Last night, the NFL schedule was released. And there’s some games that will intrigue BYU fans.
It’s hard to know which former BYU players who were recently picked up by NFL teams will make their respective rosters come fall, but there’s at least two players I feel confident will be starters — Zach Wilson (duh) and Brady Christensen.
And the two former teammates will go up against each other in the season opener between the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers on Sept. 12. Seeing as Wilson is a quarterback and Christensen is an offensive lineman, the pair won’t go directly against each other, per se, but it should still be fun to see those two guys play for opposing teams — especially when Christensen played a big role in Wilson’s success.
Out in New Orleans, former BYU quarterback Taysom Hill is fighting for the QB1 role after future-Hall-of-Famer Drew Brees retired. Should Hill win the job, BYU could have two of its former quarterbacks face each other when the Jets face the Saints on Dec. 12. Even if Hill doesn’t win the starting quarterback job, I would expect him to still play a sizable role for New Orleans this year.
But having two BYU quarterbacks in the same game would be cool, right?
While Wilson was the highest drafted BYU player in program history, there were some that had hoped he could sneak into the No. 1 overall draft pick position. He didn’t, but Wilson will get the chance to prove himself against Trevor Lawrence.
The No. 1 and 2 overall draft picks will go up against each other on Dec. 26 when the Jaguars and Jets meet.
I’m not the world’s biggest NFL fan, but I may just have to catch that game.
Hawaii serves up a heartbreaker to BYU
A year ago, BYU was playing its best volleyball. The Cougars had just suffered their first loss of the season at Hawaii — splitting the two-game series — when the season came to a screeching halt due to the pandemic.
With all of its players returning, BYU was hoping to pick up where it left off. But it wasn’t to be.
The Cougars struggled at times, while rival Hawaii only continued to build off last year’s success. The Rainbow Warriors suffered only one loss this season — and it barely came during their conference tournament.
The truth is, Hawaii played the better match in the title game against BYU. The Rainbow Warriors were more efficient, committed fewer errors and just overall played better than the Cougars.
It was a heartbreaker for BYU, but with the success the Cougars have had recently, it’s only a matter of time before they compete for a national title again.
More thoughts
• Speaking of the NFL 2021 schedule, besides seeing Wilson face former teammates, it will be his chance to prove himself and show that he deserved to be the No. 2 draft pick. It’s a lot to put on any 21-year-old’s shoulders, but this is the moment Wilson has been waiting for. Now, to see how he handles the pressure.
• I never thought Matt Haarms would come back for a second senior season. He was completely adamant about it from the moment he signed until the regular season ended. Then, after the Cougars were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the first round, he started considering another season in Provo. But he put an end to those thoughts as he announced he’s declaring for the NBA draft.
Other voices
• Darnell Dickson of the Daily Herald wrote how the BYU men’s volleyball team is trying to find the positives after falling short of NCAA title.
• Harvey Langi returning to the New England Patriots, a move that means more than football, wrote KSL’s Sean Walker.
Normita’s Spanish Lesson of the Week
horario
schedule
El horario del NFL de 2021 tiene muchas joyas para los fanáticos de BYU.
The 2021 NFL schedule has a lot of gems for BYU fans.
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