* Speaking of the Chiefs, the inclination here is to simply pencil in Patrick Mahomes and Co. for Super Sunday and be done with it. But the injury bug has already bitten them -- Travis Kelce went down with a hyper-extended knee the other day -- and if you believe in omens and portents as fervently as the Blob does, that's not a good one.
Also, Chris Jones, the anchor of their D, is still in holdout mode.
So I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that even though they're the best organization in football right now, this will not be their year.
* And speaking of predictions ...
Here are a few more. Clip and save for future ridicule:
* The Bills will go 13-4 or 14-3, win the AFC East and flame out in the playoffs again.
* Russell Wilson will resume being Russell Wilson even though that mean Sean Payton won’t let him hang with his personal trainer.
* Justin Fields will be much better, the Bears will be much better, but all that means is they'll go 8-9 or 9-8 and fight with the Packers for last in the NFC North.
* Speaking of the Packers, Jordan Love will be OK but not great, and all of Green Bay will complain because he's not an all-timer like the previous two guys - forgetting how unbelievably lucky they were to get two all-timers in a row.
* Dallas will be Dallas. Which is to say, no Supe for you, Cowboys fans.
* Minnesota will be Minnesota. Which is to say, no Supe for you, either, Vikings fans -- although they'll manage to win the NFC North again despite the prevailing sentiment that their time is done.
* In San Francisco, Brock Purdy will not be another Tom Brady after all. But he won't be Cindy Brady, either, and the Niners will get to the Super Bowl this time.
* Where they'll face the Bengals, who'll go on a tear once they get Joe Burrow back.
All for now.
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