Thursday's NFL season opener between the Patriots and Chiefs is a celebration of New England's fifth Super Bowl title and a much-anticipated game between two AFC playoff hopefuls ... and, apparently, a chance for fans in Foxborough to let league commissioner Roger Goodell know how they (still) feel about the Deflategate suspension he levied against Tom Brady last season.
The Patriots, though, were not negatively affected by that four-game Brady ban, as proven by the championship banner scheduled to be revealed at Gillette Stadium on Thursday night. Further, many believe New England only got better during the offseason, and by better, we mean possibly-undefeated-in-2017 better.