NFL Regular Season 2017 Preview: New England Patriots Are Still the Team to Beat
It's been a busy offseason for teams in the National Football League (NFL). The first few weeks of the free agency period were quite hectic with a lot of player movements and it didn't slow down until the end of the draft in late April. Of course, trade activity didn't stop after that, but it slowed down to a trickle.
Now teams are busy conducting organized team activities (OTAs) and practices before the start of training camp. Things have quieted down, but this is just the lull before the storm.
In a little over three months, the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, will kick off the 98th NFL season against the Kansas City Chiefs. The game will take place at the Gillette Stadium on Sept. 7.
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The Patriots will enter the season as the overwhelming favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions. They already had a loaded team last season, but they managed to bolster their roster this offseason by acquiring wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints and signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
They didn't bring back LeGarrette Blount, but running back corps looks good. They also locked up Dont'a Hightower to a long-term contract, so they are ready to defend their title this season.
The Patriots shouldn't get overconfident, though, because there are several contenders who are also hungry for a title.
In the National Football Conference (NFC) East, the Dallas Cowboys are ready to take a step forward with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott leading the way. Eli Manning and the New York Giants are also as dangerous as ever.
As long as the Green Bay Packers have Aaron Rodgers they should be the team to beat in the NFC North. And the reigning NFC champions Atlanta Falcons will come back with a vengeance next season after their narrow loss to the Patriots at Super Bowl LI. In the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks are the team to watch.
In the American Football Conference (AFC) West, the Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders are legitimate challengers for the AFC crown. Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers should rule the AFC North and they probably can't wait to get their revenge on the Patriots.
The Houston Texans should make some noise in the AFC South, but it remains to be seen if their quarterback corps is good enough to carry them far.
As usual, the Patriots should sit on top of the AFC East. It will be interesting to see how well they perform with this roster.
