Rather predictably, the past 10 weeks of the 2014 NFL season have made us all look like fools. Seattle and San Francisco challenging for NFC supremacy? Please. The Jets’ sneaky resurgence? Yikes. But unpredictability is perhaps sports’ biggest draw. Forget the odds, we’ll take the possibilities.
The NFL is a week-to-week league — remember when San Diego and Cincinnati looked like Super Bowl contenders? But 10 weeks in, the competitive landscape is starting to shape up. By now we have a pretty good idea of who’s fighting for a playoff position and who’s fighting for draft position (sorry, Oakland). Still, if we knew the answers already, we wouldn’t be watching. With 18 teams currently at .500 or better, the final seven weeks should provide plenty of compelling drama to distract us from finals. And there are six storylines on which NFL fans should keep a close eye as the action unfolds.
1. Will DeMarco Murray break the single-season rushing record?
For the third time in five years, Eric Dickerson is getting a bit antsy. On pace for a blistering 1,973 rushing yards, DeMarco Murray has a realistic chance to surpass Dickerson’s mark of 2,105. Even if he falls short, Murray has already turned in a historic season that began with a record eight consecutive 100+ yard games. Running behind a dominant offensive line for a team that should have plenty of leads to protect, Murray could wind up with video game numbers. But don’t forget about his durability concerns. Having missed 11 games in his first three seasons due to injury, it’s fair to wonder if Murray’s body can handle the absurd workload Dallas is shoving down his throat.
2. Can Arizona survive the loss of Carson Palmer?
At 8-1, the Arizona Cardinals have been the league’s biggest surprise and best team to date. Their dream season has been, as Head Coach Bruce Arians called it, “a bumpy-ass road” — the Cardinals have been hit with a flurry of injuries all season long. The latest blow — a season-ending knee injury to QB Carson Palmer — might prove insurmountable. Yes, Arizona went 2-1 with backup Drew Stanton at the helm earlier this season, but a brutal remaining schedule in a stout division could mean trouble on the horizon for the Cards. And then again, this team has been proving everyone wrong from day one.
3. Who will win the AFC North dogfight?
Entering the season, not many pundits pegged the AFC North as a particularly exciting division. Oops. All four members currently boast winning records and are within a half game of the division lead. The group’s biggest surprise is Cleveland, which sits atop the standings at 6-3. The Browns have undoubtedly benefited from a soft early-season schedule, but their passing offense figures will likely see a massive boost when wide receiver Josh Gordon returns from suspension. With four intra-division games over the final four weeks, the AFC North is completely up for grabs, and this race figures to be ultra-competitive down the stretch.
4. Can Andrew Luck crash the Brady-Manning party in the AFC?
After a rocky start, the Patriots have re-established themselves firmly in the ranks of the AFC elite, and yet again, we seem destined for a classic Brady-Manning playoff clash in the championship game. But Andrew Luck and the Colts are making a serious case to disrupt that narrative. A victory this week over the white-hot Patriots would solidify the Colts’ position as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Luck is starting to feel like the once-in-a-generation quarterback he was billed to be.
5. Will Adrian Peterson be reinstated?
This one is touchy. Does Peterson deserve another chance? Should the NFL operate as the extralegal morality police? Are we willing to grant disciplinary powers back to Roger Goodell after the original Rice debacle? From a procedural justice standpoint, it certainly seems that the league has no leg to stand on if it wants to keep AP suspended in the wake of his legal resolution. But at the end of the day, the NFL is trying to score PR points and Goodell wants to make sure that little Johnny’s mother lets him watch football. In a volatile year surrounding off-field incidents, the Peterson case could set a lasting precedent for how player conduct is regulated going forward.
6. Will I win my fantasy football championships?
Actually, this one is pretty certain. Yes, yes I will.
(*Knocks on wood*)
Mike Firn ’16 is declaring for the 2015 draft. Oakland and Jacksonville reps, contact him at michael_firn@brown.edu.
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