NFL 2017: Prelude to Minneapolis

English: Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA behind Lake Calhoun. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Before we get into another head-knocking season of the National Football League . . . Wait a minute.  You mean to tell me that some players have actually quit the game, because they want to save their brains from being scrambled into an early death?  Wow.  That's heavy, man.

Anyway, here's our NFL preview:

• The New England Patriots are the defending Super Bowl champions, and are favored to do so again this year.  But quarterback Tom Brady just turned 40, and his teammates aren't getting any younger either--which makes the Patriots more vulnerable to injuries such as the one that befell Julian Edelman.  Still, never count out a Bill Belichick-coached team whether he plays by the rules or not.
• Colin Kaepernick, best known as the quarterback who took a knee during the national anthem before a game to protest African-Americans getting harassed by police officers, still does not have a job in the NFL.   It seems teams would rather hire mediocre players off the street or those who have criminal backgrounds than offend its conservative fans and stockholders, who see Kaepernick as a traitor in Trump's America.  Even the Miami Dolphins saved Jay Cutler from life as a TV analyst to be its starting QB.  But there have also been organized efforts to boycott the NFL if nobody hires Kaepernick.  Who's going to be the team that finally does?  And does Kaepernick still want to play football?
• The Raiders are still playing in Oakland this season, even though they made a deal to move to Las Vegas.  The Chargers moved up the California coast from San Diego to Los Angeles, playing in a tiny (by NFL standards) soccer park until the stadium they're sharing with the Rams is ready.  And the Atlanta Falcons, coming off the most incredible giveaway in Super Bowl history, are moving from the Georgia Dome to Mercedes Benz Stadium.  That's where the Chick-fil-A restaurant won't be open on game days.
• Some of the new rule changes in the NFL include quicker waits for decisions based on instant replay, a ten minute overtime period during the regular season, and a relaxation of celebration penalties in the end zone.
• On TV, there's also some changes:  Tony Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, has replaced Phil Simms as Jim Nantz' partner in the CBS booth, while Simms has been demoted to the network's pregame show.  Mike Tirico will call NBC's Thursday night schedule, just to give Al Michaels a break.  Chris Berman has left the hosting of ESPN's NFL coverage to others.  Other than that, there will be fewer commercial breaks that prolong games.  And the NFL will be trading in Cialis and Viagra ads for hard liquor.  Try explaining that to your kids.

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The Minnesota Vikings' hangover from the collapse of last season lingers into the start of this one.  Adrian Peterson and Cordarelle Patterson are both gone.  Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater might return later this season from his devastating knee injury.  His replacement, Sam Bradford, is hanging in there despite an offensive line that, frankly, sucked.  And the coach, Mike Zimmer, has had eight eye surgeries in the past year.  Yes, we said eight.

For the Vikings to be anything other than 8-8 or worse this season, the new offensive line they stitched together must do a better job of protecting Bradford.  The defense is one of the best in the league, and should remain that way.  But the way the team looked in the preseason is not encouraging.

Let's just say the Vikings won't be playing in their home stadium for the Super Bowl.
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And now, if you're still paying attention, here's who we think will be on the road to Minneapolis come January.

AFC EAST      New England Patriots
         NORTH  Pittsburgh Steelers
         SOUTH   Houston Texans
         WEST     Oakland Raiders
WILD CARD  Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts

NFC EAST      Dallas Cowboys
         NORTH  Green Bay Packers
         SOUTH   Atlanta Falcons
         WEST      Seattle Seahawks
WILD CARD   Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants.
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UPDATE (9/8/17):  We should have also mentioned that Beth Mowins will become only the second woman (the other was Gayle Sierens a couple of decades ago) to call NFL games on TV.  She will cover the Chargers-Broncos game on ESPN Monday September 11, then later in the season call some regional matchups for CBS.