Storylines from the NFL

By: Brendan Burris ~Staff Writer~

The 2015 NFL regular season starts Thursday, Sept. 10 with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the New England Patriots. Here are some of the biggest storylines as we rush into a new year of football.

Clearly, the story that ruled the NFL and sports media this entire offseason surrounded Tom Brady, the Patriots and the “Deflategate” scandal. Now, with his four-game suspension overturned and Brady set to start week one against the Steelers, the Patriots are once again the overwhelming Super Bowl favorites headed into the season.

The NFL Draft certainly had its headlines during the offseason and now, with week one right around the corner, the football world gets to see the impact of what was certainly an entertaining draft. With headliners Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston taking the starting roles for their teams right away, the first and second overall picks will face off head-to-head in the first game of the season.

Elsewhere, rookies like TJ Yeldon, Amari Cooper and Leonard Williams are looking to make big impacts on their new teams. Just looking at a list of the 32 teams as of this moment, you will see a litany of quarterback “battles” or “controversies,” where one bad drive or one bad week could see an instant change in starting roles the next week.

Several teams such as the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns, the Houston Texans and the Washington Redskins have a potential controversy brewing. Perhaps the most intriguing controversies are in Cleveland and Washington, where two highly drafted quarterbacks have been benched after years of whirlwind media attention.

Many NFL fans are curious to see if the Browns’ Johnny Manziel or the Redskins’ Robert Griffen III can regain their starting jobs over Josh McCown and Kirk Cousins, respectively. The 2015 NFL season starts with Thursday Night Football and week one hits full swing on Sept. 13. All signs point to this being another incredible season for football and its fans.