NFL Preview Through Uniforms, Because That’s What I Do.

Someone pinch me because I SMELL FOOTBALL.

Is that a saying? It is now. Look, as a Cubs fan, I couldn’t be more ready for football. I just experienced one of the darkest days of my lifetime and I need something to look forward to. The calendar has turned to August and preseason games have begun. I hope everyone has a healthy amount of ammunition in the ole’ gambling accounts (responsibly).

Couple scheduling changes this year. There will only be three preseason games this year because there will now be SEVENTEEN games of meaningful football. What does this do to what was a perfectly symmetrical schedule? Glad you asked. Each team will, like normal, play each division foe once at home and once on the road (6 games), each team in another division of their same conference based on a yearly rotation (4), each team in a division of the opposite conference (4), and then each other team in the two remaining divisions of their conference that finished in the same standings place in their respected divisions (2). This totals 16. Still with me? Great.

NOW – the seventeenth game will be a team from the opposite conference who finished in the same place in their respected division. The divisions are to be determined on a rotating basis, and the NFC and AFC will alternate years being home/away. This year, the AFC teams will play at home for this additional game.

Put that all together, we’ve got seventeen games of football, AND, WHAT, AN EXTRA WILDCARD SPOT UP FOR GRABS. Whaaaat.

That’s right, the 1 seed in each division will receive a bye week and home field advantage while the other six teams duke it out.

That all being said, and now that we are up to speed, we should totally make some predictions, right? But of course, not by who is playing, by what they’re playing in…

STARTING ON MONDAY, I will be previewing each division one by one based on their uniform lineup, and make a serious prediction on who will win the division. This is all to stir the pot and get everyone ready for some football in a fun and unique way. The schedule:

Monday, August 16th: AFC East

Tuesday, August 17th: NFC East

Wednesday, August 18th: AFC West

Thursday, August 19th: NFC West

Monday, August 23rd: AFC South

Tuesday, August 24th: NFC South

Wednesday, August 25th: AFC North

Thursday, August 26th: NFC North

Now, this is based off of the uniforms I see on Wikipedia… No Color Rush, no throwbacks, just what is listed as the team’s primary uniforms: Home, Away, and sometimes Alternate (And the rest of whatever the Chargers are doing).

Be looking out for this next week. Until then, enjoy preseason football.