April 8, 2026 10:57 PM PDT
Deflategate swallowed the NFL offseason whole, pushing everything else -- ' return to the , the development of , even 's incredible plummet down Washington's quarterback depth chart -- to the margins of conversation. The league's appeal of the decision to vacate 's suspension probably won't be decided until next year.Until then, thankfully, the drama shifts away from the courtroom and onto the field for a season that will conclude in the Bay Area with the 50th installment of the . The end of off-field battles and a focus on football? That would, indeed, be golden.Here are 50 things to watch as the league prepares to go back to Cali:THE GAMES1): History suggests either or will fail. Here's their first chance to buck the trend.2): The Bowl. Is the ' offensive line really so good that anybody can run behind it? Will Murray make everyone in Philadelphia forget ? Is Chip Kelly or Jerry Jones the kookier character?3): Cover your eyes, fans. The run-up to this game will include .4): Get your air-pre sure valves ready! Imagine people will be keeping a close eye on the whereabouts of the footballs before this game.5): made a pit stop in New England just long enough to win a . He returns to try to torment the way he did last season in practice.6): There was a time when the NFL didn't play on a Sunday night . Now, the league schedules a blockbuster game featuring two of the greatest quarterbacks in history.7): Seen enough of the Brady-Manning rivalry? You won't feel that way when they're both gone.8): on Jr. You' Casey Marksberry Jersey re welcome.9): Rare is the game when the guys in headsets are the headliners. But when the two most innovative and compelling coaches in the NFL try to outthink each other, we'll watch.10): The Bowl. By this time, we should also have a good indication as to whether Kelly is a madman or a mad genius.11): Maybe, by this time, we'll understand .THE TRENDS12) Do schedule inequalities show up in the won-lo s record? showed that teams that have more rest than the opponents they are facing -- if they are coming off a bye week or a Thursday night game -- have up to a 2.5-point advantage over their regular-rest opponents. That's potentially bad news for Washington, which has five games against opponents who will have extra rest this season, the most in the league.13) Can the wave of big comebacks po sibly continue -- and what does it say about how offense and defense are being played? Last year, there were five comeback victories of at least 21 points, the most in a single season in history. There were also 43 comeback wins of at least 10 points, tied for the most in history.14) Which teams make the playoffs this season after being also-rans in 2014? Five teams made the playoffs last year after mi sing out in 2013. And since the 12-team playoff field was adopted in 1990, at least four teams have qualified every season that were not in the previous year. The smart money for one: the .15) Will the golden age of quarterbacking show any sign of dimming? Last year, a record 807 touchdown pa ses were thrown. In 2011, the number was 745. An NFL-record nine quarterbacks had at least 30 touchdown pa ses last season, obliterating the previous high of five quarterbacks with that many scoring strikes.16) Over the last four seasons, tight ends have rewritten the record book for the position, posting the four best years in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches. Last year, four tight ends -- , , and -- caught at least 10 touchdown pa ses, the most tight ends with at least 10 TD grabs in a single season in history. Gates and Gronkowski became the first tight ends in history with 10 or more touchdown receptions in four different seasons, surpa sing Tony Gonzalez, who had three such seasons.17) Forget the dink-and-dunk game -- the big-play pa sing attack is in vogue again. Last season, the league-wide yards-per-pa s-attempt was 7.21, the highest in the era. The result: games averaged 473.6 net pa sing yards, an all-time high.THE MOST IMPORTANT OFF-FIELD STORY IN RECENT MEMORY18) Before the kicks off, the NFL almost certainly will have decided which team (or teams) will move to Los Angeles in 2016 after a two-decade league absence in the city. The maneuvering in the meantime, though, will be fascinating, touching not just on the potential money-making abilities of the , and , but on the personal relationships among owners that drive so many NFL decisions. For now, it appears the joint project between the and for Carson, California, has as much support as the Inglewood project proposed by owner Stan Kroenke, but there's plenty of behind-closed-doors deal-making (and po sible shotgun marriages) to be made. The league will hold a critical meeting in October, and the expectation is that a vote to approve relocation will be held in December or January.THE RULES TO LEARN19) Give your placekicker a hug. His job with the NFL's attempt to make the extra point more interesting by making it a 33-yard kick (and with the defense now able to return a blocked kick, interception or fumble for two points). Yes, kickers have made 94 percent of 33-yard kicks over the last three seasons, and in the preseason, they made 93.3 percent of the extra points. But even predicts at least a few games will be decided by a mi sed extra point this season, probably later in the season and in bad-weather situations.20) The intended receiver of a pa s following an interception or potential interception is now viewed as a defensele s player, and hits to his head or neck area -- or hits that use the crown or hairline parts of the helmet -- will draw a 15-yard penalty that will be enforced after the change of po se sion.21) After all the skirmishes during joint practices this summer, keep an eye on the league's point of emphasis on fighting. Even aggre sive behavior when pulling opponents out of the scrum surrounding a loose ball can be penalized 15 yards.THE PEOPLE TO WATCH22) In a new offense, in the twilight of his career, is poised to set the mark for all-time pa sing yards sometime in the first half of the season. Manning needs 2,148 yards to eclipse Brett Favre, who holds the current record at 71,838.23)'s has stalled a comeback that got interesting when he completed 10 of 18 pa ses for 118 yards and a touchdown . is the ' starter for Week 1, but with no money sign and no inflatable swan, Manziel's career reboot might not be far off.24) Speaking of career reboots, Houston pa s rusher also gets one -- with and beside him -- after an injury-plagued rookie season.25) Will the departure of coordinator Dan Quinn to Atlanta or the contract holdout of safety end Seattle's extraordinary defensive run? The are one of only three teams in NFL history to lead the league in points allowed in three consecutive seasons -- and the first since the did it from 1969 to 1971.26) The post-Jim Harbaugh era in San Francisco began with perhaps the most turbulent offseason in NFL history, replete with surprise retirements, run-ins with the law, veteran departures and suspensions. And it's not going to get any easier for new head coach Jim Tomsula. The have the third-hardest strength of schedule this season, with nine games against teams that made the playoffs in 2014. They also will travel more than any other team -- 27,912 miles, nearly 1,300 miles more than anyone else.27) Does the elevator video of his domestic-violence incident, combined with his advancing age, make Ray Rice too radioactive even for teams desperate for a running back?28) And does , off the field for almost all of last season in the wake of child-abuse charges, regain his form in Minnesota even without right tackle () to block for him?29) Peterson didn't go to Dallas -- as many speculated he would -- but the ' offensive line is so good it might be able to make , and look like Peterson. Or .30) There are lots of questions about the ' offensive line, but not about the agele s , who, at 32, will finally give some run support.31) Once 's jaw is in one piece again, can he get the ' starting quarterback job back -- and can he get any locker-room respect?32) A backfield with and ? Darrell Bevell should never call again.33) Enjoy receiver Sr. -- his play, his mouth, his chip-bearing shoulder -- as long as you can. He has announced that , and we're going to have to recover.34) Can either or get enough points out of Houston's offense without () or (the entire season)?35) When will return to the field for the -- and will his play ever be the same after he lost his finger in a fireworks accident?36) Chip Kelly didn't think was good enough to be the third quarterback, two years after Bill Belichick couldn't find a role for him. So will Tebow play football again in any league?37) Kelly didn't think provided -level quarterback play. Now Foles has to flourish without Kelly's system, but with the support of St. Louis' staggering defensive line.38) Is there already trouble in Buffalo, where the surprising release of running back ?39) Belichick has had six months to reconfigure his secondary since losing and in free agency. Can his defense be as good without them?40) got , but a po sible move to Los Angeles could create instability for the anyway.41) The post-Dick LeBeau, post-Troy Polamalu era begins in Pittsburgh with a new-look defense that struggled in the preseason but will get plenty of help from the ' explosive offense.42) Is -to- the next great quarterback-to-receiver hookup in the Bay Area?43) What will Jr. do for an encore when he has to take away some of the attention of the ' opponents?44) Whither , so great as a rookie, so lost three years later. Will he ever start in Washington again? Will he ever start anywhere again?45) Now that the and have , we can resurrect a little-used stat category for them: receiver touchdowns.46) Can Adam Gase salvage in Chicago?47) How much will affect and damage the ' chances of winning the NFC South for a third straight year?48) got from the . Is the push he gives the defensive line enough to push the over .500 for the first time since 2008?49) Sarah Thomas is , as a line judge in referee Pete Morelli's crew. Take a moment to notice how you're not going to notice at all.50) The next victims of Deflategate? The defensive backs who will try to contain . Something tells me he has a lot of frustration to unleash.Follow Judy Battista on Twitter . J.J. Watt Jersey
Deflategate swallowed the NFL offseason whole, pushing everything else -- ' return to the , the development of , even 's incredible plummet down Washington's quarterback depth chart -- to the margins of conversation. The league's appeal of the decision to vacate 's suspension probably won't be decided until next year.Until then, thankfully, the drama shifts away from the courtroom and onto the field for a season that will conclude in the Bay Area with the 50th installment of the . The end of off-field battles and a focus on football? That would, indeed, be golden.Here are 50 things to watch as the league prepares to go back to Cali:THE GAMES1): History suggests either or will fail. Here's their first chance to buck the trend.2): The Bowl. Is the ' offensive line really so good that anybody can run behind it? Will Murray make everyone in Philadelphia forget ? Is Chip Kelly or Jerry Jones the kookier character?3): Cover your eyes, fans. The run-up to this game will include .4): Get your air-pre sure valves ready! Imagine people will be keeping a close eye on the whereabouts of the footballs before this game.5): made a pit stop in New England just long enough to win a . He returns to try to torment the way he did last season in practice.6): There was a time when the NFL didn't play on a Sunday night . Now, the league schedules a blockbuster game featuring two of the greatest quarterbacks in history.7): Seen enough of the Brady-Manning rivalry? You won't feel that way when they're both gone.8): on Jr. You' Casey Marksberry Jersey re welcome.9): Rare is the game when the guys in headsets are the headliners. But when the two most innovative and compelling coaches in the NFL try to outthink each other, we'll watch.10): The Bowl. By this time, we should also have a good indication as to whether Kelly is a madman or a mad genius.11): Maybe, by this time, we'll understand .THE TRENDS12) Do schedule inequalities show up in the won-lo s record? showed that teams that have more rest than the opponents they are facing -- if they are coming off a bye week or a Thursday night game -- have up to a 2.5-point advantage over their regular-rest opponents. That's potentially bad news for Washington, which has five games against opponents who will have extra rest this season, the most in the league.13) Can the wave of big comebacks po sibly continue -- and what does it say about how offense and defense are being played? Last year, there were five comeback victories of at least 21 points, the most in a single season in history. There were also 43 comeback wins of at least 10 points, tied for the most in history.14) Which teams make the playoffs this season after being also-rans in 2014? Five teams made the playoffs last year after mi sing out in 2013. And since the 12-team playoff field was adopted in 1990, at least four teams have qualified every season that were not in the previous year. The smart money for one: the .15) Will the golden age of quarterbacking show any sign of dimming? Last year, a record 807 touchdown pa ses were thrown. In 2011, the number was 745. An NFL-record nine quarterbacks had at least 30 touchdown pa ses last season, obliterating the previous high of five quarterbacks with that many scoring strikes.16) Over the last four seasons, tight ends have rewritten the record book for the position, posting the four best years in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches. Last year, four tight ends -- , , and -- caught at least 10 touchdown pa ses, the most tight ends with at least 10 TD grabs in a single season in history. Gates and Gronkowski became the first tight ends in history with 10 or more touchdown receptions in four different seasons, surpa sing Tony Gonzalez, who had three such seasons.17) Forget the dink-and-dunk game -- the big-play pa sing attack is in vogue again. Last season, the league-wide yards-per-pa s-attempt was 7.21, the highest in the era. The result: games averaged 473.6 net pa sing yards, an all-time high.THE MOST IMPORTANT OFF-FIELD STORY IN RECENT MEMORY18) Before the kicks off, the NFL almost certainly will have decided which team (or teams) will move to Los Angeles in 2016 after a two-decade league absence in the city. The maneuvering in the meantime, though, will be fascinating, touching not just on the potential money-making abilities of the , and , but on the personal relationships among owners that drive so many NFL decisions. For now, it appears the joint project between the and for Carson, California, has as much support as the Inglewood project proposed by owner Stan Kroenke, but there's plenty of behind-closed-doors deal-making (and po sible shotgun marriages) to be made. The league will hold a critical meeting in October, and the expectation is that a vote to approve relocation will be held in December or January.THE RULES TO LEARN19) Give your placekicker a hug. His job with the NFL's attempt to make the extra point more interesting by making it a 33-yard kick (and with the defense now able to return a blocked kick, interception or fumble for two points). Yes, kickers have made 94 percent of 33-yard kicks over the last three seasons, and in the preseason, they made 93.3 percent of the extra points. But even predicts at least a few games will be decided by a mi sed extra point this season, probably later in the season and in bad-weather situations.20) The intended receiver of a pa s following an interception or potential interception is now viewed as a defensele s player, and hits to his head or neck area -- or hits that use the crown or hairline parts of the helmet -- will draw a 15-yard penalty that will be enforced after the change of po se sion.21) After all the skirmishes during joint practices this summer, keep an eye on the league's point of emphasis on fighting. Even aggre sive behavior when pulling opponents out of the scrum surrounding a loose ball can be penalized 15 yards.THE PEOPLE TO WATCH22) In a new offense, in the twilight of his career, is poised to set the mark for all-time pa sing yards sometime in the first half of the season. Manning needs 2,148 yards to eclipse Brett Favre, who holds the current record at 71,838.23)'s has stalled a comeback that got interesting when he completed 10 of 18 pa ses for 118 yards and a touchdown . is the ' starter for Week 1, but with no money sign and no inflatable swan, Manziel's career reboot might not be far off.24) Speaking of career reboots, Houston pa s rusher also gets one -- with and beside him -- after an injury-plagued rookie season.25) Will the departure of coordinator Dan Quinn to Atlanta or the contract holdout of safety end Seattle's extraordinary defensive run? The are one of only three teams in NFL history to lead the league in points allowed in three consecutive seasons -- and the first since the did it from 1969 to 1971.26) The post-Jim Harbaugh era in San Francisco began with perhaps the most turbulent offseason in NFL history, replete with surprise retirements, run-ins with the law, veteran departures and suspensions. And it's not going to get any easier for new head coach Jim Tomsula. The have the third-hardest strength of schedule this season, with nine games against teams that made the playoffs in 2014. They also will travel more than any other team -- 27,912 miles, nearly 1,300 miles more than anyone else.27) Does the elevator video of his domestic-violence incident, combined with his advancing age, make Ray Rice too radioactive even for teams desperate for a running back?28) And does , off the field for almost all of last season in the wake of child-abuse charges, regain his form in Minnesota even without right tackle () to block for him?29) Peterson didn't go to Dallas -- as many speculated he would -- but the ' offensive line is so good it might be able to make , and look like Peterson. Or .30) There are lots of questions about the ' offensive line, but not about the agele s , who, at 32, will finally give some run support.31) Once 's jaw is in one piece again, can he get the ' starting quarterback job back -- and can he get any locker-room respect?32) A backfield with and ? Darrell Bevell should never call again.33) Enjoy receiver Sr. -- his play, his mouth, his chip-bearing shoulder -- as long as you can. He has announced that , and we're going to have to recover.34) Can either or get enough points out of Houston's offense without () or (the entire season)?35) When will return to the field for the -- and will his play ever be the same after he lost his finger in a fireworks accident?36) Chip Kelly didn't think was good enough to be the third quarterback, two years after Bill Belichick couldn't find a role for him. So will Tebow play football again in any league?37) Kelly didn't think provided -level quarterback play. Now Foles has to flourish without Kelly's system, but with the support of St. Louis' staggering defensive line.38) Is there already trouble in Buffalo, where the surprising release of running back ?39) Belichick has had six months to reconfigure his secondary since losing and in free agency. Can his defense be as good without them?40) got , but a po sible move to Los Angeles could create instability for the anyway.41) The post-Dick LeBeau, post-Troy Polamalu era begins in Pittsburgh with a new-look defense that struggled in the preseason but will get plenty of help from the ' explosive offense.42) Is -to- the next great quarterback-to-receiver hookup in the Bay Area?43) What will Jr. do for an encore when he has to take away some of the attention of the ' opponents?44) Whither , so great as a rookie, so lost three years later. Will he ever start in Washington again? Will he ever start anywhere again?45) Now that the and have , we can resurrect a little-used stat category for them: receiver touchdowns.46) Can Adam Gase salvage in Chicago?47) How much will affect and damage the ' chances of winning the NFC South for a third straight year?48) got from the . Is the push he gives the defensive line enough to push the over .500 for the first time since 2008?49) Sarah Thomas is , as a line judge in referee Pete Morelli's crew. Take a moment to notice how you're not going to notice at all.50) The next victims of Deflategate? The defensive backs who will try to contain . Something tells me he has a lot of frustration to unleash.Follow Judy Battista on Twitter . J.J. Watt Jersey