Two tourists from the provinces go to London, sit down in a restaurant and the waiter tells them: “For conservative voters there is only a tasting menu, because if they choose a la carte they are always wrong”. Then, to go to Wembley by public transport, the wait becomes endless. “Buses are like prime ministers,” someone at the stop tells them. They spend three together, and then you don't know." They get scared when they feel a kind of tremor, until someone informs them: "It's not the effects of fracking but a political earthquake, now there are every day." A good soul gives them a cake: “Liz Truss gave me the recipe, I changed all the ingredients and I think it turned out pretty good”. They ask when the changing of the guards is at Buckingham Palace. “Twice a week at eleven in the morning, but in Downing Street there is a change of prime minister almost every afternoon” (Cartoons by Matt, sensational photojournalist for The Daily Telegraph).
In the NFL there is no changing of the guard as often as in Downing Street, but now it seems that time. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are having seasons to forget, with more losses so far (four each) than wins (three). The leader of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in what will almost certainly be his last season, regrets having returned when he had already left, putting his marriage at risk. Overall, what for? If the goal was to win the Super Bowl once again, it doesn't seem like it's going to be achieved. He forced the early retirement of coach Bruce Arians and his replacement with Todd Bowles, for nothing. He has had the bad gesture of criticizing the team's offensive line because they don't protect him as he would like, but he looks distracted and inaccurate on passes. Despite this, he found time to go to the wedding of the owner of the Patriots, his former club. In six games he has not reached 21 points. For the first time, his age (45 years) is noticeable.
The same, and more, happens to Aaron Rodgers, who without Davante Adams (traded to the Raiders) has no receivers he trusts, and it shows in his easygoing. Sometimes he gives the impression of not even trying the move dictated to him from the wing by Matt LaFleur, with whom he does not quite understand each other (he flirted with leaving in the preseason, but in the end he reluctantly stayed, cajoled with a contract of one hundred million Dollars). His completion percentages and yards per shot are the lowest of his career, as is his rating. It's like he's not having fun and his head is far away.
The decline of Rodgers and Brady comes after the withdrawals of Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and Drew Brees, other glories of their generation. It's time for Jalen Hurts (of the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles), Joe Burrow (last Super Bowl finalist with the Bengals), Pat Mahomes (Kansas City), Matthew Stafford (Rams), Josh Allen (Bills) Lamar Jackson ( Ravens), Justin Herbert (Chargers) or Daniel Jones (Giants).
The decision of when to retire, or change teams, is one of the most difficult in an athlete's career. Brady wanted to play one more year, Rodgers stayed in Green Bay, but Russell Wilson left the Seahawks, his lifelong team, for Denver, where he has lost five of seven games. Instead Seattle, with his replacement Geno Smith, is a scoring machine. You never know. Another veteran, Kirk Cousins, has the Vikings leading their division.
Sunday? Changing of the guard in the NFL. Three in the afternoon on any given day? Political earthquake in London and changing of the guard in Downing Street.
