NFL PREVIEW 2017
Features
32 The Patriots Problem
Do the Texans, with their five-across D, have the key to toppling New England?
By Andy Benoit
41 Hater Nation
Football USA is still figuring out how to process the power of the Patriots
By Peter King
46 David Johnson
His mutantlike skills spring from the receiver's unlikely path to stardom
By Greg Bishop
56 Mike Zimmer
The Vikings' coach is working to make good on an old promise
By Michael McKnight
62 Scouting Reports
Analysis of every team, plus fearless postseason predictions
By Andy Benoit
104 Encore Performances
Adrian Peterson is trying to prove that NFL running backs can have second acts
By Jenny Vrentas
112 Read-Option
What happened to the offense of the future? How did it fall so far so fast?
By Albert Breer
120 The Tao of Z
Uncovering the lost memoirs of an irreverent football writer
By Paul Zimmerman
Departments
4 SI Digital
6 Leading Off
14 Inbox
17 Scorecard
28 Faces in the Crowd
128 Point After
Greg Bishop: An athlete and a young fan help one another
SI HAS REGIONAL COVERS THIS WEEK:
Photo Illustrations byBRYCE WOOD
BRADY COMPOSITE: BOB ROSATO, DAMIAN STROHMEYER, STREETER LECKA/GETTY IMAGES; RODGERS COMPOSITE: SIMON BRUTY, AARON M. SPRECHER/AP; JOHNSON COMPOSITE: SCOTT BOEHM/AP AND RALPH FRESO/GETTY IMAGES; WATT COMPOSITE: CHARLES KRUPA/AP AND DAVID J. PHILLIP/AP; NORM HALL/GETTY IMAGES (49ERS); JONATHAN DANIEL/GETTY IMAGES (BEARS); SAM CRAFT/AP (BENGALS); PETER AIKEN/GETTY IMAGES (BILLS); LARRY FRENCH/GETTY IMAGES (BROWNS); JASON MILLER/GETTY IMAGES (BROWNS); PHELAN M. EBENHACK/AP (BUCCANEERS); STACY REVERE/GETTY IMAGES (CARDINALS); RICK SCUTERI/AP (CHARGERS); JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES (CHIEFS); AARON ONTIVEROZ/THE DENVER POST/GETTY IMAGES (COLTS); RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES (COWBOYS); PATRICK SMITH/GETTY IMAGES (DOLPHINS, REDSKINS); DREW HALLOWELL/PHILADELPHIA EAGLES/GETTY IMAGES (EAGLES); MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY IMAGES (FALCONS); KATHY WILLENS/AP (GIANTS); PAUL JASIENSKI/AP (JAGUARS); EVAN PINKUS/AP (JETS); JIM ROGASH/GETTY IMAGES (LIONS); ANDY CLAYTON-KING/AP (PACKERS); DANNIE WALLS/ICON SPORTSWIRE/CORBIS/GETTY IMAGES (PANTHERS); JOE SARGENT/GETTY IMAGES (PATRIOTS); ERIC LUTZENS/THE DENVER POST/GETTY IMAGES (RAIDERS); KELVIN KUO/AP (RAMS); MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES (RAVENS); WESLEY HITT/GETTY IMAGES (SAINTS); GRANT HALVERSON/GETTY IMAGES (SEAHAWKS); AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES (STEELERS); ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES (TEXANS, TITANS); HANNAH FOSLIEN/GETTY IMAGES (VIKINGS)
