The 2022/23 NFL season is underway and has certainly been beyond expectation with regards to the excitement and individual brilliance on display.
It has been a long wait since the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl 56 back in February this year over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fans have been on the edge of their seats waiting for September to come, and the way the teams have started, that’s where the fans have stayed.
Week One saw the Buffalo Bills bring the LA Rams back down to reality with a thumping 31-10 win over the Super Bowl champions. Josh Allen has started the year as one of the favorites in NFL odds to be named MVP at the end of the season, and he’s shown why in the opening weeks.
There were so many close games in week one and high scoring ones as well. Detroit Lions just lost out to the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35; Pittsburg Steelers edged the Bengals in their rivalry game 23-20 while the Kansas City Chiefs also reminded us of their offensive talent with a 44-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
After so much excitement in week one, you’d have been forgiven for expecting the league to calm down a little in week two, you would be wrong though. The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins put on one of the most explosive and exciting games in recent memory with the Florida side coming out on top 42-38. The Rams got back to winning ways with a 31-27 win over the Atlanta Falcons while the Detroit Lions showed their offense is looking more exciting this year with a 36-27 win over the Washington Commanders.
Since signing speedster Tyreek Hill from the Chiefs, the Miami Dolphins have looked unstoppable. Teaming him with Jaylen Waddle, the wide receivers have been a handful and have helped the side to a perfect three wins from the opening three games.
Wide Receiver coach Wes Welker has been particularly complimentary of the pairing. “They’re tough, they’re hard-nosed, they want to win, they compete, they bring it every day on the practice field. All those different things. I think that’s what sets them apart”.
To have a tough task in the AFC East alongside the Bills, but they have got the early season win over their rivals in week three, 21-19, and have a lead to protect now.
Another Floridian side, Jacksonville Jaguars, have also got off to a good start, one which many would not have expected. But Trevor Lawrence as a year in the NFL under his belt and is showing why the franchise went out and selected him first in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Lawrence was interviewed on CBS recently and said “We are playing with a lot of confidence. We don’t really care what other people think we have here”. The team top the AFC South after three games and face a difficult Philadelphia Eagles test in week four before two rival matches against the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts.
Tom Brady came back out of retirement to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for another season and the 45-year-old is off to another great start at quarterback. He sees ageless, while the players around him are also showing the excellent form which makes them so difficult to play against.
Wide receiver Mike Evans sat out the week three defeat to the Green Bay Packers after being suspended for events that occurred in their 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints. Evans was suspended by the NFL for one game for pushing Marshon Lattimore over in a flare up which saw a number of players involved in confrontations.
Brady said about the incident; “I love Mike and the fact that Mike would come out there and defend me, it means everything in the world to me as a teammate and a friend. Emotions are a part of sports. Sometimes they boil over, and they obviously did there”.
As the season goes into week four an onwards there are some hugely exciting games to grab everyone’s attention.
The Buffalo Bills travel to Baltimore to face a hyper charged Ravens side in week four. Two of the league’s most exciting quarterbacks will go up against each other in what should be another high scoring game.
In week five, the Eagles head to Arizona to face the Cardinals with two teams that have very dynamic and mobile quarterbacks. The defence on either side will have very busy games with the varied threat of each offense which can make both so unpredictable.
Having the NFL season back has been nothing short of a blessing. The players and coaches have not let us down with the exhilarating and high scoring games on offer. Each side going big to try and get wins on the board early on. No one wants to be playing catch up as the winter months hit, and fans are being treated to some incredible football already.
