The other day on The NFL Roundup, we talked a lot about how it seems that teams this weekend are truly looking to make a big time statement to start off their season, and that was never more evident than it was on Thursday Night Football...when the Kansas City Chiefs came out and made quite the statement of their own. They made it clear they've come to play this year and be taken seriously as a contender and embarrassing the New England Patriots in their own house, was a great way to hammer that point home. With that in mind, there are plenty of other games coming up over the next couple of days, filled to the brim with other teams also looking to make their mark on the league and show everyone they're for real. So without further ado, here is a sampling of which games you might want to catch, that will be featuring teams looking to wow the league and let us know what they are all about in 2017.

Let's be honest. When it comes to this game, there's only one team taking the field with something bigger on their minds and that's the Atlanta Falcons. While it will be interesting to see how the Bears look with Mike Glennon at the helm on offense, it's the Falcons that make for a far more intriguing story here simply because of what went down in Super Bowl LI. When you blow a 25 point lead in the biggest game of the year, a team's psyche is rattled for certain and the only way to overcome it and show that you're still a contender is to come out and play some incredible football and that's precisely what the Falcons have to do. It is imperative for them to shake off that awful loss and beat the Bears handily and if they can do just that, then perhaps Atlanta can find their groove once again.  

Surprisingly, this particular game could turn out to be quite the contest, because both of these teams are looking to make their mark and start off the season right. For the Houston Texans, they're looking to prove to the football world they can in fact, make the right personnel decisions at quarterback and finally find some stability and production at that position and there is no doubt in my mind that Tom Savage is looking to come out and impress everyone with a solid performance to reinforce the franchise's decision to anoint him the starter and as for the Jaguars...well, let's be honest, they're just hoping to finally prove, to just about everyone, that they can put together a solid game and win convincingly for a change. Either way, the desire to impress should allow for this game to be quite the entertaining matchup to watch.

While I have no doubt that the New York Giants are looking to start the season off with a solid win, the fact of the matter is...the Dallas Cowboys have a lot more to prove in this game. After all, they were one and done in the playoffs last season and to top it all off; two of the three losses the Cowboys suffered last season, came at the hands of the Giants. So, really...there are two key things that Dallas is looking to prove in this game. First and foremost, that they can beat anyone and everyone, especially a divisional rival that seems to have their number and also...that there will be no sophomore slump for Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. With that in mind, expect the Cowboys to fire off some aggressive play calls in this game to put it away early and make the statement that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the NFC this year. 

Yet again, we find ourselves looking at a game where the home team has more at stake than the visiting squad. Because while it is important for the Chargers to secure their first win of the season, with a new head coach and town in play, fans will be a touch more forgiving if Los Angeles suffers a loss. But for the Denver Broncos, this game is a must win whether they want to acknowledge it or not. A team stacked to the brim with defensive talent, and is built to 'win now' has to do just that. They have to handily beat the Chargers and in order for that to happen, the offense must deliver. Trevor Siemian needs to move the ball down the field and the offensive line has to open gaps for the running backs to get through and they also have to protect their QB. If the Broncos can accomplish that and put up some points, the trepidation hanging over the Mile High City will clear, at least for a little while, but more importantly the Broncos will make quite the statement that the critics might be wrong when it comes to their offensive woes.

I’ve written previously in For the Love of Logos about how my love for sports team emblems blossomed when I stumbled upon a book of historical sports logos in my local library as a kid. But even prior to diving headfirst into that book and all sorts of team identities throughout sports history, I had a background in NFL logos.
 
I was six when the Denver Broncos changed their color scheme and redesigned their logo. I vividly remember the hullabaloo that move caused amongst my family members who had grown attached to the classic Broncos D logo that had been on the team’s helmets and merchandise for 26 years. Observing their reactions, I learned how much of an impact a logo change can have on a fanbase. People have very strong opinions regarding their favorite team’s identity.
 
My family’s yearning to keep the classic Broncos D shaped my affinity for throwback logos. I’m sure a few trinkets around my childhood home subconsciously added to that, too. The basement window had 1970’s NFL curtains up, remnants of the playroom my mom and uncles used when they were kids. My parents also brought home a pool table light with NFL logos from the late 80’s and early 90’s. While we lacked a pool table and thus never used the light for its intended purpose, I would examine it and select my favorite (and least favorite) logos from it every time I passed by.   
 
The NFL has had some great logos in its history, and I absolutely love it when those are brought back permanently or at least featured in throwback games. In this NFL edition of For the Love of Logos, I’ll showcase some of the outstanding and wacky logos that have graced the gridiron over the years. Here in part one, I will look at trends and show how logos have changed over time. Then, in part two, I will highlight some of my favorites, as well as some flops and forgotten logos. Without further ado, here are some trends in NFL logos, with all logos courtesy of the wonderful sportslogos.net! 

​Animals play a big role as sports mascots. In fact, half of the 32 NFL teams are named after animals and/or use an animal as their logo. While creatures representing teams have been a constant, their look has evolved over time, typically becoming edgier and more stylized. Originally, animal logos tended to be either super realistic or cartoonish, fun, and silly. Today they fit neatly somewhere within that spectrum, appearing sleek and modernized. Here are before and after pictures to show off some of those transformations. There are some very stark differences between the logos of the 1940’s and 50’s and those of today.

​While some teams morphed the look of their animal, others dropped them from their primary logo altogether. The Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts have historically featured actual animals in their logos. Now, the teams are represented by a wishbone ‘C’, a tiger-striped ‘B’, and a horseshoe, respectively. Those three teams are now the only ones with animal nicknames but no animal in their primary logo.

​Teams have commonly adopted identities related to professions and other identifiers, with names like Cowboys, Saints, Texans, and Packers serving as just a few examples. Human mascots aren’t exempt from the changes that their animal counterparts have gone through. For a period of time, teams visualized these names through primary logos which were often a little cartoonish or corny. The designs used in the 1960’s definitely wouldn’t fly today.  As you can see, the early Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Oilers, Denver Broncos, and Dallas Texans logos were cut from the same cloth. 

​Shields, crests, and wordmarks are once-common forms of logo that have fallen by the wayside. More commonly found in the 1940’s, 50’s, and early 60’s, these gave teams a more official or serious look.  While teams today do use wordmarks in many capacities, none use them as a primary logo. 

People instantly recognize brands. The Coca-Cola font, the golden arches, or Google’s colors all immediately strike a chord when they are seen. Team names, jerseys, helmets, and logos are no different. Fans come to know and love the look of their favorite team. However, those haven’t always remained as steady as they seem. Even the most iconic of franchise logos are not what they once started out as. Hopefully you’ve seen some new designs and learned a little about the history of the NFL here in part one. Stay tuned for part two to see some of the NFL’s favorites, flops, and forgotten logos!

​It’s a magical time of the year for football fans everywhere because this is it ladies and gentlemen, Kickoff Weekend is upon us at last and football has returned. Yet, despite the joy the fans are feeling, there is a different air hanging over the 2017 NFL Season, in that…it seems as though so many teams already have a chip on their shoulder. These squads clearly have something to prove this year, and that’s precisely what we are going to focus on today for the first edition of The NFL Roundup for the 2017 season…the statements that some teams are looking to make. 
 
The New England Patriots are undoubtedly looking to continue their revenge tour.
We learned last year that the Patriots are more than happy to show the league what they are capable of when they feel their backs are against the wall and we know how that story ended. But as 2017 gets underway and the defending Super Bowl Champions take the field to defend their title, I get the sense they want to come back out there with the same vengeful fury that propelled them to the championship last year and what’s scary, there’s fuel for that fire. People are questioning the offense’s ability to produce without Julian Edelman on the field and others, myself included, are wondering if Father Time will find Tom Brady this year and I have no doubt that Brady and the gang are planning to use those questions and those doubts as motivation to continue their revenge tour from last year and wow the league once again.
 
The Denver Broncos offense is hoping to impress us all once again.
There was a time, not that long ago, that the Denver Broncos offense was a force to be reckoned with. They would score at will, embarrass defenses and thrill Broncos Country in the process. But all of that has changed. Now the offense on this team is its own worst enemy, unable to score or move the ball down the field and come Monday night, the Broncos are looking to change that perception and the question is…can they? The answer to that is yes. If the offensive line can keep Trevor Siemian upright and if they can run the ball more than a couple of yards, they may put some decent points on the board and while that’s not exactly earth-shattering play, it doesn’t need to be when you have a defense like Denver’s. If the Broncos can accomplish that list of to-do’s and have Siemian play game manager again, expect Denver’s offense to indeed impress everyone after all.
 
The Los Angeles franchises need to prove their worth.
While it is incredibly awesome that football has returned to the City of Angels, let’s be honest…the teams selected for this incredible honor, have been sub-par over the past few years. Granted, both the Chargers and Rams have made steps to rebuild with new coaches and new players, but all the rebuilding in the world means nothing when game time arrives, it’s all about the wins and thrilling the fans that’s precisely what these two teams need to do this weekend. They have to come out in their respective games and wow the L.A. crowds and honestly, I’m not 100% sure they can make that happen. But, if Philip Rivers can conquer the No-Fly Zone in Denver and Jared Goff can manhandle the Colts D, both QB’s will make quite the case that their squads deserve to be in Los Angeles.
 
The Cleveland Browns need to show their fans, something.
The Cleveland Browns have been in perpetual rebuilding mode for what seems like an eternity now. Year after year they change out quarterbacks and other players throughout the year and sadly we know where all that work has taken us in Cleveland. But for the first time in a long time, there seems to be a sense of hope surrounding this once proud football city thanks to rookie QB DeShone Kizer. The former Notre Dame quarterback managed to wow fans and the franchise with his play in the preseason and now he gets an opportunity to unleash his vast potential against the Pittsburgh Steelers and at this point, no one is expecting a Madden-esque performance from Kizer, he simply needs to wow the football world with a few big time plays and/or keep the Browns in this game for this franchise to make a statement. If he can pull that off, or stun the Steelers with a win, then the talk that Cleveland is a proverbial loser will quiet down as everyone starts to wonder what the Browns can accomplish with Kizer at the helm.
 
The Jacksonville Jaguars need to live up to the hype this year.
It seems that every year, there is a level of hype that surrounds the Jacksonville Jaguars and it makes sense as to why. They are traditionally, a bad football team, which garners them some top-notch college talent in the draft and some decent free agents in the offseason as well thanks to their vast salary cap space. But alas, despite the big signings and big draft names the year always ends with the same results…a ton of losses and disappointed fans and here we are again, excited to see what the new additions to the team will bring to the field and well, at this point, it’s up to the players to answer the call and live up to the hype all while making a statement that they are indeed a team committed to winning, and the best way to accomplish that? Deliver a straight up beat down in Chicago this weekend. If Blake Bortles can settle down and play his game and if that talented defense can play mistake free football, expect the Jags to wow the football world for a change and hopefully for the Jags, a win in Chicago can serve as the building block to a successful season.