In the first round of the NFL playoffs on Jan. 4-5, the New England Patriots were upset by the Tennessee Titans win of 13-20. The New Orleans Saints were also upset after narrowly losing a nailbiter to the Minnesota Vikings by a count of 26-20 in overtime. The quarterback play by the Saints and Patriots was lackluster; Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, commonly known worldwide as one of the best players in NFL history, threw for only 209 yards, had an interception, no touchdowns and only completed just over 50% of his passes. Drew Brees, on the other hand, was a bit more efficient, completing 79% of his passes and scoring a touchdown, but threw a costly interception that would have put the Saints in the red zone. Both the Saints and Patriots were heavily favored to win their respective games, but were outdueled by younger quarterbacks and overall younger, more explosive teams. This could potentially be the end of the Patriots dynasty in which they won six Super Bowls. Brady is 42 years old and isn’t getting any younger; the same goes for Brees, a future hall of famer, who will turn 41 on Jan. 15.
Seeing the Patriots lose in the playoffs was not something that most sports fans were accustomed to. In fact, it’s been quite a strange time for the NFL. A lot of players who are getting older are on the decline and it’s quickly becoming a league dominated by the younger crowd.
To put this into perspective, Lamar Jackson, quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens, is the frontrunner for MVP at only 23 years old. He plays the position very unconventionally, leading the league in touchdowns thrown as well as being in the top 10 in rushing yards of the league. For the 2018-2019 season, the MVP was yet another second year player: Patrick Mahomes, who took the league by storm and became the third player to throw for 50 touchdowns in an NFL season.
Going back to the Patriots game on Jan. 4, 26-year-old running back, Derrick Henry, compiled 204 yards from scrimmage and was basically a one man show in the game. Are you getting the picture here?
Some football fans are bound to be upset by the decline of their respective teams, and they have the right to be. However, I think we are in one of the most exciting times of the sport. To see these young guys come out and put up historic numbers at such an early stage in their careers promises a better future for the league and the future of football as a whole. Athletes are always getting bigger, faster and stronger. If this is the current generation of football players, just think of how good future generations can be. Instead of being upset because time is running out on the careers of some older players, it is important be appreciative of how exciting these young players can be about football.
Photo: A. Basheer
