Calm before the storm for Roger Goodell?

I wonder if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been silent this past week during the latest onslaught of domestic violence abuse cases because he knows more women will be coming forward.

With the recent arrest of Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer, we now know that his wife was assaulted all the way back in July. She didn’t come forward until this week, two months after the incident.

But why? Why come forward now? What precipitated her coming forward to tell police what happened now? When many victims stay with their abusers, hidden, silent and scared, she took her son, left the state, got help and now she’s talking to police.

I want to think that Dwyer’s wife saw what happened with Ray Rice and Janay Palmer. I want to think Dwyer’s wife was empowered when she saw the fallout of the second video where the world saw what really happened, conclusively, to Janay in that elevator, and then saw what happened to Rice the next day when he was cut by the Ravens and indefinitely suspended by the NFL. I want to think it gave her hope and courage that she didn’t have to stay silent, she didn’t have to stay a victim.

Even though many fans have been furious at the way Goodell and the owners of NFL teams have handled abuse cases of their players, what happened to Rice may be a turning point that gives more victims — particularly spouses and girlfriends of NFL players — hope that their allegations will be taken seriously and their abusers punished. We can debate until the Super Bowl whether the NFL handled each incident with the appropriate punishment, but if more women come forward, tell their stories and their abusers held accountable, then something good will come of all the discourse.

And maybe Goodell is silent because he is waiting for the gates to open and more victims to come forward.