If you are interested in a bunch a sweaty men running up and down the field hitting each other, then you’re just like the other 64% of people that dedicate their Sundays to watching football. This season may have even converted those who had no interest in football to football fans.  The 2016-2017 football season was full of injuries, surprises, and big events.

Rankings (End of regular season)

Team            W    L    T    PF(Points For)    PA(Points Against)

Patriots        14    2    0              441                             250

Cowboys       13    3    0             421                             306

Chiefs            12    4    0             389                            311

Raiders         12    4    0             416                             385

Falcons         11    5    0              540                            406

Giants            11    5    0             310                             284

Steelers         11    5    0              399                            327

Seahawks     10    5    1              354                            292

Packers         10    6    0            432                             388

Dolphins      10    6    0             363                            380

Broncos         9    7     0             333                            297

Lions              9    7    0              346                           358

Texans           9    7    0              279                           328

Buccaneers   9    7    0              354                           369

Titans            9    7    0              381                            378

Redskins       8   7     1               396                           383

Ravens          8   8    0               343                           321

Colts              8   8    0               411                            392

Vikings         8    8    0               327                           307

Cardinals     7    8    1                418                            362

Bills               7    9    0               399                            378

Saints            7    9    0               469                           454

Eagles            7    9    0               367                           331

Bengals         6    9    1                325                           315

Panthers       6   10   0               369                           302

Jets                5    11   0               275                           409

Chargers       5    11   0              410                            423

Rams             4    12   0              224                           394

Bears             3    13    0             279                           399

Jaguars        3    13     0             318                           400

49ers            2    14    0              309                           380

Browns        1    15    0               264                           452

Big events in the 2016-17 season:

When one thinks of unexpected teams that did better than expected, one thinks of the 2007 New York Giants, who after just barely making it into the playoffs as a Wild Card team had to win three straight road playoff games for the chance to make the Super Bowl XLII.  They managed to come out on top of one of the greatest teams in NFL history with a little help from Eli Manning and the gum stuck on David Tyree’s helmet.  However, this year, there were two standout teams that performed better than expected.

One unexpected team was the second ranked team in the league, the Dallas Cowboys.  The team lost a key player in its arsenal in the preseason. Tony Romo was taken from the game by a broken bone in his back, but with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott running America’s team, they managed to go 13-3 with Zeke’s ability to hurdle, truck, juke, and maneuver around players. This made him a big name for Rookie of the Year.  While on the passing side, Dak Prescott showed great control, which made him look like a veteran with his speed, quickness, and vision down field. It also helps to have the best offensive line in the league with the likes of Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley, the Julian Edelman of the Cowboys.

Another unexpected team was the Tennessee Titans who finished 9-7.  This was not the best record and not even wild card record, but the difference between their stats from last year and this year is astonishing.  First off, in 2015, Marcus Mariota managed only 2,818 passing yards, 19 touchdowns ,and 10 interceptions in twelve games, but in 2016, Mariota had 3,426 passing yards, 26 touchdowns ,and 9 interceptions in fifteen games, a huge increase from last year. Now the big boost they got was from the running game.   They drafted a future number one running back in Derrick Henry, but he’s their number two.   Their number one was Demarco Murray. Demarco Murray’s history is very bizarre.  In 2014, he had an MVP season with 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns on 392 attempts, which evens out to a very good 4.7 yards per carry. In 2015, he had a down year moving from Dallas to Philadelphia.  He had 702 yards and 6 touchdowns on 192 attempts, which works out to 3.6 yards per carry, a very big decrease from the year before. After the season he had in Philadelphia, people thought his career was never going be the same, but in his 2016 campaign, he regained his title as a top five running back. He managed to get 1,287 yards and 9 touchdowns on 293 attempts, which is 4.4 yards per carry. With these players playing up to their full potential, the Titans could be a very scary team in the upcoming years.

Injuries: There Were Some Devastating Injuries This Season.  

Name: Derek Carr

Team:  Raiders

Injury: Leg

Length: Out for season

Impact: The loss of David Carr was feltduring Saturday night’s loss 27-14 against the Houston Texans. The team relied greatly on their star quarterback, and with an inexperienced young quarterback, Connor Cook, the team got nowhere and is now out of the playoffs. However, the hope for the next season is high. ESPN predicts a very good upcoming year for the growing Raiders team.

Name: Rob Gronkowski (Gronk)

Team:  Patriots

Injury: Back/Lung

Length: Out for the season

Impact: With Rob Gronkowski, the star tight end for     the New England Patriots, out for the rest of the season, tensions were flying in the Northeast. Gronk, good for both passing and blocking, affects everything in the offense from the run game to receptions. However, with the Pats having a good end to the regular season, the effects of the loss of Gronk will not be too devastating due to their other tight end Martellus Bennett.

Name: Earl Thomas III

Team:  Seahawks

Injury: Fractured left tibia

Length: Out for season

Impact: Earl Thomas is arguably one of the most decorated and better safeties in the NFL. The Seahawks defense almost lives off of him. That’s why the absence of him will devastate the Seahawks’ whole organization. Even with other great defensive players, such as Cam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, Thomas’s ability to read a pass, run, or even a reverse will be missed.

In conclusion, the 2016-2017 season had its share of surprises and injuries.  Perhaps, the biggest surprise of all was the Patriots’ amazing comeback during the Superbowl.  If anything can be learned, it is that teamwork and persistence will pay off. If we missed any important info, please feel free to comment below.