Photo courtesy of Keith Allison

Christian Mccaffrey gets loose for a week six divisional tilt in London against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Every year the NFL poses new questions. Will the Brady-Belichick era ever come to an end? These questions still loom large today, but similar to prior years, new stars are emerging and more veterans are hitting the end of the road. It is a continuous cycle that repeats itself every year.

Here we go again. The New England Patriots are one of the two remaining undefeated teams in the NFL. The Patriots have been the most consistent team for a decade and a half now, due to the undisputed best quarterback-head coach duo of all time. The season hasn’t started out without controversy though, contradicting the “Patriot Way.”

Speaking of the Patriot Way, former Pat Antonio, or as some have said, “Clowntonio” Brown, has been one of the biggest stories in the NFL thus far. He has already been on three different teams in this calendar year, and has been cut from two and dealt from one. This has left him with very few options and he has now enrolled back to finish his degree at Central Michigan where he went to college, not completing his degree due to him leaving for the NFL early. It is unclear if he will finish his degree, or if he will ever return to the league.

“My English paper do by tonight 12am need a prof reader make sure As and Bs #Eng303,” Brown tweeted. Some have said that it is very evident that Brown didn’t finish his college degree.

It would appear that students at WJ feel strongly about the issue, and that Brown has more critics than he does people in his corner.

“Bottom line is he’s not just a clown but the whole carnival,” junior Luke Simmons said.

With widespread backlash from across the country, it becomes clearer everyday that Brown is completely oblivious to the situation he is in. He has also filed multiple grievances against the NFL for wearing the wrong helmet. He claims his helmet is certified but the NFL does not. He has also filed grievances against the Patriots and Raiders, claiming he is still owed guaranteed money.

A few skill position players have been putting the team on their back. Dalvin Cook“ie monster” has been feasting on opposing defenses as he is first in the league in rushing. It helps that he is on the Vikings who have a potent defense that gives them the pigskin for the majority of the game. Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers is top five in the league in all purpose yards through eight weeks despite having a bye week already, and has frequently been running free as he leads the league in rushes of more than 10 yards.

Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is top five in the league in both touchdowns and receiving yards. Godwin has played godly in both of the Bucs wins this year, tallying north of 100 yards and a touchdown in each. Godwin wasn’t well-known last year but has become one of the better receivers in the league. Jameis Winston is up to his old tricks throwing 5 picks in London against the Panthers. Speaking of London, the Washington Redskins haven’t been there since 2015.

The hometown Redskins are off to an awful start. Once again it appears that they will have a wasted season as they are off to a 1-7 start and have kicked head coach Jay Gruden to the curb in the process. Sixth overall pick Dwayne Haskins was forced into the game against the New York Football Giants and threw 3 interceptions in his NFL debut. The Redskins lack light at the end of the tunnel while Dan Snyder, owner of the Redskins, is under constant scrutiny.

“I don’t see the Redskins winning anything while they have Dan Snyder at the top of the food chain,” sophomore Erik Rees said.

The Redskins have suffered from poor leadership and still haven’t won a playoff game since 2005. Bruce Allen is the consensus worst GM in league from anyone who has any sort of knowledge of football. The Redskins are said to be chasing after Mike Tomlin as their new head coach. Tomlin is currently employed by the Steelers, a stable franchise, and recently signed an extension in July.

Across the Beltway, The Baltimore Ravens currently sit atop the AFC North at 5-2. Their four wins have come against the Dolphins (0-6), the Steelers (third string quarterback), and the Cardinals (3-4-1). Coming off of an AFC North title and a wild card exit to the LA Chargers, the Ravens hope to make it further this year. They have one of the league’s better run games and have a decent defense coming off an offseason where they lost a couple big pieces.

It doesn’t appear that anyone will run away with any division besides maybe the Patriots and the Chiefs. This season promises to be exciting down the stretch. The NFL continues to be the greatest show on turf and these eight weeks have done nothing but emphasize that statement.