Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning shook off his neck brace and passed for more than 4, 000 yards, Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson jumped off the operating table and produced the second-highest rushing total in history, and Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis returned to the field just 12 weeks after tearing his triceps.
But many here are beginning to brace for change as the Illinois Legislature considers regulations that could set off a rush among energy companies to drill deep in the southern Illinois bedrock for oil and natural gas.